3 comments about Four by Sondheim (A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum).

1. While I have all four of these books in Paperback and therefore have had no need to buy this book I have looked through this book and I think buying this one is a MUCH better idea than buying them seperately. This book includes pictures, Drawings by Al Hirschfield, Cut-Lyrics and more. All four of the shows are purely genius and provide you with laughter while provoking thoughts. This is a must for all Sondheim fans and musical fans and anyone interested in 4 great shows: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sunday in the Park With George,Sweeny Todd, and A Little Night Music.



2. This book is amazing. It has almost everything that you could want in a book like this. What does it include do you ask? WELL! It includes the scripts to A Funny Thing happened on the way to the Forum, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Tood, and Sunday in the Park With George. In addition to that it also has Original Hirschfeld drawings, Lyrics to cut songs and where they would go in the script, Costume Designs, Production Photos, Cast Lists from Original, Touring and Revival Casts, and also the discography for each of the shows. My only question... Where is volume two??? I would like to see the following shows put into a collaborative edition like this: Into the Woods, Assassins, Company and Follies. WOOO Amazing and entertaining. Recommend this to all musical lovers everywhere!



3. The scrips are just like what you would get if you cot just one. more than 600 pages of pure script. I love it!

5 comments about Celine: The Authorized Biography.

1. This book is a must read if you are a true Celine fan. I consider myself one. This book tells what Celine did to realize her dream and made it come true. It really tells you what she is like in her personal life. She is a genuine and loving person and loves people. She really cares about what her fans think. And you can almost feel the love that she and Rene share! A wonderful book!



2. No word can truly discribe Celine's wonderful voice, dreams and spirit, but I believe this book has managed to do the best it could. Of course, you cannot feel Celine's passion by simply read a book. However, I can ensure you that after reading this book, you must at least start to like this real-life model of human being -- Celine Dion.



3. Georges Herbert-Germain does a wonderful job finding the equilibrium between Céline's public stage-life and her emotional private-life. The book's chapter pattern of singer to woman to singer shows that there's more to Céline Dion than being a diva and an international pop icon. Despite being followed by the media since she was 12, Céline appears to have remained grounded in the stories of her past, present, and what she plans to do in the future. There's more behind this diva besides Titanic and pipes of platinum.



4. This book was written by a good friend of the great singer so it was pretty biased but enjoyable anyway. It had a great insight on what it was like to be on the road with Celine. I recommend this book



5. The book is well written and enjoyable to read. However, I was a little disappointed. One of the major things I love about Celine's life is the intense and passionate love she has for her husband - Rene Angelil. They have a very romantic love story. I world have loved it if the book explored the romantic side of their relationship in more detail. This would have given the reader a better understanding of who Rene Angelil really is. I know he is not just the mystery man in black.

5 comments about Eva Cassidy: Songbird: Her Story by Those Who Knew Her.

1. Eva Cassidy has a voice that may not be quite perfect but it is a haunting and a touching sound that will ring inside you for hours after you have heard her sing. Once you hear her sing you will never forget on how it made you feel inside. Oh how I wish she were alive today to share her amazing talent but what she left us is a gift we can keep giving ourselves everyday. Don't hesitate to buy this beautiful album.



2. I've just finished reading this book over a period of a few days. It is happy, joyous, inspiring though sad and then uplifting all at the same time. The story is told by those who knew her best..family, friends, colleagues etc. in a very beautiful manner. It is not a gushy "we love you" type book, but rather an honest and frank appraisal of the short remarkable life of Eva Cassidy with the sad irony that the "fame" she would achieve came after her tragic passing from a melanoma related cancer..which is a lesson in itself.
   The fact is that she had this remarkable voice that belied her petite stature with a style that couldn't & wouldn't, at her insistence, be pigeonholed..at the cost of a few Record deals that she could have signed..particularly with legendary jazz label Blue Note. Such were her convictions and belief in her music which she sang from her heart. I first "discovered" her in 2002 when I had bought a Music Store here in Sydney (sadly it's no longer around). I have acquired her back catalogue since then. Her talents were diverse..her love of art and nature are well documented here by those who loved and admired her and she did frustrate a few people along the way too..but that was Eva.
   It's worth reading this book while listening to her voice as the story becomes all the more poignant. I recommend it Eva's fans of which I am one..but also to those who don't mind being uplifted by a remarkable story as this certainly is. You'll certainly gain new insights to this beautiful soul who is sadly no longer with us.



