American Troubadours: Groundbreaking Singer-Songwriters of the '60s

by Mark Brend

Brend (writer and professional musician) focuses on nine key figures who moved through the teeming world of Greenwich Village coffeehouses in the 1960s Tim Rose, Tom Rush, David Ackles, David Blue,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879306416
• ISBN13: 9780879306410
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: Backbeat Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Obscure (sort of) performers that made a difference

I'm pleased to see this book still available. These performers, although not well known by the general public, changed the direction of pop music. By most accounts, for the better too. The good news is that their recordings are more easily available now than for many years in the past. These folks were story-tellers. Too bad that most country and pop performers now are so boring. This group definitely were not.

Songs From Aging Children

In this lavishly illustrated little book, Mark Brend offers brief critical bios of several of the most influential 60's singer/songwriters, nearly all of whom have fallen under the radar of the contemporary music scene. Most are now deceased, and of the living only Tom Rush continues to tour, although his recording output in recent years has been sparse. But all of these troubadours had real influence in their prime, and Brend does a terrific job of explaining just what that influence was. He is obviously a real fan of these artists but is able to view their lives and careers objectively. I have seen most of them perform and for me this book revisits an important part of my life and the music that has mattered to me.

worth reading

this book has chapters on some of the best songwriters of the era, ranging from the, more or less anyway, fairly well known ( like tim buckley and phil ochs)to the undeservedly obscure, like david ackles. these artists do vary in quality, but the stories are always at least interesting, and often fascinating. there are lots of fine pictures of the performers in the book as well,if anything the work is a little short. people who enjoy the writings of richie unterberger and vernon joynson probably will like this as well