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Lost Highway: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians
This is a tribute to American roots music - country, rockabilly and the blues - spotlighting artists both celebrated and obscure, including Elvis Presley, Ernest Tubb, Bobby Blue Bland, Merle Haggard and Sleepy LaBeef. Guralnick conveys the passion that drove these men to music-making and that kept them determinedly, and sometimes desperately, on the road. It is the second book of a triology focusing on the most revolutionary eras in music history.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1979
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About the author
Peter Guralnick
59 books362 followersPeter Guralnick is an acclaimed American music critic, author, and screenwriter best known for his deeply researched works on the history of rock and roll. He earned a master’s degree in creative writing from Boston University and soon began writing about blues, country, soul, and early rock music. His two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love, is considered a definitive account of the singer’s life. Guralnick also authored landmark biographies of Sam Cooke and Sam Phillips, earning praise from critics and musicians alike. He has written liner notes for legends like Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Rich, winning a Grammy for his notes on Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club. His documentary scripts include Sam Cooke – Legend and Feel Like Going Home, directed by Martin Scorsese. Guralnick’s writing stands apart for its straightforward, unembellished style, earning him a reputation as one of rock’s most respected storytellers. He has taught at Vanderbilt University since 2005 and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2010. His recent works include Looking to Get Lost and a forthcoming biography of Colonel Tom Parker. Guralnick lives with his wife, Alexandra, and their family. His extensive archive is housed at the University of North Carolina’s Wilson Library.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 15, 2020
This is essentially a companion or continuation of Guralnick's earlier book Feel Like Going Home. Like the earlier tome it's a collection of articles that had previously been published (predominantly in Rolling Stone). If you've read Feel Like Going Home you know what you're going to get as Guralnick writes about Ernest Tubb, Bobby Blue Bland, Merle Haggard and Howlin' Wolf, among others. They are a snapshot in time and at times that can make them poignant, as the Howlin' Wolf interviews were done very shortly before his death. It's also nice to see a little love given to the likes of Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow, who even forty years ago were "oldies" acts that were no longer producing new music.
I think if there's a problem here it's that there's not much to differentiate this from Feel Like Going Home. And that's both good and bad. I enjoyed both books, but there was a feeling of "been there, done that." And it seemed that in Lost Highways Guralnick made some choices that forty years on didn't pan out. While it was marginally interesting to look at the likes of Sleepy LaBeef, James Talley and Stoney Edwards, it's mitigated by the fact that even in an era when music is more available than ever before it's hard to actually find any of their output.
For the Roots music lover this is a worthwhile read. But it's just not completely fulfilling.
I think if there's a problem here it's that there's not much to differentiate this from Feel Like Going Home. And that's both good and bad. I enjoyed both books, but there was a feeling of "been there, done that." And it seemed that in Lost Highways Guralnick made some choices that forty years on didn't pan out. While it was marginally interesting to look at the likes of Sleepy LaBeef, James Talley and Stoney Edwards, it's mitigated by the fact that even in an era when music is more available than ever before it's hard to actually find any of their output.
For the Roots music lover this is a worthwhile read. But it's just not completely fulfilling.
December 13, 2018
I read Guralnick's biographies of Elvis and loved them. This was another great musical read but I have one pretty big bone to pick with Guralnick; where are the women musicians? Lost Highway is a series of beautifully written essays/biopics of known and lesser known musicians of the 50's, 60's and 70's and there is not a woman artist amongst them. He does mention Rosetta Tharpe and some other blues singers but only in passing, as inspiration for the male artists. The only women who appear are the usual suspects; wives, girlfriends and secretaries. I thought surely some other critic must have nailed Guralnick for this but I couldn't find a word of criticism of this anywhere. I still recommend this book to anyone who loves American roots music but my opinion of Guralnick-and his generation of male rock critics-has diminished significantly.
July 19, 2018
Lost Highway was recommended to be as a good starting place for exploring Guralnick's work. It did not disappoint. I found the collection to be both detailed and engaging, filled with interesting perspectives and anecdotes on the musicians it covered. I look forward to reading more of his work.
November 9, 2019
I can’t recall how I got turned on to “Lost Highway: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians,” and it wasn’t until I read Peter Guralnick’s introduction that I realized this was actually his second collection about American roots music (“Feel Like Going Home” was his first). Had I known that I might have started there, but the blues has never been my music, whereas rockabilly, country — real country, not today’s “twang pop” — and honky-tonk have long been loves of mine. In that way, it made sense that this book should be my introduction to Guralnick and his work.
