Those Old School Records (Paperback)

When I really like an album, movie or a book, I will buy several versions as they become available. I have Forbidden Planet on Beta, VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, DVD special edition that included a Robbie the Robot action figure, and yes because I can be so lazy, I have on streaming. I have paperback and hardback versions of the late, great Paul Williams' groundbreaking Outlaw Blues. I've been buying all the box set reissues of The Beatles albums. I still have my original copy from 1992 of What Was the First Rock 'N' Roll Record by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes. So in December, 2022 I bought the revised version when it was published by Genius Books. So, it didn't take a sophisticated AI algorithm to figure out that I would probably be interested in Those Old School Records by Stephen C. Propes (despite the more formal name, I recognized him right away). I just love holding a large format book like TSOR in my lap while settled into a comfy chair with a non-alcoholic beverage and a snack to munch on (typically chocolate in just about any configuration) with Alexa nearby to make the songs come alive. I have nothing against a book with a narrative that should be read from beginning to end, but I really enjoy non-linear books like TSOR. I can jump around to any song entry that catches my or skip past the ones I'm ready to absorb yet. Many of the songs and their back stories I'm very familiar with but I like reading about new details, "plot points" and a fresh viewpoint. And it's a thrill to discover new songs. If I had a band playing old school r&b/blues,. this book would a great reference to build some very effective set lists (I won't be doing that because I'm writing my own original blues songs (yeah, I know) for my band. This is more than a dependable reference, it tells the story of an exciting, vibrant time in music the way, maybe, it should be told, through the songs.