Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me


The guitar is the iconic instrument of modern popular music. It is portable, it has history, and it will always be hip. But why has the guitar become such a classic? Will Hodgkinson, a wannabe guitar player, whose only experience was an afternoon's bashing on a friend's guitar at the age of sixteen, set out to find out. Along the way he hoped to teach himself a few chords too. His goal was to get good enough to play before a live audience in just six months--even if it threatened to drive his wife and family to the point of insanity. His trip becomes an odyssey: He chats with British folk legend Bert Jansch, ex-Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr, and reclusive folk guitar legend Davey Graham, as well as Sufjan Stevens, PJ Harvey, and Cat Power's chanteuse Chan Marshall. He travels to America and with a hurricane brewing visits Roger McGuinn from the Byrds. He travels to the Deep South, looking for the spirit of Robert Johnson, and drops in on T-Model Ford, an old bluesman living in Mississippi. Gloriously readable and highly amusing, Guitar Man is classic obsessional nonfiction for a nation of guitar freaks.
1125857278
Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me


The guitar is the iconic instrument of modern popular music. It is portable, it has history, and it will always be hip. But why has the guitar become such a classic? Will Hodgkinson, a wannabe guitar player, whose only experience was an afternoon's bashing on a friend's guitar at the age of sixteen, set out to find out. Along the way he hoped to teach himself a few chords too. His goal was to get good enough to play before a live audience in just six months--even if it threatened to drive his wife and family to the point of insanity. His trip becomes an odyssey: He chats with British folk legend Bert Jansch, ex-Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr, and reclusive folk guitar legend Davey Graham, as well as Sufjan Stevens, PJ Harvey, and Cat Power's chanteuse Chan Marshall. He travels to America and with a hurricane brewing visits Roger McGuinn from the Byrds. He travels to the Deep South, looking for the spirit of Robert Johnson, and drops in on T-Model Ford, an old bluesman living in Mississippi. Gloriously readable and highly amusing, Guitar Man is classic obsessional nonfiction for a nation of guitar freaks.
21.99 In Stock
Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me

Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me

by Will Hodgkinson
Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me

Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me

by Will Hodgkinson

Paperback

$21.99 
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Overview



The guitar is the iconic instrument of modern popular music. It is portable, it has history, and it will always be hip. But why has the guitar become such a classic? Will Hodgkinson, a wannabe guitar player, whose only experience was an afternoon's bashing on a friend's guitar at the age of sixteen, set out to find out. Along the way he hoped to teach himself a few chords too. His goal was to get good enough to play before a live audience in just six months--even if it threatened to drive his wife and family to the point of insanity. His trip becomes an odyssey: He chats with British folk legend Bert Jansch, ex-Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr, and reclusive folk guitar legend Davey Graham, as well as Sufjan Stevens, PJ Harvey, and Cat Power's chanteuse Chan Marshall. He travels to America and with a hurricane brewing visits Roger McGuinn from the Byrds. He travels to the Deep South, looking for the spirit of Robert Johnson, and drops in on T-Model Ford, an old bluesman living in Mississippi. Gloriously readable and highly amusing, Guitar Man is classic obsessional nonfiction for a nation of guitar freaks.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780306815140
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication date: 12/26/2006
Pages: 304
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Will Hodgkinson has written for the Guardian, Mojo, and the Daily Telegraph, among other publications. He lives with his wife and two children in London.

Table of Contents


You Can't Always Get What You Want     1
Django Reinhardt and Other Bohemians     25
The People's Guitar     48
The Cosmic Guitarist     70
Disaster     94
A Byrd Takes Flight     109
Nashville and Memphis     124
Another Soul for Sale     145
The Last Blues Man in Mississippi     159
Secrets from Two Old Masters     172
Going Electric     184
Double Fantasy     201
Guitar Total     229
Impending Doom     250
The Gig     270
Epilogue     287
Acknowledgements     291
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