Series Foreword xi way of highlighting particular words, the B-52’s’ recording IS the piece. Although they have expressed it in other ways, other writers, such as Theodore Gracyk (1996, 18) and Albin Zak III (2001) concur with Zap- pa’s equating of the piece with the studio recording of the piece. In the case of musical genres not as susceptible to being tied to a particular recording—generally because of the fact that they are genres often experienced live, such as classical music or Broadway musicals— the authors will still make recommendations of particular recordings (we don’t all have ready access to a live performance of Wolfgang Ama- deus Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 any time we’d like to experience the piece), but they will focus their analyses on the more general, the notes- on-the-page, the expected general aural experience that one is likely to find in any good performance or recorded version. Maybe you think that all you really want to do is just listen to the music. Won’t reading about a genre decrease your enjoyment of it? My hope is that you’ll find that reading this book opens up new possibilities for understanding your favorite musical genre and that by knowing a little more about it, you’ll be able to listen with proverbial new ears and gain even more pleasure from your listening experience. Yes, the authors in the series will bring you biographical detail, the history of the genres, and critical analysis on various musical works that they consider to be the best, the most representative, and the most influential pieces in the genre. However, ultimately the goal is to enhance the listening experi- ence. That, by the way, is why these volumes have an exclamation mark in their titles. So please enjoy both reading and listening! —James E. Perone, Series Editor REFERENCES Gracyk, Theodore. 1996. Rhythm and Noise: An Aesthetics of Rock. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Zak, Albin J. III. 2001. The Poetics of Rock: Cutting Tracks, Making Records. Berkeley: University of California Press. Zappa, Frank, with Peter Occhiogrosso. 1989. The Real Frank Zappa Book. New York: Poseidon Press.
Previous Page Next Page