Free Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey: A Journey To Music's Heart & Soul Ebooks To Download
In this evocative and intensely personal history of the blues, Bill Wyman pays tribute to the musicians who inspired him and whose music he took around the world as a member of the Rolling Stones. The starting point of Bill's Odyssey is the journey of African slaves to the plantations of America's Deep South. We follow their descendants as they walk, travel the highways, and ride the railroads out of the Delta and the troubled South via Memphis to the northern cities of Chicago and St. Louis. But this is no superficial history: Bill Wyman's in-depth odyssey reveals a society where poverty and injustice as well as love and faith, found their expression in a musical style that gave birth to rock 'n' roll. Location shots of smoky juke joints, railroad stations, and endless highways combine with richly detailed maps to bring the Blues alive. Feature spreads with previously unpublished photographs from Bill Wyman's personal archive showcase 40 Blues legends from Robert Johnson to John Lee Hooker, telling the story of their fascinating and often troubled lives. Bill Wyman is a legend in his own right. He has known and played with many of the Blues legends, and his personal knowledge and unprecedented access give this book an authenticity that is almost impossible to match.
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: DK; 1st edition (September 1, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0789480468
ISBN-13: 978-0789480460
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 1.2 x 11.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #897,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #237 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Soul #378 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Blues #3109 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > History & Criticism
This book falls somewhere between the in depth tomes of Paul Oliver and the "Blues for Dummies" book. It has greater depth than the "Dummies" book, covering such history as the slave trade and American Abolition movement to a greater extent than found in a casual survey. Wyman & Havers also provide a decent intro for ragtime, spirituals and jazz before they get into the meat of the subject. The book covers the usual subject matter with a little greater depth than usual. Excellent features include profiles of essential artists (including suggestions on what to purchase for great listening), recording histories of the great songs (Stack O'Lee, Rollin' and Tumblin', etc.) and a recurring map featuring blues highlights. As a blues fan and collector, I found it fascinating reading which I plan to pass on to other fans and nonfans alike.
This rich personal history of the world of blues music blends a history of the movements of blues from Africa to the US with a personal exploration of the society and places which fostered the rise of blues music. From location shots of juke joints to biographical sketches of big names in blues music, this is packed with color images which bring a far more personal touch to the subject than most.
A coffee table book, pure and simple, with thick, glossy pages full of photos, timelines, and charts. But the prose is the equivalent of a high school term paper--no flow to the paragraphs, themes jumbled and disorganized, little explication or analysis. Sure, it is an encyclopedia of facts, some of them quite interesting, but who wants to read an encyclopedia cover to cover? Apart from the inelegant ghost writing, Wyman's own asides are entirely superfluous. Compare this to Alan Lomax's "The Land Where the Blues Began".
Abundant with pics and maps, data, short bios, some discography. I'd recommend this to anyone who wanted an overview of recorded Blues history, mostly Delta Blues history, and up into Chicago Blues history.Though Bill Wyman admittedly was kind of a late comer to the blues compared to his Rolling Stones bandmates, he makes up for it with this chronicle. The history of how the blues made its way into the London scene is a little goofy really; it was a matter of fadism and record collecting, adopting downtrodden personas and copying vocal and guitar licks note for note. But most of us who grew up on the Stones were glad they did. Wyman tracks this British Blues development as well and includes chapters on a few other well known mostly white US practioners.All in all, it's a visually solid and very readable piece, I'm very glad to have it for its chronological look at blues evolution. Rabid fans might miss the fact that some areas other than the Delta are overlooked but, again, this is a very worthy introduction.
No book is without faults but warts an all this is a damn fine book for anyone remotely interested in the Blues, Music or plain Bill Wyman. The most annoying thing about this book is where it is repetitive on certain passages, but then this is the way it is written.Those are the warts,the best part of the book is itscontents of anecdotes and is crammed full of splendid photographs. I found the best/worst part of the book was its essential recordings showing classic songs/albums about individual artistes.(the worst part is that I am currently seeking an endless list of albums I do not have)For an ageing Rolling Stone,still on the road doing what he does best Bill Wyman and Richard Havers have written an Historical Masterpiece! After all it is not an easy task writing about the origins of modern pop music with all your own prejudices and favourites and at the same time wondering wether or not you have left someone of note out in the cold!My advice to you all is to go out and buy yourself an Historical Music Book Today! (While it is in its 1st Print!)
Overall, a great book that educates the reader in an entertaining, clear and down-to-earth manner. I especially appreciated the background information (for example, on slavery, segregation and the cotton trade) which puts the blues into its social and spiritual context. This book is clearly a labour of love, especially for Bill Wyman, but that love unfortunately extends to an excessive number of Bill Wyman photographs. Bear in mind that as a coffeee table book, this book lacks some of the depth and flow of a good blues read, evident in books such as Robert Palmer's "Deep Blues" or Alan Lomax's "The land where the blues began".
Sure this book is like an encyclopedia, but you won't find a better guide for finding obscure blues artists that otherwise would be forgotten. Most books go into familiar territory and rehash the same old information, but Bill Wyman is a serious collector who wants to share his love of the blues. This book is loaded with enough information to get you started on your own eclectic blues collection.
Nice book to introduce blues to the average folks. The organization is well done with plenty of interesting tidbits scattered throughout. Bill does a pretty good job of linking the past with present-day performers (eg. who originally recorded a song and who has done it since.) Some of the best parts are the photographs of folks like Memphis Minnie, Barbeque Bob, and Charlie Patton. Is it the most comprehensive blues book I've ever read? No, but it nicely covers the main players and is much more than a book for the coffee table. Enjoy!
Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey: A Journey to Music's Heart & Soul 48 Razor-Sharp 12-Bar Blues Riffs for Swing Bands and Blues Bands: B Flat Instruments Edition (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Series) The Caged System and 100 Licks for Blues Guitar: Complete With 1 hour of Audio Examples: Master Blues Guitar (Play Blues Guitar Book 5) The Bill Evans Trio - Volume 1 (1959-1961): Featuring Transcriptions of Bill Evans (Piano), Scott LaFaro (Bass) and Paul Motian (Drums) Adventures in Odyssey Advent Activity Calendar: Countdown to Christmas (Adventures in Odyssey Misc) James Houston's Treasury of Inuit Legends (Odyssey Classics (Odyssey Classics)) Discovering Odyssey (Adventures in Odyssey Classics #2) 101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series) Saved by the Blues: 36 Stories of Transformation through Blues Music and Dancing 101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Turnarounds book and CD (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series) 101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Rhythm Patterns in the Electric Urban / Chicago Style (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series) 25 Razor-Sharp Blues and Boogie Guitar Solos (Book and CD) (Red Dog Music Books Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Series) Soul Comfort for Cat Lovers: Coping Wisdom for Heart and Soul After the Loss of a Beloved Feline Quilts 2017 Square Wyman (Multilingual Edition) Quilts 2016 Square 12x12 Wyman Quilts 2015 Square 12x12 Wyman Blessings 2017 Square Wyman Lighthouses of the World 2015 Double-View Easel Wyman Lighthouses Of The World 2016 Square 12X12 Wyman Worlds Toughest Golf Holes 2017 Square Wyman
