I just read "The History of the Blues", which is the book that was to coincide with the PBS Blues miniseries. Personally, I didn't care for the book, largely because the author, while well written, seemed more like he was writing an editorial than actually documenting the history of the Blues. The title was quite misleading.
While he discusses the history of the blues with a certain accuracy, the book has far too much of the author's own views and feelings. In his tepid defense, though, he makes it clear that this is how he'll write it. Unfortunately, I got the book for the history, not to endure constant cynicism about everything and a grueling exposure of the word "I". Granted, he does talk about the history, but he is also far too quick to dismiss very influential musicians who've made invaluable contributions with a brief paragraph or a few words. Instead, he defaults to the most well known (Muddy, RJ, even Elvis).
Also, a little oddly, he displays an almost reverence towards African Americans, and what I felt like was disdain and criticism for white people who enjoy the music. He at one point suggested that white people taking a blues trek across the Delta had just run out of trendy coffee shops to visit. More than once he suggests that being white and enjoying Blues is somehow not "authentic". Again, it was more editorial injection in a book misleadingly declaring that it contains simply a "History of the Blues". On the other side, I read some reviews after I read the book and there were a few people who thought the opposite about the book's dealing with race. I can see where they're coming from too.
All in all, yes it had insights into the history, but reading it became a challenge in endurance to try to pick through the first person viewpoints and garbage to get to historical gems.
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While he discusses the history of the blues with a certain accuracy, the book has far too much of the author's own views and feelings. In his tepid defense, though, he makes it clear that this is how he'll write it. Unfortunately, I got the book for the history, not to endure constant cynicism about everything and a grueling exposure of the word "I". Granted, he does talk about the history, but he is also far too quick to dismiss very influential musicians who've made invaluable contributions with a brief paragraph or a few words. Instead, he defaults to the most well known (Muddy, RJ, even Elvis).
Also, a little oddly, he displays an almost reverence towards African Americans, and what I felt like was disdain and criticism for white people who enjoy the music. He at one point suggested that white people taking a blues trek across the Delta had just run out of trendy coffee shops to visit. More than once he suggests that being white and enjoying Blues is somehow not "authentic". Again, it was more editorial injection in a book misleadingly declaring that it contains simply a "History of the Blues". On the other side, I read some reviews after I read the book and there were a few people who thought the opposite about the book's dealing with race. I can see where they're coming from too.
All in all, yes it had insights into the history, but reading it became a challenge in endurance to try to pick through the first person viewpoints and garbage to get to historical gems.
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Click here to view the attachment
