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The Twang Dynasty
The Twang Dynasty is a book for people who love guitars and the glorious noise they make, written by a musician who has lived and loved the music for 50 years. Deke Leonard reflects on the genre from within in a highly amusing and informative style that makes this an essential read. He shines a light on how and why some musicians changed the landscape forever, tracing the development of modern popular music from its fragmented roots in delta blues, country and early rock’n’roll to today’s guitar-based rock. He mixes personal encounters with Hendrix and Clapton with analysis of less well known but equally important players, ending with a chapter on Welsh rock guitarists that have been particularly dear to his heart. If you own a library of guitar-related titles, we guarantee this is like no other book you own. The Twang Dynasty is compelling reading, making you want to revisit the music and embark on your own guitar odyssey. Nominated "Book of the Month" in Guitar and Bass Magazine May 2012.
- GenresMusic
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 9, 2024
It pains me to give this book only two stars. You see, I just love Deke's prose and am a huge fan of his other books ('Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics' being the highlight) but this one just falls flat. The prologue immediately brought a huge smile to my face and I was giggling in mirth in no time, but it all went downhill from there.
Were I Deke I would have wanted to write this book as well, but much like were I myself to write a book about a subject I was deeply interested in, no one would enjoy reading it either. You see, Deke is at his best when he's writing about himself, and there's precious little of that going on in this book.
Deke will forever have my admiration and respect, emblematic of a dying breed as he was, but I'm duty bound, dear reader, to steer you away from this book and into the embrace of his other publications.
Were I Deke I would have wanted to write this book as well, but much like were I myself to write a book about a subject I was deeply interested in, no one would enjoy reading it either. You see, Deke is at his best when he's writing about himself, and there's precious little of that going on in this book.
Deke will forever have my admiration and respect, emblematic of a dying breed as he was, but I'm duty bound, dear reader, to steer you away from this book and into the embrace of his other publications.
April 20, 2021
It's a good read for a niche audience or anyone just wanting to know what the fuss is about. Deke's humorous style keeps it interesting. I enjoyed it but then I used to be a guitar tech!
March 7, 2017
Deke applies his considerable writing skills to a book which considers the place of many guitarists in his life, and that of many others.
A combination of guitar history and a tip of the hat to his own heroes it's written with a combination of knowledge (historical and technical - though not too much of the latter) and humour.
There's a very light narrative that runs through the book but it's largely based on themed chapters, including a quick diversion to cover harmonica players.
The final chapter takes things closer to home and covers his Welsh compatriots. These tales are told with considerable love and affection, not least the concluding section on Micky Jones which is extremely moving. Even moreso, given Deke's own recent death. (In that regard, the brief epilogue is now quite a chilling read, rather than an amusing one).
There were a few factual errors along the way which I'd love to have corrected, and a couple of places where editing might have been a bit tighter. But that's not to take anything away from this excellent book, but it might just help make it perfect.
Why do they always take the good ones?
A combination of guitar history and a tip of the hat to his own heroes it's written with a combination of knowledge (historical and technical - though not too much of the latter) and humour.
There's a very light narrative that runs through the book but it's largely based on themed chapters, including a quick diversion to cover harmonica players.
The final chapter takes things closer to home and covers his Welsh compatriots. These tales are told with considerable love and affection, not least the concluding section on Micky Jones which is extremely moving. Even moreso, given Deke's own recent death. (In that regard, the brief epilogue is now quite a chilling read, rather than an amusing one).
There were a few factual errors along the way which I'd love to have corrected, and a couple of places where editing might have been a bit tighter. But that's not to take anything away from this excellent book, but it might just help make it perfect.
Why do they always take the good ones?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews