The Pied Pipers of Rock 'N' Roll: Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s

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Best book on early RnR radio

The WORST book of early rock 'n' roll radio ever written.

The best book on early rock 'n' roll radio

The Pied Pipers of Rock 'N' Roll: Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s
Wes Smith
Manufacturer: Longstreet Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 092926469X

Customer Reviews:

Best book on early RnR radio.......2003-09-17

I am a deejay myself and this book is the best on the subject I've ever found, a real pleasure to read and full of hilarious stories. The sections on the great DJ's at WLAC - Hoss Allen, Gene Nobles & John R - make it a true gem. Some of it is sloppy, true (see the sour schoolmarm review) but let's face it, the subject matter is sloppy, too. This is not a dry, academic treatise, folks - it's about ROCK AND ROLL and the spirit of these guys shines through in these pages like nowhwere else! This is a spirit that has all but been snuffed out by the likes of Clear Channel and Top 40; if you want to see who was integrating the races before the Civil Rights movement you can read all about them in this book. In the 1950's being a Southern White Liberal was a dangerous thing; to promote Rock and Roll was almost suicidal. Although they were all players in payola (which as Alan Freed observed is called lobbying in DC) they were real heroes to a lot of folks, including myself. I love this book.

The WORST book of early rock 'n' roll radio ever written........2003-02-18

This review is coming from someone who has consumed nearly every book, article, liner notes etc. about rock 'n' roll circa 1948-1970, so hopefully my criticsm is based on a solid foundation of knowledge. With that said, let me state unequivocally, this book is as close to unreadable as any I've ever picked up.

To start with, Wes Smith can not write, either intelligently or entertainingly. This work is amateurish, sanctimonious and flippant. He did negligible research and apparently found he did not not have enough material to compile a book 15 pages long, double spaced, and to compensate he filled each page with so much insipid wordplay between the two quotes he managed to procure that reading it may cause a loss of IQ.

Even someone with only a passing knowledge of the subject can see he clearly has no concept of the times and continually attempts to bluff his way past that lack of basic understanding. Furthermore, his knowledge of rock 'n' roll history is so slight it would not be surprising to find out his record collection consisted solely of a water-stained copy of a Martin Denny album. For example, in referencing the first rock 'n' roll show staged by Alan Freed in 1952 he calls the Dominoes (the most popular group of the day, led by Clyde McPhatter, perhaps the most dynamic vocalist of the 50's) among the "rather dim headliners". He obviously has no idea who they even ARE! Hardly the credentials necessary for writing about this subject. Perhaps his most glaring self-inflicted wound is when he refers to the Crew-Cuts, who were among the most notorious white pop cover acts of the time, by saying "their record... 'Sh-Boom' became a rock 'n' roll classic". Their version of "Sh-Boom" is NOT rock 'n' roll, NOT a classic and is perhaps the most despised record by rock 'n' roll enthusiasts in history. He clearly wouldn't know the difference between it and the Chords original (which IS a classic) if he listened to them both a thousand times.

He goes on to make dozens of factual errors regarding songs (Elvis Presley's first Sun recording, "That's All Right Mama" was not a "Number One country hit", as he states, nor a hit of any kind in fact) and of singers themselves (Chuck Willis did not die in a car crash, nor was he ever in a crash, he died of bleeding ulcers). Maybe worst of all he cites Sam Cooke's first secular record, "You Send Me" as the "first record to top both the Pop and R&B charts". In reality a full 17 OTHERS (!!!) had done so before Cooke, including the three previous #1 hits on the charts. This information is not exactly hard to find yet Smith is such an incompetent reporter he can not open a Billboard book to check?

He constantly misspells song titles (adding an extra "e" to "Be Bop A Lula", an extra "p" to "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and refers to John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" as "Boogie Children"), names (adding an "e" to the end of LaVern, as in Baker, and an extra "m" in Big Mama Thornton), and he claims legendary guitar instrumentalist Duane Eddy was a singer (he never uttered a vocal on record). Those examples only scrape the surface I'm afraid.

Truthfully it seems that Smith never left his Chicago Tribune cubicle (where he was employed - apparently he held incriminating photos of the Trib's editors) as he wrote this on his lunch breaks. At one point, in attempting to link rock 'n' roll with movies, he actually says "James Dean came out in black leather with a motorcycle and a knife in 'Rebel Without A Cause'". For the record, Dean wore a red windbreaker and drove a Mercury in the film - only one of the most indelible images in film history. These repeated and blatant factual errors are utterly incomprehensible and yet they pop up on virtually every page throughout the book. Are basic FACTS not a qualification for writing where he comes from?

