5 comments about Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.

1. Dolly had a hard life growing up in the wilds of East Tennessee; she started out poor and indeed did have a 'coat of many colors' as her children's book explained. She wore hand-me-downs in the backwoods of Sevier County where my paternal grandfather's people lived. She's funny. Coming from the country, it took some doing and lots of help to get where she is today. She has re-invented her personality through the years from the young lovesick girl who write 'I Will Always Love You' to Porter Wagoner. After all, she was a young country bumpkin from the Knoxville area, and we inexperienced girls fall hard for the first person we can admire. He gave her the first 'big' break, singing on his show in Nashville.
   
   She had been on local talent shows in Knox County, Cas Walker's for country music. She migrated to Middle Tennessee to sing on the Grand Ole Opry where she met my friend, Hal Durham, who was manager of that fabulous old show on radio, television and live. I once attended at the Ryman and he gave Zachary and me a backstage tour.
   
   In Nashville and in the movies, she had a good life but suffered some setbacks and depression. The two photo secitons show how little Dolly the girl was transformed into Dolly the bombshell blonde. She is the richest person in this area as she owns Dollywood, the major attraction for people from all the states who visit the Great Smoky Mountains and from other countries.
   
   In her 'thanks' section, she included her favorite makeup, Revlon staff, and favorite lingerie shop, Frederick's of Hollywood. She includes Terry Morrow, local entertainment columnist for the News Sentinel daily Knoxville newspaper, and Ligiea Saveanu (whoever she is -- I was going to name my daughter Ligeia). From the Grand Ole Opry performers, she includes Archie Campbell from the famous Civil War area in EAst Tennessee, Bull's Gap, Grant Turner, and Bud Wendell, WSM announcer. Game show hosts were Bob Eubanks and Huell Howser; how could she leave out Wink Martindale and Pat Sajacks, both Tennesseans? For some reason, she included the Knoxville Democrat Party chairman, Jim Gray, Al Gore, Jim Sasser, and Sandra Fulton (wife of Dick Fulton of Nashville). Movie stars included Kevin Costner, Jane Fonda, and Delta Burke, while singers were Mac Davis, Billy Ray Syrus, Whitney Houtston and Reba McEntire. She has Johnny Carson, Eddie Hill, and many many others -- too many to mention.
   
   Like most successful people, she has humility when it comes to feeling indebted to others for her success. She showed he CBS anchor a thing or two when he enterviewed her ans commented on her most obvious attraction. She has talent galore, and I wish Dolly could live forever. She will in the figure on Sevier County Courthouse Lawn, as a young country girl. Dolly is everything to everybody.



2. I knew Dolly Parton had a good sense of humor but I didn't know it was as far out as it is. Although I've been a fan for a long time, I'm a "lazy" fan and didn't even realize she had an autobiography out there until recently. Just to think I could have been laughing 13 years ago. Duh! If you're feeling down and need a laugh, get this book. Dolly needs her own TV show and if the people who run Hollywood had good sense, she would have had it long ago. Of course, they don't so they would have probably put the wrong writers on it and it would have been cancelled in a week.



3. The best thing about Dolly Parton's autobio is 'hearing' her VOICE come through the print. Eternally optimistic and carefully eccentric, there's no doubt Parton has one of the most blithesome star qualities in the biz. And why not - it's her business to be so lovable.
   
   While she hedges (considerably) on her 'indentured servitude' with Porter Waggoner and speaks infrequently about her creative process (writing and recording), when she gets a topic that pleases her - such as her childhood exploits - Parton lets go like one of her coolest numbers. Her humanism seems unbounded.
   
   Since the publication of this book, Parton, confounding all reasonable expectations, returned to the studio with a revitalized muse, producing some of her most credible work (Grass Is Blue, and onward). Hopefully, we shall 'hear' Parton speak of her artistic reinvention in a future volume.



4. I guess everyone knows or has seen Dolly Parton perform. She knows how to take a lemon and make lemonade out of life's challenges. I highly recommend the reading of this book.



