The Rock Book
by Geoff Lowe
McGraw-Hill Book Australia

The Rock Book is an exciting new text for secondary students and teachers wanting to find out more about the most dynamic musical force of the century, It has been researched and tested over a seven-year period and is the first comprehensive student text devoted solely to the rock phenomenon.

It embraces all areas of musical expertise, from detailed historical notes on each major trend to practical exercises which help bring a greater understanding of how the music was created. It introduces the social issues of the times in a stimulating and accessible way and guides students through some of the great songs of the past forty years.

Beginning with the decade perspectives, the book introduces each new rock style chronologically with background notes on the music, the fashion, the issues and the context. Students are guided through a varied range of aural analysis activities including a comparison of various songs of the period and set study songs. They are introduced to the great names in rock, and are offers a range of practical activities that aim to recreate some of these styles and stimulate the students' own talents in composing.

Included in the text are more formal written activities designed to build an understanding of how the songs are constructed. Students are encouraged to discuss the songs, in order to make critical aesthetic observations in an informal way.

The book conforms well with CSF learning outcomes and works well with mixed classes of 'music reading' and 'non-music reading' classes. The Rock Book can be used as a teaching text or as a reference book, and comes with a teacher's manual and an accompanying CD. the student text includes a glossary and the teacher's manual includes a detailed discography.