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{{short description|1979 book}}
{{Infobox book
{{Infobox book
| name = The Rolling Stone Record Guide
| name = The Rolling Stone Record Guide
| image = RSRG1979.gif
| image = RSRG1979.gif
| caption = First edition
| author = [[Dave Marsh]] and John Swenson (Editors)
| author = [[Dave Marsh]] and John Swenson (Editors)
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
Line 13: Line 15:
| publisher = [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone]] Press
| publisher = [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone]] Press
| release_date = 1979
| release_date = 1979
| media_type = [[Hardcover]] / [[Paperback]]
| media_type = [[Hardcover]] / [[paperback]]
| pages = 631
| pages = 631
| isbn = 0-394-41096-3
| isbn = 0-394-41096-3
Line 22: Line 24:
| followed_by =
| followed_by =
}}
}}
'''''The Rolling Stone Album Guide''''', previously known as '''''The Rolling Stone Record Guide''''', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1979 and its last in 2004.

'''''The Rolling Stone Album Guide''''', previously known as '''''The Rolling Stone Record Guide''''', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1979 and its last in 2004. The guide can be seen at [[Rate Your Music]],<ref>[http://rateyourmusic.com/~RollingStoneAlbumGuide album guide link]</ref> while a list of albums given a five star rating by the guide can be seen at Rocklist.net.<ref>http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rs5star_ed1.htm This guide gave 'Aja' from Steely Dan 3.5/5 Stars.5-Star-Albums from the Second Edition (Published in 1983) of "The Rolling Stone Record Guide"</ref><ref>http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/rs_guide04.htm 5-Star-Albums from the Fourth Edition</ref>


==First edition (1979)==
==First edition (1979)==
''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'' was the first edition of what would later become ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide''. It was edited by [[Dave Marsh]] (who wrote a large majority of the reviews) and [[John Swenson]], and included contributions from 34 other music critics. It is divided into sections by [[Music genre|musical genre]] and then lists artists alphabetically within their respective genres. Albums are also listed alphabetically by artist although some of the artists have their careers divided into chronological periods.
''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'' was the first edition of what would later become ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide''. It was edited by [[Dave Marsh]] (who wrote a large majority of the reviews) and [[John Swenson]], and included contributions from 34 other music critics. It is divided into sections by [[Music genre|musical genre]] and then lists artists alphabetically within their respective genres. Albums are also listed alphabetically by artist although some of the artists have their careers divided into chronological periods.


Dave Marsh, in his Introduction, cites as precedents [[Leonard Maltin]]'s book ''[[Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide|TV Movies]]'' and [[Robert Christgau]]'s review column in the ''[[Village Voice]]''.
Dave Marsh, in his Introduction, cites as precedents [[Leonard Maltin]]'s book ''[[Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide|TV movies]]'' and [[Robert Christgau]]'s review column in the ''[[Village Voice]]''.
He gives ''[[Phonolog]]'' and ''[[Schwann's Records & Tape Guide]]'' as raw sources of information.
He gives ''[[Phonolog]]'' and ''[[Schwann's Records & Tape Guide]]'' as raw sources of information.


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The edition also included reviews for many comedy artists including [[Lenny Bruce]], [[Lord Buckley]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[The Firesign Theatre]], [[Spike Jones]], and [[Richard Pryor]].
The edition also included reviews for many comedy artists including [[Lenny Bruce]], [[Lord Buckley]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[The Firesign Theatre]], [[Spike Jones]], and [[Richard Pryor]].


Comedy artists were listed in the catch-all section "Rock, Soul, Country and Pop", which included the genres of [[folk music|folk]] ([[Carter Family]], [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Lead Belly|Leadbelly]]), [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] ([[Bill Monroe]]), [[funk]] ([[The Meters]], [[Parliament (band)|Parliament]]-[[Funkadelic]]), and [[reggae]] ([[Toots & the Maytals]], [[Peter Tosh]]), as well as comedy. [[traditional pop music|Traditional pop]] performers were ''not'' included (e.g. [[The Andrews Sisters|Andrews Sisters]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Perry Como]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Peggy Lee]], [[Rudy Vallée|Rudy Vallee]], [[Lawrence Welk]]), with the notable exceptions of [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Nat King Cole]]. (Dave Marsh justified this decision in his Introduction.)
Comedy artists were listed in the catch-all section "Rock, Soul, Country and Pop", which included the genres of [[folk music|folk]] ([[Carter Family]], [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Lead Belly|Leadbelly]]), [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] ([[Bill Monroe]]), [[funk]] ([[The Meters]], [[Parliament (band)|Parliament]]-[[Funkadelic]]), and [[reggae]] ([[Toots & the Maytals]], [[Peter Tosh]]), as well as comedy. [[Traditional pop]] performers were ''not'' included (e.g. [[The Andrews Sisters|Andrews Sisters]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Perry Como]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Peggy Lee]], [[Rudy Vallée|Rudy Vallee]], [[Lawrence Welk]]), with the notable exceptions of [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Nat King Cole]]. (Dave Marsh justified this decision in his Introduction.)


