Entertainment

Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. Da Capo Press. New York. 1996.

In contrast to his other long form books on music, in Tosches’ dissection of country music, the writer takes a view based more upon discography than anything else.

While describing the impetus for unique variants on American music, there’s usually a detailed account of specific labels, who ran the company as well as what studios were most frequently associated with them. At times, the approach becomes tedious and reads like an enormous list while not amply displaying Tosches’ skills as a writer. The form, more than the subject matter, can be figured as the reason why.