Southbound: An Illustrated History of Southern Rock

....I'm glad I bought this book. Not only are there a huge number of really good photos (in both color & black-and-white), but there are also (color) pictures of posters and other ephemera. In addition, the written material is extensive and very informative.

"Southbound" is one of the best books concerning the "Southern Rock" genre of music I've come across. This book is close to being a five "star" book except for a few minor errors. Scott Bomar really knows and has a real passion for the music. Anyone who likes this style of music and wants to know more about it needs this book. If you have any kind of library/collection of books on different styles of music you need this book. I knew this was the book for me because he included information on several bands that never really "made it" like Grinderswitch, Hydra, Eric Quincy Tate, and Cowboy. Why the albums from these bands have never been reissued is a real mystery. I keep hoping that some reissue label will see the light and reissue these great albums.This coffee table size soft-cover book is filled with information on every page. This is a good quality book--the paper is a creamy matte and the graphics are crisp and bright. The font is a bit small for older eyes (like mine) but there's so much information that a larger typeface would've made the book even larger, so it's okay. Plus there's a ton of period photographs, ads, album covers, and other ephemera from the era. Another nice thing are the occasional sidebars highlighting a particular band/musician that gives a better understanding of this type of music. There's a Forward by Doug Gray (Marshall Tucker Band) and an informative Introduction. There's a list of sources used but no index. The chapters are laid out in a roughly chronological historical order for an overview about how the music constantly morphed into what we know as southern rock.The bands Bomar talks about include all the usual groups you'd think would be here--Allman Bros./Allman Joys/Hour Glass, Sea Level, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Marshall Tucker, ZZ Top, The Outlaws, Elvin Bishop, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, etc. But he also wisely includes a number of lesser known bands (if you're not a fan of this music) like Hydra, Grinderswitch, Cowboy, Point Blank, Wet Willie, Area Code 615, Barefoot Jerry, and Eric Quincy Tate. Bomar begins his overview with early music like country blues, and r&b, and talks about a number of the (then) pioneers of the music. But the main body of the book really begins with the Allmans and their various early bands, and how the music began to take off after they became well known.There's also a look at Capricorn Records and Phil Walden, who was so important in helping southern rock bands gain recording contracts and publicity. In just a few pages (in two sections) the story of Capricorn Records is laid out and tells how Walden built the label and then why it crashed. But in between, the label released many of the best albums of the genre. Informative sidebars include looks at Eric Quincy Tate, Tony Joe White, The Winter Brothers Band, Bobby Whitlock, Point Blank, the Amazing Rhythm Aces, and Sea Level.And I can't say enough about the photos (many rarely seen), color reproductions of many album covers, ads, posters etc. These add immensely to the depth of the book. Another nice feature is listing the band members for all the groups in the book which helps greatly as time goes on and things and people are forgotten--especially for the lesser known bands. Taken as a whole Bomar has written an in-depth book that looks at a unique genre of music and used all the visuals to help readers understand and enjoy this music. Me--I'm going to put on albums by Hydra, Cowboy, and Eric Quincy Tate--and relive some great times and music from the past. As I said --if you like this music, and want to know more about it--get this book. Another good book that focuses on southern rock is "Rebel Yell", by Michael Buffalo Smith. It's an oral history of the music from interviews he did over the past 25 years with bands like the Allman Bros., Lynryrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, and The Charlie Daniels Band. Worth checking out.

I am neither an expert in nor a fan of Southern Rock. But that didn't stop me from appreciating this detailed journey through a much-overlooked genre of American music. You don't have to love Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers Band to enjoy the colorful stories of their rise to fame and success, their impact on American culture and their inevitable (debatable) decline. Each chapter felt like reading a really good episode of VH1's "Behind the Music."Even the introductory chapters, tracing the evolution of rock and roll, were interesting and insightful, without feeling lecture-y. My favorite section was short but sweet- it focused on the one band mentioned that I was a genuine fan of- .38 Special. When I finished that chapter, I immediately went to YouTube to watch old music videos of "Hold On Loosely" and "Caught Up In You." Any book that makes me do my own outside "research" on a topic I thought I didn't care about is well worth checking out.

Excellent book on the history and major players in Southern Rock. The book was well researched and documented the rise of the genre chronologically. I did find some inaccuracies in the section on the Marshall Tucker Band. Songs referenced from the "Together Forever " album were actually on the " The Running Like the Wind" album. That is a minor quibble, though. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am actually reading it for the second time already. I also particularly liked the sections on Capricorn Records and the lesser known Southern Rock bands. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in music history.

An expertly researched book, beautifully designed and ambitiously structured. The band profiles are definitive, and the quotes are fresh. Interspersed between these profiles are feature length articles on important events, like Dylan's Nashville recording sessions, or brief histories of local music scenes, such as Jacksonville, Florida. Pictures are well-selected, and complete band line-ups arranged in tables are helpful reference guides when reading quotes from this or that member. Being familiar with only the big names in Southern Rock, I was most interested in histories of bands I had only vaguely heard of before reading this book. Because of its quality and depth, this is bound to be the definitive history of the Southern Rock genre.

This is an excellent book. Very well researched and well put together. For those of you and like me who love southern rock, Scott B. Bomar has done a miraculous job. From the early days with Elvis and Sun records the current status on southern rock today. The Allman Brothers Band as well as Lynyrd Skynryd got looked at very carefully, as well as all the others, including the ones that never got the respect that they deserve such as Cowboy, Blackfoot, The Outlaws and Molly Hatchet. Attention to the detail was given to Jacksonville, Fla as well.Again, an excellent book.

I grew up during this period and was privy to parts of