There's no section on books here, so I'm posting this in News & Rumors, but I suppose it could have gone into Rave Recordings too. Tons of music written about in these books too. Anyhow...

After hearing some raving reviews I decided to pick up Heavy Metal Islam (http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Metal-Is...065348&sr=8-1), Muhajababes (http://www.amazon.com/Muhajababes-Al..._bxgy_b_img_b), and The Pirate's Dilemma (http://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Dilemm...f=pd_sim_b_49), three books about how popular culture changes whole societies. Never mind the latter two, but if you want one heck of a good read, Heavy Metal Islam is great reading. Even if you don't care for Heavy Metal music, it's a fast-paced reader about youth and their music in the Middle East. Not only is this a real eye-opener about music's influence, but it also reaveals some trends that I think are still going unnoticed:

1. It seems that Heavy Metal is making a come-back, not just there but all over the world. Even skin-tight jeans, converse shoes, eyeliner for men, and feathered/spiked hair is coming back. I think this is a continuation of the trend we saw in the communist world in the 80's and 90's, and is now making it's way to other oppressed societies as an undercurrent of rebellion and protest.

2. It appears that this may be an avenue for Women's rights to spread to the Middle East. Now Levine doesn't deny that Women have a long way to go, but he argues that this is also true in Heavy Metal scenes everywhere. That said, women in the Middle East are active behind the scenes as producers, managers, and agents.

3. Middle Eastern artists are also being confronted with the struggle to keep the message independent, except that there the message is being co-opted by governments more than the media industry. The result is the same, though: less protest and anti-establishment themes as the trade-off for wider distribution. Between the lines, I think it's also interesting to see that the corporate (read: non-democratic) culture of our own media giants have the same values and pressure those onto the artists in the same way that the repressive governments of the Middle East do.

4. Not to beat a dead horse, but one of the mediums that popular music is thriving on is vinyl. It's likely that this is also because there are still a lot of turntables in use in poorer countries, but young people cite some of the often mentioned advantages too: larger artwork, tangibility, and the cool factor of the DJ culture. No mention of sound quality, though. Granted CDs are the primary medium, but it was interesting to read this.

5. Heavy Metal, Rap, and Popular music is an economic equalizer. It appeals to rich and poor alike. Many Middle Easter societies are very much hierarchical, but one of the messages the young people are drawn to is one of equality and democracy.

Anyhow, I thought these are interesting trends. And the book is definitely worth a read. As a former metal head, I found myself re-living vicariously many of the experiences (some good, some not so much) that I remember. Highly recommended.