Included too were some difficult-to-classify artists (e.g. [[Osibisa]], [[Yma Sumac]], [[Urubamba (group)|Urubamba]]) who might now be considered as [[world music]]. ([[Ethnic music]] was the normal term in 1979.)
Included too were some difficult-to-classify artists (e.g. [[Osibisa]], [[Yma Sumac]], [[Urubamba (group)|Urubamba]]) who might now be considered as [[world music]]. ([[Ethnic music]] was the normal term in 1979.)
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[[Big band]] jazz was handled selectively, with certain band leaders omitted (e.g. [[Tommy Dorsey]], [[Glenn Miller]], [[Paul Whiteman]]), while others were included (e.g. [[Count Basie]], [[Cab Calloway]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Benny Goodman]]). Many other styles of jazz did appear in the Jazz section.
[[Big band]] jazz was handled selectively, with certain band leaders omitted (e.g. [[Tommy Dorsey]], [[Glenn Miller]], [[Paul Whiteman]]), while others were included (e.g. [[Count Basie]], [[Cab Calloway]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Benny Goodman]]). Many other styles of jazz did appear in the Jazz section.


The book was notable for the time in the provocative, "in your face" style of many of its reviews. For example, writing about [[Neil Young]]'s song, "[[Down by the River (Neil Young song)|Down by the River]]", John Swenson described it both as an "FM radio classic" (p.&nbsp;425), and as a "wimp anthem" (p.&nbsp;244). His colleague, Dave Marsh, in reviewing the three albums of the jazz fusion group [[Bill Chase|Chase]], gave a one-word review: "Flee." (p.&nbsp;70).
The book was notable for the time in the provocative, "in your face" style of many of its reviews. For example, writing about [[Neil Young]]'s song, "[[Down by the River (Neil Young song)|Down by the River]]", John Swenson described it both as an "FM radio classic" (p.&nbsp;425), and as a "wimp anthem" (p.&nbsp;244). His colleague, Dave Marsh, in reviewing the three albums of the jazz fusion group [[Bill Chase|Chase]], gave a one-word review: "Flee." Marsh's review of a then-current rock band called Platypus stated simply: "Lays eggs."


=== Table of contents ===
=== Table of contents ===
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** Excellent: a record of substantial merit, though flawed in some essential way.
** Excellent: a record of substantial merit, though flawed in some essential way.
* {{Rating|3|5}}
* {{Rating|3|5}}
** Good: a record of average worth, but one that might possess considerable appeal for fans of a particular style. Where 'Aja' by Steely Dan was rated.
** Good: a record of average worth, but one that might possess considerable appeal for fans of a particular style.
* {{Rating|2|5}}
* {{Rating|2|5}}
** Mediocre: a record that is artistically insubstantial, though not truly wretched.
** Mediocre: a record that is artistically insubstantial, though not truly wretched.
* {{Rating|1|5}}
* {{Rating|1|5}}
** Poor: a record where even technical competence is at question or it was remarkably ill-conceived. Just 2 stars down from 'Aja by Steely Dan.
** Poor: a record where even technical competence is at question or it was remarkably ill-conceived.
* {{Rating|0|5}}
* {{Rating|0|5}}
** Worthless: a record that need never (or should never) have been created. Reserved for the most bathetic bathwater. (A square bullet (▪) marked this rating, as opposed to stars for the others.)
** Worthless: a record that need never (or should never) have been created. Reserved for the most bathetic bathwater. (A square bullet (▪) marked this rating, as opposed to stars for the others.)
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| author = [[Dave Marsh]] and John Swenson (Editors)
| author = [[Dave Marsh]] and John Swenson (Editors)
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
| subject = [[Music]], [[Popular music]], [[Discography]], [[Sound recording]], [[Review]]s
| subject = [[Music]], [[popular music]], [[discography]], [[sound recording]], [[review]]s
| publisher = [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone]] Press
| publisher = [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone]] Press
| release_date = 1983
| release_date = 1983
Line 123: Line 124:
| followed_by =
| followed_by =
}}
}}

''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'' was an update of 1979's ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide''. Like the first edition, it was edited by Marsh and Swenson. It included contributions from 52 music critics and featured chronological album listings under the name of each artist. In many cases, updates from the first edition consist of short, one-sentence verdicts upon an artist's later work.
''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'' was an update of 1979's ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide''. Like the first edition, it was edited by Marsh and Swenson. It included contributions from 52 music critics and featured chronological album listings under the name of each artist. In many cases, updates from the first edition consist of short, one-sentence verdicts upon an artist's later work.


