Squeeze my Lemon
Squeeze my Lemon: A Collection of Classic Blues Lyrics. Written and complied by Randy Poe. Foreword by B.B. King. Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee WI, 2003.
First of all I have to say a word about the publication/layout - fran-freakin'-tastic. This book is simply cool to hold in your hand. Real slick. I daresay you might be able to read this book in the swimming pool . . . underwater! It's THAT slick!
As for the content - this is fairly decent introduction to the blues, much better than others I've seen/read. The compiler has set down different sections based on the particular Blues "context" (i.e. Food-as-Sex-Metaphor, Birth, Death, Prison, etc.) In fact, Poe's introductions to each section is perhaps better writing than the lyrics that he has chosen to collect - his depiction of blues lyrics is insightful, witty, and absolutely precise. The only thing he forgets to mention about Blues lyrics is that they can occasionally get completely mundane.
I also like his discography disclaimer, which states that Blues is addictive, and if you start collection Blues albums you better have a lot of free space, because it'll fill up quickly. (there's prob'ly a Blues song in there somewhere, y'know "Started collectin' da Blues - ba DA DA dum - an' it filled up my room - ba DA - DA dum, next ting I know I got no mo' space to use!! . . . etc etc)
Neat book - check it out. Better yet . . . make yourself a collection of each song quoted, by the artists sited - that in itself would be an absolutely splendifyuler Blues CD box set.
an' dat's Blues-Gar-uhn-TEED!
VG
First of all I have to say a word about the publication/layout - fran-freakin'-tastic. This book is simply cool to hold in your hand. Real slick. I daresay you might be able to read this book in the swimming pool . . . underwater! It's THAT slick!
As for the content - this is fairly decent introduction to the blues, much better than others I've seen/read. The compiler has set down different sections based on the particular Blues "context" (i.e. Food-as-Sex-Metaphor, Birth, Death, Prison, etc.) In fact, Poe's introductions to each section is perhaps better writing than the lyrics that he has chosen to collect - his depiction of blues lyrics is insightful, witty, and absolutely precise. The only thing he forgets to mention about Blues lyrics is that they can occasionally get completely mundane.
I also like his discography disclaimer, which states that Blues is addictive, and if you start collection Blues albums you better have a lot of free space, because it'll fill up quickly. (there's prob'ly a Blues song in there somewhere, y'know "Started collectin' da Blues - ba DA DA dum - an' it filled up my room - ba DA - DA dum, next ting I know I got no mo' space to use!! . . . etc etc)
Neat book - check it out. Better yet . . . make yourself a collection of each song quoted, by the artists sited - that in itself would be an absolutely splendifyuler Blues CD box set.
an' dat's Blues-Gar-uhn-TEED!
VG
posted by Verble Gherulous | 8:08 AM
|
0 comments
