The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 18 July 2007
by Mitch Myers
We all know someone who is a rock and roll fan, so big a fan that he or she goes to all the shows and knows all the history, maybe the kind of person who, as a lark, calls out "Freebird!" when it's time for the encore. In the opening story in this large collection of stories and essays, Mitch Myers paints a picture of this quintessential character living in the corners of music history. Another type might be the guy played by John Cusack in the movie High Fidelity, knowledgable, and whose life has a permanent eclectic soundtrack. Myers might be this sort of person, though he has directed his talents into sensitive and detailed writing about music. This book contains a number of long essays that delve into the background and details of the careers of such musicians as Frank Zappa, Lou Reed, Aretha Franklin, Albert Ayler, Terry Riley and many others. They read like eclectic magazine pieces and much of the writing here did appear in magazines. Shorter pieces might also have been read for listeners of NPR. These tend to be lighter for the general audience. A couple of fictional pieces rounds out the collection, including a trip through time, from 2069 to a Grateful Dead show at the Fillmore in 1969. Many of the essays are fun and informative. If one listens to late night jazz radio, one finds DJs who know everything there is to know about a particular recording session, who performed, what the weather was like that night, who went on to play with whomever else. Much of this book might be geared toward that kind of reader. Much of the elaborate connections quoted and the name dropping was lost on this reader, admittedly a mere novice in the world of music writing. Overall, though, the book is entertaining and interesting. A fine collection for music gearheads.