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Dr. Rico, February 9, 2008

The most indispensable book about soul music. Guralnick argues for a distinct "Southern soul" sound, as distinguished from Motown or Chicago soul or other forms of "Northern soul," and traces its development from its twin roots in gospel song and Delta blues. He considers the giants of the soul tradition, from Ray Charles and Sam Cooke to Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin and Solomon Burke, as well as more obscure figures such as Doc Pomus, Spooner Oldham, and Joe Tex. He writes extensively about Stax Records, both the music and the company, and shows that the music's particular strength grew from a partnership between black and white musicians. For Guralnick, Stax in particular and Southern soul music in general represent the civil rights movement ideal of blacks and whites working together. Guralnick traces the decline of Stax to efforts to move the label towards a black-power position. While I wish Guralnick had done more to highlight the differences between Southern and Northern soul (in particular the jazz roots of Northern soul), this is still my favorite book about soul, because of Guralnick's astonishing portraits and the breadth of his canvas. One final word of warning: Guralnick writes about so many records and performers, in the narrative and in the extensive discography, that this book may lead you to spend hundreds of dollars on recorded music. Proceed with care... and delight.

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