The Record Men: The Chess Brothers and the Birth of Rock & Roll

by Rich Cohen

"Brilliant; the best book I have ever read about the recording industry; a classic."--Larry King

On the south side of Chicago in the late 1940s, two immigrants; one a Jew born in Russia, the other a black blues singer from Mississippi; met and changed the course of musical history. Muddy Waters electrified the blues, and Leonard Chess recorded it. Soon Bo Diddly and Chuck Berry added a dose of pulsating rhythm, and Chess Records captured that, too. Rock & Roll had arrived, and an industry was born. In a book as vibrantly and exuberantly written as the music and people it portrays, Rich Cohen tells the engrossing story of how Leonard Chess, with the other record men, made this new sound into a multi-billion-dollar business; aggressively acquiring artists, hard-selling distributors, riding the crest of a wave that would crash over a whole generation. Originally published in hardcover as Machers and Rockers.

About the series: Enterprise pairs distinguished writers with stories of the economic forces that have shaped the modern worlds; the institutions, the entrepreneurs, the ideas. Enterprise introduces a new genre; the business book as literature. 12 illustrations

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2005

About the author

RICH COHEN is the author of Sweet and Low (FSG, 2006), Tough Jews, The Avengers, The Record Men, and the memoir Lake Effect. His work has appeared in many major publications, and he is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. He lives with his family in Connecticut.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Coh...

Reviews

[Renée Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic look back at the men like Leonard Chess who first set the blues spinning. I devoured this book and went back and read it again!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book of the origins of the "blues" and "rock and roll." Includes discussion of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. Also, Chess Brothers record producers who were pioneers in the recording industry who I never had heard of.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to American Rock/Pop? It amazes me how little people know about the little Chess label in Chicago that codified the blues sound that eventually spawned rock and roll. A short read, but a lot of detail into the mind and motivations of Leonard Chess and how a Polish Jew who didn't speak english until HS eventually recorded the music of the local ghetto music, the sold it back to the same underserved local market and then how he willed that company into a pivotal formative role in international music world. Tragic story ultimately, and Cohen writes in a compelling and page-turning manner.

[Andrew Cutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

If,like me, you got hooked on this music by the Rolling Stones back in the 60's, this is a great history of Chess Records.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't stop turning the pages. These are the fairy tales of American music. Cohen is snarky and doesn't hide the dark sides of the stories.

[Patrick Duran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good account of the birth and life of Chess Records, however after reading the Sam Phillips biography, this book comes across as bio-lite. I would have liked more stories about the artists who recorded there during the 50s. Still, it's worth reading as a historical document of the music industry.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hints of Greil Marcus in the grand historical sweep, with lots of biographical detail. A very American style which makes the story pop.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting book for this class.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wih The Blues would stop belittling it music by only talking about its place in the history of Rock and Roll. Country music doesn't seem to have the same problem.