Music: A Subversive History

I am an experienced music listener, and very much enjoyed the book. Gioa places ecstatic, Dionysiac music at odds with pythagorean rational music, but loses focus as he proceeds; he uses market forces to explain how the power structure converts innovative expression to monetizable product. He loves how blues and jazz bend notes, subverting cruel Pythagorean, perfect tuning with real emotion. But the author missed the importance of equal temperament that JSBach demonstrated could play keyboard notes between the perfect keys of what is called 'just intonation'. Equal temperament allows keyboards to play in any key. That allowed classical music to address the ecstatic in Beethoven and Schubert and forever after.

A sophomoric and poorly written tome without an editor. Exasperating. Like reading an endless clickbait article on music. Find a more learned source about music history, there are tons better out there.

I see a lot of complaining here about how this book is not a comprehensive History of All Music Ever Made, with lists of famous popular musicians and cultures that the author failed to mention (that are covered extensively and exhaustively in all other forms of musical history). That was neither the intent nor claim associated with this book. This book does get redundant, pedantic, snobby hippie, and wandering at times, but the intent was to show countless examples in history of how the outsiders, the overlooked, the inconvenient and unappreciated, the unknown and unpopular, the abused and neglected (prostitutes, beggars, itinerants, slaves, often the society of women in general) created over and over again the underlying soul and scaffolding of popular music, and were the leading waves of innovation, which was almost always hated, feared, censored, and mocked by the circles in power, only to be assimilated (stolen) by these same groups for fame or profit later (800 years ago, or 8 weeks ago). Mr. Gioia is correct and shows numerous examples to expose this predictable and shameful trend that affects most art and innovation, not just music. My only issues with the book were the times when the author tried to give pseudoscience and mysticism a level of respectability that they do not deserve, but an author certainly can and will let their personal feelings add tint to their own mosaic. His history of jazz book is superb even if you are not a jazz fan. I will read more Gioia, but I will wince every time that he dances with the butterflies, mushrooms, moons and fairies. Thanks for your patience. Be excellent to each other.

This book takes a common theory about American music, that all its musical art is "outsider" art, and applies the idea to the entirety of musical history. Is that a bad thing? Not if you already believe it. Of course, I was often thinking while reading it, in the back of my mind, that it was all a giant imposition of 21st-century liberal, "woke," ideology onto the past. But the theory and its author's writing is too good, and well-attended, and lengthy, to be denied. If it takes 999 pages for you to be convinced, too (or, at least, come to understand why so many of your fellow music-lovers have already come to the same intimation), then so be it.

Funny and appalling at times, this music detective has uncovered how prevailing attitudes overwrite the real history - and herstory - of music. Answers why we are a musical creatures and why this has always aided us in evolution despite the opposition of establishment forces and mores. Gioia puts it all together in an entertaining, logical and convincing manner.

Setting aside the question of the quality of the information and the validity of the author's arguments about the role/evolution of music, this book is just way too long and repetitive. Had it been 100-200 pages I would either have given it a good review or not reviewed it at all. A slog at 500 pages.

Ted Gioia is an excellent writer and researcher. His breadth of knowledge encompasses more than jazz. This is a must read for every musician

Anyone who thinks we live in a world of rigid, unyielding logic should take a look at 2020. And then look at the whole of recorded history.

Just finished Ted Gioia’s latest remarkable book: Music: A Subversive History, and I’m pleased to say it totally knocked me out!.A superb read that covers a massive amount of ground, I’ve learned so much over the last couple of weeks. Absolutely fascinating from page one. I’ve read a number of Ted’s books and I have never been disappointed. His knowledge is remarkable & his writing style is very accessible, you never feel like you’re being swamped. Each book sits pride of place on my bookshelf & I frequently dip back into them to re read favourite chapters. My previous favourite was his history of Delta Blues, but with this latest book I believe he’s topped that. His best work yet!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Recommend

The book came with the front cover smeared with something via somebody's fingers and a back page torn and creased. Was looking forward to reading this and I will return it because it's not such a big deal. But just feels a bit undignified to receive a brand new book in such a condition.

I admit I didn’t finish the book! I surrendered about half way through. I am not a novice when it comes to reading works on musical history, having made it even through the Taruskin Volumes (!) However, this one was a challenge too pointless to face in toto. I just could not follow Gioia’s trains of thought. The book, or at least the half I read and the other half I just flew over, is written in such a vague style that any number of pages seem like a big, foggy blur with hardly any highlights worth remembering. In fact, I wouldn’t even know how to summarize any of the chapters. If you are looking for a historical overview of music, which you might think this book is, you are better off with one of the standard works of Grout, Forney, Burkholder and the like.

Devo ancora completare la lettura, ma conosco l'autore, forse il più grande esperto di blues e jazz in attività, e trovo stimolante, oltre che ovviamente informato, questo suo saggio. Imperdibile!

Not too bad.