5. As you would expect (if you're a fan of her songwriting) Dolly gives you the picture of her life in an honest, straightforward and sometimes amusing manner. Through tales of her own misdeeds and beliefs while growing up in a family that she admits didn't always play well together, she looks at her memories and can see how they shaped her into the performer that she always wanted to be. The little girl who loved to dream, make up her own songs and read everything she could get her hands on did get to be the center of attention as a much-loved entertainer, a shrewd and proficient businesswoman and a ceaseless humanitarian.
   But through it all she remained the caring, considerate person she had been raised to be. The rough little stone truly did prove to be a shining diamond; sparkling, tough as nails and valuable to the fans who love her for the beauty that shines from within. There's no one like Dolly!

4 comments about The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 to 1984.

1. As an american punk in suburbia in the early 80's, these anarcho bands were a big part of my soundtrack, so it's great to read the interviews, and learn about the bands. I do think the interviews could have been a little more candid, though I give high marks to several of the features. It's also real nice to read about some of the lesser known bands.
   I give it 4 stars for the content. This is Ian Glasper's best book.
   I would have given it 5 stars, but nicked off a star for the typesetting (I blame the publishers for that though), I would find my eyes getting very strained after even reading for a little bit.
   Also, I am wondering why the Poison Girls were not featured.



2. If you are a fan of hardcore/punk then you need this in your collection.
   
   Forget BLush's 'American hardcore' BS this is well put together collection of histories of some of the most (and least) well known Anarcho/Punk bands of the UK. From Crass to Zounds, Flux, Oi Polloi and a whole bunch of others are included. Yeh, because of the number of bands included in this book there is not an awful lot of detail there is a gret little discography at the end of each chapter though for anyone looking for the music of the bands mentioned.
   
   Most of the stuff on the bands covers their history (how they formed, band members, memorable events etc) Still, for the size of the book its still worth buying. It is interesting to read some of the comments of band members who for the most part are speaking long after their former bands have split up and have since moved on in life. Interviews that stand out for me are from former members of Crass who for the most part seem to see themsleves as beeing unfairly placed as 'spokesmen of the anarchist movement' and also their own concept of what anarchism realm meant.



3. This is a very nice book for someone wanting a series of interviews with bands from the punk era. I don't agree that all were "Anarcho-Punk" bands though, and even some of the band members interviewed for the book disagreed with the author's perceptions of their status in the Anarcho-punk movement of the period.
   
   There are some excellent interviews and biographies of bands who don't make it into books and were even overlooked by anything other than local fanzines and all bands mentioned have a discography included for people who have the time and money to hunt out classic vinyl (a lot never made it to CD). I do feel that the author tried to cram in too many bands as fillers for the book and so it becomes quite repetitive with the not quite so well known bands all having similar stories to tell, hence the reduction from a 4 star to a 3 star book.
   
   It was very nice to see Zounds and Flux of Pink Indians make it into a "history" book though as these are two very influential bands who so often fail to be anything more than a footnote on other books claiming to cover this era of punk. An excellent read for those of us who realise that the punk movement was not about The Clash and Sex Pistols but was about the bands who struggled from small club to small club who had something relevant to say to the disillusioned youth of Thatcher's Britain.



4. This is a fantastic book about the era of anarcho punk, and I recommend this book to all punk fanatics. This is as close to the history of anarcho punk and I don't think there are any books that can be better than this one. Great book and is a must read.

5 comments about Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music.

1. This is an amazing book for anyone who is interested in music from the 50s - 70s.
   While reading I suggest you listen to the music discussed to truly appreciate the details and evolution of Gram's contribution to American music. enjoy!



2. A superb book on Gram Parsons. It probes the genius and vulnerability of this great talent. I, for one appreciate the authors in-depth telling of this man's life. One can only imagine the even greater impact he would have had on the music world had his life not been cut so drastically short. It is a true loss for everyone.



3. This book starts REALLY slowly!!! It digs really deeply into Gram's family ..... generations before he's born. I'm sure the stories about his well-to-do family was meant to add background to his own messed-up personality. But it was really boring. The book picks up when Gram finally gets out and starts making music.



4. I've already read the Ben Fong-Torres bio, as well as the Sid Griffin bio.....now, while I am not a Gram-o-phile, I am most definitely a Nez-head. And based on the countless errors I am reading about Mike Nesmith, I wonder just how much research went into this book?
   
