Get Access Country Music, U.S.A. By Bill C. Malone Accessible As Hardcover
definitive history of Country Music, . . approaching the book with little background knowledge of country music, Malone kept me captivated the entire way through, Excellent, nuanced coverage until it reaches contemporary times, when all the nuance disappears and gatekeeping begins, This is not a fun read, But it is a detailed read, Malone knows the subject of old country music cold, but that is part of the problem, While this book getsfor scholarship and detail, it loses points for excessive detail and readability, It's great to learn the background of hundreds of early artists, but I'm afraid it is just overwhelming, If you don't know most of the artists here, it will be a muddle,
An important work that could use some editing, The book that started it all, My only problem with this book is that you could tell someone else wrote the final chapter and it was in a totally different style.
Highly recommend to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of country music, Being so comprehensive makes it quite a slough at times but is rewarding to those that persevere, Country music is a great window into the South and America in theth century, Finally got through this one, In a lot of ways, this is a better encapsulation of country music than the recent Ken Burns' docuseries "Country Music.
" But I'd recommend both for a fairly complete look at this uniquely American musical genre, An excellent reference tool for country music scholars and enthusiasts alike a 'who done it' of country music,
If you aren't looking for every detail of every aspect of everything country music, you may want to look elsewhere.
. . but if you are, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU,
The prose has a narrative quality to it that makes reading enjoyable, while at the same time filling you with every detail imaginable.
I recommend picking up this one up! Just make sure you get the most recent edition it has been updated several times.
Everything you have always wanted to know about country music is here, From its beginnings to the present, every form, and every country music artist is here, Originally published in, I suggest grabbing theth anniversary edition because a lots happened in country music since then, If you're unto music books and music history, make room on your shelf for this Quite disappointed in this offering, Such a fascinating topic but the book was very very dry, I suppose that's a product of being an academic history of country music has such a fascinating history it shouldn't be as boring as it was in this
book.
So much focus on early singers and niche singers, Maybe it would have been better to stick to the big names and focus on them a bit more, But usually you get a paragraph or two on the big stats and pages and pages on people you've never heard of.
All the critics seem to agree that this is the goto book for a thorough and comprehensive history of Country Music and, as I haven't read anything similar, I found it to be so.
I did not grow up with country music, but came to it late in life, so I had much to learn about this genre.
Malone and Neal's book is considered by some to be Country Music's bible, and they certainly spare no effort to tell the story of this uniquely American art form.
Country music is primarily southern in origin, with important branches in the rural Midwest and California, and the music has numerous styles, both electric, acoustic, modern and traditional The number of famous artists and songs referred to are too numerous to mention, and the text is pleasantly readable.
Reading this book is a bit like taking a college course in the history of this music, Really interesting book, but get theedition if you can, This is pretty outofdate. The ultimate onestopshop history of country music since, Malone's book has remained a standard since its publication for a reason, The fact is, if you're interested in country music scholarship this is the place to start and continues to be an important document in the genre's scholarship.
I finally read it for the first time in advance of Ken Burns's Country Music which features Malone as its only scholar, and I was glad to finally experience what it had to offer.
I read theth anniversary edition that was updated towith an additional chapter by an Atlanta scholar on the current state of affairs in the genre.
Overall, there is no comparison to be made with any other book on the subject to this one, Others focus on aspects of country music that may get a few pages here, but for a broad history this book is indispensable.
The main problem of this book is that it seems an encyclopedia, For every decade, the biography of the most important country singers or groups is traced and the best songs are mentioned.
It becomes a short sequence of artists that, once you are at the end of the chapter, you have already forgotten.
What's the point of reading an essay, if after reading it you don't remember anything
The most interesting part of the book is the bibliography where lots of other books, both generic and specific, about the subject are mentioned, so that you can delve more into the world of country music.
very complete, but overall to positive for every artist, "Described as "the Bible for country music history and scholarship" on its original publication, it is quite simply the cornerstoneand a highly readable one at thatof any shelf devoted to the country's Southern/Western rural class music and should be in any library of America's music heritage.
" Texas Books in From reviews of the first edition: "The most accurate, complete and serious study of country music ever published.
" Nashville Tennessean "It will stand as a basic source of reference on country music for many years to come probably forever.
" Stereo "A splendid book, . . impressively documented, and beautifully written. " Journal of Southern History
From reviews of the revised edition: "Malone has done something that most readers thought was impossible and that is to actually improve what most of us thought was a perfect book.
" Country Music News "For almost two decades, Bill Malone's Country Music, U, S. A. has stood as the book in its field this new edition secures that position, Scholars, music lovers, and general readers will all find it rewarding, whether for the first or second time, " Journal of the West "A book to be read, reread, and savored, " Southwest
Since its first publication in, Bill C, Malone's Country Music, U. S. A. has won universal acclaim as the definitive history of American country music, Starting with the music's folk roots in the rural South, it traces country music from the early days of radio to the beginning of the twentyfirst century.
This second revised edition includes an extensive new chapter that continues the story fromto, along with anannotated listing of books and recordings which came out during that time.
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