Legendary music critic Penman reaches for a vanished moment in musical history when cultures collided and a certain kind of cross-generational and "cross-color" awareness was born in these essays exploring the work of James Brown, Charlie Parker, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, and Prince.

Ian Penman is a British writer, music journalist, and critic. He began his career as at the NME in 1977, later contributing to various publications including The Face, Arena, Tatler, Uncut, Sight & Sound, The Wire, the Guardian, the LRB, and City Journal. He is the author of Vital Signs: Music, Movies, and Other Manias (Serpent's Tail, 1998).