Customer Reviews

Goin' Back to Memphis: A Century of Blues, Rock 'n' Roll, and Glorious Soul

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

 

 

I don't write many reviews, but when I read the May 27 review on this page, I knew I would have to say something. Anyone with half a brain knows that James Dickerson is the foremost expert on Memphis music. He has written more music books on Memphis than anyone else and he has done it with more depth and authority than anyone else.

Goin Back to Memphis was nominated for the Gleason Award, and it is the only book about Memphis music that offers a complete history. The two writers the previous reviewer mentions, Gordon and Guralnick, have written some interesting books, but neither writer has ever written a history of Memphis music. Gordon's book is mostly about the people who failed to make it in music, and Guralnick's books have either been about soul music or Elvis Presley, who recorded most of his records in Nashville, not Memphis.

I recommend this book to anyone who cares about blues, soul and rock n roll music.

I found this to be an interesting inside look at
various Memphis recording figures, the city
itself and its racial and political history. Producer Chips Moman
is discussed in detail. I would like to correct
one statistic (hopefully corrected in the paperback
edition which I haven't seen) - in the back of the
book, the author lists "Top Twenty" pop hits recorded
in Memphis or by Memphis based recording artists. He
lists only one hit by Charlie Rich who lived in Memphis and recorded in Memphis and Nashville ("The Most Beautiful Girl") but, in fact, according to the "Billboard Book of Top Forty Hits," Charlie Rich had five Top Twenty hits. The other four are: Behind Closed Doors; There Won't Be Anymore; A Very Special Love Song; Every Time You Touch Me I Get High. Rich also just missed with "Mohair Sam" at # 21 and "Lonely
Weekends" at # 22.

i'm not the man to make a 1000 words, but if James L. Dickerson writes them, they get you right from the start, believe you me! This is a highly entertaining look behind the scenes of american music making/industry. It also informs you quite humorous about the history of memphis politics and music. Doesn`t matter if you like jazz, blues, country, folk or rock, once you started it, you will not put it out of your hands til it's finished, at least that's how it happened to me. This was my first book of Mr. Dickerson but it will definitely not be the last. Actually i'm going to ask him if he would consider to allow me to translate it into german. To make a long story short: music lovers of the world, if you love Elvis Presley, STAX records or the blues, if you know who Chips Moman is or you want to know, order this book now cause you have to consider: it'll take them some days to get it shipped. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT IT AND PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD ! To make one thing clear: i am not getting paid by amazon, i don't have any deals with them,i didn't even buy my copy of the book from them. Love + Peace, Axel Drücke

There are many better books about Memphis, music, and the combined subject than this one. The author employs a ludicrous conspiracy theory, half-baked and never fully explained. For info on Memhpis Music, read Guralnick or Robert Gordon's It Came From Memphis. Stay away.