Read The Boy Who Cried Freebird Online
Authors: Mitch Myers
McCain, John, 51
McCartney, Paul, 122, 174, 278
McCoy, Rose Marie, 253
McKernan, Ron “Pigpen,” 74
McLean, Jackie, 61
McNeely, Big Jay, 244
Magic Band, 66
Mahavishnu Orchestra, 185
Maher, Bill, 50
Mahler, Gustav, 203
“Make It with You,” 165
Mance, Junior, 61
Mann, Ed, 190
Marcus, Greil, 14, 105, 107, 113â115
Maria, Mary (Mary Parks), 252, 253, 254, 255, 256
Mars, Tommy, 188
“Marseillaise, La,” 242, 255
Martin, Bobby, 188
Mauritz, Barbara, 110
“Maybelline,” 159
Mayfield, Curtis, 122
Mazzacane-Conners, Loren, 94
MC5, 168
“Mean Mistreater,” 169
“Meet Me in Stockholm,” 137
Mehta, Zubin, 183
Mekons, 25, 118â119
Mellencamp, John, 121
Meltzer, Richard, 105â116, 260â262
Memphis Horns, 163, 167
“Memphis Soul Stew,” 163
Mercury, Freddie, 121
“Mescalin Mix,” 201â202
Meyers, Augie, 130â131, 133, 134, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140
Miller, Jimmy, 214
Mingus, Charles, 61
Minutemen, 111
“Mississippi Queen,” 214
“Miss Ree,” 163
“Misty,” 155
Mitchell, Joni, 221
Mobley, Hank, 59, 61
Moby Grape, 107
“Money,” 122
Monk, Thelonious Sphere, 33â34, 56â64
Montgomery, Wes, 148
“Mood Indigo,” 171â172
Moog, Robert, 203, 259
Moore, Scotty, 32
Morales, Pancho, 163
Morales, Rocky, 129â130, 135
Morgan, Lee, 61
Morris, DJ Mixmaster, 204â205
Morrison, Jim, 86, 230
Morrison, Van, 30
“Motherless Child,” 94
Mothers, 179
Mothers of Invention, 178, 179â183, 184, 189, 191
“Motorhead Baby,” 159
Mountain, 214
Murcia, Billy, 67
“Murder Mystery, The,” 285
“Murder Was the Case,” 286
Murphy, Michael, 135
Murray, Sunny, 239, 245, 247, 248, 255
“My Generation,” 121
“My Guitar Wants to Kill Your
Mama,” 285 “Mystery Train,” 154
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Namath, Joe, 109â110
Ned, 110
Nelson, Willie, 127, 135, 136
Newman, David “Fathead,” 136
Newman, Thunderclap, 233
“Newport Jazz Festival Suite,” 172
New Riders of the Purple Sage, 162
New York Dolls, 67, 68
Nolan, Jerry, 67, 68, 69, 70
“Nothing,” 33
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O'Hearn, Patrick, 187
“Oh Happy Day,” 123â125
Oliveros, Pauline, 43, 200, 201
Ono, Yoko, 20, 42
“On the Road Again,” 31, 160
Orlovsky, Peter, 35
O'Rourke, Jim, 24â25
Osbourne, Ozzy, 45, 48â49, 52
Osbourne, Sharon, 48â49, 52
“Other One, The,” 89
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Page, Jimmy, 49, 233
“Paranoid,” 44â52
Parker, Charlie “Bird,” 57, 60, 204, 243, 247
Parks, Mary (Mary Maria), 252, 253, 254, 255, 256
Parsons, Ingram Cecil “Gram,” 291â296
Patton, Charlie, 93
Peacock, Gary, 246, 247, 248
Pearls Before Swine, 247
Pearson, Lloyd, 241
Pedersen, Neils-Henning Ãrsted, 245
Pentangle, 87
“Perdido,” 155
Pere Ubu, 2, 26
Petty, Tom, 121
Pickett, Wilson, 162
Pierce, Webb, 128
“Pinetop's Boggie-Woogie,” 29
Pink Floyd, 122 “Planet Rock,” 155
Plant, Robert, 49, 233
Pogues, 118
Ponty, Jean-Luc, 184
“Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band,” 204
Powell, Bud, 57, 58, 59, 174
Pran Nath, Pandit, 206â207, 209
Presley, Elvis, 31, 126, 154
Preston, Billy, 163
Preston, Don, 181
Price, Lloyd, 241
Prince, 121
“Prophecy,” 248
Purdie, Bernard “Pretty,” 163
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Queen, 121
Quicksilver Messenger Service, 133, 219
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“Radar Love,” 158, 160
Rainey, Gertrude P. “Ma,” 38
Rains, George, 133, 135, 139
“Rains Came, The,” 132
