Dave Marsh: THE HEART OF ROCK & SOUL

As I work through the process of concocting a formal proposal for my book The Greatest Record Ever Made!, I'm reviewing other music books to gauge the potential market for my project. Dave Marsh's 1989 book The Heart Of Rock & Soul is a little old to be viewed as part of the current market, but it shares enough DNA with The Greatest Record Ever Made! that I may still decide to include this comparison in the book proposal. Either way, here 'tis.

The Heart Of Rock & Soul (subtitle: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made), Dave Marsh, New American Library, 1989, 717 pages, $14.95, softcover, ISBN 978-9-452-26305-5

Somewhere early in the process of writing The Greatest Record Ever Made!, I realized that Marsh’s 1989 work The Heart Of Rock And Soul provided an unconscious model for what I wanted for my own book. The Heart Of Rock And Soul celebrates individual songs, a mix of the well-known and the obscure, connecting each track’s story to the broader history of pop music in the rock ‘n’ roll era, the performer’s career arc, Marsh’s personal experiences, and/or the record’s place within the context of pop culture, politics, evolving social attitudes, and both the art and the business of music. These are precisely the goals I had in mind for The Greatest Record Ever Made!

The results differ. The difference is not solely a product of divergences in taste and opinion between the two authors (though there’s plenty of that), but a reflection of choices in format. Marsh’s book is a ranked, annotated listing of 1001 singles, placing a hierarchy of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” at # 1 through “No Way Out” by Joyce Harris at # 1001. Marsh only considered songs released as singles, so LP-only tracks were automatically disqualified. In contrast, The Greatest Record Ever Made! puts each of its 100 subjects on equal footing, and states clearly that an infinite number of other great records could have been considered (and could still be covered in a hypothetical sequel to the first book). Marsh’s book is an essential read, and many who enjoyed The Heart Of Rock & Soul will appreciate the similarities and the subtly different intent of The Greatest Record Ever Made!




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Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! will contain 100 essays (and then some) about 100 tracks, plus two bonus instrumentals, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-greatest-record-ever-made-updated.html

Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes, Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here. A digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) is also available from Futureman Records.