Written over the course of the 1970s and published in 1979 (a fact I had to continue to remind myself of), “Lost Highway” chronicles the lives of many of American music’s progenitors — from honky-tonk heroes Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, DeFord Bailey, Rufus Thomas, and Bobby Bland to hillbilly boogie pioneers Scotty Moore, Charlie Feathers, Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Sleepy LaBeef, Mickey Gilley, and Jack Clement to “country outlaws” Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, James Talley, and Stoney Edwards. The depth and breadth is both dizzying and electrifying, and Guralnick’s love for these musicians, combined with the vividness of his prose and his unwillingness to pull punches about their lives (even if he does tend to romanticize them), has resulted in a series of gritty, poignant, and too often sad portraits of men who have, for better or worse, dedicated their lives to making a living from music.
Like a freight train barreling across the plains, things continue apace through the first three sections — five stars all the way — but the book seemed to lose some steam in its final section entitled “The Blues Roll On.” Here, Guralnick checks in with Howlin’ Wolf (just weeks before his death it turned out), Otis Spann, and Big Joe Turner, and profiles the Chicago juke joint scene circa 1977. At the time, these pieces felt different from the rest of the book. I couldn’t put my finger on it then, and reflecting on them now, a week later, I still can’t. The best I can come up with is that the first three sections felt like a proper album, while the last one felt like a bonus EP or a collection of B-sides. Good material, but perhaps not quite the same caliber or with a vibe that didn’t quite mesh with the rest.
Or maybe, just maybe, I’d reached my saturation point — profile overload — and the issue wasn’t with the writer, the writing, or the material, but with the reader. I can cop to that. The way I see it, this book belongs on my shelf, and when I pull it down to reread that last section, it’ll come together for me the way Guralnick intended: not as an outlier but as a coda — both to this book and to his previous one. And how can I not now read it, too?
Written over the course of the 1970s and published in 1979 (a fact I had to continue to remind myself of), “Lost Highway” chronicles the lives of many of American music’s progenitors — from honky-tonk heroes Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, DeFord Bailey, Rufus Thomas, and Bobby Bland to hillbilly boogie pioneers Scotty Moore, Charlie Feathers, Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Sleepy LaBeef, Mickey Gilley, and Jack Clement to “country outlaws” Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, James Talley, and Stoney Edwards. The depth and breadth is both dizzying and electrifying, and Guralnick’s love for these musicians, combined with the vividness of his prose and his unwillingness to pull punches about their lives (even if he does tend to romanticize them), has resulted in a series of gritty, poignant, and too often sad portraits of men who have, for better or worse, dedicated their lives to making a living from music.
Like a freight train barreling across the plains, things continue apace through the first three sections — five stars all the way — but the book seemed to lose some steam in its final section entitled “The Blues Roll On.” Here, Guralnick checks in with Howlin’ Wolf (just weeks before his death it turned out), Otis Spann, and Big Joe Turner, and profiles the Chicago juke joint scene circa 1977. At the time, these pieces felt different from the rest of the book. I couldn’t put my finger on it then, and reflecting on them now, a week later, I still can’t. The best I can come up with is that the first three sections felt like a proper album, while the last one felt like a bonus EP or a collection of B-sides. Good material, but perhaps not quite the same caliber or with a vibe that didn’t quite mesh with the rest.
Or maybe, just maybe, I’d reached my saturation point — profile overload — and the issue wasn’t with the writer, the writing, or the material, but with the reader. I can cop to that. The way I see it, this book belongs on my shelf, and when I pull it down to reread that last section, it’ll come together for me the way Guralnick intended: not as an outlier but as a coda — both to this book and to his previous one. And how can I not now read it, too?
April 4, 2020
I'd probably give Lost Highways 3.5 stars if I could. It is a little uneven but still loaded with fascinating stories. First published in 1979, Guralnick profiles more than 20 singers and others in the southern music biz (mostly country and blues) during the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s - some well kn0own, others that I was not at all familiar with. The latter sometimes emphasize what I have often felt everywhere I've lived - there is tremendous local talent that just never gets the big national break they deserve.
Two common denominators are evident in many of the profiles - the blues and Sun Records. They either play the blues (and the last section of the book is totally focused on the blues) or were influenced by the blues. And as far as Sun Records goes, they were often recorded there at one time or at least worked for Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records.
