[audiobook] 30 Viaggi nel Tempo (Italian Edition) by Dario Camilotto at Arts-Photography

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Avoid At All CostsBy LAMAs someone who grew up in this era and loves this music to this day; I am always thrilled when an author takes the time to delve into its origins; the highs and the lows of this very important period. Unfortunately Mr. Shapiro is not one of those authors. Instead we are subjected to a book that seems to focus mainly on the authors personal likes and dislikes and is void of any kind of analysis. I think one of the things I found most frustrating were the errors; such as assigning a particular song to the wrong artist. I also found his writing to be derisive; and after two thirds of the book decided that it was a waste of time. If you are looking for a fair and balanced; as well as a well written book on this topic; I suggest "Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture" by Alice Echols. As for Mr. Shapiros book; I am tempted to ask for a refund.18 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Politics and DancingBy disco75Shapiro eschews the standard chronological format in his book; documenting the rise of US disco with a topical format instead. This approach sets it apart from the other books that have come out about disco. He also spends a greater amount of space critically describing the music itself; which also is a change from the other books. (In fact; he incorportates material from his other book; the Rough Guide to Soul; in his musical analyses.) He is able to embed the history of disco in a detailed examination of US society and politics-- something some other authors have tried but not succeeded at.*Turn The Beat Around* thus comes across as a serious examination of disco-- both the genre of music and the style of nightclubbing. It is able to recognize the different subsets of disco that emerged over time (electronic; Eurodisco; Hi-NRG; soul-based; etc); to describe these subsets in meaningful ways; and to link 70s disco with the RB-based dance musics that followed in the 1980s.Shapiro is able to view the discotheque scene from various angles-- from the perspective of serious clubbers who started off in the late 60s; of the singles who took to the trend in the mid-70s; of the US citizens who did not join in and might have been benignly accepting of what they heard on the radio in the late 70s or were dismayed by the sounds of this Sodom-and-Gomorrah of race; gender; and sexuality upheaval.His book is not as first-hand as the memoir *Keep On Dancin* or the research piece *Love Saves The Day.* It is not as much a valentine as *Saturday Night Forever.* It is less academic than *You Better Work* but less accessible than *Last Night A DJ Saved My Life.* Shapiro provides a good balance of journalism and criticism; and this above all marks *Turn The Beat Around* as a good volume on the subject. Unfortunately; it comes on the heels; at least to US readers; of these other books that have pretty much covered the territory.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. More; More; More...By Alex HTURN THE BEAT AROUND:THE SECRET HISTORY OF DISCO is a well researched and brilliantly written book by Peter Shapiro that provides an eye-opening look at the underbelly of the disco phenomenon.Focusing on the clubs; djs; and producers that shaped the "disco sound;" Shapiro follows the music of the late 60s from the New York City boroughs to the underground gay clubs in Manhattan to the evolution of music that finally swept across America in the 70s.With biting humour; Shapiro provides in-depth critical analysis of the night life culture that created the disco craze and provides ample research to back it up. Not only does the author go into analyzing songs; djs; and nightclubs; he also explains what was going on in daily life that caused people to search for "something" outside of themselves.I found the book exciting and informative. However; if you are looking for a book that focuses specifically on the disco superstars of the day (i.e. Donna Summer; The Bee Gees etc.); this might not be the book for you. Although they are mentioned; TURN THE BEAT AROUND... concentrates on the djs/producers and nightclubs that created disco and not the commercialization of it.