Don't Get Above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class (Music in American Life) [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

The author of books like Singing Cowboys and Musical Mountaineers, Malone (history, emeritus, Tulane Univ.) here presents a lucid study of the relationship between country music and the Southern working class. Delving into the history and sociology of such topics as country humor, the relationships between country music and politics, the urbanization of the South, and the contradictory tendencies in country music toward religion and rambling, Malone covers much ground. He obviously loves the music and understands its relationship to the people who originally gave it life. The casual fan of country music, especially contemporary commercial country music, might not find much of interest present-day "hat acts" have relatively little to do with Malone's subject but readers looking to go beyond today's stars and into the very heart and soul of the music will not be disappointed. Essential for anyone interested in a well-grounded and -researched overview of the topic, this thoughtful book is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries, especially those with strong popular culture collections. James E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

"A lucid study of the relationship between country music and the Southern working class... [Malone] obviously loves the music and understands its relationship to the people who originally gave it life... Readers looking to go beyond today's stars and into the very heart and soul of the music will not be disappointed. Essential for anyone interested in a well-grounded and researched overview of the topic, this thoughtful book is highly recommended." -- Library Journal "Adds significantly to an understanding of the music's nuanced history... The author deftly explores a range of topics: country music's rural roots and dreams; its complicated connection both to conservative working class and Christian values and to rambling men and hell-raisers; its dance-based popularity; its extensive use of musical and performance comedy; and its generally patriotic slant... Very highly recommended." -- Choice "A spirited and informative history of country music connects the music to the people who listen to it, tracing its evolution among the nation's 'working class.'" -- Forecast "The most worthwhile book about country music in general to come my way in quite a while." -- Keith Briggs, Blues & Rhythm "Malone has now written the best and most comprehensive study of [country music]. Don't Get above Your Raisin' is an appealing, personal, and thorough examination of the social and musical background of country music from its precursors until close to the present." -- Ted Ownby, North Carolina Historical Review "The work of a master historian fully in command of his subject, brimming with knowledge of the music and performers, and full of insight into the historical meaning of both." -- Don H. Doyle, Business History "Exhaustively researched and elegantly written, Don't Get Above Your Raisin' investigates the roots and evolution of American country music- locating the uniqueness of the music in its ability to speak to the needs and frustrations of generations of southern working folk. ... In the final analysis, Don't Get Above Your Raisin' is a fascinating book written by a first-rate scholar who has lived and absorbed much of the topic both inside and outside the realm of academe. His ability and willingness to share some of that life with us makes us the richer." -- James R. Goff, Jr., Georgia Historical Quarterly "Malone's research is as meticulous as his narrative is passionate. ... Malone does not merely report; his interpretation reveals a lifelong immersion in the music's message, which began on a cotton tenant farm in Depression-era Texas. The result is a celebration of country music as culture, as dear to neo-Confederates as it is to the teenage fans of Alabama and Billy Ray Cyrus." --Indiana Magazine of History ADVANCE PRAISE: "Bill Malone has the rare gift of being able to evaluate a culture from within, to make it live and breathe even as he dissects it with great precision. His knowledge is encyclopedic, his range incredible, and his work distinguished by an intensely appealing human quality." -- James Cobb, author of Redefining Southern Culture: Mind and Identity in the Modern South