Memphis Mayhem, David A. Less
Memphis Mayhem, David A. Less
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Memphis Mayhem
A Story of the Music That Shook Up the World

Author: David A. Less

Narrator: Chris Abernathy

Unabridged: 6 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/06/2020


Synopsis

Memphis gave birth to music that changed the world—Memphis Mayhem is a fascinating history of how music and culture collided to change the state of music forever

Memphis Mayhem weaves the tale of the racial collision that led to a cultural, sociological, and musical revolution. David Less constructs a fascinating narrative of the city that has produced a startling array of talent, including Elvis Presley, B. B. King, Al Green, Otis Redding, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Justin Timberlake, and so many more.

Beginning with the 1870s yellow fever epidemics that created racial imbalance as wealthy whites fled the city, David Less moves from W. C. Handy's codification of blues in 1909 to the mid-century advent of interracial musical acts like Booker T. & the M.G.'s, the birth of punk, and finally to the growth of a music tourism industry.

Memphis Mayhem explores the city's entire musical ecosystem, which includes studios, high school band instructors, clubs, record companies, family bands, pressing plants, instrument factories, and retail record outlets. Lively and comprehensive, this is a provocative story of finding common ground through music and creating a sound that would change the world.

About David A. Less

David A. Less has studied Memphis music for over forty years, and has conducted research for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Gibson Guitar Foundation. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, DownBeat, Blues Revue magazine, and the Bulletin for the Society of American Music. He is a third-generation Memphian who still lives in Memphis, Tennessee.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ryan on August 31, 2020

Edelweiss+ ARC Review This was an extensive, informative, and factual revelation. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Memphis beat-from printed sheet music to the underground punk scene-is presented here, in a shocking and rocking format. I can’t even begin to describe all the other historic......more

Goodreads review by John on February 21, 2022

Less has written an enjoyable and thought-provoking book on the Memphis music scene. He starts back before the Civil War and then focuses on seminal figures like W. C. Handy, one of the founders of the blues in the first part of the 20th Century. Less covers the racial strife of the city and the Dee......more

Goodreads review by patrick on August 15, 2022

A book that I think the author was trying to show the importance of Memphis musically and historically as well. Music from the blues with B.B King then Elvis and the others who would be at Sun records. The history of the music in Memphis as far back as W.C. Handy who wrote the “Memphis Blues”. From......more

Goodreads review by Nichola on October 02, 2022

Just was more than I was looking for here in terms of scope of something to listen to while I did other things. I thought it would be more focused on just Elvis and knew too little about many of the other music history events, artists and the industry as a whole to be able to capably follow along, a......more

Goodreads review by Kelsi (kelsbrary) on September 16, 2020

As a memphian myself, I was beyond excited to be given the opportunity to review this book! I felt it was a very in-depth review of memphis culture (racially, musically, and socially), and the important events that brought our beloved city to where it is today. This book is a must-read for any Memph......more