Stereo forms part of a decade-long cross-channel collaborative research project aimed at helping British and French scholars move beyond their ‘preconceptions’ about each other's ‘politics, economics and sociology’ (p. 1). Centring on the academic study of popular music in each country as one way of doing this, the book is organised thematically, allowing one British and one French perspective on several topics of popular music research: popular music history, state and government policy, economy, media and mediation, genre, audience, and local ‘scenes’.
Structuring the book in this way allows the reader (presuming a dual Anglo-Franco readership) insight into how familiar topics are approached differently by foreign sociologists and popular musicologists. An immediate difference is in argumentation style, revealed by the first combination of chapters. In his discussion of the way conflicting notions of progress and nostalgia underline a charting of the history of popular music, Simon Frith exemplifies a familiarly British style which explicates the social processes that combine to create popular music culture. Gérôme Guibert and Philippe Le Guern's listing of previous research is empirically grounded and summative in style, giving more of a history of the academic study of ‘amplified’ music than of the music culture itself. This particular difference in style between British and French authors is apparent throughout the rest of the book.
Certain authorial combinations work better than others, such as the contributions by Martin Cloonan and Philippe Teillet, which show respectively that British governmental intervention into music is driven economically and therefore focuses on music as various ‘industries’, and that French intervention is driven culturally through a need to protect and ‘support local music scenes’ (p. 73). The impact of the two chapters is felt when the failure of economic intervention in the UK is discussed in close proximity to the similar failure of French cultural intervention, therefore highlighting a practical way in which a discourse between the two models of state intervention could in fact benefit future models.
The formula works less well when Mike Jones’ thought-provoking chapter on the UK music economy is combined with Dominique Sagot-Duvauroux's exploration of the academic analysis of the French music economy. Whereas Jones’ ambitious conclusion sets out an agenda for the UK ‘creative industries’ to overcome their current strategy, founded on the ‘damaging practices’ exemplified by talent ‘wastage’ and an obsession with the ‘new’ (p. 87), Sagot-Duvauroux's summative chapter, although informative, appears flat in comparison, weighed down by its focus on previous studies rather than the solutions that could emerge from them.
More generally, the book raises some interesting issues regarding the status of Popular Music Studies in both Britain and France. Dan Laughley's chapter on British music audiences raises the sensitive issue of funding for popular music research. Emphasising the ‘social importance of cultural and media resources in people's everyday life contexts’, Laughley asserts a desperate need for an injection of funding, suggesting the diversity of British music audiences means popular music research is a genuine societal (as opposed to youth) concern (p. 185). Taken out of this specific context, the argument rings true within the current harsh economic climate in which the need to underline the importance and impact of any academic research is imperative. The situation appears perhaps more positive for those French scholars who present the academic study of popular music in France as being at a vital stage of development. The impression is given that the discipline has faced an uphill struggle in terms of prioritising ‘amplified’ music as an important area of study. However, various blind spots are picked out in previous research, such as Hervé Glevarec's suggestion that French sociology has held back from a discussion of ‘cultural industries’ such as music because of the complex relationship between production and reception (p. 119). Similarly, Le Guern suggests the study of popular music audiences in France has been sacrificed in favour of literature, cinema and television audiences (p. 186). Whereas funding threatens the stability of the already well-established discipline of Popular Music Studies in British universities, the French authors’ summaries and critiques suggest French research is flourishing and beginning to establish itself within sociology and music departments.
The book has three main drawbacks. The first is the apparent difference in agendas between British and French authors writing on the same topic. Although one gains understanding of the specific topic of each author, the book would be improved by a more collaborative approach that invited a direct discourse between foreign scholars as opposed to separate accounts. This could be done in the form of a critical forum or actual inter-geographic collaboration. A second drawback derives from the inevitable loss of expression in the French to English translations (one can only assume French readers felt the same when the English chapters were translated for a French edition of the book in 2008). In this respect, a certain sense of perseverance must be kept in order to keep an interest in certain chapters. Thirdly, the book suffers from several examples of poor spelling and grammar (from both British and French authors), which can detract from the arguments being made, but also give a sense of lack of care.
Aside from these minor issues, Stereo works on several levels. Firstly, it acts as an excellent bibliographic tool for those interested in either French or British Popular Music Studies, providing a sound base for further reading. Secondly, aside from the heavier academic issues dealt with in the book, one still leaves with a greater understanding of the various functions and social roles popular music has in both countries. Finally, although it is difficult to say whether this book overcomes, or indeed addresses, the ‘preconceptions’ alluded to in the introduction, a little work on the reader's behalf will certainly enable genuine and valuable comparisons between British and French approaches to popular music research. This could not only have practical implications for changes to music's economy and government intervention, but also for understanding the social mechanics that shape different popular music cultures.
