Roy Buchanan: American Axe

by Phil Carson, Roy Buchanan

Roy Buchanan was a “guitarist's guitarist” who shunned fame for a musical odyssey on America's roadhouse circuit with his battered Telecaster – melding blues, country, jazz and rock like no player before or since. This is a compelling road trip through the gritty world of honky tonks and beer joints where this enigmatic journeyman preferred to play. Readers meet the biggest names in pop music and legions of unknowns along the way, from the dawn of rock 'n' roll to Buchanan's puzzling death in 1988.

“We just sat there aghast ... It was some of the best playing I've ever heard ... He defied all the laws of verse-chorus-verse and just blazed.” – Jeff Beck

“Roy was one of the creators in the pioneering of unusual sounds. It seemed as though I was hearing them come first from Roy Buchanan.” – Les Paul

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't often attempt books about musicians. Really appreciated this one, though. The Roy Buchanan of the book was someone I wanted to know better. Early on, the characters reminded me of some of the older guys at the high school.
***
Wiki - (Potential Spoiler)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Buc...
***
From my computer's speakers my favorite song by him plays now. Considering how his life ended ... Glad Price convinced Roy to perform the piece. 'Can I Change My Mind?'

wow, what a long youtube string
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search...
***
Here's some Youtube shots of the PBS special
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search...
***
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search...

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kudos to Phil Carson for his impressive and elegant prose rendering of Roy's tragic story, the story of a guitar obsessed, ultra talented (genius?), mild mannered (mostly), genuine "kat" who was, according to many guitar aficionados and fret board wizards of renown (Les Paul, Jimi, James Burton,etc) the real deal and perhaps worthy of the moniker " world's greatest undiscovered guitar player".
Immediately upon finishing the last paragraph of this bio, I felt impelled to return to the first page and for a rereading. I did so, and then repeated the process...a little obsessive,I know (I'll explain that in a minute). I also ordered five more copies from Amazon and sent them to my best friends and musical brethren. I guess it is safe to say...I loved this book.
Highly recommended to any reader that: (a )loves guitar, or guitar lore (b)loves reading about American musical history/culture,(c) has actually suffered and borne the "outrageous slings and arrows" while trying to earn a living via music, (d) is drawn to reading biographical treatments of maverick Americans that were too brilliant to abide the status quo of the straight and narrow therefore paid dearly for their own version of living and dreaming, or (e)loves well written biography.
If I was rating this biography of Roy solely on personal affinity and predilection, I would give it 5 stars and more. I grew up in the Central Valley of California, some 15 miles from where Roy spent most of his childhood (he basically left home and school to pursue music) and Carson's prose captures the "oakie" tint of 1950's California Valley culture in prose that is redolent with hard scrabble beauty. The same ethos that came fully into it's own with the Bakersfield sound of Merle and Buck and other, albeit, lesser known Bakersfield honky-tonk compatriots (Roy Nichols, Jelly Saunders, Wynn Stewart, Ralph Mooney, etc.) that defined the telecaster dominated twang of California's harder edged country music (the so called "Bakersfield Sound"). In addition, I spent a major portion of my life banging out music in roadhouses and nightclubs as did Roy...another reason that every word of this book rang so achingly true with me. So, perhaps this book is too close to me for me to remain objective.... having uttered that proviso, I still heartily recommend this work with a four star rating!!!!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most people wanting to read this already know and have heard Roy Buchanan. If not read this and listen to Live Stock, Live in Japan (especially the chilling version of Hey Joe) and the live version of Down by the River from the Anthology which may be the same version as Live at Town Hall. Down by the River and Hey Joe really showcase Roy's and also the band's dynamics. Listen for the bass parts and piano fills along with Roy's soaring solos.

[Ed]

I want to know more about this early Rock and Roller who shunned the spotlight, but showed most of the stars how the electric guitar can be played.

[Deadbeatgrandpajoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Criminally underrated player!