The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock: Trouble Girls - Softcover

O'Dair, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0679768742 ISBN 13: 9780679768746

Publisher: Random House, 1997

Synopsis

Stunning close-up portrait photographs, accompanied by a selection of biographical essays--written by notable musical critics and writers--chronicle the role and history of women in rock music. Original. 19,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

Somewhere it must be written that women could play tambourine, acoustic guitar, or keyboards and sing vocals, but could not--yea, verily, could not--play lead guitar or drums. From blues artists Memphis Minnie and Sippie Wallace to über-punk Patti Smith and barbed singer/songwriter Liz Phair, many of the women chronicled in Trouble Girls turn that injunction upside down and shake it hard. The roll call is huge and draws representatives from hip-hop, gospel, R&B, country and western, girl groups, folkies, punks, indies, and so on--the list of musical categories alone is exhaustive. No doubt people will quibble about who got left out, but it's a pleasure to read about those who made it onto this ark. Solid photos accompany muscular, energetic text from a strong pool of female rock writers who clearly enjoy their subjects, but don't find it necessary to kowtow.

From School Library Journal:

YA-An impressive collection of 56 essays by 44 female writers about the role of women in popular music. Divided into six sections, the book opens with "The Pioneers of Rock & Roll: Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, and Country" and features such artists as Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, and Patsy Cline. Subsequent chapters cover solo artists and girl groups of the '50s and '60s; the ladies of rock in the '60s and '70s; and the pop singers and punksters of the '70s. Sarah McLachlan, Bjork, Madonna, Salt-n-Pepa, k.d. lang, Janet Jackson, and Selena are just a few of the "Divas and B-Girls" spotlighted in another chapter. The volume wraps up with "Oh You Pretty Things!: Toward the Millennium" and includes the Go-Go's, Ani DiFranco, performance artist Laurie Anderson, and Riot Grrls like Bikini Kill. O'Dair and her troupe of well-credentialed writers have produced a comprehensive, well-written, and visually appealing volume that has an excellent index, bibliography, and discographies with each chapter. A must-have for libraries wanting vibrant, accessible material that will appeal to adolescent readers, especially women.
John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0679768742
• ISBN 13: 9780679768746
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 575