Throughout the life of America Roots Radio, Taupin would recommend books that he believed allowed the listener to delve more deeply into subject matter discussed on the show. Here are those recommendations, posted latest entry to earliest.
BESSIE
BY CHRIS ALBERTSON
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Blues: Although the author comes across as a little dismissive of his peers and slightly pleased with himself at times, this revised and expanded edition of Chris Albertson’s 1971 bio of the Empress of the Blues is without equal. Bessie Smith’s life had been chronicled with such inaccuracy and mythology in the past that by the time this book was published it was hard to distinguish truth from fiction. Thanks to the author’s discovery of several key individuals who worked and lived alongside this remarkable woman, the true story of her phenomenal career was finally told in extraordinary factual detail. This really is a very good book, that rare biography that literally entwines the reader in the subject’s life. Although I came to it a committed fan of the great lady’s recorded works, I was somewhat ignorant of her personal story. This book totally seduced me with its invigorating narrative and canny way of conjuring up the feel of the times, one can almost smell the greasepaint of the tent shows and the smoke of speakeasies in it’s pages. By the story’s tragic end, I really felt that I had been along for the ride. A must read.
THE ONE: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF JAMES BROWN
BY RJ SMITH
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Soul, R&B: Surprisingly outside of Brown’s own iffy autobiography, this is the only complete and authoritative biography of the godfather of soul. Given Brown’s status as one of the defining pioneers of this genre, and an artist who could rank as one of the most important of the 20th century, this seems inexcusable. However, this book, although it has little competition, does the job admirably - even though at times one still feels there is a depth to the man that is not totally tapped. Brown’s paradoxes are many, and while the musical aspect of things can not be argued with (he had an unearthly gift for rhythm and musical arrangement) his balance of social involvement and generosity withers somewhat alongside his penchant for particularly nasty drugs and unpleasant behavior. In a nutshell, it’s not terribly easy to like him (even his acts of charity seem at times to be inspired by self-gratification) and in the end one feels slightly confused as how to feel about this deeply contradictory musical legend.
MICKEY NEWBURY: CRYSTAL & STONE
BY JOE ZIEMER
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Folk, Songwriter: Even if you’re familiar with the great American songwriter Mickey Newbury there’s a good chance you may not be aware of this book. Not a major publication, it takes a fairly unorthodox approach to Newbury’s life and career. I personally cannot critique it as I have not read it, and recommend it only because there is little available on Newbury in general. Obviously a labor of love, it seems to go into great detail especially regarding Newbury’s songwriting process and includes many talking heads recounting their personnel relationships and collaborations with him. All this being said a book I imagine is for devotees only.
CHINABERRY SIDEWALK: A MEMOIR BY RODNEY CROWELL
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Country, Songwriter: A simply wonderful autobiography penned my one of Nashville’s greatest songwriters. Prose run through Rodney’s blood like the lyrical music that springs from his guitar. Brimming with humor and hardscrabble tenderness this tale of life on the wrong side of the tracks in 1950’s Houston will keep you turning the pages through any long wet afternoon. The authors love hate relationship with his hard drinking, often gone and Hank Williams wannabe of a dad doesn’t deter the reader from ultimately seeing the good side of him through forgiving eyes. It doesn’t matter if you know Rodney’s music or not, this is one hell of a read.
TWENTY THOUSAND ROADS: THE BALLAD OF GRAM PARSONS AND HIS COSMIC AMERICAN MUSIC BY DAVID N. MEYER
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Rock: Unless you’re a hardcore Gram Parsons fan you may be intimidated by this weighty bio of the iconic country rock maverick who died at the ridiculously young age of 26. Some may argue that it’s a lot for a life so short but it’s his intricate and bizarre family tree that overshadows everything else the book has to offer. Parsons himself becomes almost insignificant compared to his hedonistic parents and his chronically wealthy Floridian crackerjack family who make the pedestrian bad behavior of the rock royalty of later chapters seem predictable and tame by comparison. Also Parsons himself comes across for the most part as unsympathetic, self centered and manipulative - in a word he’s hard to like and there are incidents including one that could have sent his road manager to jail for life (given the time period) that have you wondering how he wasn’t beaten to death before he managed to comply to the deed by his own reckless hand.
