Customer Reviews

Dixie Lullaby

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Wow...I had withdrawal pangs after finishing this book! Kemp takes you on a sentimental tour of Southern rock music through scenery of the concurrent social and political events that affected the region and the nation. Just a small format change could have made it qualify as a music history textbook, yet somehow he has gracefully composed a harmony of history, memoir and good 'ole story tellin'. I learned things I never realized as a fan of many of the artists he discusses while I gained a deeper understanding of the events that rocked the country during my youth. The education was pure joy! His writing style is warm and inviting and keeps you fascinated with the stories as well as the chronology that could otherwise seem pedantic (I even read all the chapter notes!). Whether your youth lies in the 60's or 90's, you will find reading "Dixie Lullaby" a rich experience.

This book by music writer Mark Kemp is hard to categorize. It is part memoir, part cultural and social history and partly a history of popular music. The author manages to tie the various threads together into a cohesive whole and has written a fascinating book.

Kemp was born in South Carolina in 1960 and came to outside awareness just as the civil rights movement kicked into the highest gear and the old Jim Crow order of the South was breaking down. Kemp had the good fortune to be born to freethinking progressive parents who did not raise him in the atmosphere of invidious racism that characterized the life of so many other southerners of that time. The book really begins with the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968. Prior to that event, white musicians backed many of the great black soul and rhythm and blues singers. After King was killed, many blacks felt they could no longer work with either white musicians or white owned music companies. As Kemp points out, the book is not about the fascinating story of black music in the south but of white music. In the year 2005, it is difficult for one who did not live through it, to appreciate what the reputation of the South was in 1969. Even its own young considered the South backwards and indeed, "redneck". As for music, white southern music meant either hillbilly boogie or country western. Southerners did not perform rock music in an indigenous style and those from the South who desired to make it in popular music left for either California or New York and dropped their Southern roots, usually in embarrassment.

This all changed when a man named Phil Walden, former manager for Otis Redding decided to start his own label, which became the fabled Capricorn Records. Rather than create a house band to back up studio owned singers, as with the Muscle Shoals studio, Walden decided to back a hot young guitarist from Florida named Duane Allman who had gained a reputation as a hot studio slide player and was looking to create his own band. Duane's band was originally supposed to be a power trio but ultimately consisted of six young men, one of them a black drummer, another his brother Gregg, a keyboardist and incredibly soulful blues singer. When Walden heard the debut of the "Allman Brothers Band" he knew he had found something special and backed the band out of his own pocket as they struggled to make it.

After describing the creation of the Allman Brothers Band, Kemp shifts back to his own story. In 1970, the ten years old author was dedicated to the blues sound of the Rolling Stones, having no idea that the Stone's sound was native to his own home region. When he hears the Allman Brothers Band in his sister's car, he, like thousands of other young Southerners, is instantly smitten. The Allmans' style was a unique blending of all native American sounds, with plenty of blues, soul, pure improvisational jazz and driving rock thrown into the mix. Not rednecks at all, the Allmans were more like southern hippies, singing "People Can you feel it? Love is everywhere!" Kemp claims that Gregg Allman sang with the sadness of the South. But Lynyrd Skynyrd rocked with righteous anger and extreme Southern pride. After the decline of the Allman's post-1973, came the rise of Southern "redneck rock" rockers, like Skynyrd and Molly Hatchett who made no apolgies for who they were or where they were from and who played a crunching brand of boogie rock, very different from that of the Allman Brothers Band. As the book continues, Kemp varies between a history of the music of the South and his own personal story in which he grows up, becomes a "head" in high school, rejects Southern music, moves north, develops a drug problem lands and loses his dream job at Rolling Stone and becomes ashamed of his Southern heritage. All the while he parallels this story with that of the musicians and the individuals he interviewed for this book including Charlie Daniels, Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule and so many others. The book really covers a large period of cultural history, more than thirty years, and a lot about Kemp's own life in a relatively few pages. And yet the book holds together surprisingly well. It really is a great read and anyone reading it will learn a little about what it was like to grow up a rock and roll fan in the new South of the 1970's. I highly recommend it.