   1) "Nesmith...the iconic Monkee, the one who could actually play his instrument." Never mind that Peter Tork was a clasically trained pianist, French horn player and FAR better guitarist than Nesmith...
   
   2) Red Rhodes was "a regular contributor to ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith's country-rock First National Band." Hmmm...seems he ought to have been *in* the band with all of those contributions....oh wait....he was.
   
   3) David Barry "played piano on Michael Nesmith's Country Time Records recordings." They served a lot of lemonade during those sessions, apparently. It was Countryside Records.
   
   4) Red Rhodes "played on Elvis Presley's records." Let's name them:
   
   5)Red Rhodes was the CMA's "Steel Guitar Player of the Year from 1965 through 1968." Close...but Red did not win in 1966. Ralph Mooney and Tom Brumley shared the award that year.
   
   That many omissions on some sidebars to the main story make me wonder how many omissions are in the main story itself.



5. I've read many biographies of rock personalities and other famous people. This one is better than most. It provides a balanced viewpoint with input from varying sources. A good read for Gram Parsons fans.

5 comments about The Adventures of Slim & Howdy: A Novel.

1. The book is a blast, a must read for any Brooks & Dunn fan, and if you're not, you will by the time you finish. This book shows how truly creative Brooks & Dunn are. For those of us who have anxiously awaited each new CD for another snippet of the Slim & Howdy saga, this book really is a wonderful ride. I only hope there is another one in the works since we never do find out if Slim's father is still alive, or whether Howdy finds the perfect margarita. Just a few things to ponder.



2. I bought this book because I am a fan of Brooks and Dunn music, but it is just so addictive. Once I started it was very hard to stop. It is written in a plain and simple language about two blokes and their exploites. Very funny and very very entertaining.



3. If you like Brooks and Dunn and know a little about them then you need to read this book. You will have A LOT of good laughs! Very hard to put down once you start reading.



4. Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (6/08)
   
   
   "The Adventures of Slim and Howdy" is a novel full of humor, mystery and thrills. The novel's namesakes are two young men who meet fortuitously in a used car lot; both are trying to sell their cars so they can head towards bigger and better things. Howdy wants to sell his car for enough money to get himself to Texas and a career in music. Slim wants rid himself of his car, because it never gets him to where he needs to be. In the midst of things, the men end up coming to a surprise resolution: Howdy keeps his truck, seeing that it is in the best shape of both cars, and he and Slim decide to split the money for Slim's car and take off together, vowing to put both names on the pink slip of the truck. I wonder if anything like this ever happens in real life.
   
   Slim and Howdy both love music, and plan on making it their career. Howdy is the outgoing one. He has something lined up pertaining to music at a honky-tonk in Texas. Slim is the quiet one. He doesn't talk much and Howdy gets pretty frustrated with Slim on the trip. His answers are very few and far between, and Howdy wonders how this will all work out.
   
   Slim has to make one quick stop before they head out. He has to rescue his stolen guitar. This is when they meet Crystal and Tammy, two wild girls, thieves if you will, who almost get them into a lot of trouble, and nearly killed. So much for luck.
   
   After Slim retrieves his guitar and shakes the troublesome duo of Crystal and Tammy, and then the cops, he and Howdy finally head towards Texas. There, they meet Skeet Duvall, the owner of the Piggin' String. He gives them the chance that they were looking for: Freedom to sing and play and be something very special.
   
   After their time is finished at the Piggin' String, they move on to another place where things heat up and become more than the guys may be able to handle. A place where a lost love for Howdy becomes the target of someone's anger and greed. Howdy and Slim must save this lost love before its too late.
   
   Brooks and Dunn have written a fantastic novel about two young men on the road looking for fame and fortune. Just like anyone looking for the same things, the men find themselves in several dilemmas. I had so much fun reading this novel. I really hope there will be a sequel, as I would love to find out where life takes Slim and Howdy. Brooks and Dunn have brought to us the lives of young people who are struggling to become something that they want to be; how hard it is to get there, and what can happen once they do. A job very well done. As a bonus, they include a CD in the back of the book called, "Gotta Get Me One Of Those," which is great.



