[front cover flap copy]
$24.95
The late-’60s collision of country and rock created a musical explosion. Pioneering artists like Gram Parsons and Delaney & Bonnie sparked a revolution that resonates today in the diverse work of performers and songwriters such as Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, and Neko Case—musicians now united under the banner of American roots rock.
Sing My Way Home is a diary, a primer, and a plain-speaking series of vignettes, essays, and profiles tracing the evolution of American roots rock, a straight-from-the-heart genre that’s generously spiced with country, folk, blues, and rock ’n’ roll.
In revealing, exclusive interviews, the authors speak with the artists who saw the birth of roots rock, those who carry on the tradition, and those who continually revitalize it. Throughout the book, these musicians share their stories, detail their creative processes, and recount their fears, frustrations, and triumphs.
Keeping the focus on the music, every chapter includes a playlist of essential recordings to guide readers in downloading tracks and building their own roots-rock libraries. The book ends with the authors’ picks for the top 100 roots-rock classics, a list that’s sure to generate many a late-night debate.
If you’re a longtime roots-rock aficionado, Sing My Way Home will provide deeperinsights into this wide-ranging genre. If you’re new to the music, the book will transform
you into an expert and enrich your understanding of great songwriters and performers.
[back cover flap copy]
Keith and Kent Zimmerman are co-authors of the London Times bestseller Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs with former Sex Pistols frontman John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon, and the New York Times bestseller Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club with Ralph “Sonny” Barger. The Zimmermans live in Oakland, California.
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“With intelligence, eloquence, and respect, the brothers Zimmerman have chronicled some of the most essential threads in the fabric of American music.”
—Don Was, award-winning producer, arranger, and performer
“An unflinching tale of honest songs and the people who sing them, as real as dirt in your eye.”
—Joel Selvin,author, journalist (San Francisco Chronicle)
“The Zimmermans cast a canny eye on this vital movement, making this book a primer for the uninitiated as well as an insightful read for those who live in the American roots-rock world.”
—Jessie Scott, Program Director, X Country, XM Satellite Radio’s progressive country channel
ISBN 0-87930-790-0