| Publication OverviewSlick, informative and beautifully rendered, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" may be the best country music book available today. It really rates 10-Stars. Five for the outstanding writing (over 43 writers contribute) and five for the terrific photos, great illustrations and the overall, art-concept. Quite a package. Subtitled "Country Music In America," it serves as an excellent reference book, covering country music from 1920 to present. Also featured are a foreword by Willie Nelson and articles by Rosanne Cash and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Rosanne, like her late father, does not suffer fools lightly. Here she aims her pen at the "music busines." She reveals the thinking of "corporate types" at a meeting very early in her career. They suggest she look "more f--kable." She was "too appalled to defend" herself, she relates. This was 1979 and Rosanne was 23-years-old. Lord knows what these charming folks tell young, upcomming artists these days. So the book is honest,too. And there's two great chapters, "When Two Worlds Collide" and "All Shook Up," highlighting country music's diverse influences. The stars of Sun Records and even Bob Dylan are given their due. One of Dylan's big hits and one of his very best records, "Lay Lady Lay" was off the "Nashville Skyline" album. This book is a coffee table gem which delivers the goods. High praise and kudos to Alanna Nash and Paul Kingsbury for putting the thing together. A great deal of credit also goes to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville, for provding most of the photos and illustrations. So do yourself a favor. Slap your favorite country artist on the CD player, pour yourself a tall one and than turn a page or two of this book. I did. And all was fine with the world. |
