A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs (new book and podcast)

This is to draw readers' attention to Andrew Hickey's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs and the accompanying book which covers his first fifty choices. 

New podcasts are coming out at the rate of one a week, and although he has not chosen all the songs yet Mr Hickey plans to take the story up to 1999. That's a decade or three outside my area of keenest interest but on the basis of the podcasts released so far - 64 to date in roughly chronological order, with Reet Petite the most recent - this ambitious endeavour can be recommended as a painless way of learning a great deal in the shortest possible space of time about the history and development of R&B and rock'n'roll. Mr Hickey has read the right books - and I'm pleased to note he gives Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks website the credit it so richly deserves - but, crucially, he does not assume any pre-existing knowledge on his listeners' part: you can start here if you know nothing about the history of this music.

It does help to listen to the podcasts, or read the chapters, in sequence, although he will usefully reiterate or sum up a point from some earlier programme, or direct you to it, and will indicate which pieces are better absorbed together, as with three related podcasts about Sun Records artists.

I made the mistake of initially trying to binge-listen to the podcasts while engaged on other duties, which is not a good idea if you want to get the most out of them. Although Mr Hickey's writing style - he makes no secret he is reading from a script - is colloquial and direct the podcasts nevertheless amount to a series of lectures, packed with information, so don't get out in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans while simultaneously trying to bend an ear or you will be missing so much and so much. Your full attention is demanded but you will be amply rewarded.

Mr Hickey's delivery is not showy: no Alma Cogan-style giggle in the voice for him. The tone is fairly flat, the pace steady and unhurried, which reinforces the impression that you are listening to a lecture in a large hall rather than hearing a radio talk intended for your ears alone. According to an interview he gave to TCBcast (an Elvis podcast) this was a conscious decision for the benefit of American listeners who might otherwise have difficulties understanding a regional English accent.

But as lecturers go he is a friendly and engaging one who pays his audience the compliment of always coming meticulously prepared and thus in full command of his subject. Reading the pieces on the printed page it becomes clear just how much craft and care has gone into making these often complex interconnections between songs and musicians accessible to the non-specialist, not only in the style of writing but the choice of specific details. Yesterday, to take an instance at random, I was reading his piece on How High the Moon, into which he packed a potted history of Les Paul's career, the development of tape recording, and much else besides, avoiding any technical jargon but succinctly conveying the essence of Paul's achievement and lasting significance.

The approach varies a little according to the podcast's particular subject. There is as much cultural history as musical analysis, so a song may merit detailed discussion or serve primarily as the centre around which other compositions, people and events may freely whirl; there is a great deal about Berry Gordy, future founder of Motown, in the Reet Petite podcast, for example. And strictly speaking we don't really need to know who contributed towards Jackie Wilson's medical bills in order to arrive at an appreciation of that song but it's fascinating, nonetheless, to learn who actually shelled out  - or did so once shamed - and who ought to hang their heads in shame. Not to mention the identities of the donors having something to say about the esteem in which Wilson was still held in the industry at the time of his hospitalisation.

Subscribers to Patreon get additional benefits but the vast majority of this material can be downloaded or read (an online transcript accompanies each podcast) for free, which I hope will encourage its use as an educational resource - I did my bit yesterday in mentioning it to one Young Person who had been told to research rock'n'roll.

That said, I would still recommend getting the book: maybe it's a generational thing but for me there is something about reading online which positively invites skimming, and there is so much concentrated richness and variety here you don't want to miss a thing.

I should also add that despite those slight reservations earlier about Mr Hickey's delivery the podcasts offer something which the printed page cannot: audio clips. These are kept very brief, presumably to avoid falling foul of copyright, but it's amazing how much a 10 or 15 second clip, carefully chosen and inserted at the right moment, can illuminate an observation, especially during discussion of a song taken up and refashioned by various artists over the years, as so many in the history of rock'n'roll have been.

Listening to the podcast about Keep A-Knockin', that cut and shut Little Richard recording, it occurred to me for the first time that a record I'm particularly fond of, Clarence Williams' languorous, non-vocal version of I'm Busy And You Can't Come In, is yet another variation on the theme:





At the end of each show Mr Hickey asks listeners to review the podcast, or tell at least one other person about it, if they have enjoyed it. Well, I've already done the latter, and I trust this piece will suffice for the former. Here's hoping that A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, be it podcast or book, will help bring the tangled history of this music to a wider audience. Speaking to that Young Person yesterday I sketched out to her, in the most general terms, the impact of rock'n'roll in the 1950s; despite having musical training she was taken aback, having no idea about the force for change this music had once represented. The podcast and book can be enjoyed whatever your level of knowledge, but perhaps it's as an eye- or ear-opener for those who weren't around last century that it will make most impact.


Andrew Hickey's A History of Rock in 500 Songs can be found here, with links to other sources and ways of supporting the podcast. 

Here is a direct link to the transcript of his podcast about How High the Moon, which I reckon is as engaging and well-written as anything else in the series. 

Oh, and if you happen to be wondering why the final few decades to be covered by the series will be of less interest to me, it's all James Bolam's fault.