Music: A Subversive History Paperback – 27 May 2021

Just finished Ted Gioia’s latest remarkable book: Music: A Subversive History, and I’m pleased to say it totally knocked me out!.A superb read that covers a massive amount of ground, I’ve learned so much over the last couple of weeks. Absolutely fascinating from page one. I’ve read a number of Ted’s books and I have never been disappointed. His knowledge is remarkable & his writing style is very accessible, you never feel like you’re being swamped. Each book sits pride of place on my bookshelf & I frequently dip back into them to re read favourite chapters. My previous favourite was his history of Delta Blues, but with this latest book I believe he’s topped that. His best work yet!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Recommend

The book came with the front cover smeared with something via somebody's fingers and a back page torn and creased. Was looking forward to reading this and I will return it because it's not such a big deal. But just feels a bit undignified to receive a brand new book in such a condition.

As someone else has mentioned this is like reading an endless clickbait article - really is so bad. That’s so surprising because his book ‘The Jazz Standards’ is excellent and indispensable.

overly complicated.

Muy buen libro. Admiro mucho la trayectoria y trabajo del escritor. Muchas gracias

Not too bad.

Very interesting! It puts music in context with social, political and geographical aspects. I recommend it!

Devo ancora completare la lettura, ma conosco l'autore, forse il più grande esperto di blues e jazz in attività, e trovo stimolante, oltre che ovviamente informato, questo suo saggio. Imperdibile!

This book takes a common theory about American music, that all its musical art is "outsider" art, and applies the idea to the entirety of musical history. Is that a bad thing? Not if you already believe it. Of course, I was often thinking while reading it, in the back of my mind, that it was all a giant imposition of 21st-century liberal, "woke," ideology onto the past. But the theory and its author's writing is too good, and well-attended, and lengthy, to be denied. If it takes 999 pages for you to be convinced, too (or, at least, come to understand why so many of your fellow music-lovers have already come to the same intimation), then so be it.