Now there ARE some good stories to be found amongst the ruins, but they all have quotation marks around them, meaning they came directly from the sources themselves. Smith's contributions were simply to reprint them. He actually does the disc jockeys he writes about a disservice because he is incapable of framing their stories in the proper context, or adding any valuable insight into what made these men so vital in advancing the popularity of rock 'n' roll in those early days. After getting through it I feel better that I got this book used, as no additional proceeds went to the now hopefully out of work author. This is a rinky dink effort in every way, evidenced by the fact all but one of the pictures in the book came from the Chicago Tribune's files to which he had easy access, most showing the subjects in their later years from the 70's or 80's long after the focus of this book. Even the book's jacket has the appearance of a cheap product that bookstores put on "drastically reduced price" tables outside the store, hoping that shoplifters walk off with as many copies as they can carry.

This is a subject that has an abundance of interesting stories and fascinating tales waiting to be told. Smith reveals little of them. For well researched and written books about early rock 'n' roll DJs get "Have Mercy" by Wolfman Jack and Byron Laursen, "Big Beat Heat" about Alan Freed by John A. Jackson or "Sound Of The City" by Charlie Gillett and leave this gathering dust.

The one star I'm forced to give this by Amazon's rating policy is one star more than it deserves.

The best book on early rock 'n' roll radio.......2002-11-18

The best book on early rock 'n' roll radio, detailing the rise of the music and its mass medium within the heated cultural politics of the time; the basis for the documentary ROCK 'N' ROLL INVADERS, which is now available on DVD and is also excellent. Buy both -- they complement each other.

Smith did solid research in interviewing as many of the surviving disc jockeys as possible. He also does not flinch from the racial problems (despite what you have NOT read in other rock 'n' roll histories) were a major part of the rise of rock 'n' roll.

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The Pied Pipers of Rock 'n' Roll Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s
Wes Smith
Manufacturer: Longstreet Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0Y0SO

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The Pied Pipers of Rock'n Roll Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s
Wes Smith
Manufacturer: Longstreet Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0MM2K

Book Description

Drawing on firsthand accounts from ordinary British people after Diana's death, this book challenges the media myths of the mourning and demonstrates that far from being united, popular opinion was in fact deeply divided in grief. This book challenges both media and academic accounts of a united response to Diana's death. It combines a detailed survey of television and newspaper coverage with a qualitative history of the attitudes and actions of 260 people across Britain who recorded their views and actions for the "Mass Observation of Britain" project. Throughout, the book presents challenges to the accuracy of media representations of popular opinion and an examination of the nature and role of media power in influencing attitudes and opinions. The book is suitable for the general reader, but also for any students of media or cultural studies.

Customer Reviews:

Illuminating.......2006-05-02

First of all a warning - this is not a book about Princess Diana, her life or death and only partially about the cult of her celebrity. Much more interestingly, it is a book that analyses the gap between the media coverage of the mood of the UK at the time of her death, and the responses of everyday people, recorded at the time

This was fascinating for me; I largely missed the hysteria surrounding the death as I was living in Singapore at the time. Tied up with work, I hadn't watched TV or listened to the radio for several days so it came as a surprise when a relative called me and in the course of conversation asked if I was going to watch the funeral on TV - who's funeral I wanted to know? Certainly my Singaporean colleagues knew about the incident, but didn't seem to think it worth discussing.

An entirely normal reaction you might think - I'd feel much the same about the death of the Singaporean Prime Minister - but one quite at odds to the hysterical reaction in the UK and elsewhere reported in the media. For those who have forgotten, Thomas gives a wonderful synopsis of the media spin - that the nation felt Diana's death personally, as one would the death of a close friend or relative. Imagine the whole nation losing a mother or sister simultaneously, and you have the mass media view of the country's mood. And shame on those who either didn't feel it, or failed to show it.

But as Thomas argues, can this really have been the case? Clearly the vast majority of people did not sign condolence books, did not lay wreathes, did not line the route of the funeral procession or in any way display any grief. Might not the media view have been slightly distorted, to say the least?

