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Lone Star Swing
High Fidelity meets Blue Highways in this gloriously offbeat quest for the true roots of Texas Swing. Using the prize money from his Somerset Maugham Award, Duncan McLean traveled from Orkney, Scotland, to Texas in search of the extraordinary mix of jazz, blues, country, and mariachi that is Western Swing.
This account of his travels takes in barbed-wire museums, onion festivals, hoe-downs, ghost-towns, dead dogs, and ten thousand miles of driving through the Lone Star State. A constant soundtrack of vintage music from bands like the Texas Top Hands, The Lightcrust Doughboys, and the Modern Mountaineers cheers McLean as he tries, with great difficulty, to track down any trace of his greatest heroes: Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
Both a quest for a musical grail and a wildly funny travelogue, Lone Star Swing captures the singular wonders of Texas and its maverick inhabitants, its staggering 100-in-the-shade heat, its mouth-blistering chilies. . . . Above all it captures the spirit of the glorious mongrel music-once incredibly popular, now all but forgotten-that he crossed the world to hear.
This account of his travels takes in barbed-wire museums, onion festivals, hoe-downs, ghost-towns, dead dogs, and ten thousand miles of driving through the Lone Star State. A constant soundtrack of vintage music from bands like the Texas Top Hands, The Lightcrust Doughboys, and the Modern Mountaineers cheers McLean as he tries, with great difficulty, to track down any trace of his greatest heroes: Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
Both a quest for a musical grail and a wildly funny travelogue, Lone Star Swing captures the singular wonders of Texas and its maverick inhabitants, its staggering 100-in-the-shade heat, its mouth-blistering chilies. . . . Above all it captures the spirit of the glorious mongrel music-once incredibly popular, now all but forgotten-that he crossed the world to hear.
322 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 1997
3 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Duncan McLean
33 books12 followersDuncan McLean (b. 1964) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer, playwright, and editor. His debut, Bucket of Tongues won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1993.
McLean has lived in Orkney since 1992. While based in Edinburgh in the 1980s, he started writing songs, stand-up routines, and plays for the Merry Mac Fun Co, a street theatre and comedy act with agitprop tendencies. The Merry Macs won various awards, and were twice nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award.
In the 1990s, McLean was part of a loose grouping of writers centred on Edinburgh whose characters were mainly poor, working class and young, whose themes were drugs, drink, dance music, violence, and alienation, and who took their inspiration variously from the Glaswegian writers of the previous generation, notably James Kelman, and from overseas writers like Richard Brautigan and Knut Hamsun.
In December 1990, with the writer James Meek, McLean set up and ran the Clocktower Press, a small but influential publishing house, which helped bring a new generation of Scottish writers to wider attention. McLean, Meek and the artist Eddie Farrell invested £50 each to print the first booklet, Safe/Lurch, with both writers contributing a story and Farrell illustrating the cover. After the first three booklets, Meek moved to Kiev and McLean went on to publish seven more, including the first separately-published extracts of what would later become Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. The fifth of the Clocktower series, it was printed in April 1992 in an edition of 300 under the title Past Tense: four stories from a novel.
In 1992, McLean published his first book, a collection of short stories called Bucket of Tongues, and since then has published several more books, including the acclaimed coming-of-age novel Blackden and a collection of plays, entitled Plays:One. In 1995, he published the novel Bunker Man and in 1998 his travelogue Lone Star Swing was published, which saw McLean tracing the roots of country music precursor Bob Wills.
McLean has lived in Orkney since 1992. While based in Edinburgh in the 1980s, he started writing songs, stand-up routines, and plays for the Merry Mac Fun Co, a street theatre and comedy act with agitprop tendencies. The Merry Macs won various awards, and were twice nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award.
In the 1990s, McLean was part of a loose grouping of writers centred on Edinburgh whose characters were mainly poor, working class and young, whose themes were drugs, drink, dance music, violence, and alienation, and who took their inspiration variously from the Glaswegian writers of the previous generation, notably James Kelman, and from overseas writers like Richard Brautigan and Knut Hamsun.
In December 1990, with the writer James Meek, McLean set up and ran the Clocktower Press, a small but influential publishing house, which helped bring a new generation of Scottish writers to wider attention. McLean, Meek and the artist Eddie Farrell invested £50 each to print the first booklet, Safe/Lurch, with both writers contributing a story and Farrell illustrating the cover. After the first three booklets, Meek moved to Kiev and McLean went on to publish seven more, including the first separately-published extracts of what would later become Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. The fifth of the Clocktower series, it was printed in April 1992 in an edition of 300 under the title Past Tense: four stories from a novel.
