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Crossroads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'n' Roll [and Rock Saved the Blues]
The blues revival of the early 1960s brought new life to a seminal genre of American music and inspired a vast new world of singers, songwriters, and rock bands. The Rolling Stones took their name from a Muddy Waters song; Led Zeppelin forged bluesy riffs into hard rock and heavy metal; and ZZ Top did superstar business with boogie rhythms copped from John Lee Hooker. Crossroads tells the myriad stories of the impact and enduring influence of the early-'60s blues revival: stories of the record collectors, folkies, beatniks, and pop culture academics; and of the lucky musicians who learned life-changing lessons from the rediscovered Depression-era bluesmen that found hipster renown by playing at coffeehouses, on college campuses, and at the Newport Folk Festival. The blues revival brought notice to these forgotten musicians, and none more so than Robert Johnson, who had his songs covered by Cream and the Rolling Stones, and who sold a million CDs sixty years after dying outside a Mississippi Delta roadhouse. Crossroads is the intersection of blues and rock 'n' roll, a vivid portrait of the fluidity of American folk culture that captures the voices of musicians, promoters, fans, and critics to tell this very American story of how the blues came to rest at the heart of popular music.
- GenresMusicHistoryNonfiction
296 pages, ebook
First published June 11, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 16, 2024
World Boogie
Music Critic John Milward explores the many interconnections and cross-influences between the blues and rock in his detailed and alive history, "Cross Roads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'N" Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues)" (2013). The book moves from Depression-era blues singers in the deep South through the Chicago blues clubs of the 1950s' through the flamboyant world of rock. The artist Margie Grieve, Milward's wife, prepared the wood-cut style illustrations of the blues and rock musicians that begin each chapter.
The book begins with an overview of the discovery of the rural blues in the 1950s by a small group of dedicated record collectors. I wasn't aware that several of these individuals lived in my hometown of Washington, D.C. The early chapters of the book focus on the Chicago blues scene of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and others. Non-Chicago bluesmen B.B. King, Gary Davis, and John Lee Hooker also figure prominently throughout. Milward delves into the southern roots of these musicians and follows their lengthy careers over the course of more than 50 years. Milward also describes the rediscovery during the early 1960s of Depression era bluesmen Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, and Skip James. Each of these figures enjoyed a resurgence during the 1960s and added to their recorded legacy. The legendary bluesman Robert Johnson also pervades this book.
On the rock side, the book offers portrayals of British and American musicians and details the great influence of the blues on their work. Milward discusses Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Vaughan, and Bonnie Riatt and their groups among many other rock performers, famous and lesser known. The book shows the performers when young listening to the blues and then learning from and working with their mentors. Bluesmen typically were born to poverty and struggled performing in small African American clubs while the rock stars tended to be young well-to-do white males who played in large venues, sold millions of records, and became wealthy. Bluesmen and the rockers frequently worked together during the heady days of rock. Many of the famous rock songs, as Milward, shows, had strong blues roots.
The book includes much biographical information about the performers, discussions of their music and recordings, and stories of their relationship. Milward shows how blues and rock crossed generational and racial lines. Much of the book is a celebration of the power of music or, as Milward puts it, of the "emotional alchemy of a voice alongside fingers pressed against steel strings." Milward also describes the dark side of the blues and rock life, including violence and excess, the pervasive use of drugs and alcohol, the shady business practices, the strains of unending performances which allow little opportunity for growth and the commercialism.
The book is replete with intimate details and observations. For example, Milward tells the story of a Memphis 1960's bluesman, Jim Dickinson, and his sons Luther and Cody, who formed a group in the late 20th Century that performs country blues. The book quotes Luther Dickinson's observations on the blues-rock relationship.
"Dad always said that the essence of rock 'n' roll was young white boys crossing the tracks to hang out in the juke joints and soak up the blues. ... It's all about racial collision. It's Chuck Berry trying to play Bob Willis and getting in not quite right. It's the Beatles and the Rolling Stones trying to play Chuck Berry and getting it not quite right. It's me trying to play like Otha Turner and R.L. Burnside but letting Duane Allman get in there too."
Milward comments: "This potluck stew of black and white music pretty much defines what Jim Dickinson called 'world boogie'."
Lovers of either blues or rock or of both genres will learn from and be moved by Milward's informed and devoted history of their influence and cross-fertilization of one another.
Robin Friedman
Music Critic John Milward explores the many interconnections and cross-influences between the blues and rock in his detailed and alive history, "Cross Roads: How the Blues Shaped Rock 'N" Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues)" (2013). The book moves from Depression-era blues singers in the deep South through the Chicago blues clubs of the 1950s' through the flamboyant world of rock. The artist Margie Grieve, Milward's wife, prepared the wood-cut style illustrations of the blues and rock musicians that begin each chapter.
The book begins with an overview of the discovery of the rural blues in the 1950s by a small group of dedicated record collectors. I wasn't aware that several of these individuals lived in my hometown of Washington, D.C. The early chapters of the book focus on the Chicago blues scene of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and others. Non-Chicago bluesmen B.B. King, Gary Davis, and John Lee Hooker also figure prominently throughout. Milward delves into the southern roots of these musicians and follows their lengthy careers over the course of more than 50 years. Milward also describes the rediscovery during the early 1960s of Depression era bluesmen Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, and Skip James. Each of these figures enjoyed a resurgence during the 1960s and added to their recorded legacy. The legendary bluesman Robert Johnson also pervades this book.