Instead of having separate sections such as Blues and Gospel, this edition compressed all of the genres it reviewed into one section except for Jazz titles which were removed for this edition and were later expanded and published in 1985 ''Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' (ed. Swenson). Besides adding reviews for many emerging [[punk (music)|punk]] and [[new wave music|New Wave]] bands, this edition also added or expanded a significant number of reviews of long-established [[reggae]] and [[ska]] artists (such as [[U-Roy]], [[Prince Buster]], [[Ijahman Levi|Ijahman]], et al.).
Instead of having separate sections such as Blues and Gospel, this edition compressed all of the genres it reviewed into one section except for Jazz titles which were removed for this edition and were later expanded and published in 1985 ''Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' (ed. Swenson). Besides adding reviews for many emerging [[punk (music)|punk]] and [[new wave music|New Wave]] bands, this edition also added or expanded a significant number of reviews of long-established [[reggae]] and [[ska]] artists (such as [[U-Roy]], [[Prince Buster]], [[Ijahman Levi|Ijahman]], et al.).


Since the goal of this guide was to review records that were in print at the time of publication, this edition featured a list of artists who were included in the first edition but were not included in the second edition because all of their material was out of print. {{ref|2nded}}This edition also dispensed with the album cover photos found in the first edition.
Since the goal of this guide was to review records that were in print at the time of publication, this edition featured a list of artists who were included in the first edition but were not included in the second edition because all of their material was out of print.{{ref|2nded}} This edition also dispensed with the album cover photos found in the first edition.


===Table Of Contents===
===Table of contents===
*Introduction to the Second Edition
*Introduction to the Second Edition
*Introduction to the First Edition
*Introduction to the First Edition
Line 140: Line 140:
*Index to Artists in the First Edition (omitted in this second edition)
*Index to Artists in the First Edition (omitted in this second edition)


===Rating System===
===Rating system===
The second edition uses the same rating system as the first edition. The only difference is that in addition to a rating, the second edition employs the [[pilcrow]] mark (¶) to indicate a title that was out of print at the time the guide was published. Some artists had the ratings for their albums lowered (notably [[The Doors]], [[Yes (band)|Yes]] and [[Neil Young]]) as the book now offered a revisionist slant to rock's history; other bands, such as [[Little Feat]] and [[Richard Hell And The Voidoids]], garnered higher ratings from a re-evaluation of their work.{{ref label|2nded|2|a}}
The second edition uses exactly the same rating system as the first edition, the only difference being that in addition to a rating, the second edition also employs the [[pilcrow]] mark (¶) to indicate a title that was out of print at the time the guide was published. Many albums had their rating revised from the first edition; some artists had their ratings lowered (notably [[The Doors]], [[Yes (band)|Yes]] and [[Neil Young]]) as the book now offered a revisionist slant to rock's history, whilst others, such as [[Little Feat]] and [[Richard Hell And The Voidoids]], garnered higher ratings from a re-evaluation of their work.{{ref label|2nded|2|a}}


===Reviewers===
===Reviewers===
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
*[[Dave Marsh]]
*[[Dave Marsh]]
*John Swenson
*John Swenson
Line 196: Line 197:
*[[Ken Tucker]]
*[[Ken Tucker]]
*Charley Walters{{ref label|2nded|2|b}}
*Charley Walters{{ref label|2nded|2|b}}
{{div col end}}


==''The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' (1985)==
==''The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' (1985)==
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| author = John Swenson (Editor)
| author = John Swenson (Editor)
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
| subject = [[Music]], [[Jazz]], [[Discography]], [[Sound recording]], [[Review]]s
| subject = [[Music]], [[jazz]], [[discography]], [[sound recording]], [[review]]s
| publisher = [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone]] Press
| publisher = [[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone]] Press
| release_date = 1985
| release_date = 1985
Line 216: Line 218:
''The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' was published in 1985 and incorporated the jazz listings omitted from ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'' with additional reviews edited by John Swenson. It included contributions from 16 music critics and featured alphabetical album listings under the name of each artist.
''The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' was published in 1985 and incorporated the jazz listings omitted from ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'' with additional reviews edited by John Swenson. It included contributions from 16 music critics and featured alphabetical album listings under the name of each artist.


===Table Of Contents===
===Table of contents===
*Foreword
*Foreword
*Preface
*Preface
Line 225: Line 227:
*Bibliography
*Bibliography


===Rating System===
===Rating system===
This jazz edition uses the same rating system as the first two editions.
This jazz edition uses the same rating system as the first two editions.


