This monster Rock-n-Roll survey focuses on the songs and the vibrant personalities who create them, for college audiences and the general public, amassed and assessed by Prof. Maury Dean, an exuberant Rock aficionado who published the world"s first history of Rock in 1966. Here, in his ebullient style, he buzzes through piles of musical singles from the whole last half century, describing what is fun about each major, minor and missed hit, and pointing out what elements were exciting or new or significant in the development of musical styles. He relates some tantalizing tidbits about the earlier musical heritage that artists have drawn upon in crafting ever more amazing evolutions of rock music. This snappy, witty and informative album has universal appeal, doubling as a college-level popular music history text and a coffee-table trivia treasure trove. It includes hundreds of photos, chapter questions, and an extensive index. Reader-friendly and informationally complete, it covers soft rock, heavy metal, rhythm & blues, country rock and classic oldies, all with tender loving care, for the specialist and casual listener alike. Its mini-portraits of the artists who move so many hearts (and feet), the photos and the insightful sound bites get to the essence of each song and each musician"s contribution to the music of our age. The single-song focus makes the book unique. It"s a playlist for R"n"R professors and the general public, written with a collegiate vocabulary, tight organization and a respect for all. "Hearing Elvis for the first time was like busting out of jail." - Bob Dylan. That being said, no one is being incited, here, to bust out of jail or to emulate the quixotic habits of rock stars. "There"s nothing in here to hide from the kids, the clergy or grandma," Dean said. Gold Rush can be used as a university or community college text, but most people will grab it for the sheer pleasure of reading about everyone"s favorites. It"s a great gift for Rock enthusiasts. Gold Rush is the first book of its kind to feature a celebration of the great single songs of the rock era and beyond. Gold Rush takes thousands of songs, spanning three centuries, and brings them back uniquely as if they came out just yesterday. Gold Rush unites the Anglo-American and later worldwide spirit of Rock and Roll in a tapestry of interconnected melodies and adventures. As Leonard Maltin"s Movie Guide helps you select videos at Blockbuster, so Gold Rush is a powerful playlist for your music collection, with many new and fascinating photos of favorite stars. Gold Rush explains the most important stories behind the songs you picked to be played, the songs that "went gold," from the 1897 Alaska/Klondike Gold Rush to the #1 songs of today and beyond.