Yes, Phil Spector revolutionized pop music through his "Wall of Sound" production technique. It would be impossible to discuss his work, however, without also discussing the eccentric and egomaniacal man who was later accused of murdering Lana Clarkson. For this reason, journalist Mick Brown's Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector is not written from the safe, objective distance of biography. Brown is well aware of the inherent allure of his subject and knows better than to cast himself as an omniscient authority. Instead, he narrates as a rapt interlocutor with a profound interest in both Spector's life and work.

Brown's interest in Spector began with a 2002 interview, in which he discovered the notorious recluse to be a strange, but engaging man. While Spector admitted to suffering from bipolar disorder and craving incredible amounts of recognition, he also made silly jokes and seemed to be perpetually performing for an audience. Brown's subsequent interviews with musicians and industry figures confirmed this impression. Over the course of his life and career, Spector imposed his will on everyone and everything: he insisted upon artistic control, co-wrote most of the songs he produced, and ran recording sessions with irreproachable authority.

In examining his work, the term "Wall of Sound" turns out to be quite literal. Spector's technique involved adding multiple layers to each track (employing orchestral instruments alongside guitars and overlapping vocals), which resulted in a sonic onslaught akin to a live orchestra performance. Despite occasional artistic opposition, Spector remained determinedly convinced that he was changing the world. And, by all accounts, he was right — the work he did with the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, John Lennon, and even the Ramones has been heralded for decades.

Spector brought integrity to pop music, and he may be the closest thing to a genius that the industry has ever seen. He set impossibly high artistic standards for himself and those around him, and he obsessively relished the accompanying accolades for each accomplishment. And yet, the same insatiable ego that motivated Spector's art was also the source of his ultimate, tragic undoing. It is only in examining both the man and his music that the wall between them truly comes crashing down.

-Tom Roberge