MIXED MEDIA : *** 1/2 “THE PENGUIN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR MUSIC” Edited by Donald Clarke <i> Viking Press ($40)</i> :<i> Albums are rated from one star (poor) to five stars (a classic).</i>

Don’t expect a detailed discussion of the artistic merits in each of the nearly 3,000 career sketches in this sprawling, 1,378-page overview of 20th Century musicians and songwriters. The judgments are generally sound, but rarely run more than a sentence or two. The strength of this excellent reference work is its comprehensiveness. Where most pop encyclopedias limit their focus to one or two fields, this one treats with equal respect artists from rock, folk, jazz, blues, soul, country, even a touch of World Beat. Equally important, the listings aren’t limited to figures from the modern pop era. The Jones entries alone document the book’s range. Among the Joneses: Elvin, George and Grace . . . to Grandpa, Hank and Howard . . . to Isham, Philly Joe and Quincy . . . to Rickie Lee, Spike and Tom.