3. This book includes everything you want to know about Eva. I really suggest this to everyone. Its a book for life..



4. Eva Cassidy, it is stated in the beginning of this book, was not an angel. She had the voice of one, as anyone who has heard her sing a note will attest. Struck down by malignant melanoma at the criminally early age of 33 in 1996, she was virtually unknown in America, though her career was starting to gain notice in other countries.
   
   The story of her life is told through the reminiscences of her family and friends. She is universally held to have been a very kind woman, but one with a wall within which she protected herself from pain by not letting too many people in. She had a very difficult time showing her vulnerability, and was extremely fragile in public performance. That we have as much of her on video and CD as we do is a miracle in light of this.
   
   Her relationship with her father was a difficult one, though it seems to have been moving in a more positive direction as she was getting older. Her father himself shoulders some of the burden for this state of affairs, indicating that being his child was probably not the easiest thing. Eva, being such a self-critical perfectionist, might have found it more challenging than most.
   
   I was heartbroken to discover that she loathed my favorite album, Live at Blues Alley. She thought the quality was not present, and it made her angry. This is the one I turn to most often when I need an "Eva Fix," so knowing this made me incredibly sad. But then, she constantly doubted any compliments to her singing. She reacted to positive comments with disbelief more often than not. I'm glad she wasn't a diva, but sorry she didn't have some of the confidence she had earned.
   
   This book is chock-full of candid photos of Eva from throughout her life, and has a great many examples of her sublime artwork. I won't ever be parting with this, because I'll want to page through it again and again, to enjoy her visual talent, as I listen to her sing to me. Her voice has the pure, raw amazing skill to sooth life's rough edges. How sad that we didn't have her for a bit longer, but how blessed we are to have had her at all.



5. Ever since David Archuleta mentioned her name on The View I have been enjoying this angel's songs. She had such a beautiful voice and was really just beginning to realize her talent when she passed from her earthly body. I now own 5 of her CDs and my favorite songs include True Colors, I Know You By Heart, Time Is a Healer, and How Can I Keep From Singing. The quality on most of the albums is very good and it amazes me that some of the recordings were completed after her death using rough recordings and making them so beautiful. Thank You David for introducing me to Eva.

2 comments about Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Country.

1. This is a great collection of songs you don't normally think of when you think ukulele: old country tunes you will imediately recognize, cowboy songs, even some Elvis.
   All the chord progressions are easy, and all written in easily accesible keys like C, G and D.
   More advanced players would probably find these arangements a little simplistic, but these are perfect for quick learning when you've got a campfire to sit around later tonight.
   I have other Jim Beloff books (and one of his Flukes) and he really knows how to arrange a song for the uke.
   I highly recomend this book!



2. All jumpin' jim's books are great I own three of them. They are instructive, full of songs and very easy to follow. I suggest you jump immediately on Jumpin' Jims books. Lots of fun between the covers.
   
   Jumpin' Joe

5 comments about American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950.

1. I agree with Mr. Wilder about Gershwin. While Gershwin undoubtedly wrote many great songs I find that he can also be very overrated. "Porgy and Bess" and "An American in Paris" have several pieces which I think are grandiose and pretentious. I cannot stand listening to those two musicals. The music seems to not quite be "pop" and not quite "operatic". The music in those two works also sound as if Gershwin is straining to sound important but somehow sounds artificial and shallow. I much prefer the gentler and timeless music written by Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern. I also like Arlen whose music is always hip.



2. ALEC WILDER himself a composer has written what is generally considered the bible of AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC.More than thirty years have gone by since the first édition of this book and it remains fresh.Like many i am proud to say that this book was really for me what i needed to start digging into the history of many songs before the rock era.From BERLIN and KERN to the often forgotten greats like DONALDSON and McHUGH they are all there and mister WILDER knows what he is talking about;he had talked to many writers and composers who were at the time of the first édition still with us.Personal opinions are of course a matter of taste;we are for example not obliged to believe everything he says.Most of the time mister WILDER is right:EXAMPLE:he believes that RICHARD RODGERS was perhaps the most gifted composer of his time.Few can really disagree with that.In fact,there is only one major problem with this book,if you don't read music it won't be too enjoyable for you,because there are many examples with sheet music to proves the points he wants to make.Everyone who has an interest in the history of AMERICAN popular music should buy that book.



