Rating: 
Summary: The rich and fascinating tales of twelve songs
Review: Did you know that Evelyn Walsh McLean, owner of the Hope Diamond and a backer of the production of 'Show Boat', was so aghast when its creators wanted to take 'Ol' Man River' out of the show during out-of-town tryouts that she bet them the Diamond that it would be the hit of the show? She didn't have to give up her gem, and this gem of a song was saved. Did you know that Stan Freberg recorded his own politically correct version of the song, retitling it 'Elderly Man River'? Or did you know that Herman Hupfeld, the writer of both the words and music for 'As Time Goes By' had only one other hit in his long career, and that was 'When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba'?This book is not just a collection of trivia about twelve popular American songs, but it is filled with such oddball facts as these. Will Friedwald starts each chapter with the story of how the song came to be writen, gives a neat analysis of the technical details of the song, and then describes the major recorded versions of each song. This is indeed a treasure trove of information about these songs, and if nothing else, reminds us of the long and rich history of American popular song. The twelve songs, each with its own chapter, are, in chronological order, 'Star Dust', 'The St. Louis Blues', 'Mack the Knife', 'Ol' Man River', 'Body and Soul', 'I Got Rhythm', 'As Time Goes By', 'Night and Day', 'Stormy Weather', 'Summertime', 'My Funny Valentine', and 'Lush Life.'
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Musical Journey
Review: Friedwald addresses twelve great musical standards, and at his best, brings them and their creators to life in light and personal writing. Friedwald is not a grumpy old stick-in-the-mud, the kind who believes that all Good Music ended when Those Damn Kids plugged in their guitars. One of the things that is so engaging about the book is the breadth of his discussion (even Eminem and napster make appearances in this book). There a points when the book becomes a discography in paragraph form and the straight-ahead listing of who recorded this next and when become a bit numbing. But at its best, the book gives you tidbits that surprise, pictures that enlighten, and a desire to run out and look for a particular recording of the songs you thought you knew so well. Bottom line; if you think the idea behind the book sounds interesting, you'll like the book.
Rating:
Summary: Great writing about great music!
Review: I have only read the "Body and Soul" and "I Got Rhythm" chapters so far but I am so pleased that I decided to write anyway. I am impressed by the amount of research that the author surely did and, most of all, by his weaving way of writing, flowing from one instrument or set of performers to the other like a jazz improviser that takes the last phrase of the previous one to start his own solo.
The amount of technicality is just right and clarifying even for a seasoned jazz fan.
I have not rated five stars because I miss Carmen McRae's, my favorite Body and Soul (Clifford Jordan on tenor sax), a chapter on Stella by Starlight and a discography.
If Mr. Friedwald ever reads these comments, I am ready for volume II, including Stella, You Go To My Head, Star Eyes, Speak Low, Easy to Love, Cherokee, There Will Never Be Another You, All The Things You Are, How High The Moon, Misty and The Song Is You to start with!
Rating:
Summary: More Fine Work From Friedwald
Review: If you're an aficionado of the Great American Songbook, this is a must-buy. If you've read Friedwald's "The Song is You," you should already have this fine follow-up. "Stardust Melodies" covers the origins and musical structure of some well-chosen standards. On the latter score, don't be intimidated if you don't read music; the analyses cover only a few pages and, frankly, it would be educational to read them while listening to the songs themselves. Major recordings of the songs are then analyzed in the knowledgeable but witty and accessible style that endears Friedwald to his readers, and no one who has read any of his previous books will be disappointed. Perfect? No: the lack of discographies is a particularly glaring lapse, as noted by several reviewers. And, as others have also noted, Friedwald does have a blind spot when it comes to many more contemporary artists, but at least he wears his prejudices on his sleeve - he bluntly states, for instance, that he refuses to even listen to Johnnie Ray's recording of "As Time Goes By" (which happens to be excellent and, for Ray, quite restrained - WF might even like it!). This doesn't help his overall credibility with some readers, but for others Will's dislikes are part of the fun in reading him. And that's the bottom line: this is a fun and informative book, not dry, stuffy or academic, reflecting the depth, variety and vitality of American pop. As the man said, Who could ask for anything more?
