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I Hear a Symphony
Motown and Crossover R&B. Tracking Pop
Synopsis
I Hear a Symphony opens new territory in the study of Motown's legacy, arguing that the music of Motown was indelibly shaped by the ideals of Detroit's postwar black middle class; that Motown's creative personnel participated in an African-American tradition of dialogism in rhythm and blues while developing the famous "Motown Sound." Throughout the book, Flory focuses on the central importance of "crossover" to the Motown story; first as a key concept in the company's efforts to reach across American commercial markets, then as a means to extend influence internationally, and finally as a way to expand the brand beyond strictly musical products. Flory's work reveals the richness of the Motown sound, and equally rich and complex cultural influence Motown still exerts.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
[Flory's] access to Motown archival materials, his scrutiny of the Michigan Chronicle, and his encyclopedic familiarity with seemingly every form of Motown's output and public circulation-recordings, covers, film, television appearances, commercials-brings readers closer than ever before to an understanding of the operations of the company and the sheer scope of Motown's presence in global popular culture."" - Mark Burford, Associate Professor of Music at Reed College
""I Hear a Symphony is a superb musicological investigation of Motown as a force in the pop marketplace over the past five decades. It presents a one-of-a-kind, multifaceted narrative whose themes include industrial history, cultural history, race, musical style and practice, repertory, intertextual influence, technology, marketing and branding, and pop music's transnational currents, all woven into a sophisticated history of one of pop's most fascinating and enduring institutions."" - Albin Zak, Professor of Musicology at the University at Albany
""[I Hear a Symphony] makes a substantial contribution to academic literature on Motown . . . [Flory] certainly takes an approach to Motown that is significantly different from any previous work on the subject."" - Rob Bowman, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology, York University