20th Century on the Bookshelf (44): "I Love Presley" by Yoshio Kataoka

I don't know Presley. I know of him, but not even to the extent of what you'd call a passing acquaintance. When "Heartbreak Hotel" or "Jailhouse Rock" were out, there wasn't even a premonition of my being born. This book is by Yoshio Kataoka, born in 1939, who talks about his encounters with rock and roll, country music, and blues, and unravels their social background using the star "Elvis Presley" as a clue. Making use of abundant materials, this restrained study, unlike typical artist-praising books, serves as an excellent history of American culture, contrary to what the title might suggest.

I truly think that music is something you encounter. It might be a shock, or perhaps an intoxication; at first, it might have just been noise. Even so, it nests in your head and won't let go, and people happily (or unhappily, as some might say) become infected by that music. To put it in Keisuke Kuwata's style, "The songs you wrote made me a delinquent."

What is music in an era like fast food, where the trick to a hit is said to be a short intro and an early chorus?

The book in my collection is the 1981 seventh edition of Kadokawa Bunko (the first paperback edition was published in 1974, and the hardcover was published by San-ichi Shobo in 1971).