Due to the timing of this book, it is interesting to be able to know "the rest of the story" with regard to some of the performers. He might speculate on their future, but we now know the answer to whether a particular performer succeeds or fades away.
Two common denominators are evident in many of the profiles - the blues and Sun Records. They either play the blues (and the last section of the book is totally focused on the blues) or were influenced by the blues. And as far as Sun Records goes, they were often recorded there at one time or at least worked for Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records.
Due to the timing of this book, it is interesting to be able to know "the rest of the story" with regard to some of the performers. He might speculate on their future, but we now know the answer to whether a particular performer succeeds or fades away.
November 20, 2020
Story of the people that made rock and roll, the outlaws, blues and country artists. Very good book.
April 11, 2016
In his introduction, Peter Guralnick makes a statement, which, to me, sums up his writing style rather well.
“I reread what I once had written and it seemed right to me, it was not that I disagreed with what I had said, it was just that I could no longer say it so simply.”
This being the first of Guralnick’s books I’ve read, I find that I would prefer the simpler Guralnick to this later, more complex one. He goes on to say, “I have learned that people for the most part want to talk.”
Guralnick is no exception. His writing, while deeply and complexly informed and intelligent, is wordy enough to be distracting. Why say something simply when more words can be used? Because it makes for better, clearer, cleaner, more effective communication. I’ve often wondered, when encountering writing of this type, if it comes from a background in journalism, where word count often reflects pay. In Guralnick’s case, considering he was a writer of magazine articles before becoming a published author, perhaps this is the case. I will say that, had I not been as interested in the subject matter as I am, I would have had a damnable time trying to get through this book.
That’s all the negative criticism I have for Guralnick or Lost Highway. Whether discussing legends of music or relatively unknown musicians, his articles are interesting and informative. That these are articles collected into book form is made evident by Guralnick himself.
There is a great deal to be learned from this volume about music and musicians, but also about the sociological factors of the time, be they economics, politics or what have you. His inclusion of people as well known as Elvis Presley and as obscure as Sleepy LaBeef gives the reader a well rounded look at the blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll music of a now bygone era. I find this to be one of the greatest contributions a music writer can make to the literature, as the relative continuity, the place and time, is often lost or is assumed to be known. This feeling of continuity, the history relative to the surrounding themes and events of the time is of the utmost importance.
Personally, I was thrilled to read articles on Howlin’ Wolf, Rufus Thomas, Hank Snow, Scotty Moore, Otis Spann and Sam Phillips. I was pleased to be introduced to the likes of Sleepy LaBeef, Stoney Edwards and DeFord Bailey. I thought it was a smart and insightful move to include an article on Big Joe Turner in a book with two articles about Elvis Presley.
Anyone interested in blues, country and the people who made those sounds will enjoy the wealth of knowledge to be found in these pages. There is much to take in and even more to take away.
“I reread what I once had written and it seemed right to me, it was not that I disagreed with what I had said, it was just that I could no longer say it so simply.”
This being the first of Guralnick’s books I’ve read, I find that I would prefer the simpler Guralnick to this later, more complex one. He goes on to say, “I have learned that people for the most part want to talk.”
Guralnick is no exception. His writing, while deeply and complexly informed and intelligent, is wordy enough to be distracting. Why say something simply when more words can be used? Because it makes for better, clearer, cleaner, more effective communication. I’ve often wondered, when encountering writing of this type, if it comes from a background in journalism, where word count often reflects pay. In Guralnick’s case, considering he was a writer of magazine articles before becoming a published author, perhaps this is the case. I will say that, had I not been as interested in the subject matter as I am, I would have had a damnable time trying to get through this book.
That’s all the negative criticism I have for Guralnick or Lost Highway. Whether discussing legends of music or relatively unknown musicians, his articles are interesting and informative. That these are articles collected into book form is made evident by Guralnick himself.
There is a great deal to be learned from this volume about music and musicians, but also about the sociological factors of the time, be they economics, politics or what have you. His inclusion of people as well known as Elvis Presley and as obscure as Sleepy LaBeef gives the reader a well rounded look at the blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll music of a now bygone era. I find this to be one of the greatest contributions a music writer can make to the literature, as the relative continuity, the place and time, is often lost or is assumed to be known. This feeling of continuity, the history relative to the surrounding themes and events of the time is of the utmost importance.
