This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen Magazine #97 (December 2001/January 2002). The magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription.

Book Reviews
 

Mel Bay Presents Herman Johnson, Master Fiddler
transcribed by
Jeanine R. Orme
Mel Bay ISBN 0-7866-4359-5 (1999);
119 pps.; $22.95; includes CD

In 1968, Herman Johnson won the national fiddling championship at Weiser, Idaho, and made a record that celebrated the event. In 1993, he put out a tape called Simply Perfect, a title which accurately reflects the opinion other fiddlers hold of his playing. I don't know of any other recordings by Johnson, but he is one of this writer's favorite fiddlers. Never mind that he's considered unbeatable in a contest — it's his beautifully relaxed swing, gorgeous tone and endlessly melodic variations on a tune that make his music irresistible.
The superb technique is but the means to that end. Every note from Simply Perfect is transcribed in this excellent volume, along with a couple of dozen more masterpieces in the western swing-influenced style of fiddling Johnson exemplifies. Obviously This is a gold mine for serious fiddle students, and the CD of the Perfect tunes is practically worth the price on its own.
— Duck Baker (Richmond, CA)

Rip it Up! Rock & Roll Rulebreakers
by Denise Sullivan
Backbeat Books ISBN 0-87930-635-1 (2001); $17.95

There's a new twist in rock 'n' roll every five minutes. But some musicians have enough vision and revolutionary zeal to steer rock 'n' roll into new, unchartered waters, and that's why Rip it Up is a useful navigational guide for small and large craft. These are the firebrands and eccentrics who contributed something singular and pulsating to the lexicon of rock: a new vocabulary worth dancin' to. Twenty groundbreaking artists are interviewed and critiqued by Sullivan, who is by no means unbiased about her enthusiasm for these "selected" performers. Some of the picks are obvious to the discriminating palate, like Elvis Costello, Ray and Dave Davies, Tom Verlaine, and the Talking Heads. These artists have achieved a cult following who can pack shows at the drop of a hat. Others are a stretch, like Teenage Fanclub, Shonen Knife, Camper Van Beethoven, and Ike Turner, but Sullivan makes a good case for each, and in the end you'll come out a believer. Chapters include "Beyond the Fringe" (Julian Cope, Spiritualized, and Ann Magnuson), "The Chords of Love and Pain" (Peter Case, U. Utah Phillips, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott), and "Love is the Answer" (Julie and Buddy Miller and Chuck Prophet and Stephanie Finch).
— T.J. McGrath (Woodbridge, CT)

Celtic Music
edited by Kenny Mathieson
Backbeat Books ISBN 0-87930-623-8 (2001); 192 pp.; $19.95

The greatest strength of this new overview book on Celtic music isn't necessarily its coverage of Irish and Scottish music — which is fine — but in the fact that it acknowledges the concept that Celtic music thrives in other places, as well. Andrew Cronshaw writes about the Celtic areas of Spain and Portugal in the chapter called "Celtic Iberia," Steve Winick covers Brittany, and editor Kenny Mathieson writes about music to be found in Wales, Isle of Man, England, and Cape Breton. And the coverage goes beyond just singers and bands, with separate sections on pipes, fiddle, and an "other" section that includes harp, squeezebox, whistle, guitar, and more. The sections are well written and go beyond just the obvious into more obscure performers and bands, with enough detail to allow you to follow up on any artist who might interest you. The book cover notes "key recordings reviewed and rated," which isn't true. There are recommended recordings with very brief descriptions at the end of each chapter, but I'd hardly call that a review. With enough detail that longtime fans of Celtic music should find many new areas to explore, but not so much as to bury a new fan with needless detail, this book is well worth adding to the home music library.
— Jim Lee (Simi Valley, CA)

The Book of
Music & Nature
edited by David Rothenberg & Marta Ulvaeus
Wesleyan University Press ISBN 0-8195-6408-7 (2001); $24.95; incl. CD

This anthology about music and nature assembled by the editors of Terra Nova magazine examines our relationship with music and nature and how the two interact. This collection includes essays, short fiction, and illustrations, as well as a compact disc of music and natural sounds used to illustrate some of the concepts in the essays. Chapters on how we listen to sound, sound in nature, and how our social landscapes affect the way we hear and interpret sound pose thought-provoking questions to the reader and help to expand upon one's understanding of the role of sound in our day-to-day lives. The essays and stories tend to be short, to the point, and very accessible. The music ranges from field recordings to experiential pieces, including one from Brian Eno. This volume will have you rethinking the subject of natural sound in our modern world.
— Jim Lee (Simi Valley, CA)