Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music

Why not 5 stars- because nothing is perfect. This insiders look at a true musical insiders reviews is a fun read. I do not agree with much that is said about some of the recordings, in fact, that is part of the fun of this book. Ellen was so sure that her opinions were the only valid ones that it can sometimes make your blood boil, but it is done with such background, experience and validity that you are many times sent back in time and to your collection to find her point of view and damnit--- she's right more often than not. This was almost an interactive reading experience for me--- perhaps you will have the same experience!

This is a compelling look at music reviews ca. the late 1960s and early 1970s when rock and roll was in bloom. Willis was a candid reviewer who knew her subject, and often knew the rock stars that mattered during that era. She listened intently to the music and words, the nuances evident in the lyrics and the singing. It's a shame she's gone, but she left a very vibrant legacy that is seen only rarely in today's pop market. She was outspoken in her tastes.She believed in the service she was bringing to the front.

Forty or more years after Willis wrote the best of the pieces, time exposes what was adolescent, of the moment, overly hyped. She avoids those traps and transcends them 80 percent of the time, which why I give this collection of often startingly perceptive analysis of Dylan, his contemporaries and his followers 80 percent of perfect. Even when you roll your eyes at some misplaced enthusiasm -- as I imagine Willis would have too in later years -- you're reminded how much passion the music of that era could evoke.

This book is very valuable for everyone interested in music writing and in learning about the broader cultural context of pop and rock music. I'm really thankful to Willis' daughter for putting out this great book and letting the world know about a great writer and thinker, Ellen Willis. In the field of writing about music, she is definitely a role model.

There are bits here that really do provide a fresh perspective and Willis does have that greatest and rarest quality, a free mind.Still, like most rock crit it can sag and bore quite a bit. In a way a welcome contrast from the wearing and unconvincing intensity of Lester Bangs or the pomposity of Marcus and the other guy; and of course, the female angle is interesting- historically as much as anything.Yes, good, but less fun than I'd have hoped. A free mind and - therefore - a good mind, but not a brilliant one.

As a highly skewed time capsule, I suppose you could do worse with this book, but you definitely could do better. If you like Dylan, Lou Reed and the Velvets and Janis Joplin, you'll like this book better because she writes about them a lot. And let's face it, the early 70's weren't that great of a time for Dylan. Some articles are okay, but maybe it's because they are so old, I was expecting something a little deeper and insightful about the artists that are now classic rock idols. I mean, in a semi concert review of The Who and a semi review of Who's Next, she doesn't go much deeper than saying that she liked this song and didn't like that one. Um, really? A lot of the writing is trite and there is a lot of lyric quoting, a tactic I despise in rock crit. In fact, a whole article of hers was devoted to the best lyrics of the 70's.Maybe I was just expecting more, but there wasn't a lot here that thrilled me. And really, is the New Yorker a good place to go for any kind of authentic rock criticism? Not really.2 stars.

Disappointing.This is your typical snapshot of rock crit of it's time. It's all out of context so there isn't anything here that really says anything particularly interesting or culturally resonant.There are 20+ mentions of the rolling Stones and Keith is not mentioned once. It's all about Mick.As for placing rock music in the larger context of culture or politics, and especially gender as the selling point of this book pushes, there is little to none.Lastly, the woman hates live music and rails against concerts....how can you really LOVE music if you object to seeing it there in the moment?

Great stories about the music I love.