Reviews

There has long been a need for a comprehensive reference tool for popular music, no matter what one means by ``popular.'' This encyclopedia fills the void nicely, offering basic information on rock, country, jazz, gospel, heavy metal, reggae, rap, ragtime, new age, folk, zydeco, funk, punk, and the blues. The nearly 3000 extremely readable entries describe artists, albums, labels, and genres, weaving an intricate web of cross-references, comparisons among artists, and references to covers and collaborations. A 90-page index pulls together most of the loose threads (regrettably dismissing the enormous contributions of pop music legends with a passim ). A bargain; highly recommended.-- Donald W. Maxwell, Carmel Clay P.L., Ind.