Friday, April 18, 2008

The Top 30 Rock Books I Own: #9 Country: Living Legends and Dying Metaphors in America's Biggest Music

Title: Country: Living Legends and Dying Metaphors in America's Biggest Music
Author: Nick Tosches
Year Originally Published: 1977
Edition I Own: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1985

What They Say: 1) The Village Voice: "What makes Tosches' opus so fascinating is that much of the esoterica he reveals has never been printed anywhere before. As a result, almost any page you look at leaves you stunned. Crazy-brilliant." (No link, this is on the back cover of my edition.) 2) The Houston Post: "An absolute steamroller of a book (with some of the juiciest, grittiest passages ever found in any C&W study). Goes for the jugular of what the music is really about." (Ditto on linkage.) 3) The editors of The Rolling Stone Record Guide (the first red one): "Tosches is one of the most hilarious writers who has ever commented on American pop ... Breaks every one of Nashville's social taboos, with as much panache as Presley and Lewis did with musical ones."

Tosches in his preface to my edition: "Full of half-forgotten country stars, faded honky-tonk singers, obscure rockabillies, and black musicians of bygone generations." And: "I had wanted to explore the darker areas of country music's history, not its current popularity; to write a book for those who were interested more in where country music came from and what it was than in what it had lately become."

Tuomala's Attempt At A Take: I bought this at Rag & Bone circa 1998. The blurbs above say enough - I've read this book twice (maybe three if you count all the times I've picked it up and just start reading random chapters or pages) and it's awesome.