The Peoples Songs: the Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records Free

FREE THE PEOPLES SONGS: THE STORY OF MODERN BRITAIN IN 50 RECORDS PDF

Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records date. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. NOOK Book. Home 1 Books 2. Add to Wishlist. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Members save with free shipping everyday! See details. This is not a rock critique about the 50 greatest tracks ever recorded. Rather, it is a celebration of songs that tell us something about how Britons have felt about things in their lives down the eras—work, war, class, leisure, race, family, drugs, sex, patriotism, and more. In times of prosperity or poverty, this is the music that inspired haircuts and dance crazes, but also protest and social change. Product Details About the Author. About the Author Stuart Maconie is a writer, broadcaster, and journalist familiar to millions from his work in print, on radio and on TV. His previous bestsellers have included Cider with RoadiesPies and Prejudiceand Adventures on the High Teasand he currently hosts the afternoon show in 6music with Mark Radcliffe as well as weekly show The Freak Zone. Crown Publishing Group. The People's Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records by Stuart Maconie

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the term "pop music" toand reduces its meaning to a matter of "popular appeal", which is fine, as far as it goes. But it omits an essential aspect of an art-form born of mass production, and open to anybody who can afford a rudimentary instrument and fancies a go: an accessibility that still runs through its ever-more varied strands, and surely makes it the most democratic cultural creation western civilisation has ever seen. To return to the OED, pop is popular not only in the sense of being "suited to the taste or means of the general public", but as something "of or carried on by the people as a whole". This is what unites George Formby and Tinie Tempah, the Beatles and One Direction: the fact that even if success is reserved for a fortunate few, just about everyone begins in the same place — light years from any conservatoire, plunking at an instrument, chattering into a microphone or posing in front of a bedroom mirror. As a result, its essential voice is usually penetratingly demotic — and, irrespective of its precise genre, pop can thus enrapture people out of all proportion to the simplicity of its ingredients hence that well-worn Noel Coward line "extraordinary how potent cheap music is". As the broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie writes in this book's introduction, pop has "a defiant, unsanctioned concept at its heart, the ability to speak to people, to affect people, to occupy people, to transform their lives". He goes on: "This is a music that happens without the approval of critic or teacher or politician or pulpit … it happens without anyone's permission. Maconie makes another point: that great pop "both nods to history and makes history". It can also point to the future, thanks to how quickly its practitioners can move — one laptop, a smidgeon of talent, and off you go — and the fact that it often emerges from subcultures on the cutting- edge of where society is headed. In the UK, it was via pop that millions of people got their first taste of a multiracial society, the normalisation of homosexuality, political dissent, all manner of drug The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records, and more. What other form could have placed a buck-toothed gay man — who also happened The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records be the child of Indian Parsis — in front of three white longhairs, and allowed them to trade as Queen? Where else could the racism of the late s have been challenged by a salt-and-pepper collective named Two Tone? The FA vetoed that title. The People's Songs is essentially music as social history: 49 essays about 49 records the 50th will be chosen by the publicfrom Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" to Dizzee Rascal 's "Bonkers". Among the hundreds of sub-plots is that of the rise of Jamaican music, and the accompanying story of an African-Caribbean community whose centrality to British life has probably never been greater. As proved by his memoir Cider With Roadies and the breezy examination of British life, Pies and PrejudiceMaconie usually succeeds in being at once elegant and approachable, definitive but also self-deprecating: there is truth in the often-heard claim that he is another Bill Bryson, albeit one conversant with the music of both Gentle Giant and Joy Division. And though he mostly draws on secondary sources, his text can still feel revelatory. Early on, he dives into the story of Winifred Atwell, the Trinidadian pianist who was the first black person to score a British number one, and whose hit "Coronation Rag" remains "a potent symbol of … a new kind of country, one in which a black woman played music of black origin to celebrate the crowning of a queen in a ceremony that was positively medieval". Maconie is something of a contrarian, and there are aspects of the book that take him well beyond the standard rock-critic school of thought: there are no chapters devoted to such titans as the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin, but space for Spandau Ballet and Chumbawamba. His claim that "viewed by any sensible criteria, the Beatles were a manufactured band" is a flashy pub-debate gambit that enlivens the text, but does not stand up to scrutiny. But in leaving behind the usual verities, he scores some bullseyes. His single most inspired inclusion is Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy"a