In the Country of Country: People and Places in American Music

May 26, 2008 | By Doug In Country Music |

In the Country of Country: People and Places in American Music
Customer Review: A good read.
This is a well written and interest account of some of the traditional country singers and where they come from. After reading his description of Bill Monroe’s childhood home and his upbringing, it gives you some udnerstanding of where the high lonesome sound comes from. Similarly, Johnny Cash’s relatively flat sound from the relatively flat Arkansas. Nice little snippets aboudn in this book including Johnny Cash picked up his habit of eating crackers after meeting Charlie Louvin. Some might be great artists but few were gentlemen! His description of the artists is honest and incisive and the author is not afraid to express his opinion. He does not hesitate to write the negative side as well as the postice. I don’t always agree with it. I think his view of anything but the early Johnny cash albums being good is unduly harsh. I also disagree with his view that the ‘new country’ acts such as Garth Brooks are not really country and alck real emotion. He has painted a picture of how where the artists came from shaped them….the place and the pvoerty. he then seems to forget, most of today’s artists do not appear to have had to suffer in the same way and with modern media have been more exposed to the world than Monroe, Stanleys, Carters where in their early years. Whatever, it is a very readable and enjoyable book covering a wide range of artists from the early days to the present. Recommended to those that love Country music.