Personally, I was thrilled to read articles on Howlin’ Wolf, Rufus Thomas, Hank Snow, Scotty Moore, Otis Spann and Sam Phillips. I was pleased to be introduced to the likes of Sleepy LaBeef, Stoney Edwards and DeFord Bailey. I thought it was a smart and insightful move to include an article on Big Joe Turner in a book with two articles about Elvis Presley.
Anyone interested in blues, country and the people who made those sounds will enjoy the wealth of knowledge to be found in these pages. There is much to take in and even more to take away.
June 18, 2012
Very conversational book about American blues and country artists- nice article about Howlin' Wolf in his later years. Guralnick is passionate about the artists he chooses to cover and pulls no punches about their lives. Particularly nice bits on the Sun Records label, with pieces on Sam Phillips and Charlie Rich, who was very underrated, in my opinion.
I liked how Phillips, often accused of being cheap, said of many of the artists that left his roster for more money and fame didn't necessarily better their lives, particularly Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. Had they stayed, he felt their lives would have been on a more even keel, and they could have all been poor together, but perhaps happier.
June 18, 2016
Lost Highways: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians by Peter Guralnick (David R. Godine, Publisher, Inc. 1996)(780.92) contains chapters on musicians, troubadours, and road dogs from genres labelled by the author: blues (Howlin' Wolf, Big Joe Turner), hillbilly music (Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Elvis Presley, and Mickey Gilley), and honky-tonkers (Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., and Merle Haggard). It's a disconnected assortment of musicians, and the book is not much better thought out either. My rating: 3/10, finished 12/5/12.
October 5, 2024
Essential reading. It’s unbelievable how personable Peter Guralnick made these old blues and rockabilly guys to be. As you read it’s so easy to sink into the worlds they lived in and forget you aren’t in the room for the interview. I really appreciate how he treats each subject with the same amount of passion. There’s no difference to him in more obscure (to the mainstream I mean) guys like Cowboy Jack Clement and Stoney Edwards, to an artist much larger than life like Waylon Jennings. I found the Sam Phillips interview to be very poignant for today as well. It’s chilling to read his take on what caused Elvis’s lonely demise and also what he’d have to say to someone who came along and captured that same amount of cultural artistic power. His words warning about the death of the “individual” is something anyone who cares about music needs to hear and recognize so we don’t allow authentic expression to be taken away in favor for commodification.
“Don’t ever let fame or fortune or recognition or anything interfere with what you feel is here - if you feel you are a creative individual. Then don’t let the companies get this going real good and bug up all the rights of the individual some way or the other. That’s not right. We’ll go back in another circle. Till it gets so damn boring that your head is swimming. And i’ll tell you, I hope it’s not too long coming, because of the fact as we go longer and longer into the lack of individual expression, as we go along, if we get too far in we going to get away from some of the real basic things. All of us damn cats and people that appreciate not just the fifties necessarily but that freedom are gonna forget about the feel. We gonna be in jail, and not even know.” - Sam Phillips
“Don’t ever let fame or fortune or recognition or anything interfere with what you feel is here - if you feel you are a creative individual. Then don’t let the companies get this going real good and bug up all the rights of the individual some way or the other. That’s not right. We’ll go back in another circle. Till it gets so damn boring that your head is swimming. And i’ll tell you, I hope it’s not too long coming, because of the fact as we go longer and longer into the lack of individual expression, as we go along, if we get too far in we going to get away from some of the real basic things. All of us damn cats and people that appreciate not just the fifties necessarily but that freedom are gonna forget about the feel. We gonna be in jail, and not even know.” - Sam Phillips
March 26, 2024
I understand Peter Guralnick enjoys some acclaim but I do not feel it with this dated entry. His passion for little known artists whose music has not become more available is fine but I didn’t find very interesting. Yes, the music business is difficult to enter successfully and many who pay their dues do now receive recognition. Intermingled are brief tales of Bobby Bland, early Elvis, Waylon and Merle which, with extra attention, may have added interest but Mr. Guralnick seems to stay with his short format coverage throughout.
