I'll Take You There: Pop Music and the Urge for Transcendence Book

Friskics-Warren analyzes elements of transcendence in pop songs by approximately 30 artists, interpreting their songs and careers through many concepts, from empathy, sensuality, and antipathy to solidarity and resistance. He examines music by Van Morrison, P.M. Dawn, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Madonna, PJ Harvey, Sinead O'Connor, Moby, Nine Inch Nails, the Sex Pistols, Eminem, Johnny Cash, U2, Public Enemy, Sleater-Kinney, and Bikini Kill, among others. Friskics-Warren is a writer and editor. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Freelance music journalist Friskics-Warren here considers the interaction between popular music and the search for fulfillment, surveying the careers of 30 artists who have articulated their spirituality through music. Icons like Madonna, Johnny Cash, and U2, those who communicate their messages in explicitly sacred ways (e.g., Al Green), and less familiar aficionados such as the Mekons and Trickycount among the subjects. For each individual or group, the author explores family and (if any) religious background and how lyrics and music (and, where appropriate, music video imagery) contribute to a sense of the mystical, or "awakening and renewal." Though readers may not always agree with Friskics-Warren's conclusions, the depth of his song interpretations and his skillful use of historical context are admirable. The extremely current bibliography features citations for seminal religious figures and cultural critics of the past five decades in addition to the requisite music-related sources. Recommended for popular music collections and those addressing the tug of war between traditional and alternative spiritualities.-Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.