Are You Ready for the Country: Elvis, Dylan, Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock
Doggett, a former editor of Record Collector magazine, offers an  exhaustive examination of the interplay between country music  and rock'n'roll. In the first section, he tackles the same topic  as John Einarson's excellent Desperados: The Roots of Country  Rock (LJ 3/1/01), dealing with country rock from its inception  in the late 1960s to its full flowering several years later. He  begins with Bob Dylan's infatuation with country, shows the  critical impact of Gram Parsons on the Byrds and the Flying  Burrito Brothers, charts the rise of the Band, Poco, and Linda  Ronstadt, and ends with the Eagles as the commercial high-water  mark of country rock. The author devotes a second section to the  role of country in the birth of rock with the rockabillies,  discussing Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Bill Haley as well as Johnny  Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Country pop and  alternative country rock are also discussed at length in a third  section. Based upon dozens of interviews, this detailed but  readable compendium will serve as a useful guide to anyone  interested in the intersection of rock and country during the  last 50 years. Recommended for all music fans. Dave Szatmary,  Univ. of Washington, SeattleCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.