Customer Reviews

Blues for Dummies

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I always was interested in the Blues, but not enough to actually figure out what made one kind of blues different from another or how they got that sound. It was also hard to know how to buy good blues records, because once you get beyond the obvious classics you basically have to rely on whatever the record store clerk personally thinks is good, unless you know someone who's really into the blues. And I've never seen a Blues book that came with a CD before, so you just had to imagine the songs they were describing. This book was a lot of fun to read, and with the CD, I really "got" what it was talking about. I'm getting it for Christmas for some people because it's really ideal for people who want to explore the blues but don't know where to start.

I always wanted to learn about the blues but never knew where to start, what records to buy. Some blues records that I heard I really liked, but others I didn't, and I was never sure whether it was the artist, or the song, or the blues themselves that I liked. This book explains all the different kinds of blues music, and it introduces all the artists. I found out a lot about the ones I already liked, got tips on who else I'd probably like (the CD was a big help), and also a complete overview of the history and development of the blues. My roommate has been trying to explain the blues to me for the last year, and now I UNDERSTAND! Even he likes it a lot, by the way, and he knows 9000 times more about the blues than I do.

Four and a half stars. If you are new to the blues, or if you want a quick reference to your favorite music, this is the book for you. It gives you background on both legendary artists and and current musicians. You will also find lists of blues clubs, web sites and albums. I docked it one half star because of the limited mention of David "Honeyboy" Edwards. The only mention of "Honeyboy" is in regard to the death of Robert Johnson. "Honeyboy" is still alive and preforming, including him would have certainly added to this reference.

If you want to have fun with the Blues this is the Book of choice. This book is an excelent primer for those who want to know about BLUES and a reference guide for those who already know! it shows you what clubs to go to, festivals to hit, and what radio stations to listen to in or near your town. It recommends Cds to buy, guitars to play, Amps, Harps, etc. It tells you what organizations to join in your city to help keep the blues alive and kickin'. This book even tell you how to get your own blues band started and what to look out for when you do get it going. Blues Music is about healing whatever ails you. It's about making your Blues go away. Before I bought this book i had the wrong thought of blues. I thought Blues would make me feel low down and depressed. I seen how the people who wrote this book did this to show people how to have fun with Blues and then i BOUGHT it. So Check out the Cd in the back its worth the price of the book alone. Then Go out and party at your local blues joint and you'll see what I mean!

I have just finished reading the book, and while it does offer a lot of good information, I think it tends to be biased and incomplete. Many of the finest blues pioneers were either omitted completely, or given one mention in a sentence about somebody else. No blues history is near complete without in-depth mention of Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Pink Anderson, and others. There is not a fence around art. There is more to blues than electric guitars and feedback. And by the way, I would argue with the point that the banjo was played in blues before the guitar- though I am not dissing the banjo at all. It's just that the modern banjo is a comparatively recent instrument. I think if someone wants to learn blues history, go to the very good PBS documentaries first. And listen to everybody!

This is a wonderful book for people that want to learn about the Blues. You just can't go wrong with Lonnie Brooks.
The history part is very good and informative. The listed musicians are wonderful. Good research went into this book.
The accompanying CD is pretty good. You can only put so much music on a CD. It must have been a difficult task deciding what songs to include on the CD.
Understand that this work is not complete. There are many musicians and songs that are not listed that should be, however, the attempt to introduce the Blues to the reader is pretty good. Enjoy it.

This book was so much fun to read. You can start reading anywhere--no need to go from beginning to end--and find an entertaining anecdote, historical information, or just an incredibly perceptive explanation of some aspect of the Blues. It covers everything--the artists, their backgrounds, their instruments and how they played them, which recordings are their best and why, what makes one type of Blues music different from other types, and so on. It comes with a CD so you can actually listen to what the book's talking about. AND IT'S FUNNY! I got this for 4 people on my Christmas list already.