The Truman and Eisenhower Blues
African-american Blues and Gospel Songs, 1945-1960
Published on 15. April 2006
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-0-8264-9068-1 (ISBN)
Description
"The Truman and Eisenhower Blues" is a fascinating and exhaustive account of the Gospel and blues music of the post-war period (1945-1960). Guido van Rijn studies over 300 songs, many of them rare recordings, from artists including Fats Domino, John Lee Hooker and B. B. King, and usefully transcribes 123 of them in their entirety. Tapping sources which have previously been neglected by historians, musicologists and sociologists, he provides an illuminating examination of the themes at the heart of this Cold War music: the re-conversion, the atomic bomb, the Korean War, civil rights, Presidential elections, the economy and the space race. "The Truman and Eisenhower Blues" gives blues and Gospel fans a unique chance to understand what the artists were really singing about in their classic recordings from the late forties and fifties. This is a companion volume to the author's award-winning book "Roosevelt's Blues" (1997).
Reviews / Votes
"'There are only 11 documented blues and gospel recordings from the Truman period that deal with civil rights, and Van Rijn has tracked them all down. The book's second labour is the author's painstaking materialist focus on transcribing the lyrics and tracking down the exact references in these highly elusive song forms.' - The Wire, January 2004 'Many of the lyrics are startling in their poetical insight and drama...Sharply original and inspiring - history through the blues and it makes for an exciting and provocative way to learn it.' - Morning Star, May 2004 'One gets the sense that Van Rijn had a ball writing the book, or maybe he's one of those rare good writers obsessed by detail.... This is a book much larger than its ostensible subject matter, though that is so very enjoyable. As such, it rates shelf space in the libraries of readers fascinated by American and African American history, civil rights, and even topical song writing! Definitely recommended.' - Sing Out! Winter 2005 'Copious footnotes, photographs, and political cartoons enhance this slim, yet remarkable sequel. Highly recommended.' - Choice, January 2005"More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Students, scholars, general trade.
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-8264-9068-1 (9780826490681)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Guido van Rijn teaches English at Kennemer Lyceum in Overveen, the Netherlands. He is a widely published writer and music journalist, has run his own record label, Angram Blues, and is co-founder of the Netherlands Blues and Boogie Organisation.
Content
Foreword by Professor David Evans (University of Memphis); Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Those Re-conversion Blues; 2. Atom and Evil; 3. The Freedom Choo Choo; 4. Say a Prayer for the Boys in Korea; 5. Things Are So Slow; 6. The Alabama Bus; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography and Further Reading; Song Index; Artist Index; General Index.