- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books; New edition edition (14 July 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0465028586
- ISBN-13: 978-0465028580
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.7 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,381,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
"Marybeth Hamilton's gripping new book tells of seekers, ranters, scholars, oddballs, propagandists, and down-and-out loners, united in a search for the Mississippi Delta blues. More than anybody, she says, this quirky and dedicated band not simply recovered the blues but turned Delta music into one of the fundamentals of modern musical culture." -- Sean Wilentz
Observer Music Monthly
'An important and often beautifully written piece of historical
revisionism' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
revisionism' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a complete labour of love - well-researched and wonderfully readable. A unique approach compared to the more familiar histories of the blues. The result is like hearing an alternate take of a much loved record. You don't just listen - you really hear it for the first time. It shows how far so many messengers can unwittingly distort a story. The earliest middle class researchers and collectors described here bring with them startling degrees of prejudice and stereotyping quite foreign to us now. Yet they have been responsible for creating some of the most enduring myths of the genre. Treating the black man's art as an artefact to be unearthed as would an archeologist, yet surprised and hurt when their all too human discoveries inconveniently choose to react, interact, and develop in response to the modern urban age.
This book presents a paradox - the more we understand of these 20th century explorers of US folk blues culture, the less we know of the true origins of this most powerful of popular music forms, and even more elusive is the true image of it's inventors and innovators.
'Don't it always seem to go - you don't know what you've got til it's gone....'
This book presents a paradox - the more we understand of these 20th century explorers of US folk blues culture, the less we know of the true origins of this most powerful of popular music forms, and even more elusive is the true image of it's inventors and innovators.
'Don't it always seem to go - you don't know what you've got til it's gone....'
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an interesting read for lovers of early blues.
It is not about musical details - you won't find out about Robert Johnson's guitar tunings, or who influenced Muddy Waters. Rather, it discusses the people who collected the blues via recordings (e.g. the Lomax family) and those early collectors who decided what should be regarded as good music.
The author is concerned with the motives of early enthusiasts, who filtered the music for us. For example, some sought out music that was uninfluenced by radio or gramaphone, some were politically motivated, looking for music of the people, and some looked for great art in the blues.
Sometimes, the book is rather dryly academic in style, but don't let that put you off. Anyone interested in early blues and how is was selected will find it a worthwhile read.
It is not about musical details - you won't find out about Robert Johnson's guitar tunings, or who influenced Muddy Waters. Rather, it discusses the people who collected the blues via recordings (e.g. the Lomax family) and those early collectors who decided what should be regarded as good music.
The author is concerned with the motives of early enthusiasts, who filtered the music for us. For example, some sought out music that was uninfluenced by radio or gramaphone, some were politically motivated, looking for music of the people, and some looked for great art in the blues.
Sometimes, the book is rather dryly academic in style, but don't let that put you off. Anyone interested in early blues and how is was selected will find it a worthwhile read.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First, a warning. The front cover picture is a little misleading. This book is not really about the black americans who made the blues. If that's what you want you'd be better off buying 'The land where the blues began' by Alan Lomax.
This book is about the folk-song collectors, journalists, record collectors and others who shaped our view of the music. I hadn't realised that the whole taxonomy of jazz & blues, country blues, delta blues etc. was invented and applied retrospectively. Mostly in the blues revival of the 60s and by non-performers. Fascinating.
This book is about the folk-song collectors, journalists, record collectors and others who shaped our view of the music. I hadn't realised that the whole taxonomy of jazz & blues, country blues, delta blues etc. was invented and applied retrospectively. Mostly in the blues revival of the 60s and by non-performers. Fascinating.
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