Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers

by Craig Morrison

This is the first comprehensive overview of rockabilly, beginning with its crystallization as a distinct style in 1954 with Elvis Presley's world-changing release of "That's All Right." Presenting the who, what, where, and when of the music, Craig Morrison's lively account sparks memories of "Blue Suede Shoes," "Be-Bop-A-Lula," Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. Morrison traces how a genre with roots in country and country blues, R&B, and western swing became the sound that helped build rock and roll, profiling not just rockabilly artists and recordings but the attitude and instrumentation that made the music a phenomenon.

Genres: Music, History

368 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Peter Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, indispensable even, but a little dry, as befits a primarily academic study. But if you want definitions of rockabilly and some knowledge about where it came from and who was responsible, this is an excellent book.