Louis Barfe

This is clearly a carefully researched book, and I can't imagine there's a more thorough and accessible history of the record business. My disappointment with it is that the thoroughness makes it a little flat. For several decades, there's a steady stream of patent wrangles, management changes, mergers and de-mergers. After a while all the names start to blur. The impact of radio, Napster etc is addressed, but not at as much depth or length as I would have liked. I wonder if, by not spending enough time analysing what is going on outside the record industry, Barfe makes some of the same mistakes as the industry itself.… (mais)