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America Over The Water: A Musical Journey With Alan Lomax Hardcover – January 1, 2004

by Shirley Collins (Author)

4.6 38 ratings

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Renowned English folk singer, Shirley Collins, met the famous American musical historian and folklorist, Alan Lomax at a party hosted by Ewan MacColl. In this highly personal and heart-rending account, she describes her year-long stint as Lomax’s assistant and lover, and their diligent work uncovering the traditional music of America’s heartland.

The result is a finely woven tapestry of one woman’s journey, both emotional and musical, and her discovery of a world of beauty and dignity, as well as deprivation and prejudice, amongst the folk musicians across the water in America.

Print length

223 pages
Language

English
Publisher

S A F Pub Ltd
Publication date

January 1, 2004
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 8.75 inches
ISBN-10

0946719667
ISBN-13

978-0946719662
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Shirley Collins
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Paperback
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ S A F Pub Ltd (January 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 223 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0946719667
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0946719662
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 8.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,634,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,525 in Country & Folk Composer Biographies
- #1,949 in Folk & Traditional Music (Books)
- #24,500 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.6 38 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

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Jbrinson

absolutely incredible first-hand account

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2007

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This is an absolutely amazing must-read account of Shirley Collins' journey with Alan Lomax throughout the 1950s American South. Great description of the country and atmosphere by a foreign and interested comrade. This is by all accounts a not-to-miss story of the blues, folk, and country music that existed at the time. If you are interested in ANY of these genres in any way, shape, or form, or the way this trip inspired Shirley to re-examine the traditional music of her own homeland (southern England, namely Sussex), this book is an ABSOLUTE must-read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I definitely read this whole book in two days. That is a testament to its greatness. Buy it NOW!

6 people found this helpful

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James T. Jones

Not Enough about Shirley

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2010

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Shirley Collins was one of the most important players in the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s, and her memoir provides some insight into the influence of American folk music upon her repertoire. However, as the introduction announces, her modesty severely limits her ability to flesh out the events of the year she spent in the company of Alan Lomax recording U.S. performers from the Georgia Sea Islands to the Ozarks. The sketchy nature of the narrative makes it more tantalizing than fulfilling. The editor, to fill out the book, provides a list of all the tracks Collins and Lomax recorded on their 1959 trip. This information is of very limited appeal, making it unclear whether the publishers intend the book to reach a general or a scholarly audience. With that reservation, what little Collins does have to say about her early life and her romance with Lomax is charming.

One person found this helpful

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Danny

A Beautiful, Fantastic Trip To a Lost America.

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016

What a beautiful, interesting book. I recently discovered the gorgeous music of Shirley Collins, and after much googling found out she had written a book!

The book is half autobiographical narrative of her childhood and upbringing, and the other half a narrative of her travels with Alan Lomax across the south of America making field recordings. Her story is especially prescient giving the recent release of Lomax's entire catalogue online.

The writing is conversational, and personal, and really gives you a sublime feel for the heart and soul of Collins. Her descriptions paint a vivid picture of America long gone, and of an England long gone as well. We get an insiders look in what the folk and blues roots of American music were built upon.

The book is heavily supplemented with photographs and letters from her trips, which make the book almost feel like a documentary or as if you were on the trip along with her.

The book has history, music, love. Everything you could want from a book. If you don't already love Collins, you absolutely will when you are finished with this fine book.

2 people found this helpful

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Patty Deveau

Wonderful real life story of a young girl growing up ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2014

Wonderful real life story of a young girl growing up in war time Britain, and a budding folk singer following her love and discovering the roots music of America. Each page turns like a song. I knew that Lomax recorded the Ga Sea Island Singers on St. Simons Island, Ga in 1959 but I was thrilled to read Collins' account that they made the recordings inside the old schoolhouse, the Harrington Graded School which we have been working to restore for the last five years. Ms. Collins' account gives us one more reason why this one room segregated schoolhouse deserves to be preserved and how great it will be for tourists and coastal residents to once again hear Gullah Geechee music in the schoolhouse. www.ssiheritagecoalition.org.

