When Greil Marcus published Mystery Train in 1975, it was hailed as the greatest book ever written about rock & roll. Fifty years after it came out, there’s a lot more competition — but no other book has come close. It’s a radically original portrait of America and its music, …
Read More »Smithsonian Readying a New Robert Johnson Biography and a Trove of Unheard Field Recordings
A new Robert Johnson biography and a box set of previously unheard field recordings are among the first releases the Smithsonian and Folkways are planning from the collection of storied folklorist Robert “Mack” McCormick. The Johnson book — Biography of a Phantom — will be released on April 4, with …
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