The Death of Rhythm & Blues

Rating:
Summary: Finally an honest book the goes beyond dates and names
Review: I've read a lot of books on musical roots in the last 30 years...to understand what really happened in the history of black music in America you have to understand what went down for the African-American in a white controlled enviroment. Mr. George holds nothing back and lets true history smack us all in the face. I would like to comment on a couple of points relating to white men playing black-roots music. Nelson commented that although Elvis was totally involved in black music ( and hair styles, clothe,etc.) that he essentially became a "wimp". I feel his material got wimpy, because of the white-music-machine & Tom Parker..but,I beleive the inner Elvis had "soul" in it's truest form. Then Nelsons examples of white boys who actually could play the blues 1. Eric Clapton, who I find leaves me cold with the text-book perfect licks pumped out with computer accuracy & 2. Johnny Winter, who to my ear does the classic wanna-be style playing of "more- notes-faster"...typical of the white boy trying so hard to over compensate, that it loses what it was all about in the first place, FEELING! These are just small things that bugged me a bit...the book is not about white boys wanting to play black music...it has a much deeper and more important message...a very eye openning look at reality in the music buisness and the black experience...I will continue to read Nelson George, he is saying things I'd like my children to understand. People deserve to here the truth.

Rating:
Summary: A Forgotten Past
Review: Nelson George's arguments are clear, well-organized, and powerful. While reading, I was forced to look at things differently than I ever had before. The ideological vision of integration is an honorable one, but the simple fact demonstrated in The Death of Rhythm & Blues is that integration is forever indebted to black utility for white profit. It is likely that race relations in this country would be quite different if whites had not benefited from the talent and ingenuity of black athletes and performers in such a profitable fashion. This is ground that history teachers rarely, if ever, tread on. It is quite tragic to know that the unique and powerful black culture from which basically all popular music is derived, can be so easily forgotten or ignored. George's position is most intriguing in that it reminded me that history may belong to the teller, but there are many stories to be told. I consider myself fortunate to have heard this one.

Rating:
Summary: very honest
Review: this book is very honest.10 years back the cross-over dreams achived by michael jackson,prince,lionel richie,whitney houston,janet jackson, and the rise of rap at the time put this book on point.cuz 10 years later rap has crossed over like the artist i mentioned and artists before them and though artists like michael jackson always had a cross over crowd many other artists have tried to hard to be pop accepted. and it's coast them careers and credibility.this book points out artists that have tried to hard to be accepted.also lack of black on black support as far as management,tour personnel,etcc.black radio and programmers.this is a must read very insightful and to the point.also it's my fave of his books cuz it predates everything that is happening in hip-hop and rap today not to mention the lameness that goes for r-n-b today.artist that tried to cross-over so bad have made it worse for todays r-n-b. this book shows that point and more.