3. Lord knows there is a place for criticism in music. The problem is that too often the most ill-qualified, wrongest people practice it, and are rewarded with the bully pulpit of widely read publication and nice paychecks to boot. Alec Wilder is a "right" person, if ever there was one. He's no outsider or "wannabe". His insights on the procedures and content on the songwriting of his brethren come from his own long, hard struggle with the form. And he did it VERY well, giving his observations yet more credence. He has the courage of his convictions, putting a hard critical ear to the work of his peers, betters, "worsers"---whoever, while owning up to his prejudices and acknowledging that it is, after all, only his opinion. I'm glad he covered the people he did, and only disappointed and perplexed that he passed on Strayhorn (I suppose because his work was outside the theater/movie/pop song orbit of the others). I would have appreciated his insights. Such skill, courage, and honesty in criticism is at the very least a breath of fresh air.

   Neither music lovers, nor especially fellow composers should take Wilder's words as the gospel, though, as I feel he'd be the first to implore. It's hard enough to compose and ignore the criticism in one's one head, let alone hear the muse over the strains of a duet. Another thing to consider in placing importance on even as eloquent and well-formed criticisms as these is Wilder's harrowing self-doubt about his OWN composing, and general worth (which comes through loud and clear in his autobiographical "Letters I Never Sent") And listeners should follow their own ears and hearts. Take Wilder's survey for what it is, very high quality opinion.
   
   

   As for MY opinion, the only thing that leaves a bad taste in this and similar books (Copland's survey 20th century composers, for a much more egregious example) is a certain elitism cutting through that, at its worst, is downright snotty. According to the preface (by Gene Lees, a talented man and friend of good music, but himself no stranger to the banshee wail of the conservatively cranky)Wilder stated that "after 1955, the amateurs took over". I can understand the horror Wilder and other gifted musicians, weaned on European and even jazz traditions, felt when rock's arrival landed a knockout blow to their careers and values. But it wasn't and isn't all garbage---the best of it is as valid as anything. Perhaps its greatest virtue is that it doesn't take itself that seriously as "art". If nothing else, it loosened us all up a bit. Wilder's cynicism, however justified in his mind, peeks through these pages a bit, although not so much as to be harmful. It's just frustrating and a bit of a bore. I so want to believe that so rare a musical wit felt affection, not disdain toward the the race he wrote about and for. So with these things in mind, enjoy and learn as I have from a very valuable piece of writing.




4. Yes, the man is opinionated, and one may argue with some of his more controversial and unsparing critiques. His analyses are grounded in a thorough understanding of music, and he does not retreat from criticizing the most popular. I think that the whole topic is perhaps more subjective than Wilder lets on, but at least he's forthright about his opinions, and provides hundreds of musical annotations to illustrate his views. I'll also agree with the reviewer who criticizes Wilder's view that post-50's popular music was written by "amateurs." Still, this is widely regarded as a must-have for the student of popular music, and it's an excellent, albeit somewhat technical critique of popular music's "golden age." Recommended!