===Contributors===
===Contributors===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*John Swenson
*John Swenson
*Bob Blumenthal
*Bob Blumenthal
Line 245: Line 248:
*Bart Testa
*Bart Testa
*Charley Walters
*Charley Walters
{{div col end}}


==Third edition (1992)== <!-- This section is linked from [[The Nazz]] -->
==Third edition (1992)== <!-- This section is linked from [[The Nazz]] -->
Line 252: Line 256:
| author = [[Anthony DeCurtis]] and James Henke, with Holly George-Warren(Editors)
| author = [[Anthony DeCurtis]] and James Henke, with Holly George-Warren(Editors)
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
| subject = [[Music]], [[Popular music]], [[Discography]], [[Sound recording]], [[Review]]s
| subject = [[Music]], [[popular music]], [[discography]], [[sound recording]], [[review]]s
| publisher = [[Random House]]
| publisher = [[Random House]]
| release_date = 1992
| release_date = 1992
Line 263: Line 267:
}}
}}


''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' was a complete rewrite of both 1979's ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'' and 1983's ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide''. The title change reflects the fact that by the time this edition was published in 1992, [[Gramophone record|records]] were almost completely replaced by [[Compact disc|CDs]]. This edition employs three new editors and reduces the number of reviewers from more than 50 as seen in previous editions to a mere four. This edition also included reviews of Jazz albums, which had been removed from the previous edition for the sake of publishing a separate Jazz guide. Unlike both previous editions, this edition did not include comedy artists.
''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' was a complete rewrite of both 1979's ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'' and 1983's ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide''. The title change reflects the fact that by the time this edition was published in 1992, [[Gramophone record|records]] were almost completely replaced by [[cassette tape|cassettes]] and [[Compact disc|CDs]]. This edition employs three new editors and reduces the number of reviewers from more than 50 as seen in previous editions to a mere four. This edition also included reviews of Jazz albums, which had been removed from the previous edition for the sake of publishing a separate Jazz guide. Unlike both previous editions, this edition did not include comedy artists.


===Table of contents===
===Table of contents===
Line 274: Line 278:
*Acknowledgments
*Acknowledgments


===Rating System===
===Rating system===
Similar to the first edition, it employed a five star rating scale (without the "zero stars" (▪) rating), but this edition had new definitions of what the number of stars meant, and employed the use of 1/2 stars in the reviews. The descriptions of the markings used in the third edition of the guide are:{{ref|3rded}}
Similar to the first edition, it employed a five star rating scale (without the "zero stars" (▪) rating), but this edition had new definitions of what the number of stars meant, and employed the use of 1/2 stars in the reviews. The descriptions of the markings used in the third edition of the guide are:

*{{Rating|5|5}}
*{{Rating|5|5}}
**Classic: Albums in this category are essential listening for anyone interested in the artist under discussion or the style of music that artist's work represents.
**Classic: Albums in this category are essential listening for anyone interested in the artist under discussion or the style of music that artist's work represents.
Line 295: Line 300:
===Artists omitted from the third edition===
===Artists omitted from the third edition===
Some of the artists included in the previous editions but omitted in this edition include:
Some of the artists included in the previous editions but omitted in this edition include:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

# [[Hawkwind]]
* [[Kevin Coyne]]
# [[Magma (band)|Magma]]
* [[Dexys Midnight Runners]]
* [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]]
⚫
# [[Olivia Newton-John]]
* [[Hawkwind]]
⚫
# [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]
# [[Steeleye Span]]
* [[Japan (band)|Japan]]
* [[Magma (band)|Magma]]
⚫
# [[Van der Graaf Generator]]
# [[John Williams]]
* [[Mickey Newbury]]
⚫
* [[Olivia Newton-John]]
* [[Pearls Before Swine (band)|Pearls Before Swine]]
* [[Pere Ubu]]
* [[The Pretty Things]]
* [[The Red Krayola]]
⚫
* [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]
* [[Slade]]
* [[Steeleye Span]]
* [[Three Dog Night]]
⚫
* [[Van der Graaf Generator]]
* [[John Williams]]
{{div col end}}


==''The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide'' (1999)==
==''The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide'' (1999)==
'''''The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide''''' was first published by Random House in 1999, with John Swenson as the editor.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Rolling_Stone_Jazz_Blues_Album_Guide.html?id=T-0ZAQAAIAAJ |title=The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide |last=Swenson |first=John |date=1999 |publisher=Random House |isbn=9780679768739 |language=en}}</ref>
'''''The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide''''' was first published by Random House in 1999, with John Swenson as the editor.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstonejazz00swens |url-access=registration |title=The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide |last=Swenson |first=John |date=1999 |publisher=Random House |isbn=9780679768739 |language=en}}</ref>


