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American Music Series
The Flatlanders: Now It's Now Again
"Conservative West Texas spawns radical creativity and lifelong bonds of friendship in this story of an unlikely band" from the renowned music journalist (Kirkus Reviews).
A group of three friends who made music in a house in Lubbock, Texas, recorded an album that wasn't released and went their separate ways into solo careers. That group became a legend and then--twenty years later--a band. The Flatlanders--Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock--are icons in American music, with songs blending country, folk, and rock that have influenced a long list of performers, including Robert Earl Keen, the Cowboy Junkies, Ryan Bingham, Terry Allen, John Hiatt, Hayes Carll, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and Lyle Lovett.
In The Now It's Now Again, Austin author and music journalist John T. Davis traces the band's musical journey. He explores why music was, and is, so important in Lubbock and how earlier West Texas musicians such as Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, as well as a touring Elvis Presley, inspired the young Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock. Davis recounts their first year (1972-1973) as a band, during which they recorded the songs that, decades later, were released as the albums More a Legend Than a Band and The Odessa Tapes. He follows the three musicians through their solo careers and into their first decade as a (re)united band, in which they cowrote songs for the first time on the albums Now Again and Hills and Valleys and recovered their extraordinary original demo tape, lost for forty years. Many roads later, the Flatlanders are finally both a legend and a band.
A group of three friends who made music in a house in Lubbock, Texas, recorded an album that wasn't released and went their separate ways into solo careers. That group became a legend and then--twenty years later--a band. The Flatlanders--Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock--are icons in American music, with songs blending country, folk, and rock that have influenced a long list of performers, including Robert Earl Keen, the Cowboy Junkies, Ryan Bingham, Terry Allen, John Hiatt, Hayes Carll, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and Lyle Lovett.
In The Now It's Now Again, Austin author and music journalist John T. Davis traces the band's musical journey. He explores why music was, and is, so important in Lubbock and how earlier West Texas musicians such as Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, as well as a touring Elvis Presley, inspired the young Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock. Davis recounts their first year (1972-1973) as a band, during which they recorded the songs that, decades later, were released as the albums More a Legend Than a Band and The Odessa Tapes. He follows the three musicians through their solo careers and into their first decade as a (re)united band, in which they cowrote songs for the first time on the albums Now Again and Hills and Valleys and recovered their extraordinary original demo tape, lost for forty years. Many roads later, the Flatlanders are finally both a legend and a band.
- GenresMusic
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 6, 2024
It’s very enjoyable but it also feels a little too slight to really work well as a biography. It feels like an extended magazine portrait and lacks some of the depth needed to really celebrate the extraordinary music of the Flatlanders. It feels a bit frustrating because of that
February 9, 2023
Great way for me to learn the history of my favourite covid response team
August 14, 2015
As someone who loves The Flatlanders I am just glad I live in a world where this book exists. I will admit the first two chapters of the book--one dealing with the geography and environment of Lubbock and one with the history and political environment of Lubbock--are extremely slow reading. Once the book turns to Joe, Jimmie, Butch and the others, the book picks up speed and interest. I particularly like the chapter on the women living in the house in Lubbock, a house filled with counter-culture artists/misfits from Lubbock, from where the Flatlanders were born. Of course the parts regarding the recording of their first (and for decades only) album in Nashville was also a highpoint. While people uninterested in The Flatlanders may not care for this book at all, fans of the group should find it essential.
April 14, 2015
This book is for Flatlanders nerds only. You will most likely put it down quickly otherwise. To me this book is extremely important. It shines a whole lot of light on the Odessa tapes, one of my favorite records of which such little was known. It also portrays the many universes you can involve yourself in as a Texas musician. You can use a tractor as music, you can tour the sticks with The Clash, or you can live in Austin and just be you. Thank you for writing this one, Mr. Davis.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews