John Kruth

Rhapsody in Black: The Life and Music of Roy Orbison by John Kruth is a 2013 Backbeat publication.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read this biography. I’m a huge fan from way back- but although I knew, and loved, most of Roy's music, and of course I’d heard about all the horrible tragedies he endured, I didn’t know that much about him, always thinking of him as something of an enigma.

This biography combines Roy’s musical journey with his personal one and while that is often difficult to balance, the author did a fair job of it. Roy had a hauntingly beautiful voice, and I am glad he enjoyed a career resurgence before his death, after some very lean years.

As to his personal life, we all know of his unfathomable heartbreaks. It does seem like too much for one person to bear. The only area where I bristled a bit was the author’s own projection of suggested 'woo woo' as though there was some kind of curse on the Orbison family, also alluding to specific dates when some of these tragedies transpired.

That said, most of the time the author allows the material to speak for itself. Roy was not perfect, nor were his relationships, but overall, for a person involved in the music industry, he was pretty tame. I found out some things I didn’t know about him previously and did feel as though I got a glimpse into the type of person he was- though a bit of mystery still surrounds him… which is a good thing in this case.

Overall, a descent biography. I found it interesting and enjoyed picking up some information I was not aware of and revisiting all those great hits again.… (plus d'informations)

Lunacy by John Kruth is not only a wonderful look at the album but a history that situates it in the midst of what came before and what came after.

If your main reason for coming to this book is the album itself, you won't be disappointed. The tracks are analyzed, including the equipment and technology. If you remember when this was released, like I do, you will be transported back in time. This was the second Pink Floyd album I bought, Meddle being the first. Like many, I bought their next few albums immediately when released. But what really takes the reader back is not just the deep dive into the album but the history within which the making of the album is placed.

From England's recovery after WWII to 60s youth trying to claim their own space, Kruth brings everything into focus using this album, and the scene into which it was born, as the centerpiece. And what a centerpiece it is. You'll come away with not only a deeper appreciation of the music but a better understanding of what made this era of music, and popular culture more broadly, so important and influential for later generations.

One of the real fun aspects of this book is the way connections are made across time and genres. I found myself looking up songs that are mentioned in the text, wishing I had started jotting them down from the beginning. Imagine my surprise (and how hard I kicked myself for not thumbing through the book first) when I came to the playlist at the end. So, for those of you who, like me, tend to make any book into a multimedia experience, go to the playlist and as you read, play some of the tracks. It makes the connections Kruth makes more evident and it just makes the overall experience that much more fun. And, who knows, maybe you'll find a few gems you didn't know or had forgotten about.

On the same topic of added interest, there is an excellent bibliography in the back that gives several different directions for your future reading.

While certainly recommended for Floyd fans this will also be a wonderful read for those interested in music (especially rock) history and cultural history of the mid-1900s. The writing is wonderful and intersperses the different elements throughout, so you don't get bogged down in any one area.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)

If for no other reason to obtain this book, I will say with enthusiasm that author John Kruth has given the most extensive read on Yoko Ono and HER version/release of 1970’s ‘Plastic Ono Band.’

The preview of “Hold On World: The Lasting Impact of John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band – 50 Years On” (Backbeat Books, 2021) had my eyesight focused on the recording, release and retrospective narrative of Lennon’s ‘Plastic Ono Band,’ released in 1970. The cathartic nature, stark production and legacy of this watershed album cannot be lost on those who know Lennon and this soul-baring work.

However, I cannot tread too heavily on how Kruth chose to structure the chapters in regards to context and explanation of influences - past and present. While showcasing a view of Lennon and Ono in that time period, he also dives around in many corners, explaining and expanding on various historical incidents - both in The Beatles and solo Lennon that defies sequencing - and also wades into a good portion of the times that propelled ‘POB,’ some political and some personal. It makes for a challenging, non-chronological read.

Kruth’s own voice is quite unique in that he opines on how various family, ‘characters’ and associates influenced the Lennons’ life story and how and why it drove them to extremes, most notably the time spent with Arthur Janov with his Primal Scream therapy. The narrative here is primitive and raw but what most benefits the reader in “Hold On World”’ is not John Lennon’s transformation from his years in one of the most influential bands of the 1960s to stomach-churning, searing early-70s provocateur. It’s the insightful and haunting life of Ono and how her version of ‘POB’ came to fruition.

Most listeners know that an album takes months to conceive and record. Ono’s ‘POB’ was done in one day. You read it right. Recorded and mixed with the same musicians - Lennon, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman and George Harrison - Ono’s shrieking “like a giant radioactive insect from a 1950s horror movie” had the desired effect: it one fell swoop she was able to stand alongside Lennon as both a collaborator and artist… and also managed to sustain the pure energy needed to keep up with Lennon as a musical supernova.

Ono’s unconventional upbringing - bookended by World War II and her meeting with Lennon - is ripe for dissertation within these pages. As Lennon was channeling his painful past (the abandonment issues brought on by his parents’ separation) into a commercially-acceptable package, Ono was dealing with her private demons, most notably the miscarriages she suffered which were couched in the standout song from ‘POB,’ ‘Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Baby Carriage All Over The City.’

Moved at a 180-degree angle from her accepted distorted keening, ‘Greenfield’ has a haunting, mesmerizing backbeat (enhanced by Harrison’s sitar contribution), while Ono’s mono-symbolic vocals give way to iridescent bird calls - not unlike Lennon’s ‘Across The Universe.’ Kruth also gives over several pages to the performance of trumpeter Ornette Coleman and Ono’s collaboration ‘AOS,’ recorded in 1968. While Coleman had already embraced free-form jazz, the inclusion of Ono’s vocals helped propel this style beyond what would be musically and culturally ‘acceptable.’

What remains is a final critique on the “Lennon Remembers” interview, first published in Rolling Stone in 1971. The caustic wit, the deep-seated pain he levied against McCartney and producer George Martin and the circus atmosphere known as The Beatles came down like a sledgehammer. While Wenner published the interview in book form (costing him his friendship with the Lennons), the myth-busting conversation contained contradictions that Lennon later regretted. The dovetailing into more political ground with the release of ‘Sometime In New York City,’ a loose collaboration with Frank Zappa, the continuing paranoia and battles with immigration effectively eroded the Lennons high profile prophesying.

Lennon/Ono shared a great love and however their messages came across to the public during Lennon’s lifetime was both unifying and divisive. Kruth has painted a rich mural, which can be a little demanding on the senses, given the textural background that this complex couple projected. While I highly recommend this read for those who would appreciate a deeper delve into Ono, I will say that overall it can be a tricky read.

I tentatively give this book 4 out of 4 beetles.… (plus d'informations)

Well, I'm a big fan of Townes Van Zandt. I adore his music, the stories told about him, his thought process and his strange, strange style of writing. He moves me, as he moved a lot of people. I've even corresponded with his daughter and wife.

[a:John Kruth|367003|John Kruth|https://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png] wrote an interesting book on Townes. He told the story of his life, his career, and interesting interviews with people who knew him are scattered throughout. It's a passable effort, an interesting study, but it just isn't Townes at the end of the day.

As others have complained, John Kruth inserted himself a bit too much into the narrative. He told the story of his meeting Guy Clark, but never really told anything that came from the interview he had with Clark. He spent a lot of time talking about how little appreciated Townes was, but not a lot about the time that Townes spent with those who loved him. Why couldn't he tell more of the stories in a more linear fashion?… (plus d'informations)