Reviewing the book for ''[[All About Jazz]]'', C. Michael Bailey regarded it as a consolidation of the 1985 jazz guide and the blues coverage from other ''Rolling Stone'' guides. He recommended it to novices, calling it "a worthy addition to any serious jazz/blues collector's library", even though it was not as comprehensive as ''[[The Penguin Guide to Jazz]]'' or ''[[All Music Guide to Jazz]]'', in his opinion.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=C. Michael|date=March 8, 2004|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-rolling-stone-jazz-and-blues-album-guide-by-c-michael-bailey.php?width=1366|title=The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide|work=[[All About Jazz]]|accessdate=August 28, 2018}}</ref>
Reviewing the book for ''[[All About Jazz]]'', C. Michael Bailey regarded it as a consolidation of the 1985 jazz guide and the blues coverage from other ''Rolling Stone'' guides. He recommended it to novices, calling it "a worthy addition to any serious jazz/blues collector's library", even though it was not as comprehensive as ''[[The Penguin Guide to Jazz]]'' or ''[[All Music Guide to Jazz]]'', in his opinion.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=C. Michael|date=March 8, 2004|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-rolling-stone-jazz-and-blues-album-guide-by-c-michael-bailey.php?width=1366|title=The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide|work=[[All About Jazz]]|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref>


==Fourth edition (2004)==
==Fourth edition (2004)==
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| name = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
| name = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
| image = File:New_Rolling_Stone_Album_Guide_2004.jpg
| image = File:New_Rolling_Stone_Album_Guide_2004.jpg
| author = Nathan Brackett with [[Christian Hoard]] (editors)
| author = [[Nathan Brackett]] with [[Christian Hoard]] (editors)
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
| subject = More than 10,000 of the best Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, and Soul Records, Reviewed and Rated
| subject = More than 10,000 of the best rock, pop, hip-hop and soul records, reviewed and rated
| publisher = [[Fireside Books|Fireside]]
| publisher = [[Fireside Books|Fireside]]
| release_date = 2004
| release_date = 2004
Line 326: Line 343:
}}
}}


Approximately 70 writers contributed to this edition. Text on the back cover of the fourth edition claims that the guide had been "completely updated and revised to include the
Approximately 70 writers contributed to this edition. Text on the back cover of the fourth edition claims that the guide had been "completely updated and revised to include the past decade's artists and sounds", and offered "biographical overviews of key artists' careers, giving readers a look at the personalities behind the music".{{ref|3rded}}
past decade's artists and sounds", and offered "biographical overviews of key artists' careers, giving readers a look at the personalities behind the music".


===Artists omitted from the fourth edition===
===Artists omitted from the fourth edition===
Some of the artists included in the previous guides but omitted in this edition include:
Some of the artists included in the previous guides but omitted in this edition include:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

# [[Joan Armatrading]]
* [[Joan Armatrading]]
# [[Louis Armstrong]]
* [[Louis Armstrong]]
# [[Blake Babies]]
* [[Aztec Camera]]
# [[Captain Beefheart]]
* [[Blake Babies]]
# [[Joe Cocker]]
* [[Bread (band)|Bread]]
# [[Nat King Cole]]
* [[Captain Beefheart]]
# [[Crowded House]]
* [[Joe Cocker]]
# [[Robert Cray]]
* [[Nat King Cole]]
# [[Culture (band)|Culture]]
* [[Crowded House]]
# [[Deep Purple]]
* [[Robert Cray]]
# [[Duke Ellington]]
* [[Culture (band)|Culture]]
* [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]]
# [[Donald Fagen]]
# [[Ella Fitzgerald]]
* [[Deep Purple]]
# [[GTR (band)|GTR]]
* [[John Denver]]
# [[Incredible String Band]]
* [[The Doobie Brothers]]
# [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]]
* [[Dr. Feelgood (band)|Dr. Feelgood]]
# [[Wynton Marsalis]]
* [[Duke Ellington]]
# [[Meat Puppets]]
* [[Donald Fagen]]
* [[Ella Fitzgerald]]
⚫
# [[Metallica]] (omitted from first printing, but added later)
* [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer|Emerson, Lake and Palmer]]
⚫
# [[The Alan Parsons Project]]
# [[Soft Machine]]
* [[GTR (band)|GTR]]
# [[Tears for Fears]]
* [[The Gun Club]]
# [[Toto (band)|Toto]]
* [[Janis Ian]]
* [[Incredible String Band]]
* [[Grace Jones]]
* [[Loggins and Messina]]
* [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]]
* [[Wynton Marsalis]]
* [[Meat Puppets]]
⚫
* [[Metallica]] (omitted from first printing, but added later)
* [[Mike and the Mechanics]]
⚫
* [[The Alan Parsons Project]]
* [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]]
* [[Raspberries (band)|The Raspberries]]
* [[The Saints (Australian band)|The Saints]]
* [[Soft Machine]]
* [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]]
* [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]]
* [[Talk Talk]]
* [[Tears for Fears]]
* [[Thompson Twins]]
* [[Toto (band)|Toto]]
* [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]]
{{div col end}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 365: Line 402:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Citations==
==Citations==
Line 374: Line 411:
== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rs/index.php|title=Working Drafts and Notes For: [The New] Rolling Stone Album Guide|last=Hull|first=Tom|publisher=Tom Hull|at=Entries and drafts for the book by Tom Hull, one of its contributors}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rs/index.php|title=Working Drafts and Notes For: [The New] Rolling Stone Album Guide|last=Hull|first=Tom|publisher=Tom Hull|at=Entries and drafts for the book by Tom Hull, one of its contributors}}

