Blues for Dummies [Paperback]

Lonnie Brooks (Author), Cub Koda (Author), Wayne Baker Brooks (Author), Dan Aykroyd (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 13, 1998

Get your mojo working as you take a musical trip from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago's gritty South Side and points beyond with Blues For Dummies, an insightful, toe-tappin', music lovers' guide to the blues. Popular blues guitarist Lonnie Brooks serves as your tour guide through the life and times of the blues, from the acoustic mystique of Robert Johnson and Son House to the urban blues men and women of today: John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, B.B. King, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and, of course, Brooks himself.

Blues For Dummies travels from sad to glad, with stops along the way at heartache and despair, hope and joy, on the road to great music. Get hip to the different styles and eras of the blues; discover what makes the blues so blue; find out "Who's Who" among four generations of blues musicians; and make tracks to the best blues clubs on the planet with this great, easygoing reference. Plus, take a listen to some of the greatest blues recordings of all time (from Muddy Waters and Little Walter to Bobby "Blue" Bland, Buddy Guy, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown) on the exclusive audio CD that comes with Blues For Dummies.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Longtime fans of bluesman Brooks in particular may find that this overview of the blues resembles a warm reunion, rife with reminiscence. Novices will find that the book stands them in good stead whenever the conversation turns to this revered form of purely American popular music. Plenty of familiar musicians are profiled, including some who are not always associated with the "real" blues and whose presence shows that the authors are informers rather than purists. So George Thorogood and Elvis appear alongside J. B. Hutto and Robert Nighthawk, not least because such derivative artists are like gateway drugs for blues addicts. The book's organization makes for some odd placement, such as having the two Sonny Boy Williamsons' entries 50 pages apart, but definitive explanations of such perplexities as two artists with the same name help make this a good reference, regardless of where they appear, and so do the best record and club recommendations and the advice on putting a blues band together and even on recording. Mike Tribby

From the Back Cover

"An excellent introduction and overview of the blues, America's greatest gift to world culture. The book lays out an incredible amount of information thoroughly and clearly." —John Landis, Director of The Blues Brothers and The Blues Brothers 2000

"This book will open your mind to one of America's greatest treasures." —Robert Cray, Blues Enthusiast

"This is the perfect introduction to understanding a wonderful American music tradition; reading it will make any blues show or blues record even more fun." —Bruce Iglauer, President and Founder, Alligator Records

• Your Ticket to the World of Blues — the Faces, the Places, and the Music
• Dozens of In-depth Profiles of the Greatest Blues Artists
• True-Blue Recommendations for Building Your Own Classic Collection

Feeling the Blues
This incomparable music lover's guide takes you through the Mississippi Delta, up to Chicago, and to points beyond — sharing the sights and sounds that have made the blues an integral part of our culture — and our souls. You'll also get an intimate look at "Who's Who in the Blues." From Bessie Smith to John Lee Hooker to Robert Cray. It doesn't matter if your baby's left ya or your mojo's quit workin', don't get blue — just get Blues For Dummies.

Rhapsody in Blues

• Distinguish the key ingredients that make up the blues sound
• Identify the different shades of blues &— from jump blues to electric blues
• Find the blues wherever you go — venues worth visiting
• Put together your own satisfying collection of blues music
• Make your next party a blues event
• Kick back and enjoy the ultimate collection of blues recordings on the Blues For Dummies CD

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (August 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764550802
• ISBN-13: 978-0764550805
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #771,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enthusiastic comprehensive coverage of blues music, December 4, 2000

By 

Martin A (Normandy, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues for Dummies (Paperback)

I, too, was put off by the "Dummies" word.

I should not have been. The book is a comprehensive, knowlegable and enthusiastic coverage of blues - the artists [today's and yesterday's], where to find the blues, recordings. Everyone - from newcomer to experienced blues musician will find interesting and insightful information here. (The authors are themselves accomplished blues players).

I have only two very minor quibbles:

- The title could be considered a mite misleading. Although it does include advice on guitars, amps and harmonicas it does not tell you how to start to PLAY the blues. It does tell you how to put a band together but, if you are ready to do that, you are definitely past the "Dummy" stage.

- There is a nice CD included, but...

One track is credited as "Walkin the boogie" by John Lee Hooker and is decribed as a re-write of his "Boogie Chillen". To me it sounds nothing like John Lee's hit (which I bought, as a kid, in France in 1960). The track sounds to me to be nothing other than Champion Jack Dupree's "Walkin the Blues".

Also, the CD's version of Hoochie Coochie Man by Muddy Waters is a quietened-down (though very nice) version compared with the livelier version that most people are probably familiar with.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Contents of the music CD., June 10, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues for Dummies (Paperback)

Includes a very good music CD (34 min. 27 sec.) (All music, no commentary). CONTENTS: I'm your hoochie coochie man / Muddy Waters -- Juke / Little Walter -- Sweet little angel (live version) / B.B. King -- Killing floor / Howlin' Wolf -- First time I met the blues / Buddy Guy -- Frosty / Albert Collins -- I pity the fool / Boddy Bland -- Okie dokie stomp / Clarence `Gatemouth' Brown -- Rooster Blues / Lightnin' Slim -- Walkin' the boogie (alternate take) / John Lee Hooker -- I'm wild about you baby / Lightnin' Hopkins -- Let the good times roll / Louis Jordan & his Tympany Five.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great start for all Blues newbies., February 5, 1999

By 

William A. Houston "blues guitarist" (Hilliard, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues for Dummies (Paperback)

Lonnie Brooks, along with son Wayne and Cub Koda have created the best primer for Blues music newbies and the not so new. The authors cover all the essential blues artists, give hints on how all to start a blues band, how to play the blues and even how to throw a "juke" party, all this, along with the enclosed CD, makes this book a must for all blues lovers.