Blues-Rock Explosion (Sixties Rock Series) [Paperback]

Summer McStravick (Author), John Roos (Author), Martin Celmins (Introduction), Bob Brunning (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Sixties Rock Series | Publication Date: April 2002

Providing fascinating profiles of musicians and bands ranging from the popular and influential Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield to lesser-known artists such as Bakerloo and Black Cat Bones, this collection spans a vibrant period in which blues music enjoyed a significant renaissance due largely to young white musicians who fused it with rock 'n' roll. Exhaustive searches of 1960s and 1970s rock journalism are combined with up-to-date personal interviews to create new, fuller pictures of the musicians who defined this genre, and new light is shed on the riveting dynamics that shaped and ultimately defined combustible groups such as the Yardbirds, Cream, and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Included are in-depth artist biographies, discographies, and discussions of the artists' critical and commercial impact.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In the 1960s, many young, white hipster musicians in the United States and England aspired to sound "black." In their search for authenticity, artists like Eric Clapton, John Mayall, and the Allman Brothers inadvertently revitalized the careers of many forgotten bluesmen like Muddy Waters and Skip James, who, at the beginning of the decade, were strapped for cash or had given up music entirely. The first volume in a series on 1960s rock, this work documents in mini biographies the careers of 42 of the decade's blues artists (all white with the exception of Taj Mahal), who battled elitism and pondered how to sell records without selling out. From reading this book, it would seem the eternal question since 1960 has been, Can white people play the blues? The contributors, however, do not seek to answer that question so much as show that Clapton and company sparked a movement that affected both the white and the black community. Surprisingly little has been written about the blues revival of 1960-70, which produced music that lost its context quickly, created a religion of guitar god worship, and was probably responsible for the 1980s guitar tablature culture. Edited by two experienced pop music journalists and including a humorous and insightful introduction by blues aficionado Martin Celmins, this well-researched and readable book traces the branches of blues' bastard family tree. Recommended for all libraries. Eric Hahn, Fargo, ND
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...Essential reading for all music fans and surely a 'must acquire' for serious aficionados of the 'sixties blues revival'". -- Mike Vernon, Producer

"...this is an exhaustively researched and largely well-written encyclopedia that covers both major and lesser artists." -- Joe Geesin, Record Collector magazine, July 2002

"...you can also think of this book as the Old Testament on the modern phenomenon of jam bands." -- Jude Gold, Guitar Player Magazine, October 2002

"A magnificent piece of research" -- John Mayall

"An indispensable reference". -- -- Chris Welch, former features editor of Melody Maker, author of 27 books

"Blues-Rock Explosion is a godsend." -- Colin Harper, Mojo magazine, April 2002

"Here's a meaty, weighty good read for all who love the genre." -- Dino McGartland, Blues Matters magazine, April-June 2002

"It's a great reference source, chock full of great Blues-rock information from 1960-1972." -- Steve Elliott, Ugly Things magazine, #20

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Old Goat Publishing; 1 edition (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970133278
• ISBN-13: 978-0970133274
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,392,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tells the whole story. A must have!, February 11, 2002

By 

(Funky) Paul Olsen (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues-Rock Explosion (Sixties Rock Series) (Paperback)

If you love the blues and you love rock, you HAVE to have this book! It is THE Bible of the blues-rock phenomenon, period. "The Blues-Rock Explosion" is a brilliantly-written compendium that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the music you love...where it came from, who the artists were, and how this soulful, gut-punching style of music that grabbed you and never let you go developed and blossomed in the USA and the UK, from the late 50's, right through the 60's and the early 70's. By the end of the book you'll have the WHOLE picture of this seminal, magic era in musical history.

I couldn't put this wonderful book down, and though I was "there" at the last half of the Explosion and thought I pretty much knew who was who and what was what and how it all happened; I learned more from this book than I picked up first-hand from my experience playing this style of music in San Francisco, London and Los Angeles from the 60's to the present day.

The Blues-Rock Explosion is a must for anyone who loves the blues and rock 'n roll. You'll be hooked as it takes you through Liverpool and London, Chicago and Seattle, and profiles Clapton, Mayall, Butterfield & King and all the rest who made blues-rock history. Great book.

(Funky) Paul Olsen

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of (or THE) best books ever on BLUES -ROCK music., February 10, 2002

By 

Rene Aagaard (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues-Rock Explosion (Sixties Rock Series) (Paperback)

It's amazing how much info the authors have gotten into these relatively few pages. And apparently everything is correct!! This is the most amazing book on Blues-Rock ever. And the discographies are so informative that you can go out and buy what you want with the info from them. If you are a DJ or hosting a blues-rock radio show (like I am), you have here more than 50 ready to rock shows!! The authors have done all the research for you!! I like that, all I have to do is choose among all the fine chapters.

I cannot recommend this book enough to lovers of Blues-Rock.
GO BUY IT!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Goats at Play, September 7, 2003

By 

chris meesey Food Czar (The Colony, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blues-Rock Explosion (Sixties Rock Series) (Paperback)

Old Goat Publishing Company, located in Mission Viejo, California, is a group of elite rock music writers who have come together for a common purpose: Bring the vibrant music scene of the 1960's to life in a series of books that are painstakingly researched and meticulously detailed. Blues-Rock Explosion, the first offering in this series, delivers 42 profiles of many of the seminal groups of the so-called "Blues Revival Movement of 1968." Generously assisted by recollections from many of the principals involved, Blues-Rock explosion paints a vibrant portrait of a (primarily British) scene suffused with excitement, as the musicians start by slavishly imitating the great American bluesmen like Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters, then grow by leaps and bounds to create an entirely new genre (blues-rock) that forms the basis for much of popular music's later development into hard rock and heavy metal. One could argue for inclusion of more bands, such as, say, the Animals and Led Zeppelin, but the author's decision to limit the time period covered (from roughly the mid-1960's until 1973) puts sensible boundaries around the subject, making the book's length a very manageable 300 pages instead of 900. Several future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are detailed in these portraits (the Allman Brothers, Cream, Eric Clapton, and the Yardbirds), but just as compelling are the chapters concerning artists whose careers were cut short by tragedy (the Mark Leeman Five, Jo Ann Kelly). Also, even though it is not surprising that many of the British artists played with and were influenced by each other (since England is a smallish country), it is a great pleasure to read that Chicago in the 1960's remained a vital component of the blues scene, contributing such greats as Electric Flag, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Mike Bloomfield, and Nick Gravenites. Last, and perhaps most important, Blues-Rock Explosion finally spotlights such long-neglected heavyweights as Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Canned Heat, and Ten Years After, many of whom are not only still alive in the 21st Century, but are still contributing relevant, listenable new albums to those of us who never tired of hearing the blues in its many incarnations. Good luck and continued success to the Old Goats for continuing to believe that these great artists are still worthy of our attention.