Warts-and-all nostalgia evokes the undeniable power of the Motown sound.
Precisely rendered account of the Motor City hit factory’s rise, fall, and corporatized rebirth.
“The music was vital, of course, but what was most fascinating was the cast of characters,” comments veteran journalist Posner (Killing the Dream, 1998, etc.). Motown’s improbable success depended on founder Berry Gordy Jr. He was a poor student who lacked his family’s strong work ethic, but Gordy (alongside early collaborator Smokey Robinson) developed fierce enthusiasm for Detroit’s music scene. His initial efforts at songwriting and band management convinced him that success lay in an independent record label with in-house production and distribution within the still-segregated “urban” (i.e., African-American) markets. Beginning in 1958 with Tamla Records, Gordy launched several small labels that culminated in Motown’s mid-’60s dominance of the pop charts and indisputable contribution to cultural desegregation. Initially, Posner portrays Gordy’s fledgling music powerhouse warmly, depicting a family-run atmosphere that nurtured unschooled musicians: the fiercely ambitious Supremes from the Brewster projects; Marvin Gaye, who nervously auditioned for Berry at the 1960 Christmas party; and youthful Stevie Wonder, who was virtually adopted by Gordy. However, contractual arrangements heavily favored the company, keeping musicians on modest salaries while billing them for all expenses. As a result, “numerous Motown artists eventually challenged their contracts . . . over years of aggressive litigation.” Gordy moved the company to Los Angeles in 1968, alienating Detroit-based performers like Martha Reeves and Gaye. In the ’70s, Gordy had some successes (the Jackson 5) but made ill-advised forays into film production and lost touch with Motown’s operations. The resulting mismanagement, exacerbated by alleged drug abuse and payola, contributed to the defections of Gaye, the Jacksons, and Gordy’s ex-paramour Diana Ross; the company was sold to MCA and other investors in 1988. Although Posner’s tone seems rather dry for depicting such joyous music, his clearly detailed account of this prototypical minority-owned business unearths many fascinating cultural touchstones, such as the pressure felt by Motown’s artists to avoid alienating white audiences with political outbursts.
Warts-and-all nostalgia evokes the undeniable power of the Motown sound.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2003
ISBN: 0-375-50062-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2002
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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