By using the diaries of everyday people recording their thoughts on the events of the day through their involvement in ongoing Mass Observation studies, Thomas shows the real mood to be somewhat different. Yes, some people were upset, but the vast majority either mildly curious about, wholly indifferent to or actively alienated by events. All rejected any suggestion that they should feel personally affected by the death, and interestingly many were aware of and firmly rejected what they saw as media attempts to manipulate their emotions.

Thomas has written an excellent book, heartening in its depiction of the basic common sense of most people and even more heartening in how many people are able to see through media hype. If I have given it 4 stars rather than 5, it is because of the sometimes dry narrative and over repetition of the same facts. But a book I highly recommend to anyone interested in popular culture and the media

Diana's Mourning: A People's History.(Book Review) : An article from: Folklore

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Diana's Mourning: A People's History.(Book Review) : An article from: Folklore
Patricia Lysaght
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Folklore, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1081 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Diana's Mourning: A People's History.(Book Review)
Author: Patricia Lysaght
Publication: Folklore (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 117 Issue: 1 Page: 107(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Completely updated to cover changes in the Java 2 SDK, 1.3.1, Java for COBOL Programmers, 2/E uses COBOL examples to teach object-oriented principles and Java's syntax. Written for COBOL programmers transitioning to Java, the step-by-step examples show users how to convert COBOL's structured programming into object-oriented concepts without assuming knowledge of C or C++. New chapters expand the treatment of Enterprise Java technologies, including Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), Servlets and Java Server Pages (JSP), and Enterprise Java Beans (EJB).

Customer Reviews:

A nice addtion.......2007-06-27

I wouldn't use this as my only reference for java. It is more detailed than 'Cobol Programmers Swing with Java' but it is a good reference for commands that the other book doesn't have. It also shows things with slightly different examples. I haven't had time yet to go through the stuff n the CD that comes with the book.

Good starter java book when bridging from COBOL.......2005-08-31

I found this book to be much more helpful in explaining the basics than other books whose audience was former C programmers. Most people talk about OO programming as some new high-faluting process that the mainframe COBOL programmer will have great difficulty understanding. As I am in a shop that makes much use of copybooks and called subroutines, I could relate to Byrne's explanations. They took away the mystique of OO programming.

Java for Cobol Programmers.......2002-01-24

This is not a bad book for the Cobol programmers who are trying to learn Object Oriented language Java. Very good parallels between classes and Cobol subroutine. Most of the Java books are written by former C++ programmers, who do not know Cobol. But Mr. Burne trying find some common ground between Java and Cobol, to simplify learning. I gave it 4 stars, it would be nice to have some Input and Output File processing, GUI and JDBC coverages. But over all, this is much better book than Doke and Hardgrave book with similar title.

Not to bad - but could have been better........2000-11-10

I had heard that this was a really good book for COBOL programmers who were now learning Java. It didn't really tie the two together very well. The author obviously has not keep up with the innovation in COBOL over the last few years. COBOL for MVS has FUNCTIONs that would have made better examples in some places. After completing this book I felt that it didn't really tell may much more that the other intro to Java books I had read. And the last chapters really lost me. It jumped from entry level stuff to chapters that seemed to be taken from some technical presentation. To me the next step should have been how Java does external data I/O. After I completed this book, I found that the book that I really wanted was "Java for the COBOL Programmer (Advances in Object Technology".

Great Introduction for Cobol programmers.......2000-03-23

I found this book extremely useful. I have been a programmer for 20 years, and this is the first book I've found that explained Java in a way I could understand. I liked the way the author started with simple examples, and then kept building on them. Definitely a big help to me. The chapter on XML was interesting too.

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Good bye Hello World

COBOL Programmers Swing with Java
E. Reed Doke , Bill C. Hardgrave , and Richard A. Johnson
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521546842

Book Description

Featuring the development of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) using the latest in Java swing components, this new edition of Java for the COBOL Programmer (Cambridge, 1999) provides COBOL programmers a clear, easy transition to Java programming by drawing on the numerous similarities between COBOL and Java. The authors introduce the COBOL programmer to the history of Java and object-oriented programming and then delve into the details of the Java syntax, always contrasting them with their parallels in COBOL. A running case study permits the reader to have an overall view of application development with Java. First Edition ISBN (Pb): 0-521-65892-6

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In the fast moving world of information technology, Java is now the number 1 programming language. Programmers and developers everywhere need to know Java to keep pace with traditional and web-based application development. COBOL Programmers Swing with Java provides COBOL programmers a clear, easy transition to Java programming by drawing on the numerous similarities between COBOL and Java. The authors introduce the COBOL programmer to the history of Java and object-oriented programming and then dive into the details of the Java syntax, always contrasting them with their parallels in COBOL. A running case study gives the reader an overall view of application development with Java, with increased functionality as new material is presented. This new edition features the development of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) using the latest in Java Swing components. The clear writing style and excellent examples make the book suitable for anyone wanting to learn Java and OO programming, whether they have a background in COBOL or not.

