Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix & The Post-War Rock 'N' Roll Revolution [Paperback]

Charles Shaar Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1991

Called by "Entertainment Weekly" "The best book on Hendrix", "Crosstown Traffic" rode their A-list for over two months and won the prestigious Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award. Roots-savvy British critic Charles Shaar Murray assesses the lifework of guitarist Jimi Hendrix in the context of black musical tradition, social history, and the upheaval of the 1960s.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Twenty years after his death at age 27, Hendrix's stature as an Afro-American musical innovator continues to grow. But until now discussion of his contributions has been limited to either biographical accounts or purely technical analyses. British pop journalist Shaar Murray'scq multifaceted study rectifies this by attempting to unravel the cultural contradictions that the guitarist embodied as a black performer with a white audience, who excelled in a genre that was popularized by whites yet rooted in a black musical tradition. Hendrix's catholicity crossed barriers within black culture as well: his sonic explorations with feedback and distortion paralleled developments in the Free Jazz movement but he could suddenly shift into the deepest, most primitive Delta blues, a language pointedly neglected by his black contemporaries. Clearly, Hendrix's achievements are broad-based and central to his era, as well as a daunting challenge to those wanting to digest his work whole. Shaar Murray (coauthor of David Bowie ) augments solid musical scholarship with astute social and historical commentary, and meets the challenge admirably. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

With his hippie trappings and revolutionary approach to the electric guitar, Hendrix was an anomaly on the American black music scene. Recognition of his talent did not occur until he performed in England. Shaar-Murray, an established British author, brings a fresh and insightful perspective on this fascinating artist to American readers. More than just another biography, the book is a broad-based study of African-American music--blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul--and how the music influenced, and was influenced by, Hendrix. Murray acknowledges David Henderson's 'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky (Bantam, 1981) as "the best Hendrix biography published to date." A discography, videography, and bibliography are included. First published in 1989 by Faber and Faber, London, this book is recommended for music and black studies collections.
- Tim LaBorie, St. Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312063245
• ISBN-13: 978-0312063245
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Insightful On Jimi Thus Far, April 27, 2000

By 

"takfam" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix & The Post-War Rock 'N' Roll Revolution (Paperback)

Unlike the usual gossip-laden rock bios (which I sometimes relish too, I'll admit), Murray's book is a serious piece of work. I've yet to come across a rock author as capable as Murray in analyzing the most important aspect of our Jimi-worship-- the MUSIC. Murray's book delves into the sociocultural groundwork of Jimi's musical style, and makes very astute leaps in connecting Jimi's music to various influences. Murray is perhaps the most intelligent rock biographer I've ever read (and I've read most of the major ones). At certain times, it's as though Murray's descriptive skill nearly matches his subject's musical genius. In any event, this book certainly does Jimi justice. Murray's descriptions of some of Jimi's well-known material are awesome. He describes an instance of Jimi's tight playing as (sorry if I slightly misquote) a "propulsive ball of rhythm, densely packed with ideas," and so forth. Murray is singularly able to verbally express what we deeply feel about Jimi's music, but have a hard time explaining to others. You know how tough it is to convince non-believers why you KNOW that Jimi is a genius, when they think that he was merely a hyped-up, noisy, wildman-clown, right? Well, read Charles Murray's book. I think it'll sooth your soul, and you'll come away with a deeper knowledge and appreciation of his subject. Hats off to Murray!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incomparable Analysis of Hendrix's Influence on Music and Society, August 4, 2005

By 

C. Pohlschroeder "J-Hook Allstar" (New York, NY.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix & The Post-War Rock 'N' Roll Revolution (Paperback)

This is not your typical chronological biography of an influential figure. In this outstanding piece of literary work, Charles Murray delves far beyond the superficial facts into far more profound terrritory. The author sets the standard by which all books dealing with the subject matter of Hendrix and era surrounding his meteorical ascension to the pinnacle of the fledging American rock culture should be judged. Thoroughly researched, the book is annotated with richly descriptive language that sheds new light on the role the cultural, social and political dynamics played in shaping Hendrix's life and the opposing impact he had on these dynamics. Paraphrasing an observation made by a prior reviewer, Murray transcends the almost inexplicable emotion evoked by Hendrix's art into eloquent, thought provoking prose. I found myself rereading many of the passages because I was so struck by the author's incisive and beautifully written statements.

The chapter's are as follows (possibly out of order and an omission or two as I recently lent my copy to a friend):

Chapter 1: The 60's, or the "We Decade". Murray delves into factors that engender the policitical, social, and musical climate of the late 60's within Britain and the United States. He astutely examines the contradictions, successes, failures, and outcomes from one of the most compelling eras of the last century. Hendrix's role as an iconic figure is also discussed in detail. The themes established here reemerge at various stages throughout the remaining chapters of the book.

Chapter 2: The Facts about Hendrix. The author reviews all the pubically known facts in a very straight forward fashion.

Chapter 3: Hendrix and women. Murray explores the background of women as the subject matter in rock and blues music and Jimi's volatile relationship with the female form. He analyzes how the influence of Jimi's "muse" manifested herself in various forms within his lyrics.

Chapter 4: Hendrix's role as a racial figure. Murray closely investigates all the elements encompassing the paradox of Jimi's cultural status: A black man playing to a white audience playing music popularized by whites rooted in the black musical tradition of blues.

Chapter 5: A critical comparison of his career with Robert Johnson's and Charlie Christian's; two fellow African American guitarists who similarily rose quickly to prominence, gained legendary status, and left a profound impact on Western Musical tradition.

Chapter 6: Hendrix and the Blues. An inciteful history (although brief by comparison since their are entire books on the subject) of the blues within the context of American and British culture as well as an exploration into how the african american muscial form influenced Hendrix and his place in history as one of its most important purveyor of the blues.

