The Soul Book
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I enjoyed reading this book when it was first published in 1975. Since then my copy has gone through numerous moves and resided in several attics and is now looking much the worse for wear. On this second reading I had a continuous running battle to keep it from falling apart, particularly the two sections of Black and White photographs. Given that this book is nearly 25 years old it did not feel dated in the slightest. Maybe this is because the issues it considers are just as relevant today as they were then. It does not contain a uniform writing style as it is essentially a collection of extended essays written by different authors and is divided into five sections, which, along with their authors, are as follows: 'Roots, Forerunners and Originators' by Tony Cummings; 'You Can Make it if You Try: the Motown Story' by Simon Frith; 'Memphis and the Sounds of the South' by Clive Anderson; 'Mighty, Mighty Spade and Whitey, Soul Lyrics and Black-White Crosscurrents' by Ian Hoare and 'Soul in the Seventies' by Clive Anderson. There is also a concluding section in which each of the authors list their top twenty soul sounds. Personally I found the first three chapters to be stronger than the last two, but this might be because I was more interested in their subject matter rather than through any journalistic superiority. All the authors are clearly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the music but I found Tony Cummings chapter which traced the roots of soul music to be particularly informative. I also enjoyed reading Simon Frith's section on Motown as I had only recently finished David Morse's book. Unlike Morse, Frith clearly believes there is a distinct Motown sound, but he does not argue his case half as well. The jewel in the crown of this book however has to be Clive Anderson's work on the sounds of the South. All the contributors give their histories and put them into a social context, but Anderson seems to write at a deeper level as he steps beyond the mere recounting of facts and reaches a point of defining Soul itself. Whenever I hear a record I can immediately tell whether it is Soul or not, but I would be pushed to articulate why. Maybe its instinct or maybe its familiarity with the sound but I certainly couldn't enunciate the reason. Most commentators avoid the issue by arguing that its a personal experience and therefore indefinable but Clive Anderson is brave enough to try. His descriptions struck a chord which left me feeling much closer to an understanding of what Soul really is. His commentary on Mable John I thought was particularly significant. My final observation relates to the author's top twenty selections as not one of them chooses anything which might have transcended to the disco floor. The only track that sounds remotely like a Northern Dancer is Major Lance's 'Um Um Um Um Um Um'. The choices range between smooth ballads, funk, classic soul, deep soul or non-typical Motown Releases. They are choices which remind the reader of the breadth in the music and are wholly in context with the artistic treatment this book has given to its subject. I suspect it will be difficult to get a copy of this book now, but if you're lucky enough to chance on one, then my advice is to seize it with both hands. |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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