The rich and colorful story of America's most popular music and the singers and songwriters who captivated, entertained, and consoled listeners throughout the twentieth century--based on the upcoming eight-part film series to air on PBS in September 2019 This gorgeously illustrated and hugely entertaining history begins where country music itself emerged: the American The rich and colorful story of America's most popular music and the singers and songwriters who captivated, entertained, and consoled listeners throughout the twentieth century--based on the upcoming eight-part film series to air on PBS in September 2019 This gorgeously illustrated and hugely entertaining history begins where country music itself emerged: the American South, where people sang to themselves and to their families at home and in church, and where they danced to fiddle tunes on Saturday nights. With the birth of radio in the 1920s, the songs moved from small towns, mountain hollers, and the wide-open West to become the music of an entire nation--a diverse range of sounds and styles from honky tonk to gospel to bluegrass to rockabilly, leading up through the decades to the music's massive commercial success today. But above all, Country Music is the story of the musicians. Here is Hank Williams's tragic honky tonk life, Dolly Parton rising to fame from a dirt-poor childhood, and Loretta Lynn turning her experiences into songs that spoke to women everywhere. Here too are interviews with the genre's biggest stars, including the likes of Merle Haggard to Garth Brooks to Rosanne Cash. Rife with rare photographs and endlessly fascinating anecdotes, the stories in this sweeping yet intimate history will captivate longtime country fans and introduce new listeners to an extraordinary body of music that lies at the very center of the American experience.
Country Music: An Illustrated History
The rich and colorful story of America's most popular music and the singers and songwriters who captivated, entertained, and consoled listeners throughout the twentieth century--based on the upcoming eight-part film series to air on PBS in September 2019 This gorgeously illustrated and hugely entertaining history begins where country music itself emerged: the American The rich and colorful story of America's most popular music and the singers and songwriters who captivated, entertained, and consoled listeners throughout the twentieth century--based on the upcoming eight-part film series to air on PBS in September 2019 This gorgeously illustrated and hugely entertaining history begins where country music itself emerged: the American South, where people sang to themselves and to their families at home and in church, and where they danced to fiddle tunes on Saturday nights. With the birth of radio in the 1920s, the songs moved from small towns, mountain hollers, and the wide-open West to become the music of an entire nation--a diverse range of sounds and styles from honky tonk to gospel to bluegrass to rockabilly, leading up through the decades to the music's massive commercial success today. But above all, Country Music is the story of the musicians. Here is Hank Williams's tragic honky tonk life, Dolly Parton rising to fame from a dirt-poor childhood, and Loretta Lynn turning her experiences into songs that spoke to women everywhere. Here too are interviews with the genre's biggest stars, including the likes of Merle Haggard to Garth Brooks to Rosanne Cash. Rife with rare photographs and endlessly fascinating anecdotes, the stories in this sweeping yet intimate history will captivate longtime country fans and introduce new listeners to an extraordinary body of music that lies at the very center of the American experience.
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David Doty –
The accompanying volume to the PBS mini-series of the same name, this book is everything you'd expect from Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns--thoroughly researched history, fascinating stories, and a compelling narrative that leaves you wanting more. Tracing the arc of country music from its "hillbilly" and Western swing roots in the 1920s and 1930s to the rise of the "Nashville sound" and the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s and 1960s, to its more recent crossover into rock and pop, Dayton and Burns paint The accompanying volume to the PBS mini-series of the same name, this book is everything you'd expect from Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns--thoroughly researched history, fascinating stories, and a compelling narrative that leaves you wanting more. Tracing the arc of country music from its "hillbilly" and Western swing roots in the 1920s and 1930s to the rise of the "Nashville sound" and the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s and 1960s, to its more recent crossover into rock and pop, Dayton and Burns paint the history of America in the 20th century through the eyes of some its most talented artists. With comprehensive profiles of several of country's biggest stars, including Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Gene Autry, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, the Carter family, Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kathy Mattea, Tricia Yearwood, Vince Gill, and Garth Brooks, the book provides detailed insights into how the genre developed and continues to speak to Americans across the racial, political, and economic spectrum today. Described by various people as "three chords and the truth," country music is said to be more appreciated as one gets older and actually experiences many of the life events described by country songs--from the joyful to the sorrowful. I agree, and recommend this book to anyone who really wants to understand how music can touch the heart and soul.
