Superbly researched and vividly written, The Devil's Music is one of the only books to trace the rise and development of the blues both in relation to other forms of black music and in the context of American social history as experienced by African Americans. From its roots in the turn-of-the-century honky-tonks of New Orleans and the barrelhouses and plantations of the Mississippi Delta to modern legends such as John Lee Hooker and B. B. King, the blues comes alive here through accounts by the blues musicians themselves and those who knew them. Throughout this wide-ranging and fascinating book, Giles Oakley describes the texture of the life that made the blues possible, and the changing attitudes toward the music. The Devil's Music is a wholehearted and loving examination of one of America's most powerful traditions.
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About the Author
In 1976, Giles Oakley helped produce the acclaimed five-part BBC documentary The Devil's Music, which resulted in this book. He has since coproduced numerous prime-time programs and series for BBC-TV and has contributed to many books and journals.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Highly eductional; great for the early blues,
By
This review is from: The Devil's Music: A History Of The Blues (Paperback)
Very comprehensive; from Slavery era through the 60s, provides a long list of the men and women who created the blues and the following generations that assimilated and popularized them. Discusses the social, economic and political forces that influenced them as well. Good educational read. Pretty much ends at the Muddy Waters/BB King heyday of the 60s. If you're looking more for the modern blues (the Alberts, Buddy Guy, Clapton, Hendrix, SRV even) then this one is not for you. However, if you want to know about the guys (and gals) from whom the modern-era bluesmen learned their chops, this is your book.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blues You Can Use,
By
This review is from: The Devil's Music: A History Of The Blues (Paperback)
For anyone interested in a learning more about the blues, including it's history, different styles and most important musicians, this book is an excellent choice. It traces the music from it's roots in work songs, gospel and tent shows through the country blues of the South and the electric blues of Chicago on to the modern era.
The writer clearly has great admiration for this music, not only for it's creative spirit but as a reflection of the black experience in America and the struggle of so many folks to survive bigotry and economic injustice. Top notch blues perfomers like Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters are covered as well as lesser known but still influential talents such as Gus Cannon and Henry Thomas. Written in 1976, Oakley's comments on the contemporary blues scene can sometimes sound dated. But an excellent afterword, written in the late 90's, bring it somewhat more up to date. If you want to know more about the blues then this book is a great place to start.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When in 1863 President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was read out loud in Boston's Tremont Temple, the audience sang: Sound the loud timbrel. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
barrelhouse circuit, old delta blues, mighty boy, boogie piano, country suppers, ofthe blues, communal strength, jug band, piano blues, crazy blues, cow blues, blues history, urban blues Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Orleans, Sonny Boy, Son House, Bessie Smith, Charley Patton, New Deal, Peetie Wheatstraw, Blind Lemon, Georgia Tom, Big Bill, Howling Wolf, Lead Belly, Mamie Smith, Beale Street, New York, Victoria Spivey, Blind Boy Fuller, Roll Morton, Civil War, Decatur Street, Henry Townsend, Lonnie Johnson, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Sam Chatmon New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When in 1863 President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was read out loud in Boston's Tremont Temple, the audience sang: Sound the loud timbrel. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
barrelhouse circuit, old delta blues, mighty boy, boogie piano, country suppers, ofthe blues, communal strength, jug band, piano blues, crazy blues, cow blues, blues history, urban blues Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Orleans, Sonny Boy, Son House, Bessie Smith, Charley Patton, New Deal, Peetie Wheatstraw, Blind Lemon, Georgia Tom, Big Bill, Howling Wolf, Lead Belly, Mamie Smith, Beale Street, New York, Victoria Spivey, Blind Boy Fuller, Roll Morton, Civil War, Decatur Street, Henry Townsend, Lonnie Johnson, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Sam Chatmon New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 29
books:
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38
books
cite this book:
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- Jelly Roll Morton by Williams on 4 pages
- Little Brother by Regina Brown on page 87, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Chicago Breakdown (Roots of Jazz Series) by Mike Rowe on page 87, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Little Brother by Alan Baillie on page 87, and Back Matter
- The British Film Institute: [Hc]: [1993-94]: House of Commons Papers: [1993-94] by Great Britain in Back Matter
See all 29 books this book cites
- The Da Capo Jazz and Blues Lover's Guide to the United States by Christiane Bird on page 96, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday by Angela Y. Davis in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday by Angela Y. Davis in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy by Harry Shapiro in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Culture on the Margins: The Black Spiritual and the Rise of American Cultural Interpretation by Jon Cruz in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 38 books citing this book
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