Rating: 
Summary: eats like a meal
Review: Much more interesting than those dry, allegedly objective accountings of albums, this one takes into consideration the personality and experiences of person who is doing the observing and is therefore, at heart, a much more serious exploration of the transformative powers of art . Zanes' lively approach illuminates not just our understanding of a particular work but also delves into the fascinatingly complex relationship between myth and reality; his own, Dusty's, and maybe even yours, too. The insights in this surprising little jewel of a book will rattle around in you head long after you've put it down.
Rating:
Summary: eats like a meal
Review: Much more interesting than those dry, allegedly objective accountings of albums, this one takes into consideration the personality and experiences of person who is doing the observing and is therefore, at heart, a much more serious exploration of the transformative powers of art . Zanes' lively approach illuminates not just our understanding of a particular work but also delves into the fascinatingly complex relationship between myth and reality; his own, Dusty's, and maybe even yours, too. The insights in this surprising little jewel of a book will rattle around in you head long after you've put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Expectations versus Revelations
Review: The polarized reactions to Warren Zanes' book were better than any blanket recommendations to me. Based on the strong opinions generated by his writing I was enticed to pick up both his book and the Dusty in Memphis CD. Not a Dusty fan per se, but familiar with many of these tunes, I cracked the book with an open mind while her CD played in the background. What I got was a fresh and personal take on the disc, the accounts of someone who appreciates that music is transportive, that some music not only takes us places but also follows us around for the rest of our days. I never expected a track by track review of Dusty, though I'm sure some people would prefer that, as is evidenced by some of the other reviews. Too often music writing is either all about the tech, or all about the scene and personalities, or worse, all about the biz. I still cherish the writings of Lester Bangs - which was all about the experience. I'll take an emotional, and in this case intellectual approach as well, to the form any day, over the common journalistic prose usually encountered. Warren has added a distinctive voice to the music crit canon. I look forward to further missives.
Rating: 
Summary: an insult to Dusty in Memphis , the album and the artist
Review: This book, as the author says himself, is not about the album, Dusty in Memphis- that is reason enough not to buy this poorly written salute to male adolescent fantasies, the author's journey into why the album meant so much to him. That is the second reason you should not buy this book. Like a poorly written high school paper, the author knows nothing about the work that went into the production of this great album, the diverse and brilliant career of Dusty Springfield and why she chose to make this album in 1968, or anything even marginally relevant to it's existence. I have seen other albums in this series (33 1/3 books) , such as John Coltrane's Love Supreme, being treated with respect, reverence and thorough documentation and research of the album's beginning formation, the artist's vision, how varied musicians came together to create a masterpiece, etc. This book has absolutely none of that and is really a diservice to the artist and the album.
Rating:
Summary: A very divisive little book!
Review: This is the first time I have been moved to post a review on Amazon.com - I feel that Mr. Zanes's book needs defending, particularly from Linda Bowden's review below. I have read this book three times now. Perhaps, for a Dusty Springfield fanatic, there is not enough detail in this book about what Dusty was wearing when she sang her vocals in the studio, or which take ended up being used on the album. I can see the appeal of such minutiae - and I've read enough music books like that in my time. This, however, is something entirely different. And something vastly superior. My main problem with Linda Bowden's review is that she compares the book to a "poorly written high school paper". On the contrary, it's one of the most beautifully written books about music I have ever had the pleasure of reading. (And something else: it's also very funny at times.) I hope that Mr. Zanes or his publishers won't mind me doing this, but here is the very first paragraph of the book: "This is not a book about a record. Sorry. I hope no one has been misled. This is something else altogether. As I was writing it, I conceptualized my agenda in this way: as an attempt to understand why a particular long-playing phonograph, "Dusty in Memphis", pulled me into its world and what I did there. Which is to say, this book is about an experience with a record more than it is about a record. It's both a chronicle and an analysis of what happened when a particular person met up with a particular piece of vinyl at a particular time and the unfolding of that relationship." I have a very bright daughter in high school, and I'm still waiting for the day when she is able to write something as clear and expressive as that! As the book unfolds, we learn a lot (as several reviewers have pointed out) about Mr. Zanes and his relationship with this album. To me, this is perfectly acceptable behavior for the author of a book about pop music. Would it not be stranger for someone to write an appreciation of an album (or a work of visual art, or an opera) while remaining utterly detached and objective? Mr. Zanes is clearly deeply enamored of "Dusty in Memphis", and that love shines from every page of this book. To be sure, he digresses, he wanders, he rambles around the subject. But every single word of this book (OK, perhaps not the amusing aside about Nature's Miracle!) resonates around his theme - which is that the American South is a land of make-believe, and that this extraordinary album reflects that like no other. Another point: Linda Bowden writes that "the author knows nothing about the work that went into the production of this great album". If that is the case, how does she explain the large presence of Jerry Wexler in the book? Mr. Zanes tracks down Wexler - the legendary producer and former head of Atlantic Records - in his retirement in Florida, and extracts some fascinating material from him, which is quoted at length here. I do not wish to demean the opinions of some of the reviewers on here. Anybody looking for a strictly, traditionally written biography of a pop star and her greatest album would be advised to avoid this book. But for those of you with open minds and a taste for a more subjective style of writing, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is thoughtful, provocative, warm-hearted, and insightful - and, like the album itself, it will take you into another, more entrancing, world for a while.
