Table of Contents
Introduction Jonathan Lethem Kevin Dettmar xi
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan Nat Hentoff 1
From the Changing Same (R&B and New Black Music) Amiri Baraka 8
Learning from the Beatles Richard Poirier 19
Goodbye Surfing, Hello God? Jules Siegel 42
Master of Mediocrity Richard Goldstein 62
Outlaw Blues Paul Williams 71
The Memphis Soul Sound Stanley Booth 94
From Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia Lillian Roxon 114
The Best of Acappella Lenny Kaye 123
From The Aesthetics of Rock Richard Meltzer 138
Inside the Cages of the Zoo Ellen Sander 151
From the Disco Files Vince Aletti 166
Valley of the New York Dolls Paul Nelson 176
Where Were You When Elvis Died? Lester Bangs 189
In Defense of Rock Theory Greg Shaw 196
Prince Robert Christgau 204
The Cars' Power Steering Jon Pareles 213
Janis Joplin Ellen Willis 226
The Slits Go Native Carola Dibbell 234
David Bowie Eats His Young Debra Rae Cohen 238
From Hellfire Nick Tosches 242
Boys' Night Out: Aztec Camera Clicks Ariel Swartley 252
The Power and the Glory Nelson George 256
King Solomon: The Throne in Exile Peter Guralnick 264
Sylvia's Husband Donna Gaines 287
From The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made Dave Marsh 297
The Ramones Chuck Eddy 305
Jim Morrison Is Dead and Living in Hollywood Eve Babitz 314
From Route 666 Gina Arnold 328
Houses of the Holy Ann Powers 331
Sam Cooke's Night Beat Robert Palmer 336
From One Nation Under a Groove Gerald Early 343
Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run Ed Ward 354
Total Systems Failure Camden Joy 358
From Fargo Rock City Chuck Klosterman 363
Seven Years in the Life Geoffrey O'Brien 377
From O.P.D. / Deus Est Vivus: The Beatles and the Death Cults Devin McKinney 389
Emo: Where the Girls Aren't Jessica Hopper 398
From Live at the Apollo Douglas Wolk 405
Ray Charles David Hajdu 415
I Is Somebody Else Luc Sante 422
The Final Comeback of Axl Rose John Jeremiah Sullivan 441
In Praise of Assholes Greg Tate 463
Say You Want a Revolution … Elijah Wald 469
Michael Hilton Als 497
The Runaways: Wild Thing Evelyn McDonnell 504
Word: Jay-Z's decoded and the Language of Hip-Hop Kelefa Sanneh 517
Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams: Punk Rock, Disco, New York City & the Triumph of the Rolling Stones' Some Girls Anthony DeCurtis 529
After 30 Years, I Finally Went to a Barry Manilow Concert Danyel Smith 536
Guitar Drag Greil Marcus 543
Sources and Acknowledgments 559
Index 567
