Hugh Barker

Yuval Taylor

Traces the search for the elusive quality of authenticity in the music of the twentieth century, examining the roles of Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Jimmie Rodgers, Donna Summer, Leadbelly, Neil Young, Moby, and other musicians while reassessing what makes popular music work and reflecting on how the quest for authenticity has influenced the development of popular music.

Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music

Lindy

I wanted to like this book because I think it's a fascinating topic. Unfortunately my expectations were not met.

First of all, I agree with almost everything in individualfrog's review. Second, it's painfully obvious that the authors' musical taste doesn't deviate more than two degrees from the Beatles. Third, the chapters in the book did not cohere; I felt like I was reading a series of Medium essays or something.

On the plus side, the book is surprisingly easy to read and chapters or shorter excerpts could be useful in helping to springboard a discussion.

Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music

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