The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock (The History of Rock & Roll, 2) Hardcover – November 19, 2019

Tremendous author. Very well written book. To bad he passed away before he could do his 3rd volume

Bought this as a gift and it was a winner.

I've been reading Ed Ward since he reviewed music for Rolling Stone in the days when the magazine covered music that truly mattered. Despite some minor errors ("Day Tripper" was not the flip side of "Ticket to Ride") that can be forgiven considering all the ground (1964-1977) Ward covers, this is a brisk, concise and even nostalgia-producing read. Even if one does not agree with his opinions, it still provides a wealth of worthwhile information.

Few writers have the temerity to tackle a topic as complicated as a history of pop/rock music. Fewer still have the talent to pull it off. To find someone who does it in an engaging, conversational style full of sardonic wit and humor is a pleasant rarity. This book, which essentially covers a particularly fruitful period of rock history sandwiched between the Beatles explosion in 1964 and the death of Elvis Presley in 1977, is a flat out gem. (As is its companion Volume 1, which covers the 1920-1963 period.) As a lifelong music lover, I've always had an eye out for a readable, enjoyable treatment of the sounds I grew up with. For a long time, my favorite in this genre was "The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll." Then I discovered "Rock of Ages," a rock history co-authored by Ed Ward (who penned the first third of the book); it became my new bible. When I found that Ward had written two volumes covering rock up to 1977, I jumped on them. I have not been disappointed. Of necessity, a topic as broad and open to interpretation as rock music is bound to leave some readers asking "How come so and so is not discussed?" Happily (for me anyway) that question never entered my mind. I was too wrapped up devouring who and what Ward did cover -- which is a lot! I fancy myself somewhat of a music buff, so I was amazed at the amount of "new" info I learned from this book. If you want an eminently enjoyable account of rock music (and its influences that make up the pre-rock era), you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who does it better than Ed Ward.My only quibble (and it's a small one) is Ward's tendency to construct some really long, convoluted sentences using a ton of semicolons and parentheses that will have you occasionally re-reading the front part of the sentence just to tie it up with its tail end. It's almost as if he's trying to present a mini-history of a person or event in the space of a single sentence.Apart from that, this a five-star effort from a five-star author. In the preface to Volume 2, Ward mentions his intent to finish up this project with a final Volume 3 "sometime in the future." (I assume it will cover rock from the late '70s forward.) I only have three words in response: I can't wait!!

When I think of great music books, Peter Guralnick's Elvis books come to mind, as does Respect Yourself by Robert Gordon, Dancing With the Devil and Rythm Oil by Stanley Booth, various books by Dave Marsh, Greil Marcus, Robert Christgau, John Morthland, and others. Ed Ward, one of rock's veteran writers and critics, has written a masterpiece with his History of Rock & Roll Volume 2 and now I must go back and read Volume 1. Not only does Ed have a clear vision of what the sixties and its music meant and how it developed, but he provides some of the most incisive anecdotes I've read anywhere on this much trod subject. Ed Ward is also a splendid writer with a deceptively easy-to-read style. The man knows how to turn a phrase and unlike some writers I could name, he never writes show-offy prose. The book is a pure pleasure and I'm now ready to read Volume 3 -- when it comes out.

I had given “The History of Rock and Roll, Volume One” a four-star review, noting that, while it remained an excellent reference on the subject, a volume on so unwieldy a subject would mean “…that important people and music will fall through the cracks, be under-represented or not put in sufficient context.”I struggle to give Volume Two more than three stars. While it is still a book I would recommend, it is rather maddeningly uneven.For those subjects in the book for which Mr. Ward has an easily apparent interest, this is again a marvelous read. His history of the development and growth of reggae is an excellent example of Mr. Ward’s knowledge and enthusiasm; there are many other sections such as this which leads me to a recommendation.There are other sections that are frustrating. First, mistakes are almost impossible to avoid in so wide-ranging a book, but some just seem sloppy. About the Beatles, especially – it was George, not John who answered the question in their first U.S. press conference as to whether they would get a haircut during their visit “I just had one yesterday”, and the Mellotron was not used in “Penny Lane” – it was used to great effect in “Strawberry Fields Forever”. Other mistakes have been noted in other reviews.The times when an extra sentence could have added needed context are rife throughout the book, but Mr. Ward did note in the introduction that it would be impossible to fill in all of the needed facts. And perhaps there will be readers in the future who will not be able to discern which names are worth researching further and those whose inclusion in this history are questionable. There are myriad artists that never truly impacted the history of rock and roll yet appear in this book.My greatest frustration, however, concerns some that do not get the respect they deserve. On page 233, Mr. Ward writes “Paul [McCartney] assembled a band, which he dubbed Wings, featuring an ex-Moody Blues guy…”Denny Laine, a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a presence in three notable bands (let’s not forget Ginger Baker’s Air Force), deserves to be mentioned by name in a book titled “The History of Rock and Roll”; to be treated in so desultory a manner is quite dispiriting. Quite a number of other figures who are well worth further exploration are handled nearly as dismissively, which is the greatest failing of the book; in many instances, Mr. Ward’s personal tastes and interests overwhelm what should have been a more evenhanded chronicle of the era.So, with reservations and a reminder that this is not the last word on the subject, yes, “The History of Rock & Roll, Volume II” is a book I recommend – and hope that any Volume III is a bit more consistently respectful of all of its subjects.

Great gift for my friend. She loves it.

The book captured my attention all the way through. I hope Ed Ward has more room in his writer's brain after absorbing and disseminating all of the great information. His writing of the '50-'70's period took me back to my youthful immersion in rock 'n roll. Lovely trip. thanks for the ride Mr. Ward!!

I believe the writer did his homework here with trying to cover all styles of music from this era. Gathered some info I didn't know about until now. Only correction I would add is on page 113. Writer of "Daydream Believer" was John Stewart not Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond did write" I'm a Believer" from the second album.

Superb follow up to volume one. Surely one of the best rock histories ever written?

I enjoy Vol. 2 as much as I enjoyed Vol. 1. Having read the first 100 pages of Vol. 2 I stand by my judgement: if you are old and knowledgable enough to know the basics (Hank came after Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, Elvis came after Hank and Dean Martin, Dylan, Beatles, Stones came after Elvis) , this is probably the best, equally entertaining and educating, history of rock & roll you can put your hands on. Absolutely great book(s)!

Superficial and boring. The author crams lots of artist namechecks into the text but said nothing about of real interest - just dates, their record labels and most famous songs. Really disappointing.

Book one had more depth. This book seems to fly past a whole decade of music without saying much.