== External links ==
Copies of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th editions are available to loan through the [[Internet Archive]] and [[Open Library]] {{registration required}}:
* ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', 1st ed. (1979) at the [https://archive.org/details/rollingstonereco00mars Internet Archive] and [https://openlibrary.org/books/OL4403309M/The_Rolling_stone_record_guide Open Library]
* ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'', 2nd ed. (1983) at the [https://archive.org/details/newrollingstoner00mars Internet Archive] and [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL8065944W/New_Rol_Stone_Rec_Gd Open Library]
* ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'', 4th ed. (2004) at the [https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac Internet Archive] and [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17734447W/The_new_Rolling_Stone_album_guide Open Library]

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolling Stone Album Guide}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolling Stone Album Guide}}
[[Category:Encyclopedias of music]]
[[Category:Encyclopedias of music]]
[[Category:1979 books]]
[[Category:1979 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Rolling Stone]]
[[Category:Rolling Stone]]
[[Category:Music guides]]
[[Category:Music guides]]
[[Category:Books of music criticism]]

Latest revision as of 15:14, 13 November 2024

The Rolling Stone Record Guide
First edition
AuthorDave Marsh and John Swenson (Editors)
Subject
PublisherRandom House/Rolling Stone Press
Publication date
1979
Media typeHardcover / paperback
Pages631
ISBN0-394-41096-3
OCLC5353861
789.9/136/4
LC ClassML156.4.P6 M37

The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from Rolling Stone magazine. Its first edition was published in 1979 and its last in 2004.

First edition (1979)

[edit]

The Rolling Stone Record Guide was the first edition of what would later become The Rolling Stone Album Guide. It was edited by Dave Marsh (who wrote a large majority of the reviews) and John Swenson, and included contributions from 34 other music critics. It is divided into sections by musical genre and then lists artists alphabetically within their respective genres. Albums are also listed alphabetically by artist although some of the artists have their careers divided into chronological periods.

Dave Marsh, in his Introduction, cites as precedents Leonard Maltin's book TV movies and Robert Christgau's review column in the Village Voice. He gives Phonolog and Schwann's Records & Tape Guide as raw sources of information.

The first edition included black and white photographs of many of the covers of albums which received five star reviews. These titles are listed together in the Five-Star Records section, which is coincidentally five pages in length.

The edition also included reviews for many comedy artists including Lenny Bruce, Lord Buckley, Bill Cosby, The Firesign Theatre, Spike Jones, and Richard Pryor.

Comedy artists were listed in the catch-all section "Rock, Soul, Country and Pop", which included the genres of folk (Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly), bluegrass (Bill Monroe), funk (The Meters, Parliament-Funkadelic), and reggae (Toots & the Maytals, Peter Tosh), as well as comedy. Traditional pop performers were not included (e.g. Andrews Sisters, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Rudy Vallee, Lawrence Welk), with the notable exceptions of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. (Dave Marsh justified this decision in his Introduction.)

Included too were some difficult-to-classify artists (e.g. Osibisa, Yma Sumac, Urubamba) who might now be considered as world music. (Ethnic music was the normal term in 1979.)

Big band jazz was handled selectively, with certain band leaders omitted (e.g. Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Paul Whiteman), while others were included (e.g. Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman). Many other styles of jazz did appear in the Jazz section.

The book was notable for the time in the provocative, "in your face" style of many of its reviews. For example, writing about Neil Young's song, "Down by the River", John Swenson described it both as an "FM radio classic" (p. 425), and as a "wimp anthem" (p. 244). His colleague, Dave Marsh, in reviewing the three albums of the jazz fusion group Chase, gave a one-word review: "Flee." Marsh's review of a then-current rock band called Platypus stated simply: "Lays eggs."

