Overview

"Heaven Was Detroit: From Jazz to Hip-hop and Beyond is the first of its kind to capture the full spectrum of Detroit popular music from the early 1900s to the twenty-first century. Readers will find in this unique and stimulating anthology new essays, and a few classics, by widely known and respected music writers, critics, and recording artists who weigh in on their careers and experiences in the Detroit music scene, from rock to jazz and everything in between. With a foreword by the acclaimed rock writer Dave Marsh and iconic photos by Leni Sinclair, the book features such well-known writers as Greil Marcus, Jaan Uhelszki, Al Young, Susan Whitall, Gary Graff, John Sinclair, and many others. Divided into nine sections, the book moves chronologically through the early days of jazz in Detroit, to the rock ’n’ roll of the 1960s, and on to today’s electronica scene, with so many groundbreaking moments in between. Topics in this collection of essays include Motown’s connection to the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement through its side label, Black Forum Records; Lester Bangs’s exemplary piece on Alice Cooper; the story behind the emergence of rap legend Eminem; and Craig Maki’s enlightening history on """"hillbilly rock"""" — just to name a few. With a rich musical tradition to rival Nashville, Detroit serves as the inspiration, backdrop, and playground for some of the most influential music artists of the past century. Heaven Was Detroit captures the essence of the Detroit music scene: the grit, the spark, the desire to tell a story set to the rhythm of the city. Fans of any music genre will find something that speaks to them in the pages of this collection."

Full Product Details

9780814341223

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Reviews

[. . .] Detroit finally has the consummate tome that brings together all the disparate strands of its towering musical legacy that have faded forever into the recesses of time. . . . Motor City nuts can only swoon.--Kris Needs Shindig Magazine (4/5/2017 12:00:00 AM) A ridiculously extensive genre-spanning overview of Detroit's contributions to music, featuring a chorus of authentic, distinct voices - there's something here for generalists and geeks alike. An essential addition to every music library!--Michael T. Fournier author of Double Nickels On the Dime and Swing State An incredible book. Comprehensive, panoramic, and makes a case for Detroit being the greatest music city in the US. Which it isn't. And that's how good this book truly is, raising the point -why isn't there a book like this for EVERY city in the US?--Steve Wynn singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Dream Syndicate Heaven Was Detroit captures the essence of the Detroit music scene: the grit, the spark, the desire to tell a story set to the rhythm of the city. Fans of any music genre will nd something that speaks to them in the pages of this collection.--Aisha K. Staggers BookTrib (8/4/2017 12:00:00 AM) Impressively researched, written, organized and presented [ . . . ]--Michael J. Carson Midwest Book Review (12/19/2016 12:00:00 AM) It seems there are certain places - my home town of Liverpool is one and Detroit is definitely another - that can't so much as cough without producing music that awakens the world. You'd think giving birth to Motown would be enough for one city, but Detroit's story didn't start there and it sure as hell didn't stop there. Now, thanks to M. L. Liebler's eloquent army of advocates, we can see a little deeper into this resilient city's soul. This epic book is everything Detroit deserves.--Paul Du Noyer founding editor of MOJO: The Music Magazine and author of Conversations with McCartney M. L. Liebler curates an exhaustive collection of essays about Detroit music by a diverse group of music scholars, journalists, and musicians. Instead of relying on familiar narratives about Motown and rock and roll, this anthology engages a vast array of musical genres and sub-genres, while sharing the oft-surprising hidden histories of artists, institutions, and communities integral to Detroit's unique sound.--Kimberly Mack New Books Network (7/6/2018 12:00:00 AM) M.L. Liebler's shares his deep insights and passion for Detroit culture in this new anthology that assembles the A-list of music historians and storytellers from the one of the world's great musical cities. It will help shine the international spotlight on Detroit's valuable role in shaping some of the most significant music styles of the 20th and 21st centuries from Jazz and Blues to R&B, Rock, Rap and Techno.--Judy Adams musician, composer, musicologist, and WDET program director and prime time host for over thirty years The musical terrain surveyed in the nearly 70 pieces is as vast as the city itself. . . . Readers will find insightful writing on already famous artists such as John Lee Hooker, Marvin Gaye, Bob Seger, the MC5, Eminem and Kid Rock. But equal space is devoted to forgotten or overlooked arcana . . .--Troy Reimink Detroit Free Press (10/27/2016 12:00:00 AM) Heaven Was Detroit is a valuable collection whose diversity is, like the city itself, one of its greatest strengths.--Joshua S. Duchan The Michigan Historical Review (4/15/2017 12:00:00 AM) M. L. Liebler's Heaven was Detroit is a fascinating compendium of thought on the dazzlingly complex music of the Motor City.--David Ritz Grammy Award winner, the only four-time winner of the Gleason Music Book Award, and author of Before You Judge Me: An Idiosyncratic Look at Michael Jackson

