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Out of the Vinyl Deeps

Ellen Willis on Rock Music
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( 877 ratings, 93 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In 1968, Ellen Willis became the New Yorker's first popular music critic, pioneering rock criticism in a male-dominated field. Her column, Rock, Etc., ran for seven years, covering legends like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Wonder. Willis analysed albums and performances, blending sharp cultural insight with personal emotion. Out of the Vinyl Deeps collects these seminal essays and writings, reaffirming her vital role in rock music criticism.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Out of the Vinyl Deeps is ideal for readers fascinated by rock history, cultural commentary, and feminist perspectives in music criticism. Fans of influential music journalism and those interested in 1960s-70s music culture will find this collection essential.

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Rediscover the astute and passionate music writings of the pioneering rock critic for the New Yorker.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1968, the New Yorker hired Ellen Willis as its first popular music critic. Her column, Rock, Etc., ran for seven years and established Willis as a leader in cultural commentary and a pioneer in the nascent and otherwise male-dominated field of rock criticism. As a writer for a magazine with a circulation of nearly half a million, Willis was also the country's most widely read rock critic.

With a voice at once sharp, thoughtful, and ecstatic, she covered a wide range of artistsβ€”Bob Dylan, The Who, Van Morrison, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Joni Mitchell, the Velvet Underground, Sam and Dave, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Wonderβ€”assessing their albums and performances not only on their originality, musicianship, and cultural impact but also in terms of how they made her feel.

Out of the Vinyl Deeps collects for the first time Willis's Rock, Etc. columns and her other writings about popular music from this period (including liner notes for works by Lou Reed and Janis Joplin) and reasserts her rightful place in rock music criticism.

Reviewed in the New York Times.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone praises Willis's essays as witty, cerebral, and revelatory, noting her trailblazing approach beyond rock clichΓ©s. The Village Voice highlights the essays' timeless intellect and vibrancy, transcending typical music writing. Publishers Weekly gives a starred review, emphasizing Willis's appreciation for the blend of passion and intellect in music at a time it was less understood.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780816672837

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 May 2011

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Minnesota Press

Contributors:

  • Edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz
  • Foreword by Sasha Frere-Jones
  • Afterword by Evie Nagy
  • Afterword by Daphne Carr

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Ellen Willis (19412006) was a groundbreaking radical leftist writer and thinker whose true loves were rock music, feminism, pleasure, and freedom. She was the first pop music critic for the New Yorker and an editor and columnist at the Village Voice. She wrote for numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, the New York Times, the Nation, and Dissent. She was the founder of the Cultural Reporting and Criticism Program at New York University, and she published three books of essays, Beginning to See the Light, No More Nice Girls, and Don't Think, Smile!Nona Willis Aronowitz has written about women, sex, music, technology, film, and youth culture for publications such as the Nation, the New York Observer, the Village Voice, and Salon. She is coauthor of Girldrive: Criss-crossing America, Redefining Feminism. Sasha Frere-Jones is a musician and writer from New York. He is a staff writer for the New Yorker and a member of the bands Ui and Calvinist. Daphne Carr lives and writes in New York City. She is editor of the Best Music Writing series. Evie Nagy is an associate editor at Billboard Magazine.

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