Overview

A singer belts out a lonesome song. A guitarist plucks out a twangy lead. A fiddle player brings out a sweet melody. These are the sounds of country. Country music rose out of the folk songs that immigrants brought to the United States. The music spread from the American South to all over the country, capturing the hopes and the struggles of everyday people. In the twenty-first century, fans enjoy all sorts of wild, upbeat, and moving styles of country music. Find out what inspired the country's most memorable songs. Discover the stories of outlaw musicians and Nashville legends. And learn more about superstars such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Taylor Swift.

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9780761345022

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Reviews

From bluegrass to blue-eyed soul and bubblegum pop to hip-hop, readers discover the exciting evolution of music in America. Origins, influences, controversies, and artists are presented in a writing style that is engaging and accessible. Revealing quotes by artists are highlighted. Musical terms such as 'melisma, ' 'grunge, ' and 'punk' are worked in seamlessly and defined in the texts as well as in the glossaries. 'Must Download' playlists (which include songs that span styles and decades) appear throughout each title, encouraging readers to listen to the best music in each genre. Every title is packed with color and black-and-white photographs, snazzy fonts, and vivid sidebars. The indexes are not thorough (e.g., Pearl Jam has its own page, but the band is not in the index), but the books are short and well organized enough that this, most likely, is not a problem. This informative set will be useful for reports and of high interest to reluctant readers. --School Library Journal, Series Made Simple --Journal Sachs takes readers from the beginning of country music with the onset of the twentieth century to 2012 in five fast chapters. He covers an amazing amount of ground and dozens of performers on pages packed with photos, sidebars and playlists. The first three chapters follow a chronological timeline and begin with 'Country Starts Here, ' followed by 'All Hank Breaks Loose' to the inevitable Hollywood-ization of the genre in'Nashville to Bakersfield.' Chapters four and five, 'Outlaws' and 'Crossing Over and Crossing Back' respectively, consider some the industry's unique personalities and the sounds' blending across other musical realms. The text is highly readable and its conversational tone mimics the informal cut-out photo edges and page doodles throughout. The overall effect is closer to scrapbook than textbook and reluctant readers will find the layout appealing. Students expected to provide brief reports on country music will make good use of the text, but more serious researchers will have to look elsewhere. Sachs, a veteran music writer, must have been pained to reduce the effect of bluegrass on the upheaval of the 60s and 70s to 'folk singers on the East Coast played bluegrass songs with political messages on the electric guitar.' Glossary, timeline and mini-bios are so pared down to warrant exclusion. Nice touches, however, are the 'Must Download Playlists' that frequently appear throughout, which, if explored, will bring Sach's words to life. Sachs takes a worthy shot at luring in a new fan of the genre, even if restricted by space. --VOYA --Journal

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