Some might find it odd to have a review of a book on Southern Rock at a site dedicated to prog & metal, but this is Martin Popoff we are talking about here, one of the modern era's most prolific scribes when it comes to all things on the heavier spectrum of rock. Though you can tell Popoff might give the slight edge to the heavier and more well known bands of the Southern Rock genre (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot, Allman Brothers Band, ZZ Top, The Outlaws, Govt Mule, and Black Oak Arkansas), it's his knowledge of some of the lighter fare from acts like The Charlie Daniels Band, Wet Willie, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Black Crowes, Rossington Collins Band, as well as divulging some great info on little known bands such as Point Blank, Hydra, Doc Holliday, Nitzinger, Potliquor, Two Guns, and many more, that really makes this book worthwhile. If you are at all a fan of the Southern Rock movement, you'll be pleased to find out about many acts that never made much of an impact on the scene, broke up quickly, lost their record contracts, or changed direction, well before the general public caught on to them. On that same note, it seems that many of these lost treasures are just that, lost, so don't get too excited at the prospect of going to your favorite online retailer to snatch up a copy of many of these rare gems, as Popoff points out, many are currently out of print or have never been released on CD. While the author covers a wide assortment of bands, some very much on the fringe, other acts like Little Feat, Nantucket, Pure Prairie League, and Ozark Mountain Daredevils, didn't make the cut, probably due to region of origin or overall style.
Overall an extremely fun read if you have a fancy for some 'suthern rawk', and the book comes with a bonus CD featuring select cuts from ARS, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sea Level, Elvin Bishop, Wet Willie, Duane Allman, Hydra, Steve Earle, and a questionable Dixie Dregs (I'm ok with it, but Popoff does explain in the book why he does not include anything on them, then curiously they appear on the CD sampler) for those who don't already own every Southern Rock tune available.
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
