Listener's Guide to the Blues

by Peter Guralnick

the listeners guides are a lively and original series of books about music of all types from chamber music to the blues

Genres: Music

134 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Peter 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.

Reviews

[Garrett Cash]

The main body of Peter Guralnick's books on American music are indispensably great, but I may be just as big of a fan of the discographical sections in the back of the books as anything that came before it. Because when you get down to it, you can write about music all day but without steering a reader toward the best recordings from an artist to consume you just haven't done your job. Music writing should send a reader to the music. With the blues, the fact that much of the genre's best was recorded before albums were popularized means that you're having to pick between compilations by artists who often recorded for many labels over several decades. This is challenging for someone used to shopping for historical recordings, and a major barrier for the uninitiated. Despite the dated nature of the book (this does not account at all for the explosion of affordable blues CDs with much better sound quality released in the nineties), it has great information on the artists and who they recorded for at what times and which ones are the preferred releases. You can easily apply this to the CD releases that came out eventually if you want, or use this as a guide when digging through the used blues bin at your local record store. Either way, this is an inviting introduction to hearing the full spectrum of the blues.

[Patrick]

If you were to only get one book about the blues, this is it. It provides all the necessary biographical and background information in short, readable chapters, and then discusses the albums most worth checking out for every artist and every style. Indispensable.

[Russell]

Long out of print - great blues listeners guide written by the brother of Tom Guralnick (the Outpost Performance Space)!