Rating:
Summary: Del Fuegan Continues to Rock
Review: Warren Zanes was the lead guitarist of the Del Fuegos, a band praised by, among others, the inventor of rock & roll, Sam Phillips. After the Fuegos self-immolated, Warren entered into an academic career and is now Dr Zanes. Never mind -- he still knows what counts. What counts? Genuine feeling, which this shapely small volume is full of. In it he pays respect to the late Dusty Springfield, the Memphis musicians with whom she recorded her finest album, its producer Jerry Wexler, and even poor old me, who wrote the liner notes. More or less simultaneously, Warren created this book, his first solo album (Memory Girls), and an excellent baby son named Lucian. Warren is a greatly gifted good heart, and I love him. Read his book, listen to his record, and you will too.
Rating:
Summary: Del Fuegan Continues to Rock
Review: Warren Zanes was the lead guitarist of the Del Fuegos, a band praised by, among others, the inventor of rock & roll, Sam Phillips. After the Fuegos self-immolated, Warren entered into an academic career and is now Dr Zanes. Never mind -- he still knows what counts. What counts? Genuine feeling, which this shapely small volume is full of. In it he pays respect to the late Dusty Springfield, the Memphis musicians with whom she recorded her finest album, its producer Jerry Wexler, and even poor old me, who wrote the liner notes. More or less simultaneously, Warren created this book, his first solo album (Memory Girls), and an excellent baby son named Lucian. Warren is a greatly gifted good heart, and I love him. Read his book, listen to his record, and you will too.
Rating:
Summary: Road Trip, Anyone?
Review: Warren Zanes' book "Dusty in Memphis" is part travel guide, part detective story about the making of the album and the making of the persona of Dusty Springfield. It's also a witty and informative expression of the love Zanes has for American culture, American song and lore, and how he got there - starting with his mom's record collection to his life in a great punk rock band, the Del Fuegos. The book includes priceless interviews with Jerry Wexler, Stanley Booth, and other greats of American soul who were integral to the making of this record, giving the reader real backstory on how the album came together. Zanes acknowledges that Mary O'Brien (Ms. Springfield's real name) remains an enigma, but I highly appreciate his tactic of discussing American/Southern history, art, culture - mixed with personal tangents - as a context for what was happening in Chips Moman's American Studios recording booth. It's great to read the gossip, too, like sitting in on the "cool" conversations going on behind-the-scenes, only Zanes did the legwork and earned the access for the reader. (Thanks!) Zanes' book has real enthusiasm, love, and awe of his muse, which is not just Dusty and her record but Memphis - the city, the immortal center of soul and rock'n'roll.
I put this book on the shelf with my Barney Hoskyns, Ben Fong-Torres,Peter Guralnick, and Joan Didion favorites...and think about a road trip myself...
Rating:
Summary: Road Trip, Anyone?
Review: Warren Zanes' book "Dusty in Memphis" is part travel guide, part detective story about the making of the album and the making of the persona of Dusty Springfield. It's also a witty and informative expression of the love Zanes has for American culture, American song and lore, and how he got there - starting with his mom's record collection to his life in a great punk rock band, the Del Fuegos. The book includes priceless interviews with Jerry Wexler, Stanley Booth, and other greats of American soul who were integral to the making of this record, giving the reader real backstory on how the album came together. Zanes acknowledges that Mary O'Brien (Ms. Springfield's real name) remains an enigma, but I highly appreciate his tactic of discussing American/Southern history, art, culture - mixed with personal tangents - as a context for what was happening in Chips Moman's American Studios recording booth. It's great to read the gossip, too, like sitting in on the "cool" conversations going on behind-the-scenes, only Zanes did the legwork and earned the access for the reader. (Thanks!) Zanes' book has real enthusiasm, love, and awe of his muse, which is not just Dusty and her record but Memphis - the city, the immortal center of soul and rock'n'roll.
I put this book on the shelf with my Barney Hoskyns, Ben Fong-Torres,Peter Guralnick, and Joan Didion favorites...and think about a road trip myself...
Rating:
Summary: Road Trip, Anyone?
Review: Warren Zanes' book "Dusty in Memphis" is part travel guide, part detective story about the making of the album and the making of the persona of Dusty Springfield. It's also a witty and informative expression of the love Zanes has for American culture, American song and lore, and how he got there - starting with his mom's record collection to his life in a great punk rock band, the Del Fuegos. The book includes priceless interviews with Jerry Wexler, Stanley Booth, and other greats of American soul who were integral to the making of this record, giving the reader real backstory on how the album came together. Zanes acknowledges that Mary O'Brien (Ms. Springfield's real name) remains an enigma, but I highly appreciate his tactic of discussing American/Southern history, art, culture - mixed with personal tangents - as a context for what was happening in Chips Moman's American Studios recording booth. It's great to read the gossip, too, like sitting in on the "cool" conversations going on behind-the-scenes, only Zanes did the legwork and earned the access for the reader. (Thanks!) Zanes' book has real enthusiasm, love, and awe of his muse, which is not just Dusty and her record but Memphis - the city, the immortal center of soul and rock'n'roll.
I put this book on the shelf with my Barney Hoskyns, Ben Fong-Torres,Peter Guralnick, and Joan Didion favorites...and think about a road trip myself...
|
