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I've Been There (and Back Again): Slim Dusty & Joy McKean's Lifetime of Travel, Stories and Songs
A new edition of bestselling favourite, I'VE BEEN THERE (AND BACK AGAIN), filled with the songs, stories and photographs of Slim Dusty and his wife and fellow singer and songwriter, Joy McKean. With three new stories exclusive to this edition.
The perfect book for Slim Dusty's legions of fans, whose numbers are still strong even years after his death.
Slim Dusty and Joy McKean were famous around Australia for their performances and for their love of the outback and its people. Slim and Joy were awarded a total of 37 Golden Guitars between them and Joy is respected by other performers both in and out of the country music scene, such as Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar Daley and Paul Kelly.
Joy McKean wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty's most well-loved songs, such as 'Lights on the Hill' and 'When the Rain Tumbles Down in July'. She is a natural writer who has turned her talent to telling us the stories behind many of their most popular songs. Through the lyrics and stories she gives us an intimate insight into her life on the road with Slim.
This beautiful, fully illustrated paperback edition comprises of a selection of song lyrics, Joy's stories - including three stories exclusive to this edition - and reminisces about each song, photographs from the family collection and outstanding shots by acclaimed photographer John Elliott, who has been photographing Slim and Joy, their band and family for decades.
The perfect book for Slim Dusty's legions of fans, whose numbers are still strong even years after his death.
Slim Dusty and Joy McKean were famous around Australia for their performances and for their love of the outback and its people. Slim and Joy were awarded a total of 37 Golden Guitars between them and Joy is respected by other performers both in and out of the country music scene, such as Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar Daley and Paul Kelly.
Joy McKean wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty's most well-loved songs, such as 'Lights on the Hill' and 'When the Rain Tumbles Down in July'. She is a natural writer who has turned her talent to telling us the stories behind many of their most popular songs. Through the lyrics and stories she gives us an intimate insight into her life on the road with Slim.
This beautiful, fully illustrated paperback edition comprises of a selection of song lyrics, Joy's stories - including three stories exclusive to this edition - and reminisces about each song, photographs from the family collection and outstanding shots by acclaimed photographer John Elliott, who has been photographing Slim and Joy, their band and family for decades.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Joy McKean
3 booksMildred Geraldine Joy Kirkpatrick OAM, known by her stage name of Joy McKean, was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and wife and manager of Slim Dusty.
McKean wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty's most famous songs and won the first Golden Guitar award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the song 'Lights on the Hill'.
Her musical partnership with Slim, in which she was his manager, produced over 100 albums, sold over eight million albums and earned 45 Golden Guitars.
She has previously been described by Paul Kelly as "one of our greatest songwriters", while Troy Cassar-Daley called her "a national treasure".
Her daughter is country singer and musician Anne Kirkpatrick. - Wikipedia
McKean wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty's most famous songs and won the first Golden Guitar award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the song 'Lights on the Hill'.
Her musical partnership with Slim, in which she was his manager, produced over 100 albums, sold over eight million albums and earned 45 Golden Guitars.
She has previously been described by Paul Kelly as "one of our greatest songwriters", while Troy Cassar-Daley called her "a national treasure".
Her daughter is country singer and musician Anne Kirkpatrick. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 13, 2018
You don't have to be a country music fan to get a lot from this book. Any writer or songwriter or poet can learn a lot from Joy McKean's authentic voice.
This is the story of a talented musician and songwriter who married Slim Dusty, one of Australian's most famous musicians. Together they were the Johnny Cash and June Carter of Australian country music (without the boozy scandals of course) made a unrivalled contribution to the Australian music industry. But this isn't a book of bragging and name dropping, it's a humble and honest journey of a wife, mother, artist, and woman. Joy McKean.
The book is more than a biography and memoir though. As a songwriter and poet, Joy presents 26 of the songs they [Joy and Slim] wrote and performed and uses them to build a sincere narrative of their life on the road as travelling musicians. Working through each of the songs a story unfolds of her husband's burning desire for success; his strength in saying no to family expectations to pursue his goals; joining forces as a musical acts, her own character as a mother raising children on the road; the dedication to her art; their steady progress as artists, eventually reaching the pinnacle of Australian music success.
Joy speaks about each of her songs with love and takes the reader (with plenty of photographs along the way) back to the places where those songs were written. Not just the physical places, but the places in her heart too. There's a lot to be learned from her creative process and (if you are a Slim Dusty fan) those songs will generate a lot more meaning next time you listen to them.
This is a book about a time now past, working on the road in outback Australia from the 40s-80s. Dirt roads, pubs, crowds, circuses, hardship. All the things this amazing family did to make music their living and the incredible life they created. Students of success can learn a lot about the stamina, perseverance and passion required to really make it.
The only reason I didn't mark this book 5/5 is because of a hardware issue (nothing to do wth the writing). The kindle version is a bit hard to use. The content has obviously been copied from the print book and made into an eBook. Because of this the zoom feature doesn't work well and sometimes the content locks up and you have to close kindle completely then reopen to keep reading. The table of contents doesn't work either.
The content however was 5/5, buy the print book.
This is the story of a talented musician and songwriter who married Slim Dusty, one of Australian's most famous musicians. Together they were the Johnny Cash and June Carter of Australian country music (without the boozy scandals of course) made a unrivalled contribution to the Australian music industry. But this isn't a book of bragging and name dropping, it's a humble and honest journey of a wife, mother, artist, and woman. Joy McKean.
The book is more than a biography and memoir though. As a songwriter and poet, Joy presents 26 of the songs they [Joy and Slim] wrote and performed and uses them to build a sincere narrative of their life on the road as travelling musicians. Working through each of the songs a story unfolds of her husband's burning desire for success; his strength in saying no to family expectations to pursue his goals; joining forces as a musical acts, her own character as a mother raising children on the road; the dedication to her art; their steady progress as artists, eventually reaching the pinnacle of Australian music success.
Joy speaks about each of her songs with love and takes the reader (with plenty of photographs along the way) back to the places where those songs were written. Not just the physical places, but the places in her heart too. There's a lot to be learned from her creative process and (if you are a Slim Dusty fan) those songs will generate a lot more meaning next time you listen to them.
This is a book about a time now past, working on the road in outback Australia from the 40s-80s. Dirt roads, pubs, crowds, circuses, hardship. All the things this amazing family did to make music their living and the incredible life they created. Students of success can learn a lot about the stamina, perseverance and passion required to really make it.
The only reason I didn't mark this book 5/5 is because of a hardware issue (nothing to do wth the writing). The kindle version is a bit hard to use. The content has obviously been copied from the print book and made into an eBook. Because of this the zoom feature doesn't work well and sometimes the content locks up and you have to close kindle completely then reopen to keep reading. The table of contents doesn't work either.
The content however was 5/5, buy the print book.
April 19, 2013
This is one for fans of Slim Dusty and Joy McKean. It is Joy's story of their lives and travels together put into context by the lyrics of some of their songs.
It is interesting to read the stories behind some of their songs and the book is illustrated with many photos of Slim, Joy, the family and other friends - also the beautiful Australian countryside.
It is interesting to read the stories behind some of their songs and the book is illustrated with many photos of Slim, Joy, the family and other friends - also the beautiful Australian countryside.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews