There are no forgotten musical gems here. Most of them are mechanical, vulgar, stereotype-ridden, and sexually suggestive. It's a world of distinct ethnic enclaves, each with its own predictable dialect and obsessions. Jews are all named Mose and Sadie and think only about money. Italians talk-a like dis.
Blacks strut their stuff and roll their eyes, singing of dear ol' Dixie.
The prehistory of pop music is a lot like its post-history. It was a generous compliment, but wrong. Berlin cannot be made to stand for all of American song. Yet it would be equally misguided to view him as a kind of classical composer and study his complete works in order to trace his personal artistic development. A printed overview of Berlin's oeuvre may in fact obscure the vital connections to other songwriters and performers who were essential to the existence of popular song.