brilliantly unsettling portrait of a young gay man forced to leave home and head for the city, and a The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records hit in all kinds of ways, "with its compellingly chilly ambience, motorik dance beat and the social realism of its lyric and video". Strangely, there is little in the book on the miners' The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records, arguably the greatest domestic political watershed of the past 30 years, and an episode tightly woven into the story of British pop via the bands and singers who variously captured the cold, warlike atmosphere of witness the Smiths' album Meat Is Murderdirectly essayed those years' events Billy BraggPaul Weller 's Style Councilor gave the cause their support as happened with George Michael 's pop sensation Wham! And there are occasional lapses into cliche — "the past is a foreign country", "double whammy" — that would barely register in a radio script, but rather spoil the flow of a book. On page after page, though, The People's Songs capably reminds you that pop remains that most paradoxical of forms — in which those who aim for sociopolitical significance often fall flat — and that history honours people who, to quote from an old Lindsay Anderson script, would not know Karl Marx from a toffee apple there is not, for instance, a single U2 song with the same zeitgeisty oomph as, say, the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive". Moreover, contrary to claims that pop music is dead, the story goes on, as proved by a paragraph about Plan B and Dizzee Rascal: one white, the other black, both products of east London, who have impressively channelled the currents of their time: "In iLL Manors ," Maconie writes, "Plan B excoriates little rich boys like David Cameron. At the same time he stars in glossy The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records adaptations of The Sweeney. Dizzee Rascal raps about life at the bottom of the pile, while performing 'Bonkers' at the glitzy opening of he Olympics … The two Britains of sit side by side uneasily … raising interesting questions about culture, class and power. In the cracks, gaps and faultlines between the generations, the classes, the races, the haves and have nots, subcultures like grime continue to breed and multiply in the dark corners, before teeming into the light. Music books. No Rolling Stones but Chumbawamba … Stuart Maconie's tour of pop is an elegant and unexpected take on music as social history. John Harris. BBC Radio 2 - The People's Songs

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records. Return to Book Page. This is not a rock critique about the 50 greatest tracks ever recorded. Rather, it is a celebration of songs that tell us something about how The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records have felt about things in their lives down the eras—work, war, class, leisure, race, family, drugs, sex, patriotism, and more. In times of prosperity or poverty, this is the music that inspired haircuts and dance crazes, but also protest and social change. Get A Copy. Hardcoverpages. More Details Original Title. Penderyn Music Book Prize Nominee Other Editions 2. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The People's Songsplease sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Jun 24, Paul Bryant rated it liked it Shelves: popular-and-unpopular-musicmodern-life. The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers. Attributed to Socrates by Plato, Republic, Book 4. The songs are just hooks. Oh yeah. The list goes on. Not so much for girls though. Er — where was I? I got distracted. View all 13 comments. This wonderful book covers seven decades of music, looking at songs that have tracked the changing times of the country. It is a people's history of modern Britain, told through shared musical memories and each chapter has an emblematic record. Of course, this book accompanies the radio series by Stuart Maconie, and, if you enjoyed that, then you will certainly like this too. It is not only a musical history of the country, but also a social history, encompassing many different aspects of our sh This wonderful book covers seven decades of music, looking at songs that have tracked the changing times of the country. It is not only a musical history of the country, but also a social history, encompassing many different aspects of our shared memories as a nation. The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records book begins with "We'll meet again" and ends with hip-hop. In between, many different musical styles are represented, including skiffle, rock and roll, progressive rock, heavy metal, folk music, disco, Britpop and punk. Some songs are truly universally known, such as "She Loves You" by the Beatles - an euphoric beginning to the Sixties. Others are of importance for other reasons - "Move it" by Cliff Richard, which kicked off British rock or "Rock Island Line" by Lonnie Donegan, which started the skiffle boom and caused so many great future artists to form groups all over the country. Other songs are truly of their time, and not remembered widely now, unless you were actually around at the moment - for example, Dickie Valentine's "In a Golden Coach", which was hugely popular during the Coronation in This is a fascinating account of the times and encompasses diverse events, such as package holidays, education, the home and family life, Thatcherism, Band Aid, talent shows and music festivals. It charts not only the history of the country, but that of our music; looking at the first singles chart, radio, those whose influence lasted and musical trends. From Joe Meek, the Beatles, Bowie, the Bay City Rollers, boy groups