In 1992, McLean published his first book, a collection of short stories called Bucket of Tongues, and since then has published several more books, including the acclaimed coming-of-age novel Blackden and a collection of plays, entitled Plays:One. In 1995, he published the novel Bunker Man and in 1998 his travelogue Lone Star Swing was published, which saw McLean tracing the roots of country music precursor Bob Wills.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 9, 2012
This is a five-star book for readers who enjoy fish-out-of-water accounts of travel, where the writer's eye (ear, nose and throat, for that matter) seems to encounter only the completely incongruous and absurd. The jokes go both ways, of course - on the inhabitants of the place traveled through as well as the credulous author, whose expectations are wildly different. Paul Theroux does this in (to me) a cranky and irritating way ("Kingdom by the Sea"), but Duncan McLean, a Scotsman from little Orkney, plays it for belly laughs, and there's a lot of fun to be had along the way.
A caveat or two. Texans may find his jaundiced view of Texas grating, and lovers of Bob Wills and western swing may find the book something of a hodgepodge on those two subjects. Onion festivals, scary encounters with border patrol, and his opinion of Rush Limbaugh will seem beside the point. Likewise, readers not into western swing will find his enthusiasms, knowledge of music trivia, and references to musicians and songs a bit of a yawn.
But if you've read Charles Townsend's biography of Bob Wills and love the music, this slaphappy mix of travel writing and musicology can put a big smile on your face. Also, McLean's difficulties in finding and interviewing the old-timers who once played with Wills will give you an appreciation for the monumental effort of research that went into the writing of the biography. Best advice: Read Townsend first, then pick up McLean and be prepared to laugh.
A caveat or two. Texans may find his jaundiced view of Texas grating, and lovers of Bob Wills and western swing may find the book something of a hodgepodge on those two subjects. Onion festivals, scary encounters with border patrol, and his opinion of Rush Limbaugh will seem beside the point. Likewise, readers not into western swing will find his enthusiasms, knowledge of music trivia, and references to musicians and songs a bit of a yawn.
But if you've read Charles Townsend's biography of Bob Wills and love the music, this slaphappy mix of travel writing and musicology can put a big smile on your face. Also, McLean's difficulties in finding and interviewing the old-timers who once played with Wills will give you an appreciation for the monumental effort of research that went into the writing of the biography. Best advice: Read Townsend first, then pick up McLean and be prepared to laugh.
October 11, 2019
I've owned my copy of this book for many a year now, and until now held no compelling desire to read it. However with the advent of the recent Ken Burns series on PBS TV in America, I thought it would be opportune to visit this book and see what it had to say re country swing musician Bob Wills..
Instead of being what I expected, 'Lone Star Swing' was far less of a deep dive in the Texan music history that circled around Wills and his Playboys, but more a highly personal yarn of a man who is trying to decode the culture of a world far alien to his, even though he nominally 'speaks the language'. McLean traverses the roads and tracks, ghost towns and bustling cities of Texas with an immaculate knowledge of the facts surrounding Bob Wills and western swing. However, like an academic anthropologist who knows what symbols mean and can talk to the natives without need for a translator, he doesn't really 'get' what the world he submerges himself into until he has either found those who share his passion, or he detaches himself from the fantasy of his expectations.
There is no doubt that this is an enjoyable book, both in terms of the prose (with its attendant wry observational humour and occasional personal genuflection) and the general narrative. McLean writes with some regard for the details of his travelogue, however he doesn't get bogged down into pin point accuracy except when it comes to describing a specific point about the musical heritage he is exploring or the people he meets and connects with (who are usually his aides in exploring said musical heritage). Like so many of the best travel writers Mclean writes less of a nagging monologue of exact memories but instead offers painterly sketches and short conversations that capture the spirit of place, of time, of people.
'Lone Star Swing' also follows a narrative that has a logic that sustains itself and the reader's passage with it. From the earliest chapters where Mclean is not quite achieving what he sets out to do, to the final segment of the book where he attends the Bob Wills festival in Turkey, Texas, it's obvious that McLean has plotted his journey with unplanned precision. Those pages where he describes the build up to meeting some of The Playboys band members in person, chatting with those who knew the long dead band leader and yet still live in the geographical and social space Wills did are brilliant.
It can also be said that 'Lone Star Swing' is a paean to a part of the American experience that is, if not dead, then seriously mutated. The book itself is now over 20 years old, and even in the context of its then contemporary composition it definitely maps a bifurcation of the old south west. More and more what was once real and heavily populated in the old country towns is shown to be on the precipice of oblivion, whilst the newer, more prosperous and highly urbanised Texan cities are unwelcoming, unhappy, unreal.