5. I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. It was a very fast read. I hope they write another!

3 comments about Mel Bay Complete Country Blues Guitar Book/ CD set.

1. Stefan Grossman has been the world authority on fingerstyle blues guitar for decades now, and this book is the biggest compendium of his work as an educator. He tabs out fifty-seven (fifty-seven!) songs in a variety of styles and tunings, enough to keep any student busy for a year or more.

   This isn't so much a method book--though I taught myself to play country blues from it--as a large tab compendium with helpful tips about each song. Each song has at least one fully-transcribed verse. Many have intros and outros, and some are complete arrangements. Most of the book covers the alternating bass and ragtime traditions of the Memphis and Piedmont blues, but there are seven Delta tunes, and excellent seven-song chapter on Texas blues, and even a good number of bottleneck tunes. Most of the songs are old standards ("Crow Jane","Vestapol","Hard Time Killin' Floor") taken from the original recordings by artists like Reverend Gary Davis, Mance Liscomb, and Blind Blake.

   The "handwritten" tab is large and easy to read--you'll never be able to go back to that tiny Hal Leonard/Guitar Player tab after this. There are lots of photos of old bluesmen as well as atmospheric old-South pictures from the Library of Congress collection. It's so attractive I keep it on my coffee table. The CDs feature Grossman playing the tabbed arrangements (and then some) as well as original Blind Lemon Jefferson tracks. They're listenable in their own right, even if you aren't learning the guitar!

   If you're interested in pre-war blues guitar, and you already known how to play five or six chords (remember, this book teaches country blues, not guitar), this is easily the best bang for your music buying buck.




2. I haven't played guitar for about ten years, and got this book to get myself back into it. It's great, I can't put it down, and I'm actually learning the pieces!
   Defintely recommended, but not for a complete beginner.



3. The Complete Country Blues Guitar Book has tabs for a wide variety of blues styles, including Delta, Rag, Texas, and bottleneck. The one point that keeps me from rating it 5 stars is the CDs, one of which was defective. I contacted Mel Bay Publishing by e-mail, advised them of the problem, and they promptly sent me a replacement along with a nice apology. That issue aside, I am very pleased with the overall collection. Get this if blues is your thang...

4 comments about Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present.

1. costello and wallace examine rap culture and rappers as they influence our society. although at times it seems like they are being narrow minded, this book examines what shapes society and how society can react to these things. the book goes well beyond merely rap music and examines how society is influenced and how it influences. anyone who reads this and sees it as simply a look at rap music is missing the entire point of the book.



2. David Foster Wallace and Mark Costello are too cute by half in this book, and it is horribly out of date. (Just to give an idea, A Tribe Called Quest, who were considered an elder statesman group when they broke up two years ago, had not yet released an album when this book was published.) But most of the analysis of rap's place within popular culture remains somehow applicable to the current scene if you are willing to do a bunch of critical work along the same lines and ignore the dumber flights of fancy. Still a fun book to read and a fun book to debate. Not to be missed if you remember when LL Cool J was good and you have read anything by a master of postmodern philosophy.



3. i am actually doing a report on rap and selected this book expecting some insight...i was surprised. it seems like some of this was even just put here to take up space; i was dissapointed, expecting something better from costello. a point of view not needed in most situations. of course, ten years ago it might have been close to adequate--now it seems totally inadequate to use in my report.



4. Yes this book is outdated, and yes this book is wordy, but thats what makes it so great. This is an exploration of two nerdy white guys resting on the cusp of what we now know was an cultural explosion, and one which they seem to have known, though at the time it had nothing to do with them that it soon would have eveything to do with them and us too. Furthermore some of the forecasting that they do is so right on its scary..
   These guys are taliking agbout NWA like its current because it was current! Take this book as an opportunity to view one of those rare historical accounts that happens before the storm and seems to have something good to say about why it started raining in the first place..

5 comments about The Art of Writing Great Lyrics.

1. Let's get right to it. If you truly want to be successful at something, find a mentor - someone who has been there and done that (and is still there and is still doing that).

   The "that" in this case is songwriting, and Ms. Pamela Oland is the mentor who is still in the thick of things, decades after her ride to the stars with Frank Sinatra.