5. Richard Rogers The Greatest Composer Of His Time?Let's get clear folks Espically you low brows who call porgy and bess Pretentious,Rogers "Might" be The Greatest Songwriter(NOT COMPOSER-There,s A big distinction)of his time(personally i pick Porter then Gershwin Then Arlen for Bluesiness And Sexiness-and ground zero is the blues sorry Gang not the vieniese waltz that Rogers was so fond of)depending on what lyricist he worked with(his most heart felt ones are with Hart).He might have had the Greatest fund of pure melody then any one-Granted.But there is an slickness And Artificial & Superficial Aspect to much Of his Work That over time looses it power,and certainly appeal.Mabe this under the surface aspect to Rogers Work Is Reflective Of The Fact That As A Person, He Was A Complete SOB- an autocratic homophobic womanizing self serving A hole.Not One Of Rogers "Serious" Works Like Ellingtons Can Hold A Candel To Gershwins.Europeans Take Gershwins Greatness as a composer Musican & Pianist(another area where no one including Rogers in the pop field{as well as classical}of that time could compete with George)as a matter of course(Americans and american critics should do the same and put to bed this stupid debate of GG Songwriter? or Composer?-and get with the fact that the closest thing America has produced to the level of anything like a Mozart is called GERSHWIN-PERIOD-just look at the high level gifts he had in abbudance as an innovater- melody,Harmony,rhythm,pianist,theatre & Drama.And the two most rare,originality & Humor-gimme a break Rogers or any one else for that matter can't even compare or compete.It Seems It's even A Gift To begin to Grasp And Appriciate the enormity of G.G's Genius.Levant Got It,When He Was Consigned By George On A Train Road Trip To The Lower Berth(Talent)to Georges Upper Berth(Genius)Levant's Words And Appraisal.Koussivitsky Got It "he's a genius to great to be real"His Exact words.Ravel Certainly got it it's well documented,hell his piano concertos were directly inspired by Gershwin's Own.Hambitzer-Gershwins only beloved music-piano teacher got it as early as 1912 when he wrote his sister with the words "The Boy Is A Genius Without A doubt",And Yet He Still Get's Snubbed and slighted by Envious low-brow & High-brow Snobs alike.Just Look As one of the reviews opines below(to be Read Snidley."i can't stand Porgy & Bess & American In Paris,They Are So Pretentious"all I can say Is BLOW ME!Certainly you are entitled to your(mis- informed)opinions(diversity Is The Spice of Life)But be honest as to why you don't like Porgy Before invoking the "P" word as Your Decree(and defense)against This Masterwork-and what is the honest answer?you don't get it,it's over your head,you have lazy ears,it doesen't fit with your world view which prefers charming "Rogers" Bon Bons-it intimidates you,you are envious-pick one or all of the above.Again Evauluating and grasping the true aspect and significance(and moving beyond all the pedigogical brainwashing and propaganda)of G.G.is an Art In Itself.And The Point Needs To Be RAMMED Home Time And Again.And I Here To Ram It.The GREENess of the Heart Chakra Makes many uncomfortable(Genius Has That Effect on those that don't want to be ennobeled or inspired by it-(And If Ever There Was a Pop Genius It's Gershwin-Two choices With Genius-you can let it wash over you and grow as a result or project upon it all your own petty offenses opinions And Predjudices).Gershwin and Porgy Pretentious? Overated? hell i guess That leaves Bach Right Out.The use of the word Pretentious is just an example of these soclaly engineered(thank you Edward Bernaise You A-hole) downloadable"buzz"words and or phrases("COOL" being the Prime One)For Fuzzy Thinkers Who's Minds are not their own and indulge and defend a Kind Of pervasive UN-critical thinking that is really just a laziness of mind and heart,(a lack of feelings based connectedness & desire for TRUTH seeking within and without)the same kind of automatic pre conditoned cognative dissonant Parrot like responses can be found in other areas as well I.e. "you think Oswald didn't act alone? that sounds like a CONSPIRACY THEORY",or this one "You're a Vegan?,How Do You Get Your PROTEIN?"And The Gem Below "Porgy & Bess Strikes Me As Artifical And PRETENTIOUS" Back to the Gist and Thrust of my thesis,Rogers was Green With Envy Over Porgy as were most of the worlds other composers and songwriters of the time.Rogers tried to compete with Gershwin with the likes of "Victory At Sea" & "Slaughter on tenth ave",which are wonderfull pieces of fluff in their own way,and get ocasional hearings over the CONSTANT and Steady programing of the Gershwin Staples World Wide(Rhap in blue,the Concerto in F,A In P,Preludes,Cuban Overture,2nd Rhap,I got Rhythm V's And Porgy).Pretentiuous Is When You Try For The Big Gesture And Fall Flat On Your Face(George Never Fell On His Face On This Score Quite The Opposite-and time and time again,He Pulled It Off Marvelously-And All Without A Net).From This Stand Point the "serious" Rogers fare is More Guilty Of Pretention And Cloyingness And Insincerity then any thing George Ever Wrote.The Jurys in,like it or not,Gershwins Music Is The Epitome Of Brillance Timelessness,Sincerity,Originality And Honesty.As For Mr Wilder's(with his two minor song hits for posterity And numerous-some actually quite good-quirky Jazzy lyrical Chamber pieces-a kind of American Hindemith-though no Gershwin Or Copland Barber Or Ives-)estimation of Songwriters After 1950 as all being amateurs(what a Curmudgeon)I got News for him in his astral home(where he's still writing for angelic brass and woodwinds i hear)-That's where the "BLUES"(Rock & Pop & R&B) went.All inspired Artists should get on with their work,be Courageous, And Fudge The OPINIONS Of ALL OTHERS-and listen ONLY! to the dictates and demands of their Hearts-the true home of the Creator.Peace.And While Your At It Keep It All Joyfull And Fun-George Did,he Never Made A Distinction Between His Serious And Pop hats -wearing both without judgment or justifacation,and that's why he is the worlds supreme crossover GENIUS!At a time when that was possible,let the pundits whimper on while Gershwin continues to Bang,and thereby doing his part to continue to keep the world from ending.

5 comments about Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis (Thirty Three and a Third series).

1. Much more interesting than those dry, allegedly objective accountings of albums, this one takes into consideration the personality and experiences of person who is doing the observing and is therefore, at heart, a much more serious exploration of the transformative powers of art . Zanes' lively approach illuminates not just our understanding of a particular work but also delves into the fascinatingly complex relationship between myth and reality; his own, Dusty's, and maybe even yours, too. The insights in this surprising little jewel of a book will rattle around in you head long after you've put it down.



