Back to the Miracle Factory: Rock Etc. 1990's

By Paul Williams and Paul Williams

Book Overview

Paul Williams has been writing about pop music for decades, never flagging in his enthusiasm or his emotional and intellectual openness to the newest music. He has been doing this ever since he founded the rock magazine, Crawdaddy , in 1966. His insight into how it feels when we listen to certain performers or certain performances makes a connection between music and reading that is rare and fascinating. Whether its Bob Dylan or Brian Wilson, Pearl Jam or Nirvana, Paul Williams can reveal something we didn't know we knew when we listened to the music. This is what rock criticism was invented to do, back in the 1960s, and he has been doing ever since. It's as much fun to read, as the music is to listen to.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765303531
• ISBN13: 9780765303530
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Almost as Fun as a Stack of Motown 45s

A great, passionate collection of rock criticism penned by one of the best writers of the genre. Paul Williams loves music. He also loves his job and, more than anything else, that love is projected in his writing. Williams portrays a zesty sense of enthusiasm that is sorely missing in present day rock journalism. While his style is exuberant, Williams never slips into the holier-than-thou stance that has become all too familiar amongst rock scribes. In fact, reading "Miracle Factory" is like hanging out with an older sibling or friend who has an amazing record collection and who, instead of making you feel stupid, wants to share the wealth with you. Sifting through an eclectic mix of artists including Pavement, Neil Young, Liz Phair, Uncle Tupelo and the Grateful Dead, Williams digs deeply into the music. He encourages the reader to open his/her sense of awareness and to discover a freshness even in songs which are more than familiar to most ears. Case in point: his bubbly portrayal of Smokey Robinson's "Bein' With You" cleverly picks out nuances that, no matter how many times you've heard this particular tune, causes you to go back and really disect it. And that, afterall, is precisely what good rock writing is all about -- it's supposed to make you WANT to listen. The knockout punch, as far as this reader is concerned, is the mesmerizing account of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" box set. Williams doesn't miss a beat while covering all five discs and gives an especially passionate read on the illustrious "SMiLe" tracks included in that package. (Yep, after finishing the book, I went back and listened to all five discs with headphones. I'd be willing to bet some of you will do the same.)Overall, "Miracle Factory" is a wonderfully refreshing book which harkens back to the days when great rock critics (Bangs, Marcus, etc.) were almost as famous as the stars they wrote about. A time, might I add, when reading the articulate ramblings of such crits was nearly as fun as listening to records.