   You can take decades to learn which turns to take and which to avoid, or you can buy Pamela's music road atlas, THE ART OF WRITING GREAT LYRICS, and get to your destination with fewer detours and disappointments.

   Grab your poetic license, start your creative engine, and hit the freeway - and the Top Ten - courtesy of your tour guide and her fine book.




2. While I am only half way thru reading "The Art of Writing Great Lyrics" I can already tell you that it is a very useful piece of literature. I have been singing since I was a child. I started writing my own songs about 5 years ago. I decided to purchase this book because I feel no matter how much natural ability you have education can NEVER hurt. I was surprised that much of what the book teaches you I already knew and practiced by instinct. It was a good feeling to know I am already doing it pretty much the way the professionals do. Now Ms. Phillips Oland does pump-up her own songs and she does do a bit of name dropping, but I also found that beneficial........you want to know the person teaching you is an expert of the field. Ms. Phillips Oland writes in a comfortable style. Reading her book is more like casual conversation rather than formal educational type verbiage. If you are looking for a book to get you well on your way to writing popular songs this is the book for you.



3. Ms. Oland provides helpful advice for the person wishing to write and market commercial songs. She gives tips on becoming familiar with language, building vocabulary, and learning popular song structures. She also dissects her own writing process, step by step, for the reader.
   
   Later chapters deal with the challenges posed by collaboration, strategies to deal with criticism, and the music business.
   
   This book is primarily for the commercial lyricist, not the musician or the artist who writes for self-expression. Ms. Oland is of the opinion that a lyricist shouldn't write too much from personal experience, and that a commercial song should make the audience feel good because "no one wants a loser." But some of the most sincere music, which ended up being "commercial," was written out of angst (Alanis, Nirvana). Oland's term for this kind of music is "living room hits." (In her defense, she does state that when an artist writes this type of song for himself, the song may become a hit.)
   
   Ms. Oland also mentions that she is a much stronger lyricist than melodist, and although she does mention using "dummy melodies," musician-lyricists might find a different method than Ms. Oland's.
   
   However, this book does include much wisdom and helpful information culled from years of experience.



4. When I first got this book, I couldn't put it down. It was so easy to read, so overflowing with great information that time just flew by as I sat on my sofa. By the time I was a few chapters in, I found myself spending less time with the book and more time writing. By the time I got to the last chapter, I was reading a small segment and then off to write some more.
   
   Anyone who is thinking about starting a career as a writer should get this book.



5. I gave this two stars... but don't be completely pushed away. I would have gone two and a half if it was available. The overall idea of the book is great. It will help if you are starting to write lyrics. If you already write a lot I would suggest not to spend the money. I write for a band that's been around for a while and figured I would try to spice some things up. The only things that seemed to be of any use to me were just reaffirmations of things that we all know. Having been written in the 80's the content is not very current. Essentially, this book could be condensed into the following ideas: Have a strong control of language and vocabulary, REALLY know who/what you are writing about, Don't write poetry and expect people to connect, Have a strong lyric you build around.
   
   If you are planning to just start writing lyrics... it's a good book. Overall though, it was not for me.

5 comments about Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?: The Carter Family & Their Legacy in American Music.

1. If you are a fan of the Carter Family, then you will find this book interesting to the same extent that you enjoy their music, I would say!
   
   WILL YOU MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE is a great biography that goes pretty in-depth, and explains the joys and sorrows of the lives and musical careers of the Carter Family!
   
   It is really fascinating to read about who the original Carter Family trio were -- (A.P. CARTER, who was the songwriter, researcher, arranger, bass backup vocalist and leader of the group; and SARA CARTER, his wife, the lead vocalist and harpsichord player; and MAYBELLE CARTER, their younger cousin/in-law, backing vocalist, and the most underrated and forgotten guitar playing pioneer in musical history!), -- and how they got into the music business, and how they influenced the early music industry and country music.
   
   All the Carter Family members sang, and their harmonies and vocal interplays are among the most sincere, skilled, and enjoyable of all country music, of any time period, though they did it first and best on record. That's a fact, in my opinion!
   