I note with particular displeasure his disregard for the commercial value of blues artists and their performances. Speaking of renewed interest in artists after the significant adoption of blues material and performances by many important British artists, he has “little hesitation in saying it was an artificial flowering.” Whoops, his late 70s writing misses the Stevie Ray Vaughan explosion, the coming out of Buddy Guy after seizing control of his recordings, along with many other fine artists such as Robert Cray, Charlie Musslewhite or newer artists the Black Keys, Gary Clark (and many others) or the fine covers by Dr. John, Van Morrison and again so many others (on labels such as CBS, MCA…). It is bewildering that with his carte blanche access to Howlin’ Wolf and his band, Mr. Guralnick produced such a sad and limited few paragraphs.
I note with particular displeasure his disregard for the commercial value of blues artists and their performances. Speaking of renewed interest in artists after the significant adoption of blues material and performances by many important British artists, he has “little hesitation in saying it was an artificial flowering.” Whoops, his late 70s writing misses the Stevie Ray Vaughan explosion, the coming out of Buddy Guy after seizing control of his recordings, along with many other fine artists such as Robert Cray, Charlie Musslewhite or newer artists the Black Keys, Gary Clark (and many others) or the fine covers by Dr. John, Van Morrison and again so many others (on labels such as CBS, MCA…). It is bewildering that with his carte blanche access to Howlin’ Wolf and his band, Mr. Guralnick produced such a sad and limited few paragraphs.
July 4, 2023
A thoughtful and intimate collection of profiles of American roots musicians - Country, rockabilly, blues and rock and roll. Guralnick writes acutely about how the vibrant creativity of American vernacular culture produce brilliant artists whose the dreams and passions intersect with the demands of a music industry and celebrity. The result is ambivalence, as people stay on the road well into their later years waiting for their break or rediscovery, disappointment, or like Elvis, isolation in the gilded cage brought by mythic levels of fame. Yet alongside the psychological and sociological insights there is plenty of celebration of the music itself. I discovered several artists whose work id not encountered who I now love. This is the baseline expectation of music writing. Guralnick achieves this and much more.
March 14, 2020
Guralnick is my favorite music writer of all time and this book does not disappoint for any fan of his mix of conversational tone and deeply informed insight into artist's lives and driving passions and triumphs. This will help you discover and rediscover artists that form the bedrock of American musical expression in country, blues, folk, gospel, and rockabilly.
July 4, 2022
Collection of articles and interviews with country, blues, and rock'n'roll legends conducted in the early to mid-seventies and compiled in about 1978. A little choppy in structure, but one of those books you can pick up, put down, and pick up again without losing the general thread. Guralnick's interview with Sam Phillips of Sun Records was the standout for me.
May 1, 2020
A little 'all-over-the-place', but also a lot of great little snapshots of musical lives. Fun read.
June 23, 2013
Wow! A poignant, brilliant foray into the lives of musicians that are/were simultaneously the progenitors of the American musical idiom (blues/country/rock-a-billy) and the victims of that music's allure. Guralnick's prose is elegantly heartfelt and compliments the "journeys and arrivals" of his blues men, honky-tonkers and,oft times, haunted souls that live the gritty reality of a life dedicated to the making of this music. A great paean to the various artists (ranging from the very famous(Elvis and Merle haggard) to the forlornly obscure (Charlie Feathers,Deford Bailey). The photos are priceless.
Guralnick reveals the fascinating nuances of the cross fertilization of black/white genre bending, the crucial difference between "live" and recorded music making, and includes a great discography.
My only critique, is that there is probably a degree of "romanticizing" in these portrayals of the musicians...perhaps it is inevitable when an author's passion for his subject is as evident as Gurlanick's is. But the author, himself, periodically and unabashedly admits to his wholehearted love affair with the roots of American music.
Guralnick reveals the fascinating nuances of the cross fertilization of black/white genre bending, the crucial difference between "live" and recorded music making, and includes a great discography.
My only critique, is that there is probably a degree of "romanticizing" in these portrayals of the musicians...perhaps it is inevitable when an author's passion for his subject is as evident as Gurlanick's is. But the author, himself, periodically and unabashedly admits to his wholehearted love affair with the roots of American music.
July 28, 2014
Fine collection of Guralnick's 1970s magazine pieces about musicians in country, blues and rockabilly. These are mostly profiles, an exception being an essay about Elvis he wrote just before Presley's death, and the subjects range from the quite famous, like Merle Haggard and Howlin Wolf, to the fairly obscure. Perhaps most interesting from a 2014 perspective are once popular and highly influential artists whom popular memory has largely left behind, like country singers Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow. Guralnick is a careful writer, a good observer and a smart interviewer. His piece on Haggard (then at his commercial peak) is trenchant, and "Snapshots of Charlie Rich" is a deeply moving portrait of a talent whose own demons and own idea of integrity combined to keep him from a popularity his talent likely warranted. But Guralnick's also great on never-made-its like the fascinating Stoney Edwards, a black country singer. Quibble: I wish the pieces were dated and the publications they originally appeared in specified.