Table of contents

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  • Introduction
  • Rock, Soul, Country and Pop
  • Blues
  • Jazz
  • Gospel
  • Anthologies, Soundtracks and Original Casts
  • Five-Star Records
  • Glossary
  • Selected Bibliography

Rating system

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The guide employs a five star rating scale with the following descriptions of those ratings:[1]

    • Indispensable: a record that must be included in any comprehensive collection
    • Excellent: a record of substantial merit, though flawed in some essential way.
    • Good: a record of average worth, but one that might possess considerable appeal for fans of a particular style.
    • Mediocre: a record that is artistically insubstantial, though not truly wretched.
    • Poor: a record where even technical competence is at question or it was remarkably ill-conceived.
    • Worthless: a record that need never (or should never) have been created. Reserved for the most bathetic bathwater. (A square bullet (▪) marked this rating, as opposed to stars for the others.)

Reviewers

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Second edition (1983)

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The New Rolling Stone Record Guide
AuthorDave Marsh and John Swenson (Editors)
SubjectMusic, popular music, discography, sound recording, reviews
PublisherRandom House/Rolling Stone Press
Publication date
1983
Media typePaperback
Pages648
ISBN0-394-72107-1

The New Rolling Stone Record Guide was an update of 1979's The Rolling Stone Record Guide. Like the first edition, it was edited by Marsh and Swenson. It included contributions from 52 music critics and featured chronological album listings under the name of each artist. In many cases, updates from the first edition consist of short, one-sentence verdicts upon an artist's later work.

Instead of having separate sections such as Blues and Gospel, this edition compressed all of the genres it reviewed into one section except for Jazz titles which were removed for this edition and were later expanded and published in 1985 Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (ed. Swenson). Besides adding reviews for many emerging punk and New Wave bands, this edition also added or expanded a significant number of reviews of long-established reggae and ska artists (such as U-Roy, Prince Buster, Ijahman, et al.).

Since the goal of this guide was to review records that were in print at the time of publication, this edition featured a list of artists who were included in the first edition but were not included in the second edition because all of their material was out of print.[2] This edition also dispensed with the album cover photos found in the first edition.

Table of contents

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  • Introduction to the Second Edition
  • Introduction to the First Edition
  • Ratings
  • Reviewers
  • Record Label Abbreviations
  • Rock, Soul, Blues, Country, Gospel and Pop
  • Anthologies, Soundtracks and Original Cast
  • Index to Artists in the First Edition (omitted in this second edition)

Rating system

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The second edition uses exactly the same rating system as the first edition, the only difference being that in addition to a rating, the second edition also employs the pilcrow mark (¶) to indicate a title that was out of print at the time the guide was published. Many albums had their rating revised from the first edition; some artists had their ratings lowered (notably The Doors, Yes and Neil Young) as the book now offered a revisionist slant to rock's history, whilst others, such as Little Feat and Richard Hell And The Voidoids, garnered higher ratings from a re-evaluation of their work.[2]

Reviewers

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  • Dave Marsh
  • John Swenson
  • Billy Altman
  • George Arthur
  • Lester Bangs
  • Bob Blumenthal
  • J.D. Considine
  • Jean-Charles Costa
  • Brian Cullman
  • Dan Doyle
  • Jim Farber
  • Laura Fissinger
  • Chet Flippo
  • David Fricke
  • Aaron Fuchs
  • Steve Futterman
  • Debbie Geller
  • Russell Gersten
  • Mikal Gilmore
  • Alan E. Goodman
  • Randall Grass
  • Malu Halasa
  • Peter Herbst
  • Stephen Holden
  • Martha Hume
  • Scott Isler
  • Gary Kenton
  • Wayne King
  • Kenn Lowy
  • Bruce Malamut
  • Greil Marcus
  • Ira Mayer
  • Joe McEwen
  • David McGee
  • John Milward
  • Teri Morris
  • John Morthland
  • Paul Nelson
  • Alan Niester
  • Rob Patterson
  • Kit Rachlis
  • Ira Robbins
  • Wayne Robbins
  • Frank Rose
  • Michael Rozek
  • Fred Schruers
  • Dave Schulpas
  • Tom Smucker
  • Ariel Swartley
  • Bart Testa
  • Ken Tucker
  • Charley Walters[2]

The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985)

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The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
AuthorJohn Swenson (Editor)
SubjectMusic, jazz, discography, sound recording, reviews
PublisherRandom House/Rolling Stone Press
Publication date
1985
Media typePaperback
Pages219
ISBN0-394-72643-X

The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide was published in 1985 and incorporated the jazz listings omitted from The New Rolling Stone Record Guide with additional reviews edited by John Swenson. It included contributions from 16 music critics and featured alphabetical album listings under the name of each artist.

