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Chris Willman

Rednecks & Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music Paperback – September 30, 2007

by Chris Willman (Author)

17 customer reviews

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Now in paperback, the nationally acclaimed Rednecks and Bluenecks is veteran Entertainment Weekly journalist Chris Willman’s lively account of “how music makes strange political bedfellows and how artists’ perceived politics change over time” (Booklist). How did the erstwhile music of the rural working class come to be the music of choice of the GOP? Rednecks and Bluenecks looks at the way country’s increasing popularity and conservative drift parallel the transformation of the Democratic South into the heart of the Republican mainstream.

Written in a “breezy, irreverent style” (Publishers Weekly), Rednecks and Bluenecks “explore[s] the left- or right-wing leanings of his subjects, from heavyweights like the Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith, Steve Earle, Brooks & Dunn, and Clint Black to newer, minor artists like the Drive-By Truckers.” Interviewing “nearly everyone who’s anyone in country music, from Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn to current superstars like Ronnie Dunn” (In These Times), Willman makes clear that country is a place where a passionate American political debate is taking place.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the year’s 10 best. . . . The best music book I read this year." —Fresh Air

"Fascinating and funny." —San Francisco Chronicle

"Four stars. . . . Sharp yet dishy." —Mother Jones

"Plucky." —The American Spectator

"The illuminating writing is as clear and joy-inducing as Allegheny Mountains moonshine." —The Los Angeles Times

"Fast, fun and skillfully reported, Rednecks and Bluenecks jumps into the breach of the political battle that fuels America’s musical heartland. . . . Leave it to Willman to bring all the dissonant voices together into one essential account of that red (and blue) hot spot where love of country and love of music meet." —Cameron Crowe

About the Author

Chris Willman is a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly. His writing has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and Newsday, and he has made appearances on VH1, CNN, and MTV. He lives in Los Angeles.

Paperback: 302 pages
Publisher: The New Press (September 30, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595582185
ISBN-13: 978-1595582188
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 17 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,980,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1288 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Country
- #4283 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Ideologies & Doctrines > Conservatism & Liberalism
- #4715 in Books > Medical Books > Pharmacology

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Andrew West Griffin

We'll Put a Boot ... err ... never mind ...

March 11, 2006

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I have been highly interested in the "politics of country music" ever since 9/11. When the patriotic songs started coming out (Aaron Tippin, Alan Jackson), it was pretty apolitical and pro-America. Then, the following year we had Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" and then when the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines said it was "ignorant," all bets were off. Things really picked up in spring '03 with the Dixie Chicks controversy went global following Maines' anti-Bush comments. At the same time you had Darryl Worley asking "Have You Forgotten?" and Clint Black's clunker "Iraq and Roll." For a while, there, it was quite a big deal and all eyes were on country music - a good thing, in my estimation.

Author Chris Willman captures this time exceedingly well in this excellent new book. He gets the conservatives and the liberals and everyone in between. You really get some great insight into Toby Keith. The reader realizes he's not some jingoistic warhawk. He's a patriotic Democrat, something the talk show types conveniently forget. We get the lowdown on the Dixie Chicks episode, something I was particularly interested in, being a big fan of the group and Natalie Maines in particular.

I can't say enough good things about Willman's book. Run out and get it.

8 people found this helpful

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Texastentialist

Red, blue or purple?

January 28, 2006

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

If country music is the people's music is it any surprise that there's as much complexity and nuance as there is reflected in this great book? Well written and insightful..and it'll help as a shopping list for your Amazon music purchases.

5 people found this helpful

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Franz Thomann

Three Stars

April 21, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Dated

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Javier Lodin

Rednecks & Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music

December 24, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A well documented book.Your content is very interesting with abundant explanations about the relationship between politics and the stars of country music.
Regards

2 people found this helpful

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Rand Bishop

How the Brush Fire Started

April 3, 2010

Format: Paperback

In 2002, I had a number-one song for one of the most infamous participants in these heated skirmishes--My List, performed by Toby Keith. So, I have special interest in ducking behind the curtain to see the wizard. Back then, a number of my left-coast pals turned up their ultra-liberal noses at my success, presuming that the big guy from Oklahoma was a war-mongering right winger. Of course, Keith's very public feud with Dixie Chick Natalie Maine fueled that assumption. It's still a shock to many that Toby is a lifelong registered democrat who opposed the Iraq war and publicly endorsed Barack Obama in the '08 election. The real question here is why we can't seem to have a constructive civil dialogue in this country without resorting to name calling and vitriol.

Veteran music journalist Chris Willman's Rednecks & Bluenecks reveals the truth behind the posturing. With the skill of a master storyteller, he teaches us how this brush fire between red and blue flared up and who is on what side of the not-so-invisible line. This book might even offer some hint as to why seven years hence we find our nation ripped in two by these fractious, irrational passions. Great reading from a very objective perspective. Highly recommended.

Rand Bishop, author Makin'Stuff Up, The Absolute Essentials of Songwriting Success, and Grand Pop.

2 people found this helpful

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Craig

Enjoyable book, regardless of your political views

March 3, 2006

Format: Hardcover

I read this book mainly because I like country music, and because I was interested in knowing a little bit about some of the artists' views beyond what we hear in a 4-minute song.

I know that some reviewers have complained about what they perceive as Willman's left-leaning stance, and I'd have to agree with them that he's not completely objective. A little too much time is spent on the plight of the Dixie Chicks, for whom I feel bad, but whose story probably could have been shortened in an attempt to include more viewpoints. At the same time, though, Willman does not criticize one side while leaving the other alone.

Several artists speak freely and articulately, from both sides of the spectrum - Steve Earle, Toby Keith, and Ronnie Dunn might not be having dinner together anytime soon, but it was fascinating to hear each of their perspectives. And for anyone who believes country musicians to be less than intelligent as a whole, this book will likely open some eyes. The level of political awareness among many of the artists, particularly Keith and Dunn, will surprise many.

One item that I really enjoyed was the discussion of the fued between Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks. It was interesting to read Keith's comments about the Chicks' insults, and I got the feeling that he was insulted more about their criticism of his musical talent than any political views he might have. He's obviously a proud artist, and it seems like he was genuinely taken somewhat aback.

This is a great book, one that held me so much that I wished Willman had included another 50 pages. For any fan of country music, or just those interested in the politics of that music.

7 people found this helpful

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