Free Mystery Train: Images Of America In Rock 'n' Roll Music: Sixth Edition Ebooks To Download
In 1975, Greil Marcus’s Mystery Train changed the way readers thought about rock ’n’ roll and continues to be sought out today by music fans and anyone interested in pop culture. Looking at recordings by six key artists—Robert Johnson, Harmonica Frank, Randy Newman,the Band, Sly Stone, and Elvis Presley—Marcus offers a complex and unprecedented analysis of the relationship between rock ‘n’ roll and American culture. In this latest edition, Marcus provides an extensively updated and rewritten Note and Discographies section, exploring the recordings’ evolution and continuing impact.
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Plume; 6th Revised ed. edition (April 28, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142181587
ISBN-13: 978-0142181584
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #138,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #162 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Reference #331 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Popular #339 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > History & Criticism
Always interesting, but a certain imposition of the author's ego seemed to suffuse the content. When I listened tosome of the songs and riffs he has described, in some cases, I thought he was right on, and in others I could notfind anything resembling the qualities and characteristics he described. The selection of Randy Newman leftme completely cold, while his Elvis was extremely well done. Uneven, but the later notes are very,very solidand worth reading and following up by listening,as well.
This book has enjoyed a great reputation for decades. I never read it because I figured that reading any book about great music is like reading the menu of a great restaurant. It's the music! However, an article in the New York Times convinced me that I should read it anyway. It was this article:Just a Book? No, More Like a Trusty Companion By DWIGHT GARNER SEPT. 2, 2015So, I bought a used copy, which turned out to be the first edition and the print was so small it's a pain to read, so I bought this 6th edition paperback here at . The print is fine, what bothers me is that it's printed on that pulpy stock that you just know is going to yellow quite a bit over time. So, I'm docking it a star! Were it on bright solid white stock (the kind that doesn't yellow) it would get 5 stars. Marcus' observations are subtle and well founded.
After six editions and many printings, this book has obviously become a classic. I can see how it would appeal to a sliver of music specialists, but not the typical reader. At one level there is so much detail in the main text and notes that it quickly becomes overwhelming. On another level, furthermore, the author's statements about each of the profiles are so presumptuous and "conclusive" as to appear ridiculous. Reviewing music is much more like describing a sunset than the approach this book takes.
Terrific and erudite analysis of American thought and culture. The notes/sources at the end of invaluable.
As another reviewer stated "The Holly Grail" this isn't. How did this book get to be called out as one of the epic books on American music? That is the question I started asking myself from the beginning. Clearly the writer knows a lot about American music and the details of recordings in the back of the book are valuable. But why did he pick Harmonica Frank, Sly Stone, and Randy Newman as some of the few to represent all of American music and mostly ignore Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and others. But by far my biggest complaint is that the writer goes on and on with deep analysis of how he is positive all the musicians felt and what exactly they were thinking and how it changed and the complex and deep meanings behind every sneeze they ever contemplated. Please. Give me a break. Some evidence based analysis and conclusions are acceptable and stating what you think lyrics mean or what you think was the thinking and feeling behind the songs is OK. But no one can have the level of certainty about so much that was in the mind and heart of these artists without presenting proof that those artists shared those thoughts and feelings. The level of mind reading that the author carries out makes a third rate carnival husker look like a scientist. I have read many truly great books on American music but this is not one of them.
I bought this as a gift for my music-loving husband. You can't go wrong with Greil Marcus and he doesn't disappoint with this classic, literate and utterly absorbing book.
Essential, even if occasionally too esoteric
Delivered as promised!
Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music: Sixth Edition Shake, Rattle and Roll: The Founders of Rock and Roll Dog Train: A Wild Ride on the Rock-and-Roll Side The Greetings from Somewhere Collection: Mysteries Around the World: The Mystery of the Gold Coin; The Mystery of the Mosaic; The Mystery of the Stolen Painting; The Mystery in the Forbidden City Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution Realistic Rock for Kids (My 1st Rock & Roll Drum Method): Drum Beats Made Simple!, Book & 2 CDs Crossroads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'n' Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues) The Mystery of the Blue Train: A Hercule Poirot Mystery The New Electric Guitar Course: Rock 'n' Roll, Folk Music, Rhythm & Blues, Country & Western: Book 3 Inspiration for Great Songwriting: For Pop, Rock & Roll, Jazz, Blues, Broadway, and Country Songwriters: A Cheat Sheet Book About Creativity with Form, Lyrics, Music, and More The History of Rock and Roll (The Music Library) The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music The Rise and Fall of Popular Music: A Narrative History from the Renaissance to Rock 'n' Roll The New Electric Guitar Course: Rock 'n' Roll, Folk Music, Rhythm & Blues, Country & Western: Book 1 The New Electic Guitar Course - Book 2 (Rock 'n' Roll, Folk Music, Rhythm & Blues, Country & Western) Elvis: Behind The Legend: Startling Truths About The King of Rock and Roll's Life, Loves, Films and Music The New Electric Guitar Course Book 2 (Here Is a Modern Guitar Course That Is Easy to Learn and Fun to Play!) (Book 2 Rock'n'Roll, Folk Music, Rhythm & Blues, Country & Western) All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America (Pivotal Moments in American History) Mister Jelly Roll: The Fortunes of Jelly Roll Morton, New Orleans Creole and "Inventor of Jazz" Mergers and Acquisitions Strategy for Consolidations: Roll Up, Roll Out and Innovate for Superior Growth and Returns
