KICK OUT THE JAMS
Jibes, Barbs, Tributes, & Rallying Cries From 35 Years of Music Writing
by Dave Marsh
Selected essays from an acclaimed music critic.
Marsh (b. 1950) was a founding editor of Creem, where he was mentored by his colleague Lester Bangs, and he has been an editor and writer for the Village Voice, Rolling Stone, and other publications. He has also published numerous books on bands and musicians, including Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, the Who, Michael Jackson, and Sly and the Family Stone, and he is a committee member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame known for his unapologetically candid opinions on rock. Most importantly, though, he’s someone who truly loves music, regardless of genre or style. This volume brings together his best essays from 1984 to 2017, ranging from the personal to the political and everything in between. A self-proclaimed “musical omnivore,” he tackles artists as varied as Nina Simone, Green Day, and Madonna—who, he writes with characteristic humor, “has entered the rarified ranks of those pop stars who function as lightning rods for assholes.” The author also explores lesser-known musicians such as gospel singer Dorothy Love Coates (“In her music, the African American tradition of the social gospel comes to full, fierce life”) and the Chinese rock artist Cui Jian (“Chinese, with its guttural intonations and short words, is perfectly suited to rock and roll”). Throughout, Marsh’s deep passion for the music and the artists he writes about provides a bassline of energy and excitement. The author breathes new insight into well-known artists and provides avenues of discovery for new music while maintaining humor and heart. Many of the best essays are not about artists but the industry itself, including critiques of record companies that remain relevant today and astute analyses of music’s relationship to politics. Springsteen, for one, offers Marsh an avenue to examine Ronald Reagan, and Kurt Cobain leads to a larger discussion of the punk revolution.
Heartfelt and often amusing, these essays will have you reaching into your record collection to listen with fresh ears.