Overview

A No Depression Most Memorable Music Book of 2022 The forceful music that rolled out of Muscle Shoals in the 1960s and 1970s shaped hits by everyone from Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon. Christopher M. Reali's in-depth look at the fabled musical hotbed examines the events and factors that gave the Muscle Shoals sound such a potent cultural power. Many artists trekked to FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound in search of the sound of authentic southern Black music—and at times expressed shock at the mostly white studio musicians waiting to play it for them. Others hoped to draw on the hitmaking production process that defined the scene. Reali also chronicles the overlooked history of Muscle Shoals's impact on country music and describes the region's recent transformation into a tourism destination. Multifaceted and informed, Music and Mystique in Muscle Shoals reveals the people, place, and events behind one of the most legendary recording scenes in American history.

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9780252044519

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Reviews

Grounded in oral histories and meticulous archival research, Reali's work takes us deep into the story of the Muscle Shoals sound, providing additional complexity and context that helps to answer the question scholars and music enthusiasts have been asking for over half a century: 'Why Muscle Shoals?' --Carolyn M. Crawford, Director, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Reali's meticulous research--including his use of original oral histories and new archival finds--situates Muscle Shoals's rich musical history within a broader understanding of its impact on pop music and culture in the United States. --Charles L. Hughes, author of Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South

Grounded in oral histories and meticulous archival research, Reali's work takes us deep into the story of the Muscle Shoals sound, providing additional complexity and context that helps to answer the question scholars and music enthusiasts have been asking for over half a century: 'Why Muscle Shoals?' --Carolyn M. Crawford, Director, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Reali's meticulous research--including his use of original oral histories and new archival finds--situates Muscle Shoals's rich musical history within a broader understanding of its impact on pop music and culture in the United States. --Charles L. Hughes, author of Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South Reali's work successfully shatters misconceptions about soul music and an identifiable Shoals sound. --Library Journal

Reali's cultural history of the magical, mystical Shoals captures the multifaceted layers of this little Alabama spot that produced so much storied music from artists as diverse as Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, and the Osmond family. --No Depression A fascinating study of a musical microcosm, reveling in contradictions and debunking myths. --Kirkus Reviews Grounded in oral histories and meticulous archival research, Reali's work takes us deep into the story of the Muscle Shoals sound, providing additional complexity and context that helps to answer the question scholars and music enthusiasts have been asking for over half a century: 'Why Muscle Shoals?' --Carolyn M. Crawford, Director, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Reali's work successfully shatters misconceptions about soul music and an identifiable Shoals sound. --Library Journal Reali's meticulous research--including his use of original oral histories and new archival finds--situates Muscle Shoals's rich musical history within a broader understanding of its impact on pop music and culture in the United States. --Charles L. Hughes, author of Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South

Author Information

Christopher M. Reali is an assistant professor of music at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

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