I think I read the Elvis book(ironically enough, not "Sweet Soul"...) I liked it. A certain exhaustiveness really gets my panties wet...otherwise, would I be here right now? Will definitely read the Sam Cooke book.

I really like Guralnick's topics. I think I just find his prose unnecessarily dull.

"Like dancing about architecture," huh? It's been a while. Can't really take a side.

Well, yeah, but there's plenty of great music writers out there who manage to make it sound like fun. David Gordon's It Came From Memphis covers some of the same topics in Guralnick's Sweet Soul Music, but makes me wish I could have lived in Memphis in the late 60s/early 70s, whereas Guralnick's book (which is infinitely better researched) just makes me wish I was listening to Booker T instead of reading about him.

I can see that. I saw a Motown documentary like that. Very velvet-rope-in-the-museum considering how alive that music still feels.(Yeah. Even when it's in every bad comedy trailer ever.)

"Like dancing about architecture," huh? It's been a while. Can't really take a side.

Rant warning (Please don't take it the wrong way, erika. I'm going off on the message, not the messenger.)

I hate that saying. It's cute and clever and all but what the hell does it mean? Does it mean that writing about music is simply illegitimate? Or is it less judgmental, more descriptive: they are ultimately two different things and a description of one using the language of the other may tell us something about the one describing but not much about the one being described? Or is it something else altogether: it's a creative response to something totally different, each legitimate, each its own thing, inspiration notwithstanding? Or is it just a pissy response by Zappa or Elvis (or whoever really said it) to a bad review? If it was Zappa it's ironic because one of the crucial inspirations for his hero, Edgar Varese, was Busoni's Sketch for a New Esthetic of Music. And the line between a music theoretician and a music critic is pretty thin. Most popular music "criticism" has precious little analysis even when the critic has the tools to do so. To me the comment smacks of both intellectual hauteur (those who can make music do, those who can't are critics) AND anti-intellectualism (musical analysis? what kind of pointy-headed twaddle is that?). I'll admit my reaction is somewhat hostile.

Now that I got that off my chest... I agree with Corwood. Guralnick has every right to write about Sam Cooke or whomever he wants to. I just wish he'd write about people I don't dig so that I wouldn't be tempted to read it even though I know I'll find it unsatisfying. Also, it sounds like this book is less about Sam Cooke musician and more about Sam Cooke cultural figure -- which is worth a biography. Maybe that's what I find unsatisfying about Guralnick: he writes about musicians and not about music. Now that I think about it my favorite parts of his books are the discographies, where he actually talks about records and songs he loves. I think Guralnick is right (in the interview Jon linked to) about Cooke wanting, and having the ability to be, the next Berry Gordy. Sam Cooke's combination of talent, looks, ambition, savvy, vision, and historical positioning makes him a fascinating character, but I probably wouldn't care if I didn't find his voice to be pure magic. I go into a book about him wanting to know more about the music, but that's not what I get from Guralnick. So the problem is really my wants, not Guralnick's execution -- but I say that as someone who has read a bunch of his books and who should know better by now. Because he writes about musicians he gets publicized as one who writes about music -- but he writes about music only as a consequence of writing about musicians. Maybe that strikes you as splitting hairs. Sorry, I'm just trying to explain what leaves me cold about PG.

And speaking of unsatisfying I am not happy with this post, but I still have a bunch of work to do so I can't spend any more time trying to untangle my messy thoughts. Crud.

Corwood, thanks for the offer. Check your email.

It's okay with me, don't have a dog in the fight. I always thought it meant "like apples and oranges," but from the Greek for butthead. And I'm a big smartass who occasionally pretends to knowledge she doesn't have. And I'm not a music writer...I'm a writer who likes music so I like the writing about the iconography and social conditions and all that David Copperfield kind of crap.

Wow, "Take Me" by George Jones & Tammy Wynette is pretty fucking hot.

But I had been tempted to request "Ghosts in the Wind" since halfway through the show.

Aw, man. This is one of my all-time favourote RT songs. And I love Danny T. too (for The Pentangle and Solid Air and everything). Jealous now.

I'm uploading 2 Many DJs pt. 2 right now. I think I'll post a few of these mashups on Buffistarawk when I get a chance.

bon bon needs to hear the mash up of "Peter Gunn" by Emerson Lake and Palmer) v. "Where's Your Head At" - Basement Jaxx.

The mashup of "No Fun" by the Stooges with "Push It" by Salt N'Peppa is stupendous.

tina, do you have the new Silver Jews? I picked it up today.

Also got Mountain Goats' Tallahassee.