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Clips of the Week

Leo Kottke ranks high among the very finest guitarists that America has ever produced. His wide-ranging and free-spirited musical curiosity, combined with his superb technical skills on the instrument, have ensured that he has remained a relentlessly creative artist for most of his musical career. He is also a highly skilled guitarist with a delicacy of touch and a mastery of tone which only the very best of his contemporaries could match. He’s adept at a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from the fingerstyle technique, influenced by the great acoustic blues guitarists – of which he is a master – to the more jazz, country and classically influenced guitar styles in which he has come to excel… (READ ON)

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This Week’s Book Choice

“I Am Brian Wilson” by Brian Wilson with Ben Greenman (Coronet, 2016). The front cover blurb reads “I am Brian Wilson. The genius behind the Beach Boys”. He was born in California, sung about California and never moved for long away from California. His geographical world was a surprisingly local one; he gave California a sun and surf mythology that has become part of its character. Brian freely admits he was never much of a surfer. He wasn’t a great one for the beach at all as his skin was sensitive to the sun and he had to keep covered up. Neither were cars and hot rods of particular interest, other than he liked driving a car like any young man. Of the three brothers, Brian and Carl were the most musical. Dennis was the only real surfer.

Brian finds it difficult to talk of his father, a violent abusive man, who he tries to defend as well as condemn. The mixed messages from this moody, sometimes generous/sometimes cruel individual were probably worse than if he’d been an out and out monster, at least the brothers would have known where they were with him. This is an honest and revealing book, well edited and put together, with lots of interesting facts emerging to hold your interest throughout. It captures the modest personality of a troubled genius. And like his music it moves you in a way that isn’t always easy to explain.

Paul F. Newman

Abridged from a longer review by the writer in 2016

Read all our previous book reviews here.