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Published by ECW Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A veteran music journalist explores rock-n-roll’s bayou roots in “a jolting 18-track joy ride [that] unlocks secrets and back-stories worth savoring” — The Wall Street Journal
The bayou of the American south — stretching from Houston, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama — is a world all its own, with a rich cultural heritage that has had an outsized influence on musicians across the globe. In this unique study of marsh music, Dave Thompson goes beyond the storied stomping grounds of New Orleans to unearth secret legends and vivid mythology.
In Bayou Underground, the people who have called the bayou home — such as Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, a one-armed Cajun backwoodsman, and a gator hunter named Amos Moses — are revealed through their own words, their lives and music, and interviews with residents from the region. Including interviews with legendary musicians like Jerry Reed and Bo Didley, Bayou Underground is part travelogue, part social history, and part lament for a way of life that has now all but disappeared.
The bayou of the American south — stretching from Houston, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama — is a world all its own, with a rich cultural heritage that has had an outsized influence on musicians across the globe. In this unique study of marsh music, Dave Thompson goes beyond the storied stomping grounds of New Orleans to unearth secret legends and vivid mythology.
In Bayou Underground, the people who have called the bayou home — such as Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, a one-armed Cajun backwoodsman, and a gator hunter named Amos Moses — are revealed through their own words, their lives and music, and interviews with residents from the region. Including interviews with legendary musicians like Jerry Reed and Bo Didley, Bayou Underground is part travelogue, part social history, and part lament for a way of life that has now all but disappeared.
Product Details
- Publisher: ECW Press (September 1, 2010)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9781550229622
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Raves and Reviews
“One of the best music books to come out in the past year. Hell, it may be one of the most distinctive on Southern music and culture to come along in quite a while.… a tremendous piece of work.” — Crawdaddy!
“An intriguing folklore travelogue … the focus is on the filter through which writers (sometimes thousands of miles away) view the southern states of the U.S. This neatly illustrates the far-reaching impact that New Orleans continues to have on the wider music community.” — Record Collector Reviews
“Bayou Underground is a must-read for any serious scholar of American pop music, or American pop culture, as well as for anyone who just wants to know where Louisiana music got it’s distinctive sound.” — Bibliotica
“In this part travelog, part music history, and part personal reminiscence, prolific rock writer Thompson … conjures up images of a mythical Louisiana. He uses 18 rock ’n’ roll songs as a backdrop to weave a tale of voodoo queens, riverboats, swamps, crocodiles, prostitutes, and pirates. To add flavor, he sprinkles food recipes, such as Alligator Broulettes and Hummingbird Cake, throughout … Thompson clearly knows his music history.” — Library Journal
“A jolting 18-track joy ride [that] unlocks secrets and back-stories worth savoring.” — The Wall Street Journal
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Bayou Underground Trade Paperback 9781550229622
