Recognizing the social and cultural importance of musical expression alongside its aesthetic import, Banfield (humanities and fine arts, U. of St. Thomas) has many concerns for the state of
music today in the "post-album" age. He engages these concerns while simultaneously celebrating African American music in this series of 49 essays of cultural and aesthetic criticism. One of
his primary concerns is the ideological power of popular cultural expression in the context of the "current cultural revolution of the combined power industries of popular music, media, and
information technology" and the consequences that cultural revolution may have on the ability to use popular music to express healthy social and political values. Annotation 穢2004 Book News,
Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
