Book Review: The Oxford American Book of Great Music Writing

The Oxford American Book of Great Music Writing edited by Mark Smirnoff (University of Arkansas Press, $34.95, 978155728887/1557288879, October 8, 2008)

Although widely attributed to Elvis Costello, the quotation "writing about music is like dancing about architecture" has been adopted by many others, expressing a common sentiment that music writing is oxymoronic. Of course, this hasn't stopped writers from trying to capture the essence of popular music with words and, in the case of this book, succeeding quite well. This 10th anniversary issue of The Oxford American's music essays contains almost five dozen "soulful contributions" from a wide variety of authors. The essays are loosely broken into categories that reflect the musical genre each is addressing. There is a bit of lighthearted play at work here that reflects the tone of the collection in general. For example, rockabilly, jazz and blues have their own categories, but so do "Family," "R&B: Dept. of Al Green" and "Dept. of Elvis." Aside from the consistently high quality of the writing, the essays in this collection all manage the nifty trick of seamlessly incorporating the intensely personal experience of listening to music into a larger social and cultural context, which should strike a chord (pun intended) with a broad swath of readers. Moreover, the collection is loosely structured so that readers lose nothing by grazing out of order.

Although it is impossible to do justice to the entire collection in such a short space, there are some notable highlights. In his essay about Ray Charles, Roy Blount Jr. manages a fresh, gently humorous perspective on the "Genius of Soul" about whom so much has already been written. In a pithy essay, legendary music producer Jerry Wexler (who died earlier this year) offers intriguing insight into the often underrated but immensely talented Dusty Springfield. One of the most fascinating--and oddly creepy--profiles comes from John Lewis, who presents a day in the life of an aging and supposedly drug-free Ike Turner. Quirkier but no less compelling offerings include Ron Carlson's search for meaning in Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe" and Robert Palmer's exploration of "mojo" as it relates to blues great R.L. Burnside. And there is so much more; a triptych of outstanding essays on Southern Rock, Bessie Smith's life re-imagined by Carol Ann Fitzgerald and a deeply soulful meditation on the music of Al Green by Susan Straight, to name a few. Appealing on as many levels as there are essays, this collection is a necessary addition for anyone who has felt--even remotely--the transformative power of a song. And if nothing else, it proves that there is plenty of architecture to dance about.--Debra Ginsberg
 
Shelf Talker: This outstanding collection of truly great music writing culled from the last 10 years of The Oxford American is a must-have for any music loving reader.