   The second version of the Carter Family, (mother Maybelle and her three daughters, Helen, June, and Anita), is also covered in-depth in the second half of the book! This is where many characters overlap characters seen in the 2005 Johnny Cash biography movie, WALK THE LINE, (also highly recommended by me, to you).
   
   There are plenty of interesting, informative, and entertaining photos (both family and professional promotionals) sprinkled throughout the book, too!
   
   If I had to criticize anything, I would say that sometimes the author wanders too long explaining the peripheral things going on in America and/or the music industry. These things are fascinating, but you start to wonder why it's all included. Thankfully, most of it pays off later when these obscure, forgotten people and events cross paths with our heroes of the story, the Carter Family! Stick with it, it's worth it!
   
   I actually started reading this book a few years back, but I got bogged down trying to picture who was who, so I ended up putting it on the shelf for years. After I saw the recent Johnny Cash biography film, WALK THE LINE, which featured some of the Carter Family members, I was better able to put names with faces and characters, and that film also rekindled my dormant interest in the Carter Family.
   
   There is a pretty decent DVD from PBS called THE CARTER FAMILY: WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, which shows the author of this book, and is a terrific companion piece for this book. In fact, I'm not sure if you should read the book first, or watch the DVD biography? You decide whichever format you prefer first, and you will likely get both eventually.
   
   The DVD sort of shows, accidentally, that there are two kinds of Carter Family fans: actual people from the South who love and live the music, and folk music loving intellectuals who love the music and its place in Americana! I am of the latter, but I grew up around plenty of Southern people, though the youngsters preferred Skynyrd, while only the older folks liked the really rootsy classics.
   
   You should also get the two 5-disk CD sets from JSP Records, 1927-1934, and 1935-1943. These two CD sets are affordable from amazon.com, and they are the best and most economical way to have a virtually complete library of the original Carter Family's studio recording history, and there is no better collection currently available to my knowledge!
   
   I would recommend the 1927-1934 set first, which has the most historic stuff, the most energy, and the best vibe. The 1943 set is after they had stopped living together, but is more professional sounding, yet less energetic (more melancholy); but you will likely get both after hearing the 1927 set, I trust.



2. This book, along with Jimmy McDonough's biography of Neil Young "Shakey," is one of the best written books about popular music that I've ever read. The breadth of the research is staggering, and the prose is a curious mix of cussing and twenty-dollar words that relays the events surrounding the ascention of the Carter Family with the immediacy their massive cultural and artistic impact deserves. Zwonitzer not only provides succinct yet detailed descriptions of the Carters' everyday lives, he also lays out a vivid portrait of the full context into which the Carter Family fits. It's a fairly quick read, with tremendous amounts of information crammed into every sentence. As with the best Carter Family recordings, not a breath here is wasted, and every note hits the stomach like a punch.



3. So, you think you know everything about the Carter Family? Well, you don't until you read this book. Every single word tells about a signifant history in the Carter Family's life. From the Originals to the Carter Sisters, to Mother Maybelle, this is any Carter Fan's treasure! I absolutely loved it, and the pictures make me smile every time I look at them with even just a glance. This book will bring you lots of happiness for the rest of your life. Be sure to read my other reviews for June Carter Cash's Keep on the Sunny Side: Her lfie in Music, Wildwood Flower, Press On, The Best of the Carter Family, From my Heart, A proper introduction to the Carter Family, and Louisiana Hayride: Live Performances. Honestly, after you read this book, you'll have a brand New look at the Carter Family and their music!
   
   Keep on the Sunny Side,
   June
   
   Keep on the Sunny Side



4. The Carter Family are one of the greatest and most influential acts in the history of American music. Having my own family's roots dating back over 200 years in the Southern mountains, listening to the Carter's songs evoke powerful feelings in me. I feel transported back into another time that I never lived through but somehow know.
   
   The writers do a credible job of telling the extradorinary Carter Family story. For example,the 1927 recordings in Bristol, Tennessee where Ralph Peer signs both the Carters and Jimmie Rodgers to recordings deals. This began the popular era of what would later become known as country music. Also covered are the broadcasts from the Mexican border town megawatt radio stations which brought the Carter's comforting voices to a nation suffering through the Great Depression. The circumstances surrounding the divorce of A.P. and Sara is discussed, as well as numerous other stories about life, love and family in Maces Springs, Virginia.
   
