The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs

While Marcus (The Doors; Lipstick Traces) holds near-unrivalled credentials as a rock and cultural critic, this title overreaches, beginning with the definitive article "the" in the title. The author argues that instead of understanding rock's history as a chronological narrative, we should view it as a series of associations, in which songs take on their own meanings across different periods and performers. This is an unconvincing thesis, but it does allow Marcus to delve into the background of each piece he analyzes, which plays to his strengths as a writer. Chapters on "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" (by Buddy Holly) and "Guitar Drag" (by Christian Marclay) are particularly notable in tracing how the songs have existed within different musical and social contexts. Marcus is erudite but remains accessible, and his selected compositions are available mostly online as accompaniment. Consider this book a qualified success, then, despite the failure of its overall intention.