"[. . .] Detroit finally has the consummate tome that brings together all the disparate strands of its towering musical legacy that have faded forever into the recesses of time. . . . Motor City nuts can only swoon.--Kris Needs ""Shindig Magazine"" (4/5/2017 12:00:00 AM) A ridiculously extensive genre-spanning overview of Detroit's contributions to music, featuring a chorus of authentic, distinct voices - there's something here for generalists and geeks alike. An essential addition to every music library!--Michael T. Fournier ""author of Double Nickels On the Dime and Swing State"" An incredible book. Comprehensive, panoramic, and makes a case for Detroit being the greatest music city in the US. Which it isn't. And that's how good this book truly is, raising the point -why isn't there a book like this for EVERY city in the US?--Steve Wynn ""singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Dream Syndicate"" Heaven Was Detroit captures the essence of the Detroit music scene: the grit, the spark, the desire to tell a story set to the rhythm of the city. Fans of any music genre will nd something that speaks to them in the pages of this collection.--Aisha K. Staggers ""BookTrib"" (8/4/2017 12:00:00 AM) Impressively researched, written, organized and presented [ . . . ]--Michael J. Carson ""Midwest Book Review"" (12/19/2016 12:00:00 AM) It seems there are certain places - my home town of Liverpool is one and Detroit is definitely another - that can't so much as cough without producing music that awakens the world. You'd think giving birth to Motown would be enough for one city, but Detroit's story didn't start there and it sure as hell didn't stop there. Now, thanks to M. L. Liebler's eloquent army of advocates, we can see a little deeper into this resilient city's soul. This epic book is everything Detroit deserves.--Paul Du Noyer ""founding editor of MOJO: The Music Magazine and author of Conversations with McCartney"" M. L. Liebler curates an exhaustive collection of essays about Detroit music by a diverse group of music scholars, journalists, and musicians. Instead of relying on familiar narratives about Motown and rock and roll, this anthology engages a vast array of musical genres and sub-genres, while sharing the oft-surprising hidden histories of artists, institutions, and communities integral to Detroit's unique sound.--Kimberly Mack ""New Books Network"" (7/6/2018 12:00:00 AM) M.L. Liebler's shares his deep insights and passion for Detroit culture in this new anthology that assembles the A-list of music historians and storytellers from the one of the world's great musical cities. It will help shine the international spotlight on Detroit's valuable role in shaping some of the most significant music styles of the 20th and 21st centuries from Jazz and Blues to R&B, Rock, Rap and Techno.--Judy Adams ""musician, composer, musicologist, and WDET program director and prime time host for over thirty years"" The musical terrain surveyed in the nearly 70 pieces is as vast as the city itself. . . . Readers will find insightful writing on already famous artists such as John Lee Hooker, Marvin Gaye, Bob Seger, the MC5, Eminem and Kid Rock. But equal space is devoted to forgotten or overlooked arcana . . .--Troy Reimink ""Detroit Free Press"" (10/27/2016 12:00:00 AM) Heaven Was Detroit is a valuable collection whose diversity is, like the city itself, one of its greatest strengths.--Joshua S. Duchan ""The Michigan Historical Review"" (4/15/2017 12:00:00 AM) M. L. Liebler's Heaven was Detroit is a fascinating compendium of thought on the dazzlingly complex music of the Motor City.--David Ritz ""Grammy Award winner, the only four-time winner of the Gleason Music Book Award, and author of Before You Judge Me: An Idiosyncratic Look at Michael Jackson"""

Author Information

M. L. Liebler is an award-winning poet, literary arts activist, and professor. He is the author of several books of poetry, including I Want to Be Once (Wayne State University Press, 2016), and an editor of the anthology Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams. He is also co-editor of Bob Seger's House: An Anthology of Michigan Fiction (Wayne State University Press, 2016). He has taught at Wayne State University since 1980.

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