   But what I found to be missing is a serious analysis of the Carter Family's music. Part of the Carter's greatness is based on A.P.'s "songcatching trips" where he travelled the Southern mountains in search of old hymns and folk ballads for the Carters to sing. I would have liked to learn more about the history and meaning of these incredible songs. Instead a larger percentage of the book is taken up with old family stories and anecdotes, often based on the lives of cousins, uncles, nieces and neighbors rather than the primary Carter Family members. I would have preferred more concise and music focused writing, perhaps dropping some of the corn pone humor and scaling the book back from it's nearly 400 pages. Also I would have appreciated a more scholarly look at the Carter's place in American music as well as more attention to compelling subjects such as the influence of African American music on the Carter Family.
   
   For Carter Family fans and interested newcomers this is a book still worth reading. But I do hope a more song focused and scholarly biography of the Carter Family will eventually be written.



5. The background story on the high wattage Mexican Radio Stations alone is worth the price of this book. Goat Gland Transplant??!?!?! (for male...errr...Vitality) If you have an interest in American Music, this book is for you.

5 comments about To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles.

1. There are just few Eagles bios out there, so for that reason I give this 3 stars. It gives an overview of the band's history, and has some interview material with Don Henley, Randy Meisner, and others. But no Glenn Frey interviews, other than quotes from other sources. The Eagles were notoriously secretive, so the secrets remain. Eliot makes you think you're getting secrets, with lots of semi-sleazy accounts about drugs and groupies. But it's the same old rock music thing, and it just makes you think the Eagles were taking advantage of being young, single, and successful. A lit more chilling is the way they allegedly dealt with some of their associates. But again, the way they dealt with former band members differs little from say, the Stones. There is coverage of their powerful managers, first David Geffen, then Irving Azoff. It goes into great detail about the band's business dealings, and why they've managed to keep a fair amount of the dollars they've generated while other bands have not. The failings of the book include the real reasons for the band's break-ups, which remain murky. Even more significantly, it doesn't really lead one to understand the complex relationship between Glenn Frey and Don Henley. That is "the heart of the matter," and Eliot either doesn't get it, or is not willing or able to explain it to the reader.



2. I am an Eagles fan, and really enjoyed this book. It's not deep reading, but you will enjoy it.



3. I don't trust Eliot. He describes the background the Jackson Browne's "Ready Or Not," but he calls it "Sooner Or Later." He describes MCA's deal with Motown in 1980, "a distribution deal with the Detoit-based company," (page 213). Motown hadn't been in Detroit for 10 year at that point.
   
   Eliot can't decide whether he is a biographer, a music critic, or an editorialist. The basis of this book is biography, which is meant to be fact. He shouldn't be critiquing the music, - I don't care what he thinks of the tracks on The Long Run frankly - although admittedly it is what all rock biographers seem to do, Dave Marsh included.
   
   He shouldn't be giving us his opinions. (Page 247: The paragraph beginning "Meisne's comments are wistfully unrealistic." is a good example.)
   
   And Eliot should learn to tame his purple prose. Page 164: "The conversation gradually faded, and they continued on in silence until Henley, staring straight ahead, quietly said, "Everything's changed." This is one of Eliot's embarrassing attempts at profundity. Get over yourself. Just tell the story.
   
   It would also help if Eliot learned basic English composition. The book is full of split infinitives, sentence fragments, and mismatched pronouns. I will have to find a better Eagles biography than this.



4. If you don't know the story of the Eagles, this seems to sum it all up, and the writing's not bad, if a bit overly profound at times. The band is put in context of the southern California moment of the '70s with some interesting insights into how west was eclipsed by east as the 80s came along with disco, Bruce Springsteen, then New Wave, punk etc. Henley cooperated with the author, but Glenn Frey didn't, so the tale can be a little lop-sided at times. The tunes have held up well, which is why this book is worth reading if you are a music fan or historian.



