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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Phil Freeman Publisher: Da Capo Press |
Books that are composed of a variety of short articles are oftentimes fairly interesting, but very disjointed, leading to
a disappointing read. In the book, “Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs,” a collection that segues
from the book “Stranded,” both of which borrow from the theme of the BBC’s “Desert Island Discs,” the longest
running music show on the radio. It can be determined that the editor of both books considered the participants from
the BBC to be a little narrow and decided to broaden the debate to include real life music critics. Not just any music
critics, but the ones who can say whatever they want without getting into any trouble because the publications they
contribute to don’t have a problem with it.
“Desert Island Discs” began in 1942 and carried the British listeners through the long war and further. Prime
ministers are always asked to be guest hosts on the show to give listeners an idea of the usual run of celebrity. The
visitors tell the host which eight pieces of music they would like to be stranded on an island with. “Marooned: The
Next Generation of Desert Island Discs” takes a different approach to the same question. This time around it focuses
exclusively on music albums. The album pertains to a large and often thematically linked musical group, not just a
single song and not necessarily just a single genre of music.
The critics that offer their opinions for this particular project include a variety of bloggers, freelance writers and
former scholars. Their claim to obscure popularity is their passion for funky pop music, and this is not the type of
funky that refers to funk music. Instead, the funky pop music that they grew such a infatuation for is more of the
generic type of music. Of course each of the writers has their own way of describing the music that they love, but
often it turns out to be the exact same thing using a variety of different words.
Whether any of the so-called sophisticated writers would really want to spend years on a desert island, stranded with
just one album of music is quite doubtful, as a whole product, “Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island
Discs” is a read for anyone that is interested in the music world. As Greil Marcus comments in his foreword, there is
no longer any real lingua franca for pop music. Actually, some artists “have worked as if to erect barriers between
themselves and any version of a so-conceived mass audience.” The result has been a new world with a variety of
new languages multiplying in the music scene requiring a new kind of listener and a new kind of translator. This book
acts as a sort of textbook, written by people who would never admit to being part of writing a textbook. Marcus sees it
this way: “This book is likely far more expensive than the $17 or so you may pay for it. If you don’t know the records
celebrated here, you’ll want to.”
a disappointing read. In the book, “Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs,” a collection that segues
from the book “Stranded,” both of which borrow from the theme of the BBC’s “Desert Island Discs,” the longest
running music show on the radio. It can be determined that the editor of both books considered the participants from
the BBC to be a little narrow and decided to broaden the debate to include real life music critics. Not just any music
critics, but the ones who can say whatever they want without getting into any trouble because the publications they
contribute to don’t have a problem with it.
“Desert Island Discs” began in 1942 and carried the British listeners through the long war and further. Prime
ministers are always asked to be guest hosts on the show to give listeners an idea of the usual run of celebrity. The
visitors tell the host which eight pieces of music they would like to be stranded on an island with. “Marooned: The
Next Generation of Desert Island Discs” takes a different approach to the same question. This time around it focuses
exclusively on music albums. The album pertains to a large and often thematically linked musical group, not just a
single song and not necessarily just a single genre of music.
The critics that offer their opinions for this particular project include a variety of bloggers, freelance writers and
former scholars. Their claim to obscure popularity is their passion for funky pop music, and this is not the type of
funky that refers to funk music. Instead, the funky pop music that they grew such a infatuation for is more of the
generic type of music. Of course each of the writers has their own way of describing the music that they love, but
often it turns out to be the exact same thing using a variety of different words.
Whether any of the so-called sophisticated writers would really want to spend years on a desert island, stranded with
just one album of music is quite doubtful, as a whole product, “Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island
Discs” is a read for anyone that is interested in the music world. As Greil Marcus comments in his foreword, there is
no longer any real lingua franca for pop music. Actually, some artists “have worked as if to erect barriers between
themselves and any version of a so-conceived mass audience.” The result has been a new world with a variety of
new languages multiplying in the music scene requiring a new kind of listener and a new kind of translator. This book
acts as a sort of textbook, written by people who would never admit to being part of writing a textbook. Marcus sees it
this way: “This book is likely far more expensive than the $17 or so you may pay for it. If you don’t know the records
celebrated here, you’ll want to.”
