This book made me learn about things I never heard before, artists and musics that were new to me and I learned a lot.
If you love music and want to learn about something new read it.
Well written and easy to follow
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher University of North Carolina Press for this history and biography of one if the great American record labels, the people who founded it, the acts involved, and who keeping to one's moral and ethics can help one be successful and true, even in the music business.

I worked in a music store for a time and while we didn't have a any High Fidelity or Empire Records stories or people, we were nerds who did defend the little fiefdoms we carved out with all the forces we could muster, like a medieval lord defending his lands, or a dragon defending its horde using all our skills to stay ahead of the people asking musical questions. Bill was the folk and blues guy. All that he knew, and boy he knew a lot, was from listening to records, dialing in to channels that played folk and blue, pre-Internet and going to every festival on the east coast for anything that had even a one folk act, blues act, or something Old and in the Way as his favorite T-shirt he always wore said. He could name drop record labels that Billboard would have to do a search on, music types that seemed made up. And he never ceased to be excited when he got the release sheets and he saw Rounder Records. Occasionally he'd be like, "Well that's a bill payer" meaning music that wasn't his kind, but helped them pay the bills. But he would buy them all, read the track listing and update his mental Rolodex just on the off chance someone would ask, or probably if he saw them playing. Reading this book reminded me of Bill, and being excited about music, something that seems far and away, and in old and in the way. David Menconi in Oh, Didn't They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music has written a history, and biography about a distinctly American label, that really could only have come about at a certain time, lasted as long as it did, with a success rate and influence that really can't be measured.

Rounder Records began as an idea between three people, Ken Irwin, Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin who came from different background, New York, Boston, and a rural Maine that seemed out of a song by the people they loved so much. Bonded by ideals, the idea that music can change people, shared politics and communal life the group travelled together and separately hitchhiking around America, taking in sights, and especially the sounds. A chance meeting with a person offering a ride sparked an idea of making an album. Buying the rights to an older banjo player's George Pegram, gave them an artist, what they needed was a name. Rounder has a few connotations, records are round, rounders travel the countryside, and more and soon in addition to starting a label they had to start a distribution system for their label. And slowly a dream was born, releasing music that they enjoyed, and soon finding success with stand outs like George Thorogood and many others.

A story that explains not only the rise of music label that even when they sold, was still a company loyal to the ideas they set out with. One that hadn't changed even with changes in music, Menconi is a very good writer, discussing the early folk scene, hippie and communal life, and the business of working in music, the underhandedness, and the importance to sticking to one's guns. This is not a hagiography, Menconi is quick to point out dumb things, and things that in an ordinary business would be considered normal, but in a place like Rounder really sticks out. Also Menconi is really good at discussing the music, early folk blues rock, reggae and world music, Menconi can discuss it, and make one want to hear it. I found many gaps in my library of music, and probably will be on Disclogs quite a bit over the next couple of days.

A book that reminds people of why they liked music. Not for just background noise, or something while making dinner, but sitting and listening and enjoying, dancing and making noises. For music fans, this will be a great read, and music historians will get quite a bit out of this also. I hope somewhere Bill is still listening to music, enjoying life and getting ready to read this, while carefully putting away his copy of Hollerin' (Rounder Records 0071) that's he listened to for the 1,000th time.

Fittingly, I read an advance copy of this book while at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. I finished it in the morning while at my campsite and saw Ken Irwin himself later that day at one of the stages enjoying a great new band. I've always been a huge Rounder fan, and this book was a readable and informative history of how the company started and the impact it's had on the music business. Highly recommended for fans of roots music and music history.