Customer Reviews:

Good bye Hello World.......2007-06-27

Why does every Java book start with Hello World? This one doesn't. They use a bank system to illustrate the java commands. And it does it in less than 300 pages. Which means it actually is possible to read it from beginning to end. Plus it is easy to follow. It may not have all the things you can do in java but I found it to be of great help as I learn java. For cobol programmers I feel this is one to have in your library.

Java(tm) for S/390® and AS/400® COBOL Programmers

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more Java less COBOL
the book is outdated
I love it
...just like starting over...again
...just like starting over...again

Java(tm) for S/390® and AS/400® COBOL Programmers
George Farr , and Phil Coulthard
Manufacturer: Mc Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1583470115

Book Description

Written by mainframe and midrange professionals George Farr and Phil Coulthard, Java for S/390 & AS/400 COBOL Programmers is designed to help COBOL programmers make the jump to Java. It teaches COBOL programmers how to read and write Java programs and helps them understand the concepts necessary to continue to improve their Java skills. Rather than serve merely as an overview, Java for S/390 & AS/400 COBOL Programmers is a massive work of more than 900 pages that addresses Javas syntax and much of the Java Development Kits (JDKs) functionality through comparisons with COBOL. It also introduces applets, Java Native Interface (JNI), Remote Method Invocation (RMI), serialization, JavaBeans, Enterprise JavaBeans, servlets, JavaServer Pages, and even Extensible Markup Language (XML). Because VisualAge for Java (VAJ) is by far the most widely used Java tool among AS/400 and S/390 programmers, the book also includes an introduction to VAJ with both AS/400 and S/390 details. The book contains separate appendices, geared explicitly to OS/400 and OS/390 readers, with platform-specific information. Many analysts are predicting that Java will overtake COBOLs commanding lead as the language of choice for business applications running on mainframe and midrange computers. This leaves COBOL programmers with a huge problem. They do not know Java, nor do they understand object-oriented concepts. They have never seen a function, let alone free-form C-style syntax, classes, objects, or methods. Although there are hundreds of books about Java on the market, they all assume C, C++, or Visual Basic knowledge. It can be a humbling, daunting, and frustrating experience for a COBOL professional to try to learn Java without the proper prerequisite knowledge. This book will make learning Java as comfortable as possible.

Customer Reviews:

more Java less COBOL.......2004-01-29

the book should focus on Java on AS400.
also it uses Visual Age which is outdated should use Websphere instead.
the code is not clear since it tries to compare COBOL(structure programing) with Java(Object Oriented

the book is outdated.......2004-01-29

the book should focus on Java on AS400.
also it uses Visual Age which is outdated should use Websphere instead.

the code is not clear since it tries to compare COBOL(structure programing) with Java(Object Oriented).

I love it.......2003-09-25

This is a great book for programmer from the procedural world trying to lear Java. There is lot of comparison to Cobol code. The examples are detailed and more real world much unlike the examples found in other Java books. Chapter 9 on Object orientation is gem.

...just like starting over...again.......2000-09-04

Instead of calling it "Java for Dummies" they decided to be nice to us old-timers and call it "Java for...Cobol programmers", but that's OK. Prepare yourself for a thick heavy meal that must be digested very slowly. Not a stone left unturned, very, very meticulous. There is a lot of exhaustive material so you will need a lot of time to go through this. Measure it not in weeks but perhaps in a few good months. But it will push you a good way up the path that many of us must take, for those of us who will not accept that there is more behind us than ahead of us. Go for it - and good luck to us all!

...just like starting over...again.......2000-09-04

Java for the COBOL Programmer (SIGS: Advances in Object Technology)

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Some Reflections on COB / Java
Haven't read it
From COBOL to JAVA
WAS a good book . . .
Great book for all.

