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The Bakersfield Sound

Name: The Bakersfield Sound
Author: Robert E. Price
ISBN: 978-1-4917-7296-6

by Robert E. Price ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 20, 2015

An informative read that’s well-suited to readers interested in country music and its history.

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This debut nonfiction work traces the history, development, and legacy of the Californian country-music subgenre known as the “Bakersfield sound.”

Price, the executive editor of the Bakersfield Californian newspaper, weaves a savvy blend of personal anecdotes and broader historical narrative in this work. The result firmly defines the Bakersfield sound as a gritty, visceral style of music about personal struggle, as opposed to the more formulaic and melodically elegant material produced by the mainstream Nashville-based music industry. The sound’s story begins with the Oklahoman migration to California in the wake of the Dust Bowl, but Price argues that the style, heard in the music of country icons such as Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, is more deeply rooted in the communities that sprung up on the West Coast during World War II. It was born, he says, in blue-collar bars and dimly lit honky-tonks where men brawled and drank whiskey whenever they were off-shift. Price captures that atmosphere well thanks to his extensive interviews (and, readers may imagine, long-standing relationships) with small-business owners and other assorted characters who still live in the Bakersfield area. Indeed, the book’s greatest asset is this local flavor; the author excels when describing barkeeps, backing musicians, and the relationships between them. He also draws attention to the fact that many of the groups on popular records shared players with one another, which accounted for the consistent, unique style that emerged. Price infuses two minibiographies of Owens and Haggard with the passion of a lifelong fan, and they’re among the most engaging chapters in the book. On the other hand, the book addresses some subjects, such as the factors that influenced the popularity of the Bakersfield sound and its competition and partial appropriation by the mainstream, in a way that makes them feel more like asides than subjects in their own rights. That said, this book thrives on the personalities of its people.

An informative read that’s well-suited to readers interested in country music and its history.

Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4917-7296-6

Page Count: 292

Publisher: iUniverse

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2016

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.