The glorious tradition of the Broadway musical from Irving Berlin to Jerome Kern and Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. And then . . . Cats and Les Miz. Mark Steyns Broadway Babies Say Goodnight is a sharp-eyed view of the whole span of Broadway musical history; seven decades of brilliant achievements the best of which are among the finest works American artists have made. Show Boat; Oklahoma!; Carousel; Gypsy; and more. In an energetic blend of musical history; analysis; and backstage chat; Mark Steyn shows us the genius behind the simple musical; and asks hard questions about the British invasion of Broadway and the future of the form. In this delicious book he gives us geniuses and monsters; hits and atomic bombs; and the wonderful stories that prove show business is a business which -- as the song goes --theres no business like.
#4492155 in eBooks 2012-01-18 2012-01-18File Name: B00LLKA4NG
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Another Hot Music Book For Pop Lovers Everywhere!By R. CraigJames Arena hits another one out of the park with his sensational ldquo;Stars of 90s Dance Pop.rdquo; Like the other books in his monumental series; ldquo;90s Dance Poprdquo; covers all your favorite recording stars with loving first-person interviews; covering a wide range of topics. From immortal dance anthems to more obscure but beloved tunes; this wonderful book covers anyone of note in the field; with thrilling and revealing interviews with their creators. There are happy stories; and sad stories; but they all revel in the dominant spirit of the creative person who needs to share their art with the world - by hook or by crook. Some of my favorite interviews (and artists) include Thea Austin (Snap!); Lane McCray (La Bouche); Haddaway; Right Said Fred; and of course; the incredible Martha Wash. One of the most poignant recurring motifs in the interviews is that frightening void; after the ecstasy of that surprise first hit; when there comes the intense pressure from many parties to create an instant follow-up hit. The old industry canard - "The first hit is easy; the second is murder" - seems entirely true when you listen to these sometimes-harrowing tales of pop artists being harangued by everyone in sight to "Produce! Produce!" As uplifting as most of the book is; Arena does not whitewash his subject matter or coddle his artists; there is more than the occasional reference to the scourge of drugs and sexual disease in the mercurial; often treacherous music business. As well; the artists themselves pull no punches if they have felt shortchanged by producers or promoters; apparently an ubiquitous phenomenon in the industry. A most heartwarming aspect of the book; however; is how many artists hold strong spiritual beliefs; and how their faith helped make them such giants in their field. Most amusing are the "Lightning Rounds" in which Arena subjects his interviewees to some trivial (and not-so trivial) questions; the hardest question of all; to me anyways; is "Donna Summer or Diana Ross?"! Virtually all of the artists interviewed verify by their experience something Ive always thought true: Europeans appreciate music (and art in general) much more than Americans; who collectively have the attention span of a dried fig. Last but not least; an appendix called ldquo;The CD Rackrdquo; is an invaluable reference to other (some quite obscure) dance CD albums; many of which were new to me. Although chock-full of (sometimes very heavy) info; the book is a breeze to read; a music-lovers delight from start to finish. I have the entire series of Arenas music books; and I refer to them often; why they arent on the New York Times Bestseller list is anybodys guess. I think they are the essential go-to books for pop music from Disco onward.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great book if you were a 90s clubhead!By CustomerThis book brought back so many great memories for me. I really was into this music back into the day and its cpol to know some of the background stories. I dont get into books that much but I was into this one . Some artists Ididnt even know but now I want to find their music. Id recommend this to anyone who was clubbing or bblasting dance mixes in the 90s.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Ultimate Source for 90s Dance MusicBy Louis GottliebHot singers; cool DJs; hit makers and one hit wonders; Whitney and whats her name again. This book has it all. If you love the 90s dance scene; you will love this book.
