The torch song has long been a vehicle for expression--perhaps
American song's most sheerly visceral one. Two artists in
particular have built upon this tradition to express their own
unique outlooks on their lives and the world around them. "Joni
Mitchell, Elvis Costello, and the Torch Song Tradition" combines
biographical material, artist commentary, critical interpretation,
and selected exemplars of the writers' work to reveal the power of
authorship and the creative drive necessary to negotiate an
artistic vision in the complicated mechanisms of the commercial
music industry. Author Larry David Smith, as in his "Bob Dylan,
Bruce Springsteen, and American Song," considers the complicated
intersection of biography, creative philosophy, artistic
imperative, and stylistic tendencies in the work of both Joni
Mitchell and Elvis Costello--two songwriters with seemingly nothing
in common, one famously confessional and one famously
confrontational. Yet, as Smith shows so incisively, they are two
personalities that prove fascinatingly complementary.
Mitchell and Costello both yielded bodies of work that are
cohesive, coherent, and rich in meaning. Both have made historic
contributions to the singer-songwriter model, two rebellious
respones to the creative and commercial compromises associated with
their chosen field, and two distinct thematic responses to the
torch song tradition. Smith examines these responses, offering a
unique and invaluable exploration of the craft of two of the last
century's most towering musical figures.
General
Imprint: |
Praeger Publishers Inc
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
April 2004 |
First published: |
April 2004 |
Authors: |
Larry David Smith
|
Dimensions: |
235 x 156 x 30mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
336 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-275-97392-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Arts & Architecture >
Music >
General
Books >
Music >
General
|
LSN: |
0-275-97392-1 |
Barcode: |
9780275973926 |
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