Southern Rockers: The Roots and Legacy of Southern Rock
Once, they sold out stadium shows, topped sales charts, indulged all manner of excess, and married movie stars. They were southern rockers, players of "soulful, primal-rhythm anthems to hard living and problematic romance" and "good-time, no-holds-barred celebrations of both stoic independence and bar-hopping camaraderie." Finding precise criteria for who is and isn't a southern rocker rather eel-ly, Brant finally settles on music and sensibility rather than geographical origins. So Black Oak Arkansas isn't (it doesn't fit musically, and singer Jim Dandy Mangrum is from Michigan, f' God's sake), but Charlie Daniels (band and man), .38 Special, and Wet Willie get the nod. The Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers get the most attention in Brant's chronological history that avoids dirt, "undue criticism," and lingering over trivialities (Gregg Allman's dalliance with Cher is barely mentioned). Critical Brant isn't. Still, he notes the bands' exuberant behavior and many vehicular casualties, though not luridly. A good addition to the pop music history shelves.Mike Tribby