Table of contents

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  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Ratings
  • Contributors
  • Record Label Abbreviations
  • Reviews
  • Bibliography

Rating system

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This jazz edition uses the same rating system as the first two editions.

Contributors

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  • John Swenson
  • Bob Blumenthal
  • Jean-Charles Costa
  • Steve Futterman
  • Russell Gersten
  • Mikal Gilmore
  • Alan E. Goodman
  • Fred Goodman
  • Stephen Holden
  • Ashley Kahn
  • Bruce Malamut
  • Joe McEwen
  • Michael Rozek
  • Andy Rowan
  • Bart Testa
  • Charley Walters

Third edition (1992)

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The Rolling Stone Album Guide
AuthorAnthony DeCurtis and James Henke, with Holly George-Warren(Editors)
SubjectMusic, popular music, discography, sound recording, reviews
PublisherRandom House
Publication date
1992
Media typePaperback
Pages838
ISBN0-679-73729-4

The Rolling Stone Album Guide was a complete rewrite of both 1979's The Rolling Stone Record Guide and 1983's The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. The title change reflects the fact that by the time this edition was published in 1992, records were almost completely replaced by cassettes and CDs. This edition employs three new editors and reduces the number of reviewers from more than 50 as seen in previous editions to a mere four. This edition also included reviews of Jazz albums, which had been removed from the previous edition for the sake of publishing a separate Jazz guide. Unlike both previous editions, this edition did not include comedy artists.

Table of contents

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  • Introduction
  • Ratings
  • Contributors
  • The Rolling Stone Album Guide
  • Anthologies
  • Soundtracks
  • Acknowledgments

Rating system

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Similar to the first edition, it employed a five star rating scale (without the "zero stars" (▪) rating), but this edition had new definitions of what the number of stars meant, and employed the use of 1/2 stars in the reviews. The descriptions of the markings used in the third edition of the guide are:

    • Classic: Albums in this category are essential listening for anyone interested in the artist under discussion or the style of music that artist's work represents.
    • Excellent: Four star albums represent peak performances in an artist's career. Generally speaking, albums that are granted four or more stars constitute the best introductions to an artist's work for listeners who are curious.
    • Average to Good: Albums in the three-star range will primarily be of interest to established fans of the artist being discussed. This mid-range, by its very nature, requires the most discretion on the part of the consumer.
    • Fair to Poor: Albums in the two-star category either fall below an artist's established standard or are, in and of themselves, failures.
    • Disastrous: Albums in the range of one star or less are wastes of vital resources. Only masochists or completists need apply.

Reviewers

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  • Mark Coleman
  • J.D. Considine
  • Paul Evans
  • David McGee[3]

Artists omitted from the third edition

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Some of the artists included in the previous editions but omitted in this edition include:

The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999)

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The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide was first published by Random House in 1999, with John Swenson as the editor.[1]

Reviewing the book for All About Jazz, C. Michael Bailey regarded it as a consolidation of the 1985 jazz guide and the blues coverage from other Rolling Stone guides. He recommended it to novices, calling it "a worthy addition to any serious jazz/blues collector's library", even though it was not as comprehensive as The Penguin Guide to Jazz or All Music Guide to Jazz, in his opinion.[2]

Fourth edition (2004)

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The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
AuthorNathan Brackett with Christian Hoard (editors)
SubjectMore than 10,000 of the best rock, pop, hip-hop and soul records, reviewed and rated
PublisherFireside
Publication date
2004
Media typePaperback
Pages838
ISBN0-7432-0169-8

Approximately 70 writers contributed to this edition. Text on the back cover of the fourth edition claims that the guide had been "completely updated and revised to include the past decade's artists and sounds", and offered "biographical overviews of key artists' careers, giving readers a look at the personalities behind the music".[3]

Artists omitted from the fourth edition

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Some of the artists included in the previous guides but omitted in this edition include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Swenson, John (1999). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. ISBN 9780679768739.
  2. ^ Bailey, C. Michael (March 8, 2004). "The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 28, 2018.

Citations

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  1. ^ a The Rolling Stone Record Guide. Ed. Dave Marsh and John Swenson. New York: Random House, 1979. (Note 1, see p xiii) (Note 1a, see p xv-xvi)
  2. ^ a b The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Ed. Dave Marsh and John Swenson. New York: Random House, 1983. (Note 2, see p 645-648) (Note 2a, see p xv) (Note 2b, see p xvii-xix)
  3. ^ a The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Ed. Anthony DeCurtis and James Henke with Holly George-Warren. New York: Random House, 1992. (Note 3, see p vii) (Note 3a, see ix)

Further reading

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Copies of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th editions are available to loan through the Internet Archive and Open Library (registration required):

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