2. What was so special about Memphis that producer Jerry Wexler took the diva of British pop there and created pop magic? Warren Zanes, 1980s teenage rock star in the Del Fuegos turned PhD (cultural studies) in the 1990s, has written a small book to find out, the first in a series on classic albums. Continuum offers its writers a lot more space than Greil Marcus did in Stranded - 32,000 words by my count - and Zanes uses it brilliantly.
   His essay isn't academic deconstruction but a mix of personal passion, acute perceptions and old-fashioned journalistic leg work. Being a musician helps his analysis of what makes the album so special, but even more so is his understanding of Southern culture. He writes of the creatures inhabiting the album; when he hears the opening to `Breakfast in Bed' ("You've been crying, your face is a mess. Come in, baby, you can dry your tears on my dress") he pictures Cloris Leachman in The Last Picture Show. To understand these characters means grasping how the South serves as the backdrop to it all. Not just the South that's there, but the South that's in the popular imagination. "Sweating, carnal, obsessed with the past, violent, agrarian despite the times, natural, authentic, certainly unpredictable ... it sometimes seems that [the weed] kudzu is simply the plant form of a mythology that has already covered the region."
   Zanes' ideas about the spirit of the South, how it connects with literature, with history, with civil rights and with trash culture - and how it shapes its music - are beautifully expressed and convey a deep understanding of the milieu. His book is unpretentious but profound, avoids hype and self-indulgence while going off on always-relevant tangents that take in Flannery O'Connor, Huck Finn, Alan Lomax, The Dukes of Hazzard and To Kill a Mockingbird. He talks to Wexler and co-producer Chips Moman and, best of all, tracks down Stanley Booth, recluse writer and professional Southerner, who wrote the original liner notes (and the sublime True Adventures of the Rolling Stones). He quotes the influence of a boys adventure book from his youth ("In the North, young men dream about the South. The more discriminating among them slide down the darkness and go straight to Memphis") and explains the magic of Memphis, and Springfield's uncanny way of capturing it. "Led by a singer in a mask, the team that made Dusty in Memphis went after beauty and came up with a little truth." Zanes' essay is the best extended think-piece I have read on music since "Mystery Train", or the contributors to "Stranded". The other writers in the first Continuum series (covering the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society, Love's Forever Changes, the Smiths' Meat is Murder, Neil Young's Harvest and Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn) have a hard act to follow. (By the way, Linda Bowden's misunderstanding of what this book is about is typified by her connecting it to the Coltrane "Love Supreme" book: that is a completely different approach, a different series, and different publisher.)



3. I greatly enjoyed this read. As a matter of fact, I allowed it to slow down my other reading. The book is well-written, and I learned some deeper details that I didn't know. Dusty in Memphis is the first book in the series, and it is a book that I will own for a long time. If you love music, Dusty Springfield, and the Memphis sound then this book is definitely for you. I recommend it highly, and it does have some interesting insights into the Southern perceptions, and the actual way that living in the South is. A great read, a good price from Amazon, and a good time to be had. It's kind of sad when you finish a book this good.



4. Warren Zanes readily admits that the book is not specifically about the album, "Dusty in Memphis", but I never did figure out what it was supposed to be about. It seems to be a rambling dissertation about what a non-Southerner thinks the South is or what it should be or what it could be if it wasn't what it is or, oh, I don't know. Whatever it is, it's just not all that interesting. There is hardly any mention of Dusty Springfield, and little more about any of the music, the production, or the players. If that's what you looking for, don't bother with this book.



5. I've read about a dozen books in this series and, after having finally read the first, I can say that Dusty in Memphis does set the overall tone for the series. Some books are fascinating, anecdotal-packed breakdowns of the album in question, while others are unrestrained musings that are best saved for a book NOT titled and themed about an album. This book is a little of both. The most interesting thing about the album Dusty in Memphis seems to be that is wasn't all that interesting to make, if you're looking at it with Zanes. It may be beautiful to listen to, but it's simply a group of top-notch producers and songwriters getting together with a British soul singer who desired to make an album in emulation of her idol, Aretha Franklin. Sound OK so far? Well, it is, and the book does a fine job of enhancing and supplementing the story up to this point. About half way, through, though, it goes off the rails. There are plenty of musings about Alan Lomax, the South, racial lynchings and Zanes' first brush with sexuality, among many, many other detours. The problem is, the book is titled "Dusty in Memphis", and if someone is going to plunk down $9-10 for a book called "Dusty in Memphis", it should predominantly be about "Dusty in Memphis" or Dusty Springfield or, heck, even Aretha Franklin if you'd like. Where Zanes really failed, for me, is in this way: When I read a 33 1/3 book, at the very least, whatever the author's approach, I should come away with a renewed admiration for the album in question. The book Dusty in Memphis failed to light that spark for me, thus I can't recommend it.

