Customer Reviews

How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is different than others when writing about country music in general and Nashville especially. I does not dwelve into on more or less interesting stories about the stars and the people, how they live, about their drinking problems etc. But it tells the story about the tunesmiths and producers and of cource of the stars from a new angle. How did this and that song come into existence, how producers became excellent producers sometimes by inconcidents. sometimes from working their way from the bottom to the top, and how stars struggled before they became stars. How the network mattered. that is who knows who in the business, which is a key to succseed in Music City USA. And how some key persons, in the different stages of the development of country music were resposnible to get the country wagon back on track when times got bad. Bur most of all I will empathize the autor`s ability to focus on the less known people who contributeted much more to find new artists and songs and publishers, or who run small labels and publishing companies,than they have been credited for. All in all, a must read for all serious fans of country music.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in country music, or the recording industry in general. Actually, anyone interested in pop music or rock n roll should read this, too -- alongside the great behind the scenes stories about the most famous country stars, there are incredible stories about the roots of rock, and even the invention of the fuzz box!

What makes this book so great is that it does not focus on performers and all the stories we've heard a million times or ones you can read elsewhere, instead Kosser goes to the source, the songwriters and the producers who keep the country music business flowing.

Country music is an odd industry, but there is a reason why it remains huge -- great songs. This book tells the tale through the words of the men and women who made it happen, and it is about time someone did. I love to read about Hank and Patsy (both in this book, too!) but to hear where Elvis got his songs and especially about the machine that made stars in the 90s is to really learn something about people and the music business.

This is a great book... and funny, too. My favorite book about music in years!

As a musician who has worked with current session players, met producers, done business dealings with publishers and witnessed the Nashville way...this book is awesome...a must read for music professionals and fans of the industry's history.

Kosser's book is filled with great stories that any songwriter or music fan regardless of genre would find interesting.

A great insight into music publishing and the record industry.

Jonathan Colcord gave Michael Kosser's wonderful book one star simply because there was nothing in it about bluegrass. That's like giving The Da Vinci Code one star because there's nothing in it about Southern Baptists. The commercial country music that comes from Nashville is not really the same genre as bluegrass. Bluegrass is recorded everywhere, and though Bill Monroe did indeed record in Nashville, bluegrass is usually self-contained, and Monore's recordings did not involve session musicians but his own band, and the songs were his own or traditional, they did not involve the Nashville songwriting or publishing community. Any good engineer will tell you that bluegrass is recorded differently from mainstream country. Bluegrass is great and has even worked its way instrumentally into much of today's Nashville music, but traditionally it has never been associated very much with Music Row. Mr. Colcord says that songwriters should stick to writing songs instead of writing history, but ironically, Michael Kosser has probably written as much history as he has songs.

As a record collector for more than 40 years, I had always wondered just how it was that Nashville became the epicenter of country music. In his latest book "How Nashville Became Music City USA" author Michael Kosser offers up the most comprehensive history of the Nashville recording scene and country music in general that I have ever read. It is compelling and informative reading. Most folks are simply not privy to the inner workings of the recording industry. Kosser tells the fascinating story of "Music Row". It was here that the country music industry was born in Nashville in the mid 1950's. You will be introduced to many of the important and influential players who helped shape the Nashville recording scene. Making a hit record is certainly not a simple process. There is usually a dizzying array of people involved from the songwriters, publishers, promotion people, record label executives and of course the artists themselves. If you have never read a book about the recording industry then "How Nashville Became Music City USA" would be a great place to start. Michael Kosser has managed to unearth a lot of new information I have never seen before. As an added bonus there is a wonderful CD that offers the reader 10 historic "demo" recordings that will greatly enhance your enjoyment of this book. All in all, this was a very well thought out project. Recommended!

I love this book! It's a great window into the happenings of what made Nashville what it is today. Kosser does a fantastic job with letting the Nashville story speak for itself. Great photos and audio CD help to round out the package. A must for all fans of country music!

So says Michael Kosser regarding the music industry in Nashville. In this book, Kosser explores the history of music recording on 'Music Row' - the threat of Elvis and the Everly Brothers to traditional country music. The influence of record label powerman Jimmy Bowen. Bob Doyle and the marketing success of Garth Brooks. Look behind the scenes at the friendships and backbiting of an incredibly important industry. The accompanying CD has original demos and retus by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Patsy Cline. For history and music lovers alike.

OK- How can any book on music in Nashville COMPLETELY ignore the contributions of Bill Monroe?

Not a footnote, nor an index listing.

The author barely even mentions bluegrass music either. If it's not big hair and big hats- it is ignored in this book. Where is Jimmy Martin? C'mon...

Perhaps songwriters should stick to writing songs and not history books?