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Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars

Much ado about country... August 10, 2001
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Like the magazine, this anthology of artist profiles is full of insights and fraught with distractions. I suppose I should start by coming out with my confession that I have always had, well, some slight **problems** with "No Depression"... To wit, I (and a few other people) have long regarded the magazine as more of a booster society for twangcore than as a vehicle for critical commentary... the reviews are generally non-critical and often adulatory of even the most marginally talented of bands. Such boosterism is all very well and fine -- it's a matter of preference, and in some ways is a refreshing change of pace from the snarkiness of say, "SPIN" or various indie-rock zines. But at the same time, there is something to be said for offering sincere criticism: if no one will point out the flaws in an artform, how can it be expected to grow? In a similar vein, the editorial slant at ND seems to encourage loose, personalized, expressive writing from its dozens of freelance contributors. Writers regularly interject themselves into their stories, or go out of their way to use quirky -- even show-offy -- phraseology and other purposefully-amatuerish techniques that come out of the 'zine ethos. At times this is rewarding to the reader. More often than not, though, I find it distracting and difficult to get around: if you're writing about Hank Williams, then tell me about Hank Williams; don't try to write a Homeric ode in his praise. The editorial hand seems light at "No Depression" -- perhaps they're just unwilling to offend contributors by offering actual guidance -- but they also seem to overvalue dense or lengthy prose as a way to persuade the reader of the gravity of what is being discussed. Ironically, in this regard "No Depression" has little to worry about -- it is clearly the leader of the pack in the current twang craze, so as music historians of the future look back at today's country-roots revival, ND will doubtless take on the authoritative stature that it tries so hard to project in the present day. For those of us in the here and now, we can amuse ourselves with the many insights into the artists we've come to know and love... For example, Allison Stewart's wry presentation of just what a pompous dweeb Will Oldham (of Palace/Brothers/Songs) actually is, or editor Grant Alden's hopelessly florid, but wonderfully informative, profile of alt-country legend Chip Taylor. For the very best of this beloved magazine, this is the book for you.

4 out of 5 stars

This book is Not Depressing January 4, 2001
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

"No Depression" the book is a collection of highlights from the first three years of "No Depression" magazine (roughly 1995-1997), which is the bible of the so-called "Alternative Country" music movement. Personally, I am a big fan of the music and own CDs by roughly half of the three dozen or so featured artists. The articles include written snapshots of such alt. country luminaries as Son Volt, Wilco, Blue Mountain, Steve Earle, Bottle Rockets and Whiskeytown. The articles are reprinted verbatum from the magazine and there are no updates for features written several years before the book was published. Unlike the magazine, there are unfortunately no photographs.

Overall, the writing and reporting are of high quality. "No Depression" allows you to get to know artists who the mainstream music press have largely ignored. That said, it is rather limited in its scope. I would also have enjoyed a CD review section, but all you get instead is a list of the best 101 alt. country CDs of all time as picked by the editors of the magazine. While the book isn't perfect, it is still a good read for those of us who love the music.

4 out of 5 stars embracing the gentle fold of post-modern twang-rock. October 1, 2000
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

In 1995, longtime music journalists Peter Blackstock and Grant Alden stumbled their way into running a magazine. Actually, it started off as a 32 page cut and paste newsletter, but when first-issue sales surprisingly topped the entire print-run of 3,000 copies, the partners found themselves leading a legion of dedicated music fans, all itching to read about this new alt-country phenomenon. No Depression is about serving their community, and embracing the as yet uninitiated, or unaware, into the gentle fold of post-modern twang-rock.

After three years as No Depression magazine's editing team, Blackstock and Alden carefully selected thirty-eight artist interview and profiles, some offering more depth than others, to serve as this book-length introduction for would-be fans. Blackstock and Alden have sewn a patchwork of insightful vignettes together, hoping to indulge the reader in the warmth and snuggle of a culturally rich alt-country scene between matte paperback covers.

Interviews and profiles run the gamut from legends Waylon Jennings and Jason & the Scorchers up through the 1990s revival and rock-country infusions of artists like Whiskeytown, Wilco, Son Volt, and Iris Dement. As the only definitive volume on the genre, the collection provides a much-needed history lesson for the under-informed, yet enthusiastic twenty-something alt-country enthusiasts.

And what exactly is alt-country? Speckled with occasional lofty intellectualisms and metaphorical definitions, if nothing else, a close read might yield a college English major's understanding of post-modern, deconstructionist tendencies in contemporary music (occasionally it gives the impression of thesis work.) Through it all though, a tangible definition speaks through a friendly, barstool, next-door conversational style. In his profile of Austin bluegrass-punkers the Bad Livers, Grant Alden offers a resonant clutch-line of insight: "Straight lines rarely happen in nature, and it's the colliding arcs that are responsible for most of what's worth listening to." In fact, Blackstock and Alden hesitate to define alt-country at all, instead preferring to elevate original, informed musicians from the sticky mess of bubblegum top 40 bands so pervasive on the airwaves of corporate radio. The volume's parenthetical subtitle bears more significance than any definition might convey. Whatever alt-country is, original perspectives are something we can all appreciate.

5 out of 5 stars Great Book February 12, 2000
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is an amazing book. It turned me on to some great music. Wilco, Joe Henry, and few other groups featured in the book are some of the best bands out.

if you love the music, you'll love the book December 1, 1998
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

From the best source of ND music, this book has the best articles from over the years. Each article is suprisingly fresh because after reading interviews and articles in magazine after magazine, No Depression seems to present new information or present it in different ways, Its worth it man.