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Dec 19, 2010 Web Exclusive By Kyle Lemmon

Adroit New Yorker critic Alex Ross continues to stand atop the eroding wall between classical and popular song, but the two genres remain quite distinct. Classical aficionados commonly prefer the symphony hall, and consider recorded music an added creature comfort. The opposite is usually true for the pop world.

Additionally, both sides occasionally chafe towards the music of the other. Though we could endlessly argue about the differences, similarities and hallmarks of each, Ross cuts through all the rigamorale and writes another convincing essay collection to champion everything "good." And he covers almost everything. Listen to This follows Ross' masterful recent history of 20th century tunes, The Rest Is Noise. It may not be as memorable, but its just as assured in its approach.

Ross' opening statement in the preface solidifies his boisterous ability to tackle such a widescreen topic: "Writing about music isn't especially difficult." Ross is a little too sure of himself, but he never comes across as annoyingly egotistical. His two dozen or so articles are culled from 14 years of work, and that era is stuffed with global adventures, scholarly enigmas, and geeky celebration.

He pals around with Radiohead in Bilbao, interviews composer Chen Qigang in Beijing, meets up with Björk in her hometown of Reykjavik, and discusses the intricacies of Brahms and Schubert compositions. You're ultimately struck with how personal these essays are. Ross illuminates the living musicians in engaging new ways and the deceased ones feel like they just came through your local classical circuit. This liveliness is aided by his excellent site, where you can stream bits of all the songs and pieces mentioned.

Overall, the greatest essay here is "Chacona, Lamento, Walking Blues: Bass Lines of Music History," which follows the extremely popular musical theme from the 16th century to the modern day. All 384 pages offer a rich swathe of heart-on-chest fandom, exemplary analysis, and concrete autobiography. If you're a music fan—and I assume you are if you're visiting this site—seek out this book for the holidays. You won't find anything stuffy or boring. (www.therestisnoise.com)

Author rating: 8/10