Blues And The Poetic Spirit

by Paul Garon

Book by Garon, Paul

Genres: Music, Poetry

178 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1978

Reviews

[Ed Erwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting thing about this book today is the large selection of early blues lyrics.

The analysis of those lyrics in terms of Freudian psychoanalysis is not something I can agree very much with. I'll admit that subconscious thoughts influence lyrics. I just don't trust that Paul Garon can correctly decode those subconscious influences. (Maybe sometimes a train does represent "Father". But sometimes a train is just a train.) His attempts to link Blues and Surrealism seem far-fetched to me. I'm glad that psychoanalysis of literature has fallen out of favor since 1975 when this first came out.

[Monte · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good! freud and poetry and the fantastic therapeutic value of diminished thirds and sevenths

[Graham Tennyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the revised 1996 editio) but it is fundamentally a mid seventies book. The seventies were strange. The book needs to be read with this in mind. However, if you are looking for a book about blues lyrics from a psychoanalytic and surrealist perspective this is the book for you - maybe the only book you need to read on the subject! It is stuffed full of deep insight and crammed with great quotes. I couldn't put it down, but I couldn't recommend it. I don't actually know anyone who would stick with it - but I don't know everyone.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the best blues books i've ever read (along w/robert palmer's "deep blues"). it talks a lot about surrealism and the blues, and it also talks about how blues lyrics were in a secret code so that they could vent about white people without them realizing. sometimes the book got academic and difficult for me to read but i still thought it was great. cool photo's and drawings.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book that charts the common territory between Blues and Surrealism, another chart for setting the Wayback Machine to explore "old, weird America."

[T. Smith]

Also check out Paul's book on Peetie Wheatstraw and Paul & Beth Garon's book on Memphis Minnie.