Ebook Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul James McBride 9780812983739 Books
Ebook Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul James McBride 9780812983739 Books
Download As PDF : Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul James McBride 9780812983739 Books
“You won’t leave this hypnotic book without feeling that James Brown is still out there, howling.”—The Boston Globe
ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST
Kill ’Em and Leave is more than a book about James Brown. Brown embodied the contradictions of American life He was an unsettling symbol of the tensions between North and South, black and white, rich and poor. After receiving a tip that promises to uncover the man behind the myth, James McBride goes in search of the “real” James Brown. McBride’s travels take him to forgotten corners of Brown’s never-before-revealed history, illuminating not only our understanding of the immensely troubled, misunderstood, and complicated Godfather of Soul, but the ways in which our cultural heritage has been shaped by Brown’s enduring legacy.
Praise for Kill ’Em and Leave
“A tour de force of cultural reportage.”—The Seattle Times
“Thoughtful and probing.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Masterly . . . powerful.”—Los Angeles Review of Books
“McBride provides something lacking in most of the books about James Brown an intimate feeling for the musician, a veracious if inchoate sense of what it was like to be touched by him. . . . It may be as close [to ‘the real James Brown’] as we’ll ever get.”—David Hajdu, The Nation
“A feat of intrepid journalistic fortitude.”—USA Today
“[McBride is] the biographer of James Brown we’ve all been waiting for. . . . McBride’s true subject is race and poverty in a country that doesn’t want to hear about it, unless compelled by a voice that demands to be heard.”—Boris Kachka, New York
“Illuminating . . . engaging.”—The Washington Post
“A gorgeously written piece of reportage that gives us glimpses of Brown’s genius and contradictions.”—O The Oprah Magazine
Ebook Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul James McBride 9780812983739 Books
"James Brown was bigger than life. He had a big personality, a big heart, and big troubles. Some were his fault, and others were caused by meddlers. By now, most people recognize that Mr. Brown was a complicated man, or at the very least, misunderstood. He gave so much of himself, and yet demanded so much in return. In his heart of hearts, however, it seems he truly wanted to not only entertain people, but also help those who needed it. With that in mind it’s a crying shame – even disgusting – what has happened to his legacy. James McBride digs deep and relays several emotional stories from those who knew Brown personally (though notably missing is Maceo Parker) and sheds much needed light on the quagmire of events that took place after Mr. Brown’s death. Particularly enlightening are the interviews with David Cannon and Buddy Dallas. In the aftermath of Brown’s death, the media portrayed Cannon and Dallas as blood sucking leeches. Once you read McBride’s account you’ll see them – and what happen to them – in a whole different light.
After reading the book, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief that so many people stubbornly refuse to do the right thing and honor Mr. Brown’s final wishes and help maintain his legacy. The man should be honored for his positive contributions. People are squabbling over his money, control of his estate – even his body. From what I’ve read few people even know where and in what manner the man is buried. His last home should be open like Graceland, and the fans allowed to pay their respects. Prince hasn’t been dead a year and they already have his house/studio open to the public!
I could not put this book down until I finished reading it. McBride does a fantastic job of describing the local politics and social context of the Augusta area, as well presenting a variety of revealing and moving interviews from those who knew Mr. Brown. True fans might even shed a tear."
Product details
|
Tags : Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul [James McBride] on . <b>“You won’t leave this hypnotic book without feeling that James Brown is still out there,James McBride,Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul,Spiegel Grau,0812983734,Composers Musicians,Ethnic Studies - African American Studies,Popular Culture,Biographies.,Brown, James,Soul music;United States;Biography.,Soul musicians - United States,Soul musicians;United States;Biography.,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Cultural, Ethnic Regional / African American Black,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Music,BLACK MUSICIANS AND THEIR MUSIC,Biography,Biography Autobiography,Biography Autobiography/Cultural, Ethnic Regional - General,Biography Autobiography/Entertainment Performing Arts,Biography/Autobiography,GENERAL,General Adult,Music/Genres Styles - Soul RB,Non-Fiction,POPULAR MUSIC,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture,Social Science/Ethnic Studies - African American Studies,Social Science/Popular Culture,United States,musician biography; James Brown; soul music; funk music; music narrative; music history; performing arts history; 20th century music; biography; music; biographies; biography autobiography; nonfiction books; true story; inspirational; true stories; bios; non fiction; biographical; inspiration; narrative nonfiction; motivational; motivational books; memories; advice; auto biography biography; autobiography biography; non fiction books; nonfiction; inspirational books; biography and memoirs; true life; personal life; life story,musician biography;James Brown;soul music;funk music;music narrative;music history;performing arts history;20th century music;biography;music;biographies;biography autobiography;nonfiction books;true story;inspirational;true stories;bios;non fiction;biographical;inspiration;narrative nonfiction;motivational;motivational books;memories;advice;auto biography biography;autobiography biography;non fiction books;nonfiction;inspirational books;biography and memoirs;true life;personal life;life story,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Cultural, Ethnic Regional / African American Black,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Music,Biography Autobiography/Cultural, Ethnic Regional - General,Biography Autobiography/Entertainment Performing Arts,Music/Genres Styles - Soul RB,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture,Social Science/Ethnic Studies - African American Studies,Social Science/Popular Culture,Black Musicians And Their Music,Popular Music,Biography Autobiography,Biography/Autobiography
Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul James McBride 9780812983739 Books Reviews :
Kill 'Em and Leave Searching for James Brown and the American Soul James McBride 9780812983739 Books Reviews
- James McBride is such a good writer. He takes you "there", you are in the woods of South Carolina, you are in segregated 1940's Augusta, with a motherless child when fortune shines on him and he developes a friendship with another boy his age and that friendship will sustain him throughout his lifetime. I am a James Brown fan. The first concert I ever attended was his show at the Shrine auditorium in Los Angeles in the sixties. I was mesmerized by the band, the sound, the man, his performance.....( that cape!).. I even met James Brown after the concert at VIP records where he
was signing autographs. So my relationship with James goes way back. I loved this book, it was real, it was "deep", it made very astute and insightful observations into the black experience in America which by the way is even more relevant today. The book is as much about James Brown as it is about the music industry, and the legal system which revictimized James Brown and his incredibly stupid, and greedy heirs.I read this book after reading Colson Whitehead "Underground Railroad". That book left an imprint on my soul with its beautiful prose and tragic, incredibly barbaric retelling of the horrors of slavery which tried and failed to destroy the pure joy, intelligence and creativity of black people. This book had me listening to "Night Train" and baking a peach cobbler and being swept away by the telling of the story. James Brown and John Coltrane, James McBride and Colson Whitehead, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison... Barack and Michele Obama.....collard greens and gumbo.... but still we"rise". James McBride and Colson Whitehead should be required reading for everyone who loves the music and life that is the black
experience in America. - James Brown was bigger than life. He had a big personality, a big heart, and big troubles. Some were his fault, and others were caused by meddlers. By now, most people recognize that Mr. Brown was a complicated man, or at the very least, misunderstood. He gave so much of himself, and yet demanded so much in return. In his heart of hearts, however, it seems he truly wanted to not only entertain people, but also help those who needed it. With that in mind it’s a crying shame – even disgusting – what has happened to his legacy. James McBride digs deep and relays several emotional stories from those who knew Brown personally (though notably missing is Maceo Parker) and sheds much needed light on the quagmire of events that took place after Mr. Brown’s death. Particularly enlightening are the interviews with David Cannon and Buddy Dallas. In the aftermath of Brown’s death, the media portrayed Cannon and Dallas as blood sucking leeches. Once you read McBride’s account you’ll see them – and what happen to them – in a whole different light.
After reading the book, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief that so many people stubbornly refuse to do the right thing and honor Mr. Brown’s final wishes and help maintain his legacy. The man should be honored for his positive contributions. People are squabbling over his money, control of his estate – even his body. From what I’ve read few people even know where and in what manner the man is buried. His last home should be open like Graceland, and the fans allowed to pay their respects. Prince hasn’t been dead a year and they already have his house/studio open to the public!
I could not put this book down until I finished reading it. McBride does a fantastic job of describing the local politics and social context of the Augusta area, as well presenting a variety of revealing and moving interviews from those who knew Mr. Brown. True fans might even shed a tear. - A 3 might be a harsh rating for this. It's a good read, less a biography and more a series of remembrances about James Brown. The author mostly focuses on a person in James Brown's life, revealing different facets of a man who was to most, unknowable. It winds up being less about Brown the person and more about Brown as an avatar of black art in America, and how artists are often cheated by political and social forces larger than themselves.
The reason I'm not rating this higher is because it feels somewhat unfocused for that reason. Even at 220 pages, it drags in portions that repeat a story from earlier or in parts where the interview subject reiterates something we already learned. Still - for a fanatic, there's a lot of good here if you know what you're getting into. - In my humble opinion James Brown was one of the most influential musical entertainers of the twentieth century(a point this book advocates as well).His music is instantly recognizable and is part of the fabric of American music. Brown was also a mass of contradictions--not easily categorized or summed up(the recent film biography though fun was not accurate). Mcbride,a musician himself, tries to unravel Brown, his influence on music, and the effect or racism of his life and career. Mcbride interviews the last survivors of Brown's band, life time friends and Brown's first wife. Also included is a section on Brown's relationship with Al Sharpton--which is fascinating(Brown was like a father to him). I saw James Brown at the Park West in Chicago in the late seventies and it remains the best show I have ever seen--by far. Truly the hardest working man in show biz, this is a must read for anyone interested in Brown or the music he created. Even if you're not that interested in him, it's still a great story.
Comments
Post a Comment