Like Mark, I grew up in the south in the 70s and agree with many of his observations regarding the music scene, racism, and with the heart and soul of a "southern man." I also found his personal story engaging, as he traveled back to meet old girlfriends and go on a road trip through the South with his Dad.

Where I think the book could have been stronger is the somewhat conflicted message Mark leaves regarding the South and its legacy. It's unclear that the author has fully come to terms with his past, and perhaps that is too tall an order for one book anyway. But Mark at times is all over the map, sometimes adopting the rock snob critic persona when in two pages he provides the CW on such unfairly maligned records as the Stone's Black and Blue, The Who By Numbers, The Allmans' Win Lose or Draw, or Gregg Allman's marriage and relationship with Cher. Other times he goes against the CW, turning in a strong and thoughtful defense of Tom Petty's Southern Accents. His testy 1992 interview with Chris Robinson is also a hoot!

So in all I found the book engaging and a great idea, though at times I thought the execution could have been a bit stronger. I look forward to more from this author as he continues to mine and refine his thoughts on this subject.

Engrossing story of a sensitive Southern Rock fan who grew up in the South raised on the Allmans & Skynyrd, but troubled by the racist hypocrisy surrounding him, which led the author to become a Rock journalist, rejecting both his geographical & musical heritage, only to later reclaim both, which is the basis for this cathartic memoir. Enjoyable to finally read something about the Allmans and especially Skynyrd and Ronnie Van Zant, by someone whose life was changed by their music, instead of the usual dismissive Rolling Stone rock critic trash. A long overdue book that needed to be written.

Mark Kemp, editor of Creative Loafing-Charlotte, examines the interaction of southern culture and music as the South is transtioning out of Jim Crow. He uses his life as a lens through which to view these events.

THIS IS A VERY GOOD BOOK ABOUT GROWING UP IN THE SOUTH, BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND HOW THESE EVENTS DURING THIS PERIOD INFLUENCED SOUTHERN MUSIC AND NEW BEGINNINGS IN THE SOUTH!!! THIS STORY IS TOLD BY MARK KEMP (THE AUTHOR) BASED ON HIS EXPEIENCES. IT IS MY IMPRESSION THAT MARK HAS A DEEP LOVE FOR THE SOUTH AND SOUTHERN MUSIC, ESPECIALLY "SOUTHERN ROCK". THIS BOOK FOCUSES ON SOUTHERN ROCK AND THE PIONEER BANDS WHO MADE IT FAMOUS.

This book also focuses on some of the songs of the southern rock movement, such as the Allman Brothers Band's "Dreams", Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Poison Whiskey", and others.

Mark Kemp is a very good author, he has been an editor for the "Rolling Stone" Magazine, and he is a jouralist. He grew up in North Carolina. He knows members on the Southern Rock Bands that he writes about.

The Main Theme I get about this book is that after the Civil Rights movement in the South, things changed, music changed, and politics changed. One of the significant changes to come out of post civil rights movement era was "SOUTHERN ROCK". (CMT did a special show on the Southern Rock Revelution and it coroborated Mark's story).

"SOUTHERN ROCK" gave southerns something to be proud of. It displayed the south in a more positive way. During the "glory days" of Southern Rock (from about 1969 till 1977 when Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane went down), some of the BEST BANDS IN THE COUNTRY WERE FROM THE SOUTH!!! IT GAVE US SOUTHERNER'S SOMETHING TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT.

OVERALL, ITS A VERY GOOD BOOK ABOUT THE "SOUTHERN ROCK MOVEMENT" AND CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN THE SOUTH, GIVING THE SOUTH A "NEW BEGINNING".
IT'S AN ENJOYABLE BOOK TO READ, AND SO I RECOMMEND IT!


This Book covers the stories of the legendary bands who lead this "Southern Rock" revolution: THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, AND THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, AND OTHER SOUTHERN ROCK BANDS, SUCH AS WET WILLIE AND THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND. THESE BANDS REPRESENTED THE SOUTH IN A NEW A POSITIVE WAY!