One person found this helpful

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Booksthatmatter

A magical book

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2005

I'd never heard of Shirley Collins before hearing her interviewed about this book on the radio - what a fabulous, fabulous discovery. I wish I'd known of her before. This book lives and breathes the tensions of the American South and is rich with its melodies and voices. Shirley Collins comes across as immensely likeable and lovely person and as fantastic as the music she writes about is, the thing that makes this glow is the personal story of her relationship with Alan Lomax.

5 people found this helpful

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John W

If you know about Shirley Collins and her contribution to the revival, you will enjoy reading this.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2022

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Always admired what Shirley achieved. Her honesty and intelligence shine through these pages. Documenting and commentating on her field trip with Lomax in the USA, interleaved with recollections of her early life and how she discovered the music that has been the driving passion of her life.

2 people found this helpful

sb1308

シャーリー・コリンズとアラン・ロマックス

Reviewed in Japan on July 8, 2006

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　ブリティッシュ・ブルースから黒人ブルースを経てブリティッシュ・トラッドに辿り着き、シャーリー・コリンズに関心をもった私にとって、この本は驚きと興奮の連続といって良かった。アラン・ロマックスとの関係もそうだが、フレッド・マクダウェル「発見」の現場に彼女が居合わせていたことを知ったのは驚きだ。1959年の調査旅行と彼女の生い立ちを交錯させる構成が適切かどうか良く分からないが、早く読み進もうという気を起こさせるのは確かだ。彼女のシンガーとしての経歴は最後に駆け足で述べられているだけで、その点は物足りないものの、決して平坦ではなかったが、自分の歩みを率直に語る余裕をもって余生を送る彼女の人生に共感を覚えずにはいられない。また、第二次大戦前後のイギリス（彼女の故郷であるヘイスティングスが中心だが）社会を垣間見る上でも、この本は興味のつきない内容をもっている。

One person found this helpful

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JonR

Less what you might think

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2022

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This book seems to have more about Shirley's experiences as a child in Hastings (the English south coast town and Luftwaffe target in WWII) than her later experiences in the USA with her then partner Alan Lomax.

In truth it's probably 50/50 as the chapters alternate. So if you want an in-depth memoir about their meetings with rural blues and country musicians in 1959, you may find this disappointing. The book is also fairly short - less than 200pp and fairly large print.

But her writing about her childhood and adolescence is extremely evocative. The life of a young English girl in that period (born 1935) is brought beautifully to life, in all its somewhat twee character. Even being strafed by German fighter planes in her home streets and having their house bombed (when they were out), seems like part of the generally jolly atmosphere.

The tales of travelling around the US meeting those downhome blues and country artists is also pretty much what you'd expect of a sweetly naive 24-year-old English girl - except, of course, it's all strongly informed by her own musical knowledge and folk music studies. I would have liked a lot more detail on the music from that angle, but then I am a musician (the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars). For the general reader, it's all entertaining enough - often sad or disappointing (meeting the surviving members of the Memphis Jug Band), but occasionally thrilling (the discovery of Mississippi Fred McDowell). Both in her WWII reminiscences and her American experiences, you really get the feeling of what it was like to be there - the good and the bad, the exciting and the mundane. Her writing is direct and transparent, often based on letters home from the time.

She is, of course, an English national treasure for her contribution to the revival of traditional music - including the occasional adventurous foray beyond. There are few more important figures in that field, and her story is valuable for that reason alone. This is a little book, but it is a great little book.

2 people found this helpful

LondonToon

A glorious tale!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2014

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Absolutely loved this book!

Shirley Collins is a legend in her own lifetime and this is a thoroughly engaging description of her early travels with Alan Lomax.

Modest and unassuming, Shirley recounts her adventures in a most pleasing fashion and, by the end of the book, you will love her even more for it.

Highly recommended!

3 people found this helpful

T Roberts

Excellent book delivered on time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2020

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This is a great book, and it arrived on time with no problems.

2 people found this helpful

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America Over The Water: A Musical Journey With Alan Lomax Hardcover – January 1, 2004

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