Reviews
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist ASCAP Deems Taylor Pop Book Award Winner Kirkus , 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays…The author writes with enormous confidence and competence…The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates…A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with élan." Publisher's Weekly , on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection… Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke." Entertainment Weekly website, 10/9 "[Hajdu is] the rare first-rate critic who's also a first-rate interviewer." The New York Post , "Required Reading" column, 10/11 "An eye-opener…Enjoyable" Forbes.com, 10/13 "[Hajdu is] like a grown-up Chuck Klosterman…, Heroes and Villains is hot." LibraryJournal.com, 10/9 "[Hajdu] uses his discerning eye to highlight controversial junctures in popular taste" Chicago Tribune , 10/18/09 "I'm ready to give [jazz] a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection…Hajdu traces the familiar history of jazz, but with a poet's passionate yearning, not a scholar's bored yawn. He makes you want to rush out and get hold of the music about which he writes, no matter what you may have thought about it in the past." All Headline News "[A] sharp career-spanning collection" PopMatters.com, 11/18/09 "The essays…show Hajdu as a scholar and journalist who is interested in making sense out of the current cacophony in contemporary music and the myriad forces-both personal and technological-that shape the artistic production and public consumption of music…Part of what makes Hajdu such a good music critic and clever pop culture observer is his ability to see beyond the obvious…Hajdu has a keen sense of the social significance of pop culture artists and he shows how they often reflect and create the social climate of the day…Throughout, Hajdu writes in a clear, straightforward style and possesses a sympathetic feel for the lives and music of pop music performers, and this in turn allows him to get past the surface of their lives…Hajdu's literary voice is thoughtful, urbane, and cosmopolitan.", Kirkus, 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays…The author writes with enormous confidence and competence…The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates…A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with Élan.", National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist ASCAP Deems Taylor Pop Book Award Winner Kirkus , 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays&The author writes with enormous confidence and competence&The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates&A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with lan." Publisher's Weekly , on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection& Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke." Entertainment Weekly website, 10/9 "[Hajdu is] the rare first-rate critic who's also a first-rate interviewer." The New York Post , "Required Reading" column, 10/11 "An eye-opener&Enjoyable" Forbes.com, 10/13 "[Hajdu is] like a grown-up Chuck Klosterman&, Heroes and Villains is hot." LibraryJournal.com, 10/9 "[Hajdu] uses his discerning eye to highlight controversial junctures in popular taste" Chicago Tribune , 10/18/09 "I'm ready to give [jazz] a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection&Hajdu traces the familiar history of jazz, but with a poet's passionate yearning, not a scholar's bored yawn. He makes you want to rush out and get hold of the music about which he writes, no matter what you may have thought about it in the past." All Headline News "[A] sharp career-spanning collection" PopMatters.com, 11/18/09 "The essays&show Hajdu as a scholar and journalist who is interested in making sense out of the current cacophony in contemporary music and the myriad forces-both personal and technological-that shape the artistic production and public consumption of music&Part of what makes Hajdu such a good music critic and clever pop culture observer is his ability to see beyond the obvious&Hajdu has a keen sense of the social significance of pop culture artists and he shows how they often reflect and create the social climate of the day&Throughout, Hajdu writes in a clear, straightforward style and possesses a sympathetic feel for the lives and music of pop music performers, and this in turn allows him to get past the surface of their lives&Hajdu's literary voice is thoughtful, urbane, and cosmopolitan.", Kirkus, 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays…The author writes with enormous confidence and competence…The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates…A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with Élan." Publisher's Weekly, on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection… Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke.", Kirkus, 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays…The author writes with enormous confidence and competence…The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates…A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with Élan." Publisher's Weekly, on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection… Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke." Entertainment Weeklywebsite, 10/9 "[Hajdu is] the rare first-rate critic who's also a first-rate interviewer." The New York Post, "Required Reading" column, 10/11 "An eye-opener…Enjoyable" Forbes.com, 10/13 "[Hajdu is] like a grown-up Chuck Klosterman…,Heroes and Villainsis hot." LibraryJournal.com, 10/9 "[Hajdu] uses his discerning eye to highlight controversial junctures in popular taste", National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist ASCAP Deems Taylor Pop Book Award Winner Kirkus , 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays...The author writes with enormous confidence and competence...The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates...A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with lan." Publisher's Weekly , on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection... Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke." Entertainment Weekly website, 10/9 "[Hajdu is] the rare first-rate critic who's also a first-rate interviewer." The New York Post , "Required Reading" column, 10/11 "An eye-opener...Enjoyable" Forbes.com, 10/13 "[Hajdu is] like a grown-up Chuck Klosterman..., Heroes and Villains is hot." LibraryJournal.com, 10/9 "[Hajdu] uses his discerning eye to highlight controversial junctures in popular taste", National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist ASCAP Deems Taylor Pop Book Award Winner Kirkus , 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays...The author writes with enormous confidence and competence...The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates...A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with élan." Publisher's Weekly , on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection... Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke." Entertainment Weekly website, 10/9 "[Hajdu is] the rare first-rate critic who's also a first-rate interviewer." The New York Post , "Required Reading" column, 10/11 "An eye-opener...Enjoyable" Forbes.com, 10/13 "[Hajdu is] like a grown-up Chuck Klosterman..., Heroes and Villains is hot." LibraryJournal.com, 10/9 "[Hajdu] uses his discerning eye to highlight controversial junctures in popular taste" Chicago Tribune , 10/18/09 "I'm ready to give [jazz] a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection...Hajdu traces the familiar history of jazz, but with a poet's passionate yearning, not a scholar's bored yawn. He makes you want to rush out and get hold of the music about which he writes, no matter what you may have thought about it in the past." All Headline News "[A] sharp career-spanning collection" PopMatters.com, 11/18/09 "The essays...show Hajdu as a scholar and journalist who is interested in making sense out of the current cacophony in contemporary music and the myriad forces--both personal and technological--that shape the artistic production and public consumption of music...Part of what makes Hajdu such a good music critic and clever pop culture observer is his ability to see beyond the obvious...Hajdu has a keen sense of the social significance of pop culture artists and he shows how they often reflect and create the social climate of the day...Throughout, Hajdu writes in a clear, straightforward style and possesses a sympathetic feel for the lives and music of pop music performers, and this in turn allows him to get past the surface of their lives...Hajdu's literary voice is thoughtful, urbane, and cosmopolitan.", National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist ASCAP Deems Taylor Pop Book Award Winner Kirkus, 9/1/09 "A graceful collection of essays…The author writes with enormous confidence and competence…The author is an able instructor whose vast knowledge inspires rather than intimidates…A gift for readers who enjoy erudition seasoned with Élan." Publisher's Weekly, on David Hadju "[He's] an exacting critic, and a great place to go for a thinking man's take on today's music." PW.com "[A]rollicking collection… Hadju's essays never fail to amuse, please and provoke." Entertainment Weeklywebsite, 10/9 "[Hajdu is] the rare first-rate critic who's also a first-rate interviewer." The New York Post, "Required Reading" column, 10/11 "An eye-opener…Enjoyable" Forbes.com, 10/13 "[Hajdu is] like a grown-up Chuck Klosterman…,Heroes and Villainsis hot." LibraryJournal.com, 10/9 "[Hajdu] uses his discerning eye to highlight controversial junctures in popular taste" Chicago Tribune, 10/18/09 "I'm ready to give [jazz] a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection…Hajdu traces the familiar history of jazz, but with a poet's passionate yearning, not a scholar's bored yawn. He makes you want to rush out and get hold of the music about which he writes, no matter what you may have thought about it in the past." All Headline News "[A] sharp career-spanning collection" PopMatters.com, 11/18/09 "The essays…show Hajdu as a scholar and journalist who is interested in making sense out of the current cacophony in contemporary music and the myriad forces-both personal and technological-that shape the artistic production and public consumption of music…Part of what makes Hajdu such a good music critic and clever pop culture observer is his ability to see beyond the obvious…Hajdu has a keen sense of the social significance of pop culture artists and he shows how they often reflect and create the social climate of the day…Throughout, Hajdu writes in a clear, straightforward style and possesses a sympathetic feel for the lives and music of pop music performers, and this in turn allows him to get past the surface of their lives…Hajdu's literary voice is thoughtful, urbane, and cosmopolitan."