On the rock side, the book offers portrayals of British and American musicians and details the great influence of the blues on their work. Milward discusses Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Vaughan, and Bonnie Riatt and their groups among many other rock performers, famous and lesser known. The book shows the performers when young listening to the blues and then learning from and working with their mentors. Bluesmen typically were born to poverty and struggled performing in small African American clubs while the rock stars tended to be young well-to-do white males who played in large venues, sold millions of records, and became wealthy. Bluesmen and the rockers frequently worked together during the heady days of rock. Many of the famous rock songs, as Milward, shows, had strong blues roots.
The book includes much biographical information about the performers, discussions of their music and recordings, and stories of their relationship. Milward shows how blues and rock crossed generational and racial lines. Much of the book is a celebration of the power of music or, as Milward puts it, of the "emotional alchemy of a voice alongside fingers pressed against steel strings." Milward also describes the dark side of the blues and rock life, including violence and excess, the pervasive use of drugs and alcohol, the shady business practices, the strains of unending performances which allow little opportunity for growth and the commercialism.
The book is replete with intimate details and observations. For example, Milward tells the story of a Memphis 1960's bluesman, Jim Dickinson, and his sons Luther and Cody, who formed a group in the late 20th Century that performs country blues. The book quotes Luther Dickinson's observations on the blues-rock relationship.
"Dad always said that the essence of rock 'n' roll was young white boys crossing the tracks to hang out in the juke joints and soak up the blues. ... It's all about racial collision. It's Chuck Berry trying to play Bob Willis and getting in not quite right. It's the Beatles and the Rolling Stones trying to play Chuck Berry and getting it not quite right. It's me trying to play like Otha Turner and R.L. Burnside but letting Duane Allman get in there too."
Milward comments: "This potluck stew of black and white music pretty much defines what Jim Dickinson called 'world boogie'."
Lovers of either blues or rock or of both genres will learn from and be moved by Milward's informed and devoted history of their influence and cross-fertilization of one another.
Robin Friedman
February 14, 2019
I actually really enjoyed reading the book. On an enjoyment scale, I give it a five. However I also found the book a bit disjointed and it ended abruptly.
Rather than reading like a novel that is connect through storylines or a history book that is tied together by chronology, this book bounces around stories, time and geography. It feels more like a collection of essays or magazine articles at times than a full story. In addition, I learned a handful of new things but it wasn’t revelatory. It did reignite a spark around listening to the blues though, which is cool.
I think if you’re new to blues and rock and roll and the history of the two, this is s great place to start. If you’ve investigated the topic previously (read or watched about the history of the two, which I’ve done multiple times over and wrote on the topic in college research papers) then this likely be a fun light read that brings you back to basics.
Rather than reading like a novel that is connect through storylines or a history book that is tied together by chronology, this book bounces around stories, time and geography. It feels more like a collection of essays or magazine articles at times than a full story. In addition, I learned a handful of new things but it wasn’t revelatory. It did reignite a spark around listening to the blues though, which is cool.
I think if you’re new to blues and rock and roll and the history of the two, this is s great place to start. If you’ve investigated the topic previously (read or watched about the history of the two, which I’ve done multiple times over and wrote on the topic in college research papers) then this likely be a fun light read that brings you back to basics.
March 24, 2019
Actually it’s 4.5 stars. A terrific homage to what music fans owe to everyone from Robert Johnson to Muddy Waters and bluesmen (and women) in between. The ending seems a little driven by a deadline, but this is a must-read for blues fans as well as rock fabs.
January 3, 2021
I found agreeable Milward's structure of events and enjoyed broad rediscovery with frequent turning to the artist's voice to tell their own stories. A web of relations that briefly touches but, in all, seems to open and illuminate the artists' work and life.
June 17, 2020
Good look at the blues scene well RESEARCHED.
October 31, 2013
In this book it is about the blues music and the men who played or made the music and how it affected rock and roll. Of course like most blues books you must start with Robert Johnson and how his music effected everyone. But between him and Muddy Waters there was a blues. Folk, gospel or anything they needed to be that time of the day. The recordings from that period are mostly gone. The 78;s did not make it and each musician really kind of shared songs making them their own. Folkways made a blues record and so did the Smithsonian. Then the 50’s was the big blues decade. Towards the end of the 50’s blues was over and rock & roll was taking its place. Records though had been showing up in the U.K. and then after Muddy Waters performed at the Newport Jazz festival, he became popular again. After him and Howlin wolf toured in England. We had a bunch of rock band bands from the Stones, Clapton, and Zeppelin just to name a few. From the 60’, 70’ and beyond even I did not know how much the blues effected rock music. This book even take you up to ZZ TOP and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Today there are many new blues musicians and they are all good. But listen to some of the old ones T-Bone Walker, Honey Boy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, and Jimmy Rogers just a few names. Their music still is just as good as or even better than some of the music that is out there now. I really liked this book
April 8, 2013
If you love music and music history, this book is for you. If you love blues music, this book is for you. If you love rock music, this book is for you. Music critic John Milward traces the movement and evolution of the blues from its roots in the American South, it migration to Chicago and from there to the world, spreading across the globe - with a teenaged Mick Jagger ordering LPs directly from Chess Records in Chicago, mailed by the son of the studio owner, who later headed up the Rolling Stones recording label. Forget the Seven degrees of Kevin Bacon, this is the the seven degrees of Robert Johnson. At times, the connections between the artists seems to be contrived, the influence and fluidity with with they interacted, unknowns getting a chance to play on stage with their idols and later that teenager becomes a music god in their own right (Stevie Ray Vaughn as an example).
April 7, 2014
For those of us who love blues and rock 'n' roll, this is the definitive story. It makes you want to listen to all that great music all over again, only now you hear it with a whole new set of ears.
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April 17, 2015781.66164 M6625 2013
January 25, 2016
Awesome stories about all musicians...love the blues music...sweet home Chicago's girl that I am.
July 28, 2023
A white Boomer's history of the Blues.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews