It seems to me that writing music reviews is fairly simple and writing book reviews is fairly simple. However, writing reviews of music books is fairly tricky, because you find yourself with the challenge of covering two mediums simultaneously, especially if you’re passionate about both.
In some cases, it's easier than others. If you're discussing a reference book such as The Ultimate Beatles encyclopedia, it's easy enough to report how comprehensive the volume is and whether or not it would meet the needs of certain people. But if the book is about a favorite singer or band and the author has a bias that shows through, then all bets are off.
Gary Cee's 160-page coffee table tome Classic Rock falls into the former category for the most part. The book is a look at rock and roll from the early 60s onward, focusing primarily on the 1964-1984 era, much like the format of many Classic Rock radio stations (although the one in my local area also plays Nirvana and Pearl Jam).
The book begins with an introduction by Cee (a New York area radio DJ), which talks about the beginnings of rock and roll as a whole and separates the early artists (IE: Elvis, Chuck Berry) from the ones that will be given extensive coverage in the book. From there it's a jump directly into the stories of the artists you are likely to hear numerous times on the radio and a few that you aren't (Lou Reed, aside from “Walk On The Wild Side”).
The first section is called "The Magnificent Seven" and focuses on the seven artists upon whom the foundation of classic rock is supposedly built. Those artists are: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Upon first reading this section, I found myself musing on the fact that all but two of those groups (Hendrix and The Doors) are British. America may have invented rock and roll. But the Brits helped ensure it a lasting place in the world.
From that point on, we are treated to highlights from The British Invasion, The Southern California Scene, The San Francisco Scene, Progressive Rock, Glam Rock, Folk Rock, Southern Rock, Arena Rock, Heavy Metal and the singer-songwriter movement. Overall, 102 artists get profiled.
Each profile consists of a short bio of the artist, info about how they impacted the rock world and a few photos. The majority of the information is good, albeit a bit basic to dedicated rock fans. However, it can come in handy for neophytes of rock or of certain groups. For instance, Genesis fans who are only familiar with their pop radio singles will be enlightened to read "Genesis released so many smash hits in the 80s that it's easy to forget that they honed their craft as a theatrical art-rock band in the late 60s".
For the most part, Cee follows the "I report, you decide" rule for reporting on artists, being content to stick with the facts. From time to time though, his opinion kicks in such as when he observes about Crosby Stills And Nash: "Without Young the trio could only be considered lightweight" and "Looking back today, the Moody Blues repertoire seems pompous and overblown".
The information and bits of opinion scattered here and there are decent. Yet the main thing that makes Classic Rock worth reading is the fact that it traces the evolution of rock from its early days as discussed in the introduction to the early 1990s which are mentioned briefly in the epilogue. Thus, while some people may get pleasure out of looking up specific bands they are interested in, the work is more rewarding if read in its entirety.
What's also good is the books lengthy appendix. There is a listing of rock and roll hall of fame artists grouped by the year they entered the hall (up until 1995 when this book was written), a survey of one-hit wonders from the 60s and 70s and a listing of the 100 most played songs on classic rock radio. The number one song on the list is of course the ubiquitous Stairway To Heaven (ugh). (Note: Kashmir also made the list)
Classic Rock will be a good read for Rock and Roll newcomers as well as those who wish to see how rock evolved. Plus the fact that you can probably find it cheap nowadays is also a good bargain.
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