Chapter 7: Hendrix and Soul music. Describes the birth and growth of soul music, its influence on Henrdrix, and his corresponding influence upon the genre.

Chapter 8: Hendrix and Jazz music. Similiar to the previous chapter in its framework, it also explores what Hendrix might have done had been granted an opportunity to fulfill his musical potential and desires. Murray also establishes Hendrix as a seminal influence to the fusion movement.


Chapter 9: Categorizing Hendrix. A short but necessary acknowledgement using Hendrix as the definitive example of how it is impossible to categorize music without performing somewhat of a disservice to the artist.

Each chapter is carefully interwoven with quotes from Hendrix's comtemporary musicians, modern day artists (at the time of publication), other seminal literary works on music, as well as Hendrix's own lyrics and interview quotes. They provide an effective framework to buttress Murray's analysis and to serve as a transitional device between tangential arguements.

The size and depth of Murray's bibliography is as impressive as writing. It is another example of the level of scholarship at which he operates at. Also included is an exhaustive list of albums by other artists seperated by genre that either had an influence on Hendrix or were influenced by Hendrix.

Echoeing Robert Palmer's comments on the book jacket, "The artistry of this book is equal to that of its subject matter". If you want a traditional biography, this might not be exactly what you are searching for. However, if you seek to go beneath the surface of the iconoclastic Hendrix, his music, and the times he lived in, there is no better source. A truly illuminating experience and arguably the greatest book on rock'n'roll ever written.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Idea, Flawed Execution, March 5, 2011

By 

Aron D. Rush "missouri reb" (Cross Timbers, Mo usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix and the Post-War Rock 'N' Roll Revolution (Hardcover)

This book is an attempt at a scholarly study of Hendrix's music, its cultural and social significance, its influences and those whose music it influenced. While fascinating at times, the author seems more interested in over displaying his education, vocabulary and being politically correct than he does writing a well researched, reader friendly study of this important subject matter. His obvious bias against certain musical genres and his desire to make everything about race further mars his ability to write an objective study.

The first four chapters are by far the weakest. Long winded ramblings and lack of thorough research render much of the first hundred pages useless. The mini-biography in chapter two is so filled with inaccuracies one is tempted to dismiss Murray's work before going any further on the grounds that he's too lazy to research the life of the man who is the central subject matter of his book. Chapter three wastes twenty pages blubbering about sexism in popular music and spouting pseudo intellectual blather just to come to the conclusion that anyone who listens to Jimi's music already knew: some of Hendrix's songs contain put downs of women and some attribute to them almost divine qualities, and some fall somewhere in between. Murray also figured out that women song writers do that, too. What a genius! Then we have a chapter about "the black artist and the white audience". This is where it gets really bogged down in meaningless meanderings and intelligence and coherency are sacrificed upon an altar of trying to appear politically correct. Anyone whose listened to popular music from the 60's and also blues, jazz, psychedelic and even country knows that black and white music was thoroughly and irretrievably cross pollinated by this point and thus almost impossible to any longer make an absolute clear distinction between the two. Charles more than proves this point himself but seems loathe to admit it. The arguments here reminded me of a TV critic back in the 80's who was trying to decide if The Cosby Show was about a black man who happened to be a doctor or a doctor who happened to be a black man. In other words, another 25 pages that really has very little to contribute to our knowledge or enjoyment of Jimi's music or music in general.

After wading through 105 pages of mostly hot air, my perseverance and patience was finally rewarded and Murray finally digs into subject matter on which he is able to sometimes make a relevant point. Chapter five deals with blues great Robert Johnson and jazz guitarist pioneer Charlie Christian, their similarities with Hendrix and their influence on his music. Fascinating stuff and hard to put down. Murray quotes from some sources that I will definitely be checking out ASAP, both for their subject matter, and the fact that after chapter two I feel a need to fact check this book. The next couple of chapters are devoted to the blues and jazz respectively, and provide a lot of food for thought. At the end of the book there's a discussion of the gear Hendrix chose to make his music with which is great. Though I really enjoyed the last 100 pages of this work, there were still numerous errors about Jimi and others. He says the Byrds' Eight Miles High came out before George Harrison ever heard a sitar. Sorry Charlie, but Rubber Soul containing Norwegian Wood was released in '65 and Eight Miles High in '66. He says Sly Stone wrote Somebody To Love that was recorded by both of Grace Slick's bands, The Great Society and Jefferson Airplane. Wrong! Grace's brother in law Darby Slick wrote it. He continually refers to Jimi's Woodstock band as being named Electric Church though it was Gypsies, Suns and Rainbows. He says of guitarist Larry Lee who played in this band that "little has been heard before or since." That depends on if you've ever read in other books on Hendrix. If Murray had done the slightest bit of research he'd know Hendrix and Lee had been friends and played music together since the early 60's but that Lee spent a couple of years in Viet Nam just before Woodstock and since then has been quite easy to locate by Hendrix biographers and documentarians. And there's more.

I like the idea behind this book, but it is very flawed in execution. When Murray's not trying to impress us with what a genius and great musical critic he is, he's a pretty good writer with a descent sense of humor. He does need to spend a little more time on research and realize that it doesn't make you less intelligent to make a clear point in 5 pages as opposed to running in circles for 20. While he may have felt Jimi's impact on rock music was out of the scope of a book this size, he should have at least mentioned artists like German guitarist Uli Jon Roth who have molded not just their music but their life and spirituality on Jimi's. Instead Charles heaps praise on pop poser Prince as a worthy example of Hendrix's influence. This book has more than enough of interest and relevance to make it worth reading, but I must disagree with the other reviewers who shower it with such high praise.