4 comments about Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost.

1. I have had an interest in early "country" music for decades, but this book seems to me to be worthwhile for the die-hard specialist rather than the casually curious consumer. Short biographies, CD discographies, and photos are presented here for more than 100 stage, recording and radio artists active from the 1920's into the '50's. Almost everyone profiled here was born earlier than 1925. A few are truly famous: Gene Autry, The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow, Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, and Ernest Tubb. The rest are more obscure, and in many cases, much, much more obscure. Unless you are willing to search the internet for the CD's onto which their old records have been transcribed, or you are a musician yourself needing to hear some fiddle or mandolin technique as played by its originator, you will never encounter the actual work of most of these artists. And frankly, you don't need to know about them if not a scholar or a person doing roots music yourself. If your curiosity is just casual, as mine was, get the book from the library, as I did, and just skim it until your pleasure runs out.



2. As someone who has been studying and collecting American popular music for more than four decades now I am always on the lookout for new resources to add to my knowledge and understanding of this music. I am quite excited to report that the London based music historian Tony Russell has come up with a real gem with his splendid new book "Country Music Originals: The Legends and the The Lost". This book is a virtual treasure trove of information for anyone who is interested in the origins of the genre that would eventually evolve into what we now call country music.
   I am in complete agreement with another reviewer who indicated that for most collectors and country music afficianados "Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost" is probably more appropriate as a reference volume. As a cover to cover read I found that the book could become a bit tedious at times. But having said that I learned an awful lot about the early history of country music in this volume. Tony Russell introduces his readers to a whole host of colorful and quirky vocalists, duets, fiddlers, stringbands and groups that would make an indelible mark in the development of this genre. You have to love the names of some of these artists. There is Fiddlin' John Carson, The Skillet-Lickers, The Carolina Tar Heels, Dr. Smith's Champion Hoss Hair Pullers, The Georgia Yellow Hammers, Light Crust Doughboys and Lulu Belle and Scotty to name but a few. Now some of those featured in "Country Music Originals" were regional acts who were popular for a relatively short period of time. Others would go on to long and prosperous careers in the music business. All in all, Tony Russell offers up essays on more than 100 artists who made a name for themselves in the period from about 1926 when this music was in its infancy until the late 1950's or early 1960's. Russell also presents revealing portraits of some of the better known figures in early country music such as Vernon Dalhart, Bradley Kincaid, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff. And of course no book about the history of country music would be complete without a close look at the careers of legendary figures Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter family. It is positively fascinating to discover how this music has evolved over the decades. In addition, the text is sprinkled with more than 200 rare photos and illustrations depicting many of the artists being discussed as well as images of some of the actual record labels, newspaper clippings and advertisements from the period. I found that this material greatly enhanced my enjoyment of this book. It was also quite interesting to learn how many of the earliest recordings were done. In the middle to late 1920's it was fairly common for the three major record companies of this period, namely Victor, Columbia and Gennett to send recording equipment directly to towns like Bristol, Tenn. in search of promising new artists to record. This is precisely how both Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family and dozens of other important acts of this period were discovered. It was certainly a much different world in those days!
   As I indicated earlier "Country Music Originals: The Legends and The Lost" succeeds more as a reference volume than as a narrative. I plan to add a copy to my library in the very near future. This is a book that I am likely to refer to again and again in future years. There is so much new information in this book about the rich heritage of country music that I simply have not seen anywhere else. A well thought out and nicely done project! Highly recommended!



