Ann Powers writes about Rock & Roll artists from Chuck Berry to Justin Timberlake, Janis Joplin to Taylor Swift, Mary Wells to Beyonce, David Bowie to Sam Smith. Powers traces the erotic undercurrent of music in America from its beginnings up to the present. Just about all the key figures in popular music sashay across the pages of Good Booty. If you’re interested in the history of Rock & Roll, this is the book for you! What’s your favorite musical artist or group? GRADE: A-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface p. xi
Introduction p. xv
1 The Taboo Baby: New Orleans, 1800-1900 p. 1
2 That Da Da Strain: Shimmying, Shaking, Sexology: New York, 1900-1929 p. 39
3 Let it Breathe on Me: Spiritual Erotics: Chicago, Birmingham, Memphis, 1929-1956 p. 75
4 Teen Dreams and Grown-Up Urges: The American Heartland, 1950-1960 p. 111
5 The Sexual Revolution and its Discontents: New York, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angels, 1961-1970 p. 155
6 Hard and Soft Realities: London, Los Angeles, New York, 1971-1979 p. 199
7 Oh No, It Hurts: Aids, Reagan, and the Backlash: New York, San Francisco, Seattle, 1977-1997 p. 245
8 Hungry Cyborgs: Britney, Beyonce, and the Virtual Frontier: Cyberspace, 1999-2016 p. 299
Epilogue p. 343
Acknowledgements p. 351
Notes p. 357
List of Illustrations p. 385
Index p. 387
My favorite? Can’t narrow it down to one. Springsteen, Dylan, Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, The Clash.
Steve, I love the diversity of your choices!
My son would love this. Maybe David Bowie or Springsteen. Also Lucinda Williams.
Patti, Ann Powers devotes several pages to David Bowie.
Too many to name—but on a whim I just went to YouTube and clicked on MyMix, which is based on songs/artists you’ve listened to (or are LIKE songs and artists you’ve listened to, according to their algorithm). Here were the first five songs:
SING: Ed Sheerin
NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN: Depeche Mode
PRETTY BALLERINA: Left Banke
HAPPY: Rolling Stones
GROOVE LINE: Heat Wave
Yeah, that about sums it up. Make of it what you will.
Deb, what I make of your list is that you prefer a variety of music!
Impossible to narrow it down to one, probably impossible to narrow it to ten.
Patti, we saw Lucinda Williams last week, with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. You’d have loved it.
People we’ve seen in concert in recent years: Jimmy Buffett, Earth Wind & Fire, Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, John Fogerty, Dion, Darlene Love, Steely Dan, Santana.
That’s a sampling of some favorites.
Jeff, I’m still grooving on the Steely Dan concert we saw last month!
Too many to list …
Rock was a very important part of my growing up in th 50s and 60s – when I started to “really work” in IT howeverin 1969 it disappeared in the background.
And together with my love for science fiction it motivated me to learn English – that was an enormous help for me especially in the 70s and 80s and got me many interesting projects and travels – from the USA to Japan and China …
So I really have to thank Chuck Berry, Tina Turner etc for my career! 🙂
Even at university we were a minority, many students just wanted easy listening.
PS:
Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound also was a big influence on me and my friends.
Wolf, I listen to CD compilations of Phil Spector songs and Jack Nitzsche hits all the time! Fabulous music!
Kids listening to Easy Listening…wow.
Todd, I like Ann Powers and her takes on contemporary music. She understands the Music Scene.
I agree on Phil Spector. Also Motown. Doo-Wop. The British Invasion groups. (We just listened to RUBBER SOUL and SERGEANT PEPPER over the weekend. Also THE BAND.)
Jeff, Motown plays constantly on my stereo system! So many great artists and songs! I listen to a lot of Sixties music.
I love the Beatles! Sirius XM found a subscriber for life when they put on a Beatles station.
I do like some of the new music so this looks like something I might try. Thanks for the suggestion, George.
Beth, you’ll love GOOD BOOTY! There’s plenty of great music and performers between these covers!
Nope, even the title is a turn off.
Beatles, Steeley Dan, ELO, Bob Dylan, Stones (some), most Motown.
Rick, excellent choices!
The Beatles first, the Beatles last, the Beatles always!
Bob, you and Beth share the same attitudes toward the Beatles!