Review by Choice Review
By placing women at the center of her examination of rock and roll, by asking new questions regarding women's experiences in this male-dominated industry, by giving value to the words women rockers use to articulate their own stories, and by confronting the sexual and racial stereotypes that have made women's lives and contributions invisible, Gaar reframes the history of rock and roll. She's A Rebel is not a book that merely fits women outsiders inside the male-defined rock and roll tradition; it is a book that subverts the assumptions of value that have long determined the story of that tradition. Within a basically chronological context, Gaar combines her astute reassessment of rock and roll trends with scholarly details on a myriad of women rockers (not just performers and composers, but managers, producers, etc.) and punctuates all with the words of the women themselves. What emerges is a rich and lively tapestry documenting the full range of women's involvement in rock and roll. Readers will lament the lack of source notes. General and academic readers at all levels. L. Whitesitt; Queens College, North Carolina
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Women have been largely absent from most histories of rock 'n' roll. Gaar sets out to rectify that, beginning with the pioneering "Big Mama" Thornton and taking the story through to contemporary musicians like Sinead O'Connor. Along the way, she hits the artists you'd expect, including 1950s "girl groups" such as the ~Shi~relles, Aretha Franklin and other 1960s soul singers, 1970s singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, and the punk era's Debbie Harry. But Gaar also includes such unsung performers as Bo Diddley protege Peggy Jones and the 1960s band Goldie and the Gingerbreads. And she details the contributions of women in other areas, from producers and managers to technicians and DJs. Finally, she bemoans how little antifemale attitudes have changed, but finds hope in the recent appearance of mixed-gender bands such as Sonic Youth. Although Gaar's critical assessments are sometimes overly generous (in an apparent case of "reverse sexism," she seems to give some artists points just because of their gender), her book is a valuable effort to fill in the gaps in rock 'n' roll's historical record. ~--Gordon Flagg
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This much-needed history and examination of women's role in the turbulent world of modern music makes a valiant attempt to be inclusive, but that is its downfall. Because she reports on not only performers, but record company publicists, a documentary filmmaker and a music attorney, and because she stretches the definition of rock & roll to include such personalities as choreographer cum pop star Paula Abdul and performance artist Karen Finley, Gaar can only cover each of her subjects briefly. Sometimes even that scanty coverage is strangely repetitive, as when she stresses several times that Janis Joplin's bad-girl image made her famous but also killed her. Chapters are divided by decade, which causes confusion, since the work of many performers has spanned more than ten years. There are interesting discussions of issues such as the difficulties that black Motown artists had while traveling in the South, as well as a humorous account of the quasi-accidental founding of Bitch: The Women's Rock Newsletter With Bite, but the end result is scattered. Gaar is senior editor of the rock newspaper, the Rocket. Photos not seen by PW 25,000 first printing; major ad/promo. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In addition to a new preface by Yoko Ono, Gaar's update of her 1992 original includes information on the likes of Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, the Spice Girls, and more. Though other volumes cover the subject, it's nice to have a full-although short-volume dedicated to these performers. The text is buttressed with photos, an index, and a bibliography. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A first-rate rock-'n'-roll history with enough lively detail and thoughtful analysis to put to shame the marginalization of women rockers decried by Gaar (editor of the music magazine The Rocket). Tracing the growth of the industry from its roots in late-40's rhythm and blues through today's video-driven stylings, Gaar exposes the consistent double bind of women ``frequently not seen as having the commercial potential of a male artist, and so...not given the chance to demonstrate that they could indeed sell records.'' Though saddled with an unshakable novelty image, women- -from Willie Mae Thornton (whose 1953 hit, ``Hound Dog,'' written for her, far predated Elvis's version), through the ``girl groups'' of the 1960's and the 1970's singer-songwriters, to the legions of punk, post-punk, pop, and rap performers of the past decade--have nonetheless established themselves as durable hit-makers. Drawing on the often rueful comments of her subjects (``You weren't really expressing yourself creatively, past proving to the world that girls could play like guys,'' recalls one), and on an extensive knowledge of both the artistic and business aspects of the music world, Gaar ably grounds her study against the larger context of social change, including the waxing and waning tides of feminism and prejudice. Most poignant is the odd juxtaposition of late performers Karen Carpenter and Janis Joplin, the former ``destroyed by the limitations inherent in playing the role of the good girl as Joplin had been destroyed by the limitations in playing the role of the bad.'' A number of minor inaccuracies (e.g., incorrectly marrying off Grace Slick and Paul Kantner) and some iffy grammar are rare weak points in an otherwise excellent, unusually comprehensive social and musical chronicle. Essential reading for rock fans--particularly those with large record collections and open minds. (Sixty b&w photographs--not seen.)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