September 23, 2014
Perhaps the title of this clearly suggests that we are not to expect uniformly happy success stories; in fact, no one from the megastar Elvis to the rather obscure Stoney Edwards is free from slings and arrows, which may just reflect real life, rather than any profound truth about the music business.
The stories of these seminal country music, rockabilly and blues figures only bring us up to the mid-70s, so following up on the rest of everyone's life, and listening to the many archival compilations of the music that have subsequently become available provides a whole supplementary stream to reading the book.
I had at least heard of most of the artists, though my subjects for further study list now includes Edwards, James Talley and Cowboy Jack Clements. Also notable is Charlie Feathers praising Junior Kimbrough a good 15 years before the latter finally got a bit of general acclaim.
The stories of these seminal country music, rockabilly and blues figures only bring us up to the mid-70s, so following up on the rest of everyone's life, and listening to the many archival compilations of the music that have subsequently become available provides a whole supplementary stream to reading the book.
I had at least heard of most of the artists, though my subjects for further study list now includes Edwards, James Talley and Cowboy Jack Clements. Also notable is Charlie Feathers praising Junior Kimbrough a good 15 years before the latter finally got a bit of general acclaim.
November 16, 2013
This far outdoes Feel Like Going Home. The same formula is here. Individual chapters on artists which read a bit like an enclyclopedia. However, Guralnick manages to connect all these chapters through a series of themes he explores through the book, including the very real effects of living life on the road and adding real life complexity to the idea that white musicians just stole African American music at the birth of rock and roll. In fact, Guralnick makes the case that rockabilly is the fullest realization of American music, "blues with a country beat." Thus, the books reads more like a cultural study than anything else. Which is miles beyond anything he accomplished in Feel Like Going Home.
December 22, 2007
Peter Guralnick is an amazing music historian and a very good writer. His biographies (there are two volumes) on Elvis is the best. But saying that, this book explores the roots of Memphis and rockabilly. He has a great understanding of Southern culture, and gives the reader a big canvas to eat on - music wise, if that makes sense. Go listen to the music and bring this book along - it would make a great late night date.
July 12, 2024
Wonderful collection of musician profiles that I've just re-read for the first time in at least twenty years, and enjoyed just as much as ever. It's a testament to the greatness of Guralnick's writing that even the pieces on country musicans kept me enthralled, although country music doesn't interest me very much.
August 24, 2014
Guralnick is one of the best music writers I have ever read; right up there with Lomax, Greil Marcus, and Nick Tosches. This book was a fitting champagne bottle to bust on the bow of 2014's reading list. Amazing studies of Howlin' Wolf, Joe Turner, Elvis, Sam Philips, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bland...I learned so much from this intimately observed and detailed book.
April 27, 2014
As wonderful as Feel Like Going Home, but quite a bit longer, and with a greater emphasis on white country musicians. Charlie Rich and Howlin' Wolf make repeat appearances, and the books reverberate off one another without feeling like they're covering the same ground over and over. That ground is awfully fertile, though, so who'd complain if they were?
September 22, 2007
A companion to his first book, Feel Like Going Home. If you enjoyed either book, you must read the other. If you don't find yourself buying an Ernest Tubb or Bobby Bland CD after reading this book, man, you're made of stone. Warning, though: this book can be hazardous to your wallet.
April 5, 2013
A collection of non-standard interviews and profiles of some of American musical great performers. Some big names as well as a few unknowns. Guralnick packs a lot of insight as well as information into his books, and this one is no different.
July 28, 2007
Sterling miniatures of James Talley, DeFord Bailey, Ernest Tubb and other American music luminaries.
December 7, 2008
"Last Train To Memphis" is a seriously great Bio. This is OK too. Interesting.
January 4, 2011
Every Peter Guralnick book on popular music is worth reading. His subjects, as in this book, are colorful, tragic and heroic, and his writing is nonpareil.
July 12, 2011
Almost without peer as one of the best books ever written on American music.
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August 9, 2011To go with the recent holiday
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews