Book Review: The House That George Built - With a Little Help from Irving, Cole, and a Crew of About Fifty by Wilfrid Sheed - Page 4

Losing those tracks seemed to portend a lack of innovation and imagination to come. After generous discussions about Harry Warren and Jimmy Van Heusen, with an update about sustaining the great songwriting tradition with Frank Loesser, Burton Lane, and Cy Coleman, Sheed notes the post-World War II decline — changes under way well before the advent of rock ’n’ roll.

The magical merger of quality and commercial appeal — the art and pop — that could always be counted on, suddenly existed no more. “It seemed that by 1945,” Sheed says, “the kids had seized control of all the jukeboxes and radios and wouldn’t let go for a moment.” Not only that, but Sheed was startled by "how sharp the break was at the end of World War II, as if the bad stuff had been waiting for its cue. And perhaps it had, because several of the new hits seemed to depend on the latest gimmickry and special effects to celebrate technology more than music.”

Has a familiar ring, but I understand Sheed's passion, and frustration. After five decades of great song craftsmanship, there seemed like such an abrupt lack of the affirmative to latch on to, and too much of the negative to eliminate.

Article Author: Gordon Hauptfleisch

Gordon Hauptfleisch is a Blogcritics Books Editor, freelance writer, and book reviewer for San Diego Union Tribune Books (R.I.P.). For many years he worked in and managed bookstores and record stores, when not engaged in serious lollygagging. …

Visit Gordon Hauptfleisch's author page — Gordon Hauptfleisch's Blog