Jay Gabler –
Why does it always seem like country music is having an identity crisis? Does R&B have identity crises? Does pop? Does hip-hop? Sure, but somehow with country music there always seems to be a tension between some idea of "real country" and whatever genres, ideas, or textures are influencing the sound of music made by artists who consider themselves country. In his landmark book Country Music USA: 50th Anniversary Edition, Bill C. Malone (with co-author Tracey E.W. Laird for the most recent Why does it always seem like country music is having an identity crisis? Does R&B have identity crises? Does pop? Does hip-hop? Sure, but somehow with country music there always seems to be a tension between some idea of "real country" and whatever genres, ideas, or textures are influencing the sound of music made by artists who consider themselves country. In his landmark book Country Music USA: 50th Anniversary Edition, Bill C. Malone (with co-author Tracey E.W. Laird for the most recent edition) tackles that question head-on and brings it right up to the minute, with Beyoncé’s "Daddy Lessons" hanging as the unanswered question for country music in this decade. Can an African-American woman who gained fame for pop R&B make the country charts? Even more recently, Lil Nas X prompted another round of headlines about what counts as "country music" — and specifically, whether the genre's gatekeepers will ever allow a return to the dialogue with African-American musical traditions that produced the genre in the first place. Judging by the companion volume, though, Ken Burns's new documentary series about country music doesn't go there. Burns shines a welcome spotlight on the contributions of artists of color, and women, from the genre's inception, but he doesn't ask a lot of tough questions. Instead, Country Music: An Illustrated History, co-authored with Dayton Duncan, functions as a visual timeline of country music from Fiddlin' John Carson in 1923 until the death of Johnny Cash in 2003. I reviewed Country Music: An Illustrated History for The Current.
Leanne Rainwater –
Loved this book! Would’ve given it 6 stars if I could... so many good stories & pictures. Highly recommended!
Terry Dullum –
One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a very long time.
Holly –
I grew up on country music of the 90s (and 80s when the radio played songs from before I was born). Reba, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Sawyer Brown, and so many others. So when I saw this documentary was coming out, I knew I had to watch it. And I did. I watched the documentary before I read the book. Of the two, I would recommend watching the documentary. That way, you can hear the music they're referencing. But the book isn't bad. The book is basically word for word the script I grew up on country music of the 90s (and 80s when the radio played songs from before I was born). Reba, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Sawyer Brown, and so many others. So when I saw this documentary was coming out, I knew I had to watch it. And I did. I watched the documentary before I read the book. Of the two, I would recommend watching the documentary. That way, you can hear the music they're referencing. But the book isn't bad. The book is basically word for word the script used in the documentary, but there are a few times where I saw either something I missed in the show or something that was added just for the book. (I think it's more likely I missed something.) So if you have one of the two (the book or the documentary), you really don't need the other. Still, the information is really good and really interesting. It's been really enlightening to see how country music started, where it all came from. Prior to this documentary, I knew nothing about the Carter Family or Gene Autry or Jimmie Rodgers. I knew who Patsy Cline was and Hank Williams, but that was about all I knew of country before you get to the age of Johnny Cash--and even after that, I didn't know a whole lot until we got to the 80s. This is a very informative book, but it was even better to watch the documentary.
James Kennedy Public Library –
If you watched the accompanying documentary, much of what is in this book is verbatim what you heard in the documentary. But there is still lots of additional information in the book not discussed in the documentary. Also, there are hundreds of great photos in this book and that alone makes it worth checking out.
Jennifer –
Very good companion to the PBS series. My only complaint, and I've found this with all Ken Burns companion books, is that many times the text is word-for-word the same as the script. You'd think writing for print would present differences to a television script. But whatever, it works. Because of that, I recommend you own the book or the DVD but not both because of the redundancies.
Patrick Macke –
It's a selective history that is engaging because it's as much about America as it is music ... I have never listened to contemporary country music, but the musicians of country music's past, in many ways, created the soundtrack of a nation and so learning their story is to learn little more about ourselves
Bonnie –
Great read! I enjoyed the PBS series and thought I'd read the book to get any details I may have missed. Photos are great, all the musicians I love are in there. If you love country music and want to learn about where it started and how it grew into what it is today, read this book.
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