Rating:
Summary: More Fine Work From Friedwald
Review: If you're an aficionado of the Great American Songbook, this is a must-buy. If you've read Friedwald's "The Song is You," you should already have this fine follow-up. "Stardust Melodies" covers the origins and musical structure of some well-chosen standards. On the latter score, don't be intimidated if you don't read music; the analyses cover only a few pages and, frankly, it would be educational to read them while listening to the songs themselves. Major recordings of the songs are then analyzed in the knowledgeable but witty and accessible style that endears Friedwald to his readers, and no one who has read any of his previous books will be disappointed. Perfect? No: the lack of discographies is a particularly glaring lapse, as noted by several reviewers. And, as others have also noted, Friedwald does have a blind spot when it comes to many more contemporary artists, but at least he wears his prejudices on his sleeve - he bluntly states, for instance, that he refuses to even listen to Johnnie Ray's recording of "As Time Goes By" (which happens to be excellent and, for Ray, quite restrained - WF might even like it!). This doesn't help his overall credibility with some readers, but for others Will's dislikes are part of the fun in reading him. And that's the bottom line: this is a fun and informative book, not dry, stuffy or academic, reflecting the depth, variety and vitality of American pop. As the man said, Who could ask for anything more?
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, Opionated Look at Twelve American Songs
Review: Stardust Melodies (A Biography of Twelve of America's Most Popular Songs) by Will Friedwald is an interesting account of twelve songs that have shaped and transformed the music world and then, often as not, been shaped and transformed by that very music world. The author's likes and dislikes are there for any one to see as he traces the performance history of a song, concentrating on jazz performers and Frank Sinatra while giving less space to other pop, cabaret or theatrical performances. For what he does cover, he covers well. The true test of a book like this is whether it makes one rush to listen to various interpretations of these songs, such as Louis Armstrong doing Star Dust or Ella Fitzgerald doing Mack the Knife (a personal favourite) or, even better, the more obscure gems the author relates. The book suceeds marvelously in this aspect as it will turn the reader into an eager listener as one moves between CD player and comfy reading coach. One does not have to agree with all of his conclusions (in fact, one is unlikely to) but the reader will enjoy the experience.
Rating:
Summary: Great read for classic pop music lovers
Review: Stardust Melodies may be a godsend for musicologists, composers and musicians, but if you are a casual fan of jazz or swing this book may be overload. While Friedwald's other works, such as his biography of Sinatra's musical career, are accessible to a wide audience, the author's considerable expertise results in Stardust Melodies being very analytical and for many readers it may amount to a lot of trivia. That said -- I devoured the book and think it is superb in both concept and nearly as good in execution. Sure, everyone has a different list of songs, but I can't argue with Friedwald's selections. What's missing? By all means, include a CD sampler of some of the older, obscure versions of the songs. While it would obviously be out of the question to reproduce the Sinatra and Fitzgerald tracks (for example), I'm sure that half of a surviving aircheck from Bing Crosby in the 1930s would be no problem and I would bet that almost none of the readers have heard it. Reading about music is sometimes difficult. However, the historical information (for example, about the evolving lyrics of Ol' Man River, or the obscure origins of Mack the Knife) is treasurable and compensates for the frustration noted above. Opinion is inevitable in a work such as this, but Friedwald's is an educated opinion, and it adds flavor to the text. Recommended, but not for casual listeners. You really must own at least a basic library of jazz standards before Stardust Melodies will be much of a revelation.
Rating:
Summary: music lover's delight
Review: Well written, without being pedantic, Stardust Melodies packs an awful lot of information. It has plenty of interesting vignettes. Guaranteed to make you go out searching for more versions of these classic songs. I liked it, and I am going to read more of Friedwald's writing.
Rating:
Summary: Great, second edition can be better
Review: What a great idea for a book. Very entertaining look at a handful of classic, mostly-American, pop songs. The origin of each song is described (that's the most interesting part) and then there's a pretty detailed run through of many of the recorded versions (that can get a bit tedious, especially if you're unfamiliar with the versions discussed). What it lacks is an index, and a formal discography. It would have also been nice if the lyrics of each song had been printed, and maybe the actual written music as well. Friedwald often describes the structure of the song by using the lyrics as guide posts, and that left me high and dry sometimes since I was, I'm ashamed to say, unfamiliar with some of these songs--I couldn't even hum St. Louis Blues, let alone recall any lyrics. A companion CD--or CDs--would have been nice as well, but that idea may be a little impractical. Those flaws aside, I'd recommend this to anyone with any interest in the subject.
Rating:
Summary: a must for music lovers' libraries
Review: Will Friedwald has done an admirable job presenting his "top 12 popular songs", yet, like any list of this sort it will draw its critics. He tells us in the preface that Irving Berlin is excluded because it would be extremely difficult to choose just one of his songs, unlike Cole Porter, where the choice "Night and Day" just leaps out.
As a music teacher who introduces piano students to jazz standards as well as classical works, I am pleased with his choices, and I appreciate his technical analyses of chord structures, melody patterns, and rhythmic styles. He gives lyricists equal time also, and his discussion of Hammerstein's simple, moving "Ol' Man River" (along with possible sources of
inspiration for it) is especially well done. This book would be a splendid addition to anyone interested in American popular songs in the pre-rap, pre-screaming days, when a flowing, "whistlable" melody was king.
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