This wasn't for me. I wasn't able to finish it. I love music but this just didn't hold my attention. I assume I just am not the target demographic.

Taking a personal approach to the subject matter, Gray reads criticism and listens to music as though rock ‘n’ roll not only explains American culture, but also shores up his life. This book is for everyone who’s heard in roots rock the sound of an individual and a nation singing themselves into being.

An academic lecture on music, specifically song lyrics aimed at Americana. Discussing song writing from 1960 to the 2000's, it's reflection on American culture and society.

The title and cover promise a fun book with 'did-you-knows' and fun facts, but all of this you can forget. Like I said it is an academic lecture and with that it killed all the fun I expected from this book. Breaking music down in scientific blah blah it feels like analyzing 'Avatar' frame-by-frame, I suppose it needs to be done in the eyes of some people but not for me.

Let me just enjoy music and let me be amazed by a fact like 'Jingle Bells' was never intended to be a Christmas song or show me a connection between Elvis and Bach. None of that in this book though. Guess I expected something else, it happens...

The author examines roots music writing of the previous 50 years using the magazines and literary criticism of the time, anecdotal evidence of musicians and his own passion of music to help shed light on the subject. A must read if you have any interest in the subject.