5. Marc Eliot has written a detailed book about a rock group whose members have shunned personal publicity of any type. It was interesting to read about the backgrounds of each of the members, and it added a lot to understanding the persons they became. His descriptions of drug use and sexual promiscuity were stunning. Are they accurate? To a great extent his reports are confirmed by Don Felder in his autobiography, although Felder tended to minimize the drug use, no doubt because of his involvement.
   
   It was absolutely fascinating to read how Don Henley and Glenn Frey were radically changed by their use of cocaine, although he never comes right out and says "Look how they've changed." His description of the orgies in the "Third Encore" makes me wonder if they owned stock in a pharmaceutical company for all their STDs. It is also fairly clear that their manager, Irving Azoff, condoned and enabled them to continue their destructive behavior. Eliot painted such a vivid picture of an obnoxious, arrogant little man that I hope I never meet Azoff. It is truly a miracle that they all survived.
   
   If you're like me and read everything you can find about The Eagles, this is worth adding to your collection.

5 comments about Reba: My Story.

1. I absolutely enjoyed this book. From reading about the high points in her life such as her career, the birth of Shelby and the marriage to Narvel Then reading about the crash in '91 and the divorce from Charlie Battles... It just took me on a complete rollercoaster of emotions. From the moment i picked up the book it felt like i was having a conversation with Reba herself. I could not put the book down. Overall, this was one worth reading.



2. Reading this book makes you realize life isn't always easy. I give her credit for revealing her life story to those people who wanted to know more about her upbringing, her family life and life in general. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to read about her life. I've enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to those people who are interested in knowing what a wonderful person Reba McIntire really is.



3. First of all, I really like Reba's writing style. Its as if you're sitting with an old friend and catching up with whats happening in their lives. That said, the positives end with that. As a fan of Reba's music, I have always been perplexed and annoyed by some of her musical decisions. Obviously I cant be upset about her personal choices in her life, because its her life, she can do what she wants to - but her attempt at sainthood in this sad autobiography was very, very disappointing.
   
   I think Dolly Parton was probably the only country singer who actually sang about her background and childhood with some degree of truth. Here, Reba contradicts herself so often that its hard to empathize. I especially found her account of `that' tragic incident (her entire band killed in an airplane crash) very strange and distant, as if she didn't want to dwell too much on it. She also seems very defensive at various stages in the book, as if the public opinion really did matter so much to her. Then she follows it up by vehemently stating that she doesn't care what people think. I don't know, maybe she's bipolar?
   
   I think the worst part of the book is where Reba defends her relationship with Narvel Blackstock. This was a man that the entire country music industry knew she was having an affair with for almost five years, while she was also married to another man at the same time. In an attempt to sanitize this, Reba gives us curious, vague, and often inexplicable stories of how they NEVER kissed or held hands while she was still married, and how every romantic notion she had about Blackstock came MUCH after her divorce. Really Reba? Are people that stupid, or have you deluded yourself into believing your own version of the truth?
   
   The musical memories are fun though. I always wondered how she came about singing Bobbie Gentry's "Fancy" (one of the all time great songs) and she tells the tale so well. Also, her insecurities and neuroses are very similar to most peoples' but she does come across as very determined and hard-fisted. Perhaps that's why many people think shes a bit of a harlot, but frankly don't read this book if you want to GAIN respect for Reba. I lost much of the respect I had for her after reading this, because it seems that she's taken every major portion of her life and polished it up to an extent that she emerges looking like some sort of heroine. Seriously.
   
   A great work of fiction. An autobiography it is not. Take all of Reba's reminisces with a Manhattan-sized pinch of salt.



4. Reba is strong and can handle anything thrown her way.
   
   This book about her life, one I will keep always, is very interesting and held my attention. I read about Reba's struggles, and things she endured. You wonder how a woman can take so much and keep on going, but that is exactly what she does.
   
   Still to this day, Reba is going strong. I do not want to ruin this book for anyone who has not read it, or wants to know more about Reba. You will find it very interesting to look behind the scene's of Reba's life and how she got to where she is today.
   
   Tracy B. Evans



5. Great inspiration comes from Reba's story. Both of Reba's books read as a personal conversation with her. I hope she puts out yet another book that updates the accomplishments since her last book. If you are a Reba fan or just need to draw inspiration from someone else, get this book, you will not put it down.