Customer Reviews

In the Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the Country of Country strikes a compelling balance between first-person testimonial and straight history text. In a series of chapters focusing on early "country" artists & groups, Nicholas Dawidoff travels to meet musicians in their own environment, often travelling with them to the towns they grew up in. The book records the surroundings both through the eyes of Dawidoff, seeing the place for the first time, as well as through the eyes of his subject and their memories of the place. Through this mix of perspectives, the book gives a great sense of the effect of history in the present day, as well as the enduring power of the music described. His careful choice of subjects also helps define and articulate what many hold valuable in both country music, and music in general. One gets the impression he takes the role of author as through he is the curator a historical exhibit, showing a common thread among country artists of the last 80 years. This is of course with the notable exception of Hank Williams, which at first I wondered about, but later accepted, seeing as plenty had been written about him already as well as the fact that the invocation of his legend might well overshadow the other artists featured. He is though, like Elvis, a constant presence in the book, whether explicit or unspoken. In the Country of Country can serve as a great introduction to many who know they like country music, but get lost in boot-scootin' commercialism or monochromatic alt-country. The companion compliation CD sounds like a great start towards further investigation.

I can't believe no one has reviewed this book yet! It is really a fascinating series of encounters with the greatest developers and innovators of country music. Dawidoff writes extremely well, and manages to engross you, whether you are a fan of country music or not. (In all fairness, however, I think that having a familiarity with country would make the book somewhat more enjoyable.) After receiving this book as a gift, I was not sure how interesting I would find it, but I was truly not able to put it down. Dawidoff has picked excellent exemplars for country music, and to hear their stories and their words is a real treat. Add in insightful and precise commentary from Dawidoff, and you have the recipe for an excellent book. Get yourself a copy!

I've had a copy of this book for several years. It is an onion of many layers. Factual and fun and quirky in what the author chose to include. The information about Iris Dement is especially interesting and rare. The Johnny Cash tidbits are refreshing and honest, and were so before he died and everyone came running with there stories for sale. NO matter. I have Three hundred bios and encyclopedic type works about the roots of country and americana music. It is my passion. If there was a housefire or a gun to my head and I could grab one book, I would grab this one. And I often do. Thats all I have to say. Standing Ovation.

Nicholas Dawidoff's IN THE COUNTRY OF COUNTRY is another of the more engrossing bits of cultural writing to surface within the last decade or two. Traveling around the US, Dawidoff profiles and often interviews a number of the seminal figures in country music: Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, the Louvin Brothers, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, George Jones, Harlan Howard, Buck Owens, Rose Maddox, Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris and others.

There are many great and subtle discoveries to be made here - first, the sharpness of the varied creative personalities that emerges here. Dawidoff is about half-and-half a chronicler and interviewer, and a cultural critic with an interest in artistic biography and process, and despite the brevity of these essays, he does a consistently great job at getting into the minds of the people he writes about.

His attention to region and roots is expected, but it is nonetheless wonderful to also note his attention to non-Southerners like Buck Owens, Merle Haggard (the cornerstones of 'Nashville West' - Bakersfield, CA), and the Texas contingent, represented by the Flatlanders and their Lubbock associates. Current figures of note: Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and Iris Dement are also noted.

The South does loom large, and many of the figures present are eloquently aware of the cultural importance of the South. In the commercially conservative world of country music, it's also notable how often the idea and reality of creative miscegenation crops up here (commented upon elsewhere by the Allman Brothers, Ray Charles, James Brown, Randy Newman, the Muscle Shoals crew and many others). It makes one long for a follow up book that would follow this strand of influence farther through the African-American musicians referenced by Atkins, Monroe, Watson, Cash and several others.

Dawidoff hits the perfect balance between scholarly and accessible here. A great piece of cultural history that neither condescends or mythologizes, but simply digs deep into the intelligence found in diverse sources.

-David Alston

IN THE COUNTRY OF COUNTRY is an enjoyable book, if not an indispensable one, where we learn about some of the roots of our marvelous American country music tree.

The author has a clear respect for this music, and to understand it better, spent much time with some of its legends and traveled to their childhood homes to talk with friends and neighbors. Young fans of modern Country might not even recognize some of these legends: Harlan Howard (the great songwriter); Bill Monroe; Ralph Stanley; Earl Scruggs; Buck Owens; Emmylou Harris (one of my ten Deserted Island Music favorites); Doc Watson; Iris Dement; and others.

Not a scholarly reference, it's only until you get to the Notes at the end of the book to realize how deeply the author seeped himself in his subject. His sources list many books, articles and videos, as well as many interviews.

Remarkably, this young man, in his early 30s, a Harvard grad and raised in Connecticut (yeah, maybe southern Connecticut) was made welcome by so many who were so different. Maybe even more remarkable is that not until almost the book's end does he offhandedly say, in describing how one musician led him to another, "I met Emmylou Harris at Harlan's birthday party. Emmylou then took me along to Bill Monroe's birthday party. And so it went."

To have Emmylou Harris take you to a party and not tell anybody about it until page 315 ... now, that's class. As well as to have interviewed Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, and we learn it deep in the Notes, not on the cover.

My only complaint (and why rated 4 stars, not 5) is in the artists the author chose to include and those he chose not to. I've never been a fan of George Jones the singer, and after reading about George Jones the person, think even less of him. I wish many more pages had been given to Emmylou Harris, and that Ricky Skaggs and Willie Nelson had been profiled, not just interviewed. In truth, country music has so many legends, it's hard to know where to begin in listing omissions. There's another book here waiting to be written.

I started the book knowing what it was about but not knowing which artists would be profiled. After starting it, I couldn't wait to get to it at night, not knowing who would be next ("Will he do Emmylou? YES!), but knowing this book would be waiting by the reading lamp for a brief time into another place.

Though familiar with most of the names in this book, either great names or artists with crossover appeal, my knowledge of country music isn't vast. These portraits of singers made me learn a lot more and even more about the music, without hearing a note. The author has the unique ability to describe music in such a way that you know what he means and that is amazing. I started listening to a lot more country music after this book. Best book on country music I have read so far.

This is a must read for the serious Country Music fan. Dawidoff gives his usual detailed account, the detail does not weigh the book down but brings life to all the subjects. Dawidoff starts off by stating that Garth Brooks represents all that is bad with County Western and then restates it several times throughout the book in case we have forgotten it.
I agree with him 100% so I much enjoyed his introduction to the people behind the history of American music. No phonies here!

This book it is an excellent guide to understanding what Country music used to be, before it became a sub-branch of Rock and Roll. For those who are confused about that, many older people have told me over the years that what is played on the radio just isn't Country. Dawidoff's goes into some detail about that. He talks about just what the qualities of Country music are/were that make it unique, and where it starts to lose its unique identity.

This book is full of trivia, but what makes it a fascinating read to me is the way it outlines the changes in country music, starting in the 60s.

The book mentioned a CD to help readers understand Dawidoff's arguements. Amazon has that CD at In the Country of Country.