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Reader Reviews
Praise
“[Gioia] uses the familiar scheme of cyclical rejuvenation through transformation as a mechanism to consider the whole history of music, from the sounds of the primordial world to electronic dance music today, in his latest and most ambitious book. . . . Smart but readable.”
“In carefully examining its ‘subversive’ side . . . Ted Gioia does much to convince us that music, far from being incidental to deeper political purposes or a convenient index of popular taste, is a profound ‘force of transformation and enchantment,’ intrinsic to human society.”
“Gioia asserts that music history generally shares the whitewashed stories of the assimilators. . . . Exhaustively researched.”
“Mr. Gioia’s alternative history of music is extraordinary, groundbreaking, and bone-chillingly real.”
“Music is Gioia’s magnum opus, an inventive and original work that spans 4,000 years. . . . Throughout this vital book, Gioia shows that music is still a disruptive force.”
“There is so much rich history in this book; so many interesting and startling facts and stories.”
“Invigorating.”
“Marvelous.”
“Essential.”
“In describing the kinds of music that existed throughout history, [Gioia] treats topics that have long been suppressed or ignored by historians who crave respectability, topics such as magic, sexuality, and violence. . . . As a writer and thinker he is compelling and thought provoking.”
“Gioia takes a look at the underside of music history, teasing out the episodes of sex, violence, and rebellion out of which music developed.”