Ramone, Dee Dee, 68
Rapeman, 212
Rath, Billy, 68, 70
“Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand),” 166
Rebennack, Mac,
see
Dr. John
“Red Cross, Disciple of Christ Today,” 94
Redding, Otis, 131
“Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog),” 135â136
Reed, Lou, 18â28, 69, 198, 233
Reich, Steve, 43, 200, 202, 203, 207, 208
“Respect,” 162, 164
“Return of the Son of Monster
Magnet, The,” 180
“Rhythm-A-Ning,” 63
Rich, Buddy, 157
Righteous Brothers, 6
Riley, Terry, 199â209, 259
“River Deep, Mountain High,” 5â9
Roach, Max, 58
“Road Runner,” 160
Robbins, Ira, 21
Robertson, Pat, 47
Robinson, Smokey, 238
“Rock and Roll Pt. 2,” 121
“Rocket 88,” 159
“Rocking Down the Highway,” 160
“Rock Island Line,” 154
Rolling Stones, 15, 120, 126, 130, 131, 214, 292
“Rollin' Ocean,” 295
Rollins, Sonny, 58, 242, 244, 249, 251
“Roll on Waters,” 295
Ronettes, 6
Rooks, Conrad, 36
Rosenthal, Bob, 38
Ross, Diana, 166
“Round Midnight,” 59
Rouse, Charlie, 62
“Ruby, My Dear,” 59
Rudd, Roswell, 239
Rundgren, Todd, 233
Russell, Leon, 7, 135
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Sahm, Douglas Wayne, 127â140
“Saints,” 248
“Saint Stephen,” 74, 89
Sanders, Ed, 37â38
Sanders, Pharaoh, 252, 256
Santana, 214
“Satisfaction,” 120
Schoenberg, Arnold, 203
Schultze, Klaus, 259
Scorpions, 49
Sender, Ramon, 200
Sex Mob, 3
Sex Pistols, 68
“Shaft,” 122
Shanghai Film Orchestra, 202
Shangri-Las, 69
Shepp, Archie, 249, 251, 253
Sherwood, Jim “Motorhead,” 182
“She's About a Mover,” 131, 132
Shilohs, 292â293
Shines, Johnny, 13
Silver, Horace, 59â60, 61
Silverstein, Shel, xi, 291, 294, 295
Simmons, Sonny, 238â239, 240, 253
Simon, Paul, 165
Simon and Garfunkel, 233
Sir Douglas Quintet, 87, 130â134, 136, 137, 139
“Sister Ray,” 19, 25
“Sligo River Blues,” 97
“Slip Away,” 233
Smith, Albert, 30
Smith, Clarence “Pinetop,” 29
Smith, Harry, 33â40
Smith, Patti, 69, 107, 109, 110
“Some Kind of Wonderful,” 169
“Something in the Air,” 233
Sonic Youth, 24, 28, 41â43
“Sophisticated Lady,” 171â172
Soul Giants, 179
“Soul Serenade,” 163
Spector, Phil, 5â9
Spinal Tap, 49
“Spirit in the Dark,” 165â166
“Spirits,” 248, 254
“Spirits Rejoice,” 248, 254
Springer, Jerry, 47
Springsteen, Bruce, 107, 121, 197
“Stairway to Heaven,” 122
Starks, Jabo, 155
Starr, Ringo, 260
“Star-Spangled Banner, The,” 240
Steppenwolf, 162
Stevens, Cat, 233
Stewart, Rod, 233
Stillwater, 234
Stockhausen, Karlheinz, 143, 259
Stooges, 168, 198
Stravinsky, Igor, 179, 182, 203
Strawberry, Darryl, 68
“Street Hassle,” 198
Streisand, Barbra, 51
Stubblefield, Clyde, 155
Styx, Ty, 69
Subotnick, Morton, 200, 201, 205, 259
“Sugar Bee,” 131
Sugarhill, 155
“Summertime,” 94, 245
Sun Ra, 237, 239, 240, 246, 247
“Superfly,” 122
Sweethearts of Soul, 163, 165, 167
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“Take a Litle Walk with Me,” 13
“Take the âA' Train,” 154, 172
“Takin' Care of Business,” 122
Tangerine Dream, 203
Tatum, Art, 57, 178
Taylor, Cecil, 237, 239, 244â245, 246, 247, 250, 256
Taylor, Steven, 37
Tchicai, John, 243
Television, 68 “Tell Me Mama,” 13
Tenacious D, 261
Tenney, James, 43
Ten Years After, 31
Texas Tornados, 138â139
Theater of Eternal Music, 19, 200â201
13th Floor Elevators, 132, 135â136
“This Land Is Your Land,” 296
Thomas, Truman, 163
Thompson, Hank, 128
Thunders, Johnny, 67â70
“Time Machine,” 169
Timmons, Bobby, 61
Tintweiss, Steve, 254, 256â257
Tiny Tim (Herbert Khaury), 54
“Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” 54
“Torparvisan,” 242â243
“Torture Never Stops, The,” 187
Tosches, Nick, xii, 30, 108, 110, 116, 260â262
Tower of Power, 163
Townsend, Pete, 51, 121, 199, 232, 233
Traum, Happy, 35
Tripp, Art, 182
Tudor, David, 204, 259
Turner, Ike, 5â9
Turner, Tina, 5â9
Twisted Sister, 121
Tyler, Charles, 249
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Underwood, Ian, 182, 183
Underwood, Ruth, 184, 185
Uriah Heep, 49
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Vai, Steve, 186â187
Van Vliet, Don, 65â66, 183
Van Zandt, Ronnie, 232
Varèse, Edgard, 144, 179, 259
Velvet Underground, 18, 19, 27, 28, 200, 204, 279, 285
Vestine, Henry, 254
Voidoids, 68
Volman, Mark, 183, 188
Vom, 111 Wackerman, Chad, 187, 190, 192â193
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Walken, Christopher, 213, 215
Walker, Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone,” 126, 128
Walker, Jerry Jeff, 135, 136
“Walk on the Wild Side,” 21
Walley, David, 116
Walley, Denny, 185â186
War, 160
Ward, Bill, 45, 49
Warhol, Andy, 69
“Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” 135
Waters, Muddy, 241
Watkins, Doug, 60, 61
Watson, Johnny “Guitar,” 159
“We Are the Champions,” 121
“We Are the World,” 121
“Wear My Ribbon,” 296
Webb, Chick, 56, 155
“We Bid You Goodnight,” 89
Webster, Ben, 172
Weissman, Dick, 293
“We're an American Band,” 214
“We're Not Gonna Take It,” 121
West, Leslie, 214
“We Will Rock You,” 121
Wexler, Jerry, 136, 161, 162, 164, 166, 167
“What I Say,” 131
White, Ray, 188
“Whiter Shade of Pale,” 163
White Stripes, 215
Who, 51, 121, 232
“Who Are the Brain Police?,” 180
“Who Do You Love?,” 219
“Whole Lotta Love,” 122, 163
“Who'll Be the Next in Line,” 137
Williams, Cootie, 57
Williams, Hank, 126, 128, 159
“Willie the Pimp,” 183
Willis, Ike, 188, 189
Willis, Wesley, 54â55
Wilner, Hal, 35â36, 38â39
Wilson, Alan “Blind Owl,” 30â31
Wilson, Brian, 7, 159, 233
“Witches and Devils,” 248
Wolfe, Tom, 159â160
Wolff, Christian, 43
“Won't Get Fooled Again,” 121
Woode, Jimmy, 172
Woods, Tiger, 48
Woodstock, 31, 86
“Woodstock Boogie,” 31
Woodyard, Sam, 172
Worrell, Lewis, 239, 242
Â
X, 111
Xenakis, Iannis, 19
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“Yellow Shark, The,” 183 Yes, 175, 233
Young, J. R., xii, 91
Young, La Monte, 19â20, 25, 200â201,
202, 203â204, 206
Young, Lester, 57, 244
Young, Neil, 121, 197, 288
“You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,” 6
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Zappa, Frank, 66, 177â193, 271, 285
Zazeela, Marian, 200, 203â204
ZZ Top, 30, 215
MITCH MYERS
is a writer, historian, and psychologist based in Chicago and New York City. His unique pop commentaries have been broadcast on NPR's
All Things Considered
and published in a variety of journals, magazines, and websites. He also maintains the Shel Silverstein Archive in Chicago.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
“Mitch: Loved your bookârich with truth, soul, and musicâ¦. Bravo, sir.”
âCameron Crowe
“Myers recalls the glory days of rock criticism's first decade, from the mid-sixties through the mid-seventies, when pioneers such as Richard Meltzer, Nick Tosches, and Lester Bangs viewed their craft as part of the New Journalism, aspiring to Tom Wolfe's famous goal of treating journalism and criticism as literature, and using the skills and techniques of the novelist.”
