Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World's Music

by Jonathan Ward

This collection highlights music that is often invisible in today’s world — the incredible world of global recordings that aren’t jazz, blues, country, rock ‘n roll, R&B, or “classical.”

"Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music" includes 100 recordings and 100 stories in an extensive, illustrated PDF with detailed, contextual mini-histories about both musical origins and the beginnings of the recording industry, touching on the complexities of colonialism, economic agendas, and cultural tourism.

Featuring music and musical styles from six continents and 89 different countries and regions, recorded between 1907-1967.

Genres: Music

186 pages, ebook

Published December 13, 2020

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time (if ever) I reviewed liner notes, but this 186 page accompaniment to Dust-to-Digital's, "Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World's Music" justifies the review. It's exhausting and detailed and, if I'm being honest, frequently over my head. I have no idea how Ward put this together, but he deserves some kind of award. If the Grammy's meant anything to anyone this would be Grammy award-worthy. Ward covers world music from every corner of the globe through the lens of obscure 78's. These notes shed a lot of light on the musicians and the times they lived in and made me appreciate some of the tracks I didn't enjoy the first time around by putting the songs in context. The writing here is engaging and never stuffy or condescending. Fantastic work, especially considering it's only available as a pdf - truly a labor of love project.