Yes he had talent and he left some beautiful music, sadly he could have done so much more. It’s also a stretch to say he invented country rock, he was certainly in the front line but there were others who contributed. So one is ultimately left with the feeling that dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse aided and abetted to the myth.
FAKING IT: THE QUEST FOR AUTHENTICITY IN POPULAR MUSIC BY HUGH BARKER & YUVAL TAYLOR
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Multi-Genre: Although this book is well researched, thought provoking and an entertaining read it ultimately boils down to weather or not you care about the author’s conclusions. The concept of “keeping it real’ is relatively contemporary and appears to manifest itself as an inherent paranoia prevalent in musicians who are terrified of being labeled as pop acts thus being deemed not worthy. What these artists fail to understand is that pop is an abbreviation of popular music a category that they all fall under, so like it or not pop is what they all are plain and simple. In the end folks like what they like and all the labeling and genre handles in the world isn’t going to change that. In the late 70’s some folks liked ABBA and some liked the Sex Pistols neither one in my book made you any cooler than the other. I like Mississippi John Hurt and all the arguing about weather or not he should be categorized as blues, folk, folk blues or pop isn’t going to change my opinion of him as simply a wonderfully evocative recording artist. Having said that read the book anyway there’s some good stuff in its pages.
SATCHMO: THE WONDERFUL WORLD AND ART OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG BY STEVEN BROWER
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Jazz: In a typical year, Louis Armstrong spent more than three hundred days on the road. He always traveled with a steamer trunk designed to carry reel-to-reel tape decks and a turntable. Often he would turn on the recorder to capture everyday conversations, whether he was hanging out at home, telling jokes or simple backstage banter among his musicians. When not recording or performing he found time to create collages on the tape boxes he carried with him and this book brings together the wealth of his creative output and visual styling of his improvisational genius. This book is a joy and just a lot of fun as well as being a fine tribute to the great spirit and warmth that inhabited one of the greatest gifts to 20th century music.
UNSUNG HEROES OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: THE BIRTH OF ROCK IN THE WILD YEARS BEFORE ELVIS BY NICK TOSCHES
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Early Rock & Roll: This book from 1984 is a great companion piece to our “American Roots Radio” 50th anniversary special. For a more in depth look at the guys and girls that started the ball rolling and fueled those southern white boys with songs and style you need look no further. Tosches has a great way of adding humor and wit to the individual tales of 30 pioneers (including 16 featured on the ARR special) who created a sound that was pure rock ‘n’ roll before rock ‘n’ roll had a name. The book also includes a wonderful chronology of musical and historical timelines as well as complete listings of available material by all the artists featured.
FOUR STRONG WINDS: IAN & SYLVIA TYSON BY JOHN EINARSON WITH IAN TYSON & SYLVIA TYSON
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Folk, Songwriter: A book I’ve yet to read but by all accounts the definitive story of Canada’s foremost folk duo. Ian & Sylvia’s influence runs like a bloodline through a multitude of artists while their songs have been covered and reinvented by the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Neil Young & The Tragically Hip. Not content to linger in the past they moved with the times leaving an admirable legacy that has secured them iconic status above the 49th parallel.
THE CHITLIN’ CIRCUIT AND THE ROAD TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BY PRESTON LAUTERBACH
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Roots Of Rock And Roll: For generations, “chitlin’ circuit” meant second-tier-brash performers in raucous nightclubs far from the bright city light. This world of clubs and conmen has so far managed to avoid close examination despite its wealth of plotlines and vulgar glory. This book starts a little tentatively but revs up with the introduction of it’s colorful characters and intriguing and entertaining details regarding the formative years of some of the greatest artists of swing, R&B and Rock & Roll.