to pop divas, musicals and novelty records, all are covered in this celebration of our musical tastes. Stuart Maconie writes with humour and intelligence and this is a great read for music lovers. View 2 comments. The People's Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records would probably appeal most to those people who know very little about pop music. I came to it as both a music addict, and a music book addict, and discovered very little that was new to me. That said, I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Sometimes the song under discussion barely warrants a mention, The People's Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records would probably appeal most to those people who know very little The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records pop music. Sometimes the song under discussion barely warrants a mention, and is more of a springboard for a broader discussion. The topics include subjects like mass tourism, racism, folk devils and moral panics, football etc. Towards the end of the book the concept began to pall, and I wonder if even author Stuart Maconie began to have second thoughts about the concept. Overall though, I am very glad I finally read this book. A splendid blend of music history and social history and, whilst the actual selections might not always be the most obvious, the broad coverage of the period c is very good, and packs a lot in. Pretty boring. Song choices good, mainstream; but Maconie tends to focus too much on giving us lumpy and dreary chunks of social history, interspersed with more or less extended discussions The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records other artists that the one nominally under discussion reminds him of. In most cases a rather low proportion of the chapter discusses the actual song in question. And then what he has to say is of little interest. He also spends an unnecessary amount of dull bookspace discreetly making the point that he is a Pretty boring. He also spends an unnecessary amount of dull bookspace discreetly making the point that he is a good modern liberal anti-elitist man of the people, which is very nice for his neighbours I'm sure but neither relevant nor interesting here. Dec 03, Pamela rated it really liked it Shelves: group-rttcnon-fiction. This is a social history of Britain from WWII to the present day, told chronologically in 50 chapters, with each chapter centred around a song that represents its theme. The themes cover topics ranging across post-War austerity, immigration, unemployment and riots, but also lighter subjects such as package holidays and the rise of electronic music. The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records book is a companion to a Radio 2 series fromwhich included opinions from members of the public, and the inclusion of some of these in the This is a social history of Britain from WWII to the present day, told chronologically in 50 chapters, with each chapter centred around a song that represents its theme. The book is a companion to a Radio 2 series fromwhich included opinions from members of the public, and the inclusion of some of these in the book would have enhanced it. While I liked Maconie's wry style, and felt he dealt with the controversial topics in a balanced and informative way, his views did become slightly repetitive over the course of 50 chapters. Nonetheless, this is an interesting and thoughtful book, which I found hard to put down, especially once it reached the era of my own musical memories. There are a few inaccuracies in the book, such as describing the Queen of Tonga as a guest 'from the Caribbean', and a sackful of typos - some are amusing like 'scoolchiden' and 'unconcoious' while those involving The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records words are distracting and irritating - so better editing would have helped. Overall, well worth a read if you are interested in modern social history or the history of popular music. Jun 09, Alteredego rated it liked it. If I could give half stars this would be a three and a half star review. This book isn't bad, and if you are looking for a nostalgic, undemanding read, it's probably worth buying. It's just that it isn't as good as I hoped it would be. This is The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records tie in to a BBC radio series and that is probably key to the weakness of the book which, without being a massive coffee-table endangering tome, is going to struggle to have the depth and richness of a 50 part radio series. I didn't hear the radio series, If I could give half stars this would be a three and a half star review. I didn't hear the radio series, but the blurb about it on the BBC website suggests that it was centred around listeners's views. Crucially that is an element missing hear. On the plus side, Maconie is an interesting and engaging writer, although perhaps not quite at his waspish best. There is nothing here quite as funny or scurrilous as his comparison of Chris de Burgh writing The Peoples Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records in Red and the leader of the Third Reich, a comparison in which the former fares badly. Furthermore any book of lists always generates the pleasure of disagreeing with inclusions and exclusions. A fascinating exclusion is a song which, when I got to the end of the book, I thought, "How can he call this the people's music and omit that? For the radio series, listeners were invited to propose the final entry. Given the timing of the final show, the identity of the chosen song was utterly inevitable. Being that eclectic is also one of the weaknesses of the book. The vox pops of the radio series probably gave it a coherence which this doesn't have.