3. Tony Russell is one of the finest writers in the field of early recorded country music and blues. He has spent decades researching the facts about the artists and listening to the historic recordings. Now, with "Country Music Originals," he shares with us his synthesis of all this knowledge on the subject of old-time country music.
   Russell writes true criticism, based on his extraordinarily rich and deep listening experience. He is articulate in spelling out the reasons he finds one artist's work compelling and another's pedestrian. He writes with enthusiasm about several artists I've never heard, and so now I'm seeking out their recordings.
   Mind you, I know just enough about this music, and have just enough listening experience of my own, that I have my occasional quibbles with Russell's facts and opinions. That's only to be expected when it comes to discussing art. I thoroughly enjoy my mental conversations and arguments with someone as articulate and knowledgeable as Russell.
   Why, oh, why is there no index? There isn't even an alphabetical listing of the 100+ articles. Since they are, quite reasonably, organized chronologically, in order to find a particular artist, I have to take a guess as to when they first recorded -- information I'm not nearly so in touch with as is Russell. The indexes are part of what make Gunther Schuller's definitive jazz history books ("Early Jazz" and "The Swing Era") so great and useful. Those indexes cover every single mention of every musician, composer, and song.
   The discographies in "Country Music Originals" are superb. They're compact, yet very informative, covering most of the currently-available CDs of old-time music. On my first reading of the book, I kept noticing one particular JSP anthology that includes many of the artists I find most interesting. So that set moved to the top of my shopping list. I've also been stimulated to go back to my collection to take another listen to particular artists and tracks Russell comments on.
   Printing booklets is an expensive component of CDs, so most of the old-time music reissues come with rather inadequate texts. "Country Music Originals" complements these discs beautifully, giving much richer (and better-written) information, enhancing both our enjoyment and our understanding of the recordings.
   This is a valuable addition to the limited library of serious writing on old-time country music. -- Hoyle Osborne



4. An excellent work for hard core fans of old time and pre-Nashville Country music. Russell's research is comprehensive and he has a very accessible writing style. The book, as others have noted, is really not designed for a cover-to-cover read but makes a great night stand book where you can read a biography or two before bed. I also recommend two JSP box sets, Mountain Blues and Serenade in the Mountains, where works by many of the covered artisits can be heard. Now if only I could find a comparable work for pre-war blues artists...

4 comments about Bonfire of Roadmaps (Brad and Michele Moore Roots Music Series).

1. Joe Ely is a first class musician. Once you start listening to him, you can't stop, and now he gives us a poetic glimpse at life on the road. Bonfire of Roadmaps delves into the hard life, triumphs, and trials of life as a modern day troubadour, and it is a great read. The chapters flow rhythmically along, bursting with memorable characters, stories, lyrics, and a first hand account of what its like to crisscoss the map playing in dingy bars, auditoriums, hotel rooms, and foreign countries. Joe just keeps going. Do yourself a favor: buy this book, listen to the spoken word cd that comes with it, and then start collecting Joe Ely's albums. He's the best. It's as simple as that.



2. This excellent road journal by Texas Rock and Roll icon Joe Ely is an enjoyable, refreshing read. It would make a great gift for anyone interested in music. This year Ely was selected for a lifetime acheivement award by Americana. You can go to NPR.com and key word Joe Ely to hear an interview with the author about this book. There are also songs, of course. I absolutely promise you that you will love this book!
   
   Johnny Hughes, author of the Lubbock novel Texas Poker Wisdom.
   Texas Poker Wisdom



3. Joe Ely has written an epic poem of life on the road, full of wisdom and insanity, that careens from Austin to Denmark, youth to age, and the bright noise of backstage to the profound silence of the stars. Ely has seen it all, done it all, and lived to sing the story in this fine feast of a book. Nibble it or gulp it down, but read it and let it feed your soul. "When a man knows not his next destination, any road he takes will get him there on time," Ely says. With this book, the veteran singer/songwriter arrives in fine style.



4. I am very pleased with "Bonfire Of Roadmaps" by Joe Ely. It is a book to savor over the years ahead and to take on long road trips when I travel. And, if I stay home, then it is a book that can take me on Joe Ely's road trips.
   I feel blessed that I was able to sit in the front row at Joe Ely's multimedia presentation of Bonfire Of Roadmaps at the Texas Book Festival held in Austin on November 3rd and 4th, 2007. The audience was packed and enthusiastic. A line formed at the book signing following Joe's readings and songs and video. I was very pleased to have Joe sign my book for me. Later, Joe Ely and Joel Guzman and Joe's band filled the space around the Texas Capitol steps with their magical music and lyrics. Joe was deep into his songs and making every effort to fill each listener with the unique blend of country, roots, wisdom, adventure, personal challenge, disappointments and triumphs of which his music is composed. Much of the time he sang with eyes closed as he drew from deep down the well of his own life experience. I will always remember this concert and I have the book to bring back the feelings of the road, feelings that Joe Ely was kind enough to share with us all.

4 comments about Country Music, U.S.A..