THIS BOOK COVERS HOW THIS MOVEMENT HELPED ELECT JIMMY CARTER AS PRESIDENT.

THERE ARE ALSO, TIDBITS OF OTHER INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK SUCH AS THE MOVIE "ALMOST FAMOUS" BY CAMERON CROWE. CAMERON CROWE TRAVELED WITH BOTH THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND AND LYNYRD SKYNYD, AND MOST OF THIS MOVIE IS BASED ON THESE TRAVELS. Also, Mark writes about how the "Rolling Stones" and "Elvis Costello" re-introduced southern music to southerners. He also covers the effect that the movie "Easy Rider" had on southern rock and southern culture. He also, discusses Charlie Daniel's songs "Uneasy Rider" and "Uneasy Rider - 1980's version". Charlie's song "Uneasy Rider" is about a "hippie" getting back at "intolerable" "rednecks". Mark really gets into this with Charlie Daniels. Charlie Daniels didn't like for "Southerner's" to be represented like the "rednecks" in the movie "Easy Rider", so that's why he wrote the song "uneasy rider", about a "hippie" getting back at some "intolerable" "rednecks". Charlie wanted the South to be presented in a more positive way. Southern rock songs like uneasy rider and others helped change southern culture, so that "main-stream" southerns became more tolerant of "outsiders" or people who were different. As far as tolerance goes, Charlie Daniels agrees with Mark on most things, but not on everything.

Anyway, this book gives a GOOD HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN ROCK MOVEMENT from the viewpoint of a Southerner himself. He knows these band members, and tells his story. He also brings out some of the new southern rock bands that have emerged in recent years, such as "Drive By Truckers", the Blackcrowes, and others.

As I mentioned before, this is a good book to read, and I do recommend it!

"Civil rights freed the white southerner,particularly the young white southerner.It gave us grace,it gave us an opportunity to escape racism and politics of the Old South.We forget what a blessing Martin Luther King Jr. was to the south."..Phil Walden.
This book gives an excellent insight into the south,and particularly North Carolina and the changes that influenced the music of America since the 1960's.What we wre talking about is the blending of country,folk,hard rock and southern blues. Kemp takes us from the days before the Civil Rights Movement when blacks and whites simply could not and did not play in bands together. With the murder of Dr.King came, not only intregation in all sectors of life, but also in music.Rock and Roll came out of the south in the fifties and spread all over the world.In the 60's Kemp shows how Hard Rock in all its forms was also born in the south and likewise spread worldwide.
As you read through this book you are going to come across literally hundreds of musicians and bands and see how they are all intimately entwined.
Although I am now 70,and have never been able to relate completely to Hard Rock,I was amazed how many of the musicians mentioned were familiar and favourites of mine.Just to name a few David Allen Coe,Charlie Daniels,Cash,Jerry Lee Lewis,Springsteen,Cher,Chuck Berry,Little Richard,Bo Diddley,Ronnie Hawkins,Jimmy Carter,Bill Clinton,George Bush,B.B.King,Ray Charles,Allmans,Jefferson Airplane,Buck Owens,Dwight Yokum,John Lennon.Bono and U2,Elvis and on and on are all part of the journey Mark Kemp takes us on through 40 years of change and growth in America.
Among many other involvements Mark,greatest dream came to him when he became the music editor of Rolling Stone and vice president of music editorial MTV Networks.Who better to put this story together than someone who grew up with it ,knew virtually everyone involved and lived it for 40 years.
Though I am not a musician,my music preferences are more traditional Country,Bluegrass,Folk,Pop,Easy Listning,Rock&Roll; I found this a fascinating,informative,well written book that held my interest from beginning to end.I can only imagine what a teriffic book this would be to anyone who loves Hard Rock.

As a southerner who has since moved away, I find myself defending, explaining, and apologizing for the south on a daily basis. I loved this book because it said all of the things I have been trying so hard to say for years. Mark Kemp does a great job weaving his own experiences together with the music and the history and everything else. The only complaint I had was that his writing style was a little strange. He made lists relentlessly and I got a little tired of reading those. Other than that, though, this is a great book that desperately needed to be written.