There really is a lot to like about 'Lone Star Swing' and whilst it may appeal to readers of the niche subject it is nominally focused on, I'd suggest it goes further than just a 'fish out of water' traveller's tale. McLean is affectionate and critical, idealising and cynical, and overall it's his own authorial character that helps make this book a great read. Give ita go folks.
Instead of being what I expected, 'Lone Star Swing' was far less of a deep dive in the Texan music history that circled around Wills and his Playboys, but more a highly personal yarn of a man who is trying to decode the culture of a world far alien to his, even though he nominally 'speaks the language'. McLean traverses the roads and tracks, ghost towns and bustling cities of Texas with an immaculate knowledge of the facts surrounding Bob Wills and western swing. However, like an academic anthropologist who knows what symbols mean and can talk to the natives without need for a translator, he doesn't really 'get' what the world he submerges himself into until he has either found those who share his passion, or he detaches himself from the fantasy of his expectations.
There is no doubt that this is an enjoyable book, both in terms of the prose (with its attendant wry observational humour and occasional personal genuflection) and the general narrative. McLean writes with some regard for the details of his travelogue, however he doesn't get bogged down into pin point accuracy except when it comes to describing a specific point about the musical heritage he is exploring or the people he meets and connects with (who are usually his aides in exploring said musical heritage). Like so many of the best travel writers Mclean writes less of a nagging monologue of exact memories but instead offers painterly sketches and short conversations that capture the spirit of place, of time, of people.
'Lone Star Swing' also follows a narrative that has a logic that sustains itself and the reader's passage with it. From the earliest chapters where Mclean is not quite achieving what he sets out to do, to the final segment of the book where he attends the Bob Wills festival in Turkey, Texas, it's obvious that McLean has plotted his journey with unplanned precision. Those pages where he describes the build up to meeting some of The Playboys band members in person, chatting with those who knew the long dead band leader and yet still live in the geographical and social space Wills did are brilliant.
It can also be said that 'Lone Star Swing' is a paean to a part of the American experience that is, if not dead, then seriously mutated. The book itself is now over 20 years old, and even in the context of its then contemporary composition it definitely maps a bifurcation of the old south west. More and more what was once real and heavily populated in the old country towns is shown to be on the precipice of oblivion, whilst the newer, more prosperous and highly urbanised Texan cities are unwelcoming, unhappy, unreal.
There really is a lot to like about 'Lone Star Swing' and whilst it may appeal to readers of the niche subject it is nominally focused on, I'd suggest it goes further than just a 'fish out of water' traveller's tale. McLean is affectionate and critical, idealising and cynical, and overall it's his own authorial character that helps make this book a great read. Give ita go folks.
August 7, 2017
Scottish writer and western-swing fan travels Texas in 1995 or so in search of the roots of western swing. Very interesting and gave me some tips on new-to-me (but really old) western swing artists I should investigate.
Anyone reading this book who wants in-depth information on western swing should read Charles Townsend's biography of Bob Wills and three books by Texas college music professor Jean A. Boyd: "The Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing"; "Dance All Night: Those Other Southwestern Swing Bands, Past & Present"; and "We're the Light Crust Doughboys From Burrus Mill: An Oral History."
Anyone reading this book who wants in-depth information on western swing should read Charles Townsend's biography of Bob Wills and three books by Texas college music professor Jean A. Boyd: "The Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing"; "Dance All Night: Those Other Southwestern Swing Bands, Past & Present"; and "We're the Light Crust Doughboys From Burrus Mill: An Oral History."
December 29, 2019
There's a nice fish out of water element to this book, but what shines through is McLean's passion for the music. There are some genuine laugh out loud moments, although never at the expense of the people he meets. Everyone is treated respectfully, regardless of how absurd a situation might seem. From performances in nursing homes to jamming with legends, it's an entertaining ride through Texas with a born raconteur. Recommended for fans of Bill Bryson, or travel writing in general, as well as anyone with an interest in American roots music.
July 8, 2023
Had recently watched Ken Burns country music documentary when this caught my eye at a thrift store. A sweet travel memoir about a western-swing-obsessed Scotsman's journey to the annual Bob Wills festival in Turkey, Texas. Very fun and touching read.
October 12, 2008
It is hard to describe a book about a Scotsman traveling around Texas learning about Western Swing music especially Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. I laughed very hard a number of times.
If you are not a fan of Western Swing music, this may be a difficult book to read because it will be difficult to identify with the characters.
If you are not a fan of Western Swing music, this may be a difficult book to read because it will be difficult to identify with the characters.
April 3, 2008
a fantastic travelogue where you get to the end and say to yourself, "it really wasn't about anything, and yet it was about a lot of good things."
June 19, 2015
Funny book about chasing musical ghosts in a strange land. I could relate because that's what pretty much any trip I go on involves to a greater or lesser extent.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews