Restless Giant: The Life and Times of Jean Aberbach and Hill and Range Songs (Music in American Life) Review

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(More customer reviews)An inspirational story of the American Dream in a very misunderstood industry. Very well written and pleasant reading full of rich historical context.

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"Restless Giant" is a fascinating account of the life and times of Jean Aberbach, the elusive music publishing legend who, with his brother Julian, built one of music history's most powerful popular music publishing companies: Hill and Range Songs. During the 1940s and 1950s music publishers, rather than artists and record companies, controlled the American hit-making machine. Using corporate records, Aberbach's daybooks, and extensive interviews with top performers and songwriters, Biszick-Lockwood weaves an adventure story that demystifies this occupation, showing how Aberbach's keen insights, behind-the-scenes manipulations, and bold business moves fundamentally changed the music industry and nurtured the careers of some of America's biggest popular performers and songwriters.

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Follow the Music: The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a must read for music fans! There is something for nearly everyone here: The story of the founding and growth of Elektra Records (how an energetic young man, Jac Holzman, with a few hundred dollars, good musical taste and a ton of ideas could actually start a thriving record company). The history of many early folk music performers such as Theodore Bikel, Judy Collins, Jean Richie and many others. The story of the creation of Nonesuch Records (a low-cost Classical division). The history of many Rock performers (including Jim Morrison of the Doors). There is even enough technical info about early recording, studio design and Dolby units to satisfy a tech geek (such as myself)! The image conjured up of a young Holzman setting out with a Magnacord PT-6 recorder strapped to his Vespa scooter, to record folk music performances in NYC really conveys the "shoestring" attributes of Elektra Records in the early days. At the other end of the scale, the design of studio "B" was perhaps representative of the "excesses " of the rock era.
The copy of this book that I got from Amazon included a "bonus" CD that contains many tracks of early Ekektra performers that have not been re-released on CD. To me, this CD was worth the price & the book was essentially "free"!
It is sad that only a few recordings from the early Elektra "folk period" have been re-issued on CD. This situation is starting to improve, (see my other reviews for some early Elektra folk "gems" that I have found on CD).

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Unfinished Business - The Life and Times of Danny Gatton (Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally! The long awaited biography of Danny Gatton by Ralph
Heibutzki has arrived. The best biographies provide insight
into the character, motives, and personality of their subject.
Who was Danny Gatton? In answering this question, Heibutzki
has done an admirable job. Through many, many interviews from
all the people who were part of Danny Gatton's life; family and
friends, I know so much more about this brilliant musician
who Steve Vai (no slouch guitarist himself!) describes on the
cover jacket, "...Danny Gatton comes closer to anyone else to
being the best guitar player to ever live."
What drove Gatton to suicide? How did he view himself as a
musician? Why was he at once once blase about fame and at
the same time so driven to acquire it? At one point, he
forgot to call John Fogerty back to join his band, but was
clearly very excited to be signed to Elektra Records.
He craved the notoriety and money that came with stardom,
but would rather play small clubs close to home and
work on customizing vintage cars.
Why wasn't he more famous? Wasn't he arguably the best?
Maybe it was precisely because of his extraordinary skill
level. Can it be that he could only be appreciated by other
musicians or guitarists? Many people (non musicians) I play
his music for elicit a "ho hum" reaction, while my mind is
reeling with his stunning technique and musicianship. Who
knows? As someone who knew him observed, "he never threw
away a note".
Those issues, and more, are addressed in this biography,
and I feel after reading it that I know Danny Gatton, the
person, a bit more. Good job Ralph!

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Danny Gatton was a players' guitar player, hailed by both Rolling Stone and Guitar Player as the greatest unknown guitarist anywhere. His legend has only grown since his untimely suicide in 1994, along with appreciation for his blinding speed, effortless genre-hopping, flawless technique, and never-ending appetite for tinkering and problem-solving. Drawing from first-hand interviews with dozens of friends, family members and fellow musicians, Unfinished Business places Gatton's musical contributions into context, and documents his influence on those peers who admired him most, including Albert Lee, Vince Gill, Arlen Roth and Lou Reed. 290 pages, 6 inch. x 9 inch. "Danny Gatton comes closer than anyone else to being the best guitar player that ever lived." - Steve Vai

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