Java for the COBOL Programmer (SIGS: Advances in Object Technology)
E. Reed Doke , and Bill C. Hardgrave
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521658926

Book Description

When the Y2K crisis winds down, COBOL programmers will look for new ways to apply their skills. Drawing upon the numerous similarities between COBOL and Java, this book teaches Java to professional COBOL programmers. To simplify the transition, the authors describe the features and syntax of Java while contrasting them with their parallels in COBOL. The book is completely modular, allowing a reader to skip back and forth from one chapter to another. With each example, the authors present a COBOL program that performs a certain function and develop a Java program that accomplishes the same task. Sample programs are available from a website, and an accompanying CD-ROM contains all of the Java programs developed in the book. It also contains a TrialWare copy of Symantec’s Visual Café Database Edition 3.0. A running case study evolves with increased functionality as new material is presented in subsequent chapters.

Customer Reviews:

Some Reflections on COB / Java.......2003-02-13

A couple of thoughts, while I'm 2/3 through the book:
- Fully grasping chapters 2 & 3 is essential. I found that simply reading them resulted in little retained info. Going back through them, making detailed notes, took only one afernoon and it really stuck. ymmv

- Chapter 3 - the intro to Java - contains the fewest COB concepts and code equivalents. I thought it would be interesting to express the class program example as a called COBOL program (they sort of half did it). That example would mentally connect directly and remove some 'mystery' from this whole class business.

- the chapters on conditional processing, maths, etc show direct relationship to COB syntax.

- the book comes with a CD with Symantec's Visual Cafe. Be aware - this is a 30 day trial.

- Not covered in the book (unless it's at the end :) is the whole topic of the JDK and how to compile / run programs. Some other resource is needed in order to exercise the sample code.

Haven't read it.......2002-04-25

The only thing I know is that the author, E. Reed Doke is a pretty poor JAVA teacher, so I don't know how he can explain it in a book.

From COBOL to JAVA.......2001-09-18

I have programmed in COBOL and other 'mainframe' languages for almost 30 years. I have also done some programming on PC's in Access, Visual Basic, FoxPro and Visual FoxPro. About one year ago I became interested in JAVA. I then began to search for a book that did not require you to have C++ experience (which I do not have). Then, one night when I was checking out JAVA books on Amazon, I stumbled over 'JAVA for the COBOL Programmer'. I read the reviews and I decided to purchase it. This book is fantastic. It is extremely easy to read, it explains things very clearly, it constantly gives you examples of the COBOL equalivant, and it does an excellent job of defining all of those crazy JAVA terms. JAVA is very large and complicated, so you will not be a JAVA expert after reading this book, but you will be much better informed about it. I recommend this book to any COBOL programmer that wants to learn JAVA.

WAS a good book . . ........2001-08-16

The authors did a fantastic job of explaining similarities and differences between COBOL and JAVA, and even did a decent job of providing a good intro to object-oriented design. The examples, while being simple, are nonetheless well conceived and can easily be related to. I would unconditionally recommend this book to anybody trying to transition from COBOL to JAVA . . . except . . . it's out of date. It's based on the old JAVA 1.1, and there were major changes going to JAVA 1.2 (SWING being the biggy), and we're up to JAVA 1.3 now. Either get another book that's more current or wait for the next edition of this one.

Great book for all........2000-08-26

I have been a Cobol programmer for many years now and saw a need to move into the "new" world. I decided to go with Java. I started reading every book I could get my hands on about Java. I have read 14 Java books at all levels from "Hello World" to mastering EJB. Then I found this book. Java for the Cobol Programmer is probably the best book around for learning or advancing your Java skills.....if you have a history with Cobol. This is the first book I have found that recoginizes people other than C++ programmers might be interested in learning Java. I say get this book first read it front to back and absorb it. Then move on to more advanced books, then come back to this book and read it again.

Book Description

This student workbook companion to Java for S/390 and AS/400 COBOL Programmers and Java for RPG Programmers contains a list of key terms, multiple choice and short-answer questions, and hands-on lab exercises. The included CD-ROM contains a fully functional version of Eclipse, the open-source project workbench, complete with a rich set of tools for Java application development. The lab exercises use Eclipse as the starting point for developing code and mastering the Eclipse tool set. Answers to the questions in the workbook and the solution files to the labs are included on the CD-ROM.

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