1. This is the place to start any indepth consideration of country and western music. In fact Dr. Malone's survey and Nick Tosche's COUNTRY THE BIGGEST MUSIC IN AMERICA are my two favorite introductory volumes. Each book is radically different from one another with Dr. Malone's history by far the more authoritative and serious consideration while the Tosche's book operates more as stream of consciousness fan's notes.



2. This is a book contains loads of great information. It is a great intro to the origins of country music. However, the amount of information is overwhelming and the writing is very boring. Still, its unlikely that any book will give be as comprehensive as this one.



3. An encyclopedic, rich, and interesting history of country music, this tome is essential for anyone interested not solely in country but also in American popular music. Each chapter serves as a through treatment of a particular genre or period of country music, and the work as a whole reveals a compelling history of American folk and popular culture. There are fascinating stories in this work, but don't expect to blaze through this volume in a day or two. If you're interested in a more compact and oftentimes more focused history, I'd recommend another of Malone's major works: Southern Music/American Music.



4. Bill Malone's major work is everything one thinks it could be - an historical treatise on the history of country music from pre-country to fairly modern-day country. Really recent singers in the past eight years or so won't be found here - but that's not why this book is a staple for the country music lover. It's not the kind of reading that invites a start-at-page-one-and-read-to-the-end attempt; rather it's an invitation to be choosy about a time period in country. Malone's views are broad and encompassing and even critical of others' writings about country music. One's favorite is probably in his work although Malone does not write in equal proportion to each performer or time period.

5 comments about Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry.

1. I was born in 1931 -- just about the time Gene Autry was starting his singing career. When I was old enough to go to the local Movie Theater alone I would not miss a Gene Autry movie, and we just had to listen to the Gene Autry weekly radio program.
   
   As I grew older I attended Gene's appearances in Pittsburgh, PA. He was always courteious to us kids. Even though we were there every day he smiled, talked to us and autographed our books again, and again, and again. Gene never hurried us. He spent time talking to us and making us feel special.
   
   This is a book I could not lay down. Holly George did a wonderful job telling us of his personal life. His successes and failures, his fights with Republic Studios. His drinking problem and womanizing. She showed us the man, a very human man, with perfection and flaws, just like the rest of us.
   
   If you want to know the REAL, behind the mask, Gene Autry, this is the book. Holly George tells it well and let's us make our own decisions as to the type of person he was. I think he was a good man. I think Holly did a great job researching this book and writing it in an informative and interesting manner.
   
   Dorothy W. Rossa
   Chicago, IL



2. This is a book that no Gene Autry or western film fan should be without. Previous books were okay but so positive in all aspects that a true picture was not shown. Autry is shown as a great man but like everyone had a few faults. There's an excellent discography which as near as I can tell is complete. The filmography lists only movie title and songs but as there's at least three complete filmographies in other books probably it was considered unnecessary. There's also an index which is extremely important in any book especially to someone like me who uses them when doing research.
   Fred Isenor



3. I read Gene's autobiography, "Back in the Saddle," nearly thirty years ago and enjoyed it. George-Warren's book goes much deeper, leaving the hero of all us front-row kids just a little gut-shot. Okay, so Gene fooled around and developed a drinking problem. Maybe finding that out is a bit disappointing, but we're all grownups now, and understand nobody's perfect. And, sadly, neither was Gene, but at this late date it doesn't change anything. I loved those movies and all his songs. I still love listening to the music, but watching the films now, as an adult, I'm a little embarrassed. But Gene Autry was such an important part of my kid-hood .. Well, I still love the guy. I won't say I loved the book, but it was an obviously well-researched and fair treatment of Gene's show-biz career and a welcome addition to my library. Good job, Holly George-Warren. - Tim Bazzett, author of "Love, War & Polio"



4. This is a well written and highly researched biography, with more than the normal number of photographs. The book is also true to its title, the story is not only about the life of Gene Autry, but also about his time.
   
   We like to think technology zooms super fast in our lives, but most of the time it's the technology that surrounds or enables our profession. Gene Autry saw that actual technology of his profession make quantum leaps that obsoleted prior technology and many of the people employed in the industry. Motion pictures added sound, went to color, and then television overwhelmed the movie industry. Music went from vinyl records to eight-track, to cassette, to CDs. Autry never made a misstep and leveraged each technology change to advance his career.
   
   If you want to read about how to succeed in a rapidly changing world, you could do worse than studying this businessman and entertainer. After all, he made it to the top in both professions.
   
   Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry is a fascinating biography of an unusual man. Read from a different perspective, it is also better than the majority of business books.
   The Shopkeeper
   The Shut Mouth Society



5. this book is well written and gives the ordinary person a glimpse into a special life