25 Million Vinyl Records and CDs
2.4 Million Orders Since 1997

The best recent releases of music books might be the ones you least expect
Pat Prince, Goldmine editor
posted on June 15, 2010

"Vinyl Lives: The Rise and Fall and Resurgence of the American Independent Record Store"
By James P. Goss
Aventine Press (ISBN 978-1-59330-643-4)
U.S. $14.99, 266 pages

Anybody who has an interest in record collecting and the ongoing plight of the independent record store will find James Goss’ self-published “Vinyl Lives” a necessary read.

Goss wants to make it known to the world that these music retail stores are not forgotten, they are simply overlooked by many in the mainstream, and they play a key role in musical history and our culture.

Goss offers an intimate view of 25 different independently owned record shops as examples in this treasured field. The author also embraces the important parts these stores play in their communities. Goss’ quirky, and extremely likable, personality shines through in his writing.

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Chicago Folk: Images of
the Sixties Music Scene
By Ronald D. Cohen and Bob Riesman
ECW Press (ISBN 978-1-55022-873-1
Softcover, $24.95, 190 pages

“Chicago Folk” is one of those books where you don’t have to be a huge fan of fiddles, banjos, guitars and the occasional accordion to appreciate the book.

The book features more than 150 previously unpublished photographs by the late Raeburn Flerlage, who was 44 before he got his first professional assignment: to photograph bluesman Memphis Slim. It is a follow-up to Flerlage’s 2000 offering “Chicago Blues: As Seen From the Inside,” which showcased a wealth of images from his time spent on the Chicago Blues scene.

The black-and-white photos are arranged in chronological order and showcase sessions at the Old Town School of Folk Music and Chicago Folk Festival.

The photo essay opens with a gripping image of Odetta from December 1959. By the time the book wraps with an oh-so-appropos shot of Roscoe Holcomb resting on stage on Jan. 31, 1970, you’ve had a thorough tour through the folk movement. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan and the Weavers — they’re all here.

Most of the images are exceptionally well done, but there are some instances where photos are too fuzzy or out of focus to be considered within the realm of artistic license. Another downside: Most images have only sparse caption information identifying the date, the event and the artists.

The clean, upscale page design and thick, glossy paper on which the book is printed does a lot to enhance the reader’s experience. The fact that it’s a soft-cover book, though, takes away from the upscale, artistic, coffee-table book it could have been.

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