â
Chicago Sun-Times
“Funny and insightful, bizarre and bewildering, but totally enthralling, Mitch Myers' collection of essays is a treasure trove for music lovers.”
âAssociated Press
“If the record review could be redeemed as literature, Mitch Myers would rank in its pantheon. For him, âmerely' listening doesn't exist and if there is such a thing as background music, it is the generator of all that takes place in the foregroundâevents sometimes fanciful, sometimes miraculous, sometimes ludicrous, but always fascinating. He is one of my favorite living storytellers.”
âDave Marsh, author of
The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made
“[Myers] creates new and wild contextual delivery systems for journalism. He's the Houdini of music critics; a deadpan magician and trickster who uses history, fiction, science fiction, mythology, and mystery to make sound rise up from the page and sing.”
â
High Times
“
The Boy Who Cried Freebird
is the greatest, grandest, Culture Cry since
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf!
”
âRichard Meltzer, author of
Autumn Rhythm
and
A Whore Just Like the Rest
“Faux detective stories, parables, profiles dot this warm overview of pop cultureâ¦. Chicago native Myers always applies respect, humor, and imagination.”
â
Mojo
“Myers? He's a stone soul groove with stories most supersonic.”
â
Harp
“[Myers] is knowledgeable not only about rock but also about blues, jazz, country, folk, metal, and electronic sounds, and he is also extremely funnyâa potent combination that makes this collection of essays an insightful and entertaining look at popular music culture.”
â
Publishers Weekly
“Mitch Myers' rock 'n' roll fables aren't the anthropomorphic/Aesop variety, but they just as effectively get to the heart of music's myths and mysteriesâ¦. This collection blends fiction and fact, resulting in a mind-bending inquiry into rock's best half-truths.”
â
Magnet
“His more celebrated works, the âfables,' take a novel approach to rock criticism. In a revival of the John Henry myth (in which man versus machine is recast as a jazz drummer challenging a turntablist for a club gig), layers of drama build upon themselves with the writerly equivalent of an expert percussionist's rolls, fills, and flourishes.”
â
Time Out Chicago
“[
Freebird's
] rock & roll fables will make your top-ten list.”
â
Boston Herald
“Myers captures the complexity of rock music's role in cultural communicationâit's importance in ceremony and ritual, establishment of communities, and creation of life stories. He achieves something of an ethnography of rock 'n' roll using fables, well-chosen informants, and historical narratives.”
â
PopMatters
“
The Boy Who Cried Freebird
is a paean to musicians, fans, and especially unsung music writers, toiling in anonymity. It is like an extraordinary jam session, mixing fiction, biography, anecdotes, and fantasy into a rhythmic nirvana that is as compelling as it is hilariously absurd. Myers may be a fool for rock music, but his writing is certainly divine.”
â
Blogcritics
“Music journalism is a tricky animal to tame, but veteran writer and public-radio commentator Myers proves he's got the touch in this eclectic collection of essays, short stories, artist profiles, and rock fables. Myers covers blues, gospel, jazz, psychedelia, and ambient sound, all in prose that keeps a fervent tempo and pulses with electricity.”
â
Booklist
“A groovy and endlessly entertaining place to start digging into the underground canon.”
â
Paste
“A ragtag collection of bursts that careen between
CREEM
's irreverence,
The Village Voice's
intellectualism, and NPR's absolutely narrative
All Things Considered
â¦. It is that ability to slip in and out of the oeuvres, burrow into the essence, and not flinch at the laughable that makes Myers a rock/culture writer worth reading: he infuses his work with the zeal of a fan, the honesty of the self-aware, but also the practiced eye of discernment.”
â
Yummy List
“Myers is at his best at extremeâsoberly matter-of-fact or it-goes-to-eleven bonkersâ¦.
Freebird
will sate anyone lusting for intelligent, polite rock writing and dubiously weird lore.”
â
Baltimore City Paper
“[Myers] imagination is so accurate, you'll end up not caring where the facts end and fantasy begins.”
â
AARP
“Refusing to be pigeonholed, Myers brings us to the music on his own termsâsomething many writers aspire to but don't always pull off. And that, as much as anything, is a reason to pick up this excellent collection of music writing.”
â
Jazz Notes
“A wonderful writerâ¦. [Myers] has a wide range of influences, and he riffs on them all.”
â
St. Petersburg Times