Preachin' the Blues : The Life and Times of Son House
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Review
An entertaining, detailed and sympathetic account of an extraordinary life. (Lou Glandfield Times Literary Supplement )
Well recommended (Russ Shor, VJM's Jazz & Blues Mart )
Superbly researched (Froots Magazine )
Well recommended (Russ Shor, VJM's Jazz & Blues Mart )
Superbly researched (Froots Magazine )
Product Description
In June of 1964, three young, white blues fans set out from New York City in a Volkswagen, heading for the Mississippi Delta in search of a musical legend. So begins Preachin' the Blues, the biography of American blues signer and guitarist Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. (1902 - 1988). House pioneered an innovative style, incorporating strong repetitive rhythms with elements of southern gospel and spiritual vocals. A seminal figure in the history of the Delta blues, he was an important, direct influence on such figures as Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. The landscape of Son House's life and the vicissitudes he endured make for an absorbing narrative, threaded through with a tension between House's religious beliefs and his spells of commitment to a lifestyle that implicitly rejected it. Drinking, womanizing, and singing the blues caused this tension that is palpable in his music, and becomes explicit in one of his finest performances, "Preachin' the Blues." Large parts of House's life are obscure, not least because his own accounts of them were inconsistent. Author Daniel Beaumont offers a chronology/topography of House's youth, taking into account evidence that conflicts sharply with the well-worn fable, and he illuminates the obscurity of House's two decades in Rochester, NY between his departure from Mississippi in the 1940s and his "rediscovery" by members of the Folk Revival Movement in 1964. Beaumont gives a detailed and perceptive account of House's primary musical legacy: his recordings for Paramount in 1930 and for the Library of Congress in 1941-42. In the course of his research Beaumont has unearthed not only connections among the many scattered facts and fictions but new information about a rumoured murder in Mississippi, and a charge of manslaughter on Long Island - incidents which bring tragic light upon House's lifelong struggles and self-imposed disappearance, and give trenchant meaning to the moving music of this early blues legend.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
This biography is the best blues biography I have read. Although there is relatively little information available about Son House's early life, Beaumont does a beautiful job of making the most of what there is and presenting it in a coherent manner. His commentaries on House's recordings are very insightful and he makes consistently interesting analyses of House's psyche, especially regarding his inner turmoil regarding his conflicting feelings about religion. It is also very informative about the sixties blues revival. A superb book about a fascinating man, and a worthy tribute to one of the legends of the blues; I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the blues.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Daniel Beaumont's fine biography of Son House
4 Jun 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I finished reading the Son House biography, "Preachin' the Blues: The Life and Times of Son House" by Daniel Beaumont and while I intend to do a lengthier review, I thought it would serve to state my brief impressions. He makes use of much of the existing published material as well as some unpublished material such as stuff he has derived from the late Stephen Calt's research. Thankfully the book is evenly written and lacks the nasty potshots that Calt was capable of taking against others. For example, if Calt had done a House biography, one would be hard-pressed to imagine Calt praising Dick Waterman's work with Son as Son's manager.
The only negatives include the fact that photo reproduction of some images could have been better and no discography of Son's recordings including CD releases. This book actually has footnotes which is quite helpful compared to the modern tendency of having endnotes at the end of a text. Another wonderful addition to the blues literature.
The only negatives include the fact that photo reproduction of some images could have been better and no discography of Son's recordings including CD releases. This book actually has footnotes which is quite helpful compared to the modern tendency of having endnotes at the end of a text. Another wonderful addition to the blues literature.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Justice for Eddie!
3 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
One of the finest books on the subject of blues I have read. Makes a great companion to Calt's book on Skip James, though Beaumont's tone is decidedly less caustic and defamatory. The only real villain in Beaumont's book seems to be Alan Lomax, who is cast as an opportunistic sort, but mostly, the book is heavy on facts and light on conjecture and gossip. Given what I knew about House before from various accounts (such as Segrest and Hoffman's Howlin' Wolf biography, Moanin' At Midnight), I was surprised and delighted to find that the man was occasionally humble and frequently benevolent, in direct contrast to some of his contemporaries (again, Skip James, who seemed like a pretty hard guy to like), and not merely a drunken has-been, as he has often been lamentably painted. An indispensable book on a fascinating subject. Highest recommendation.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
My dad is soooo excited.
3 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a Christmas present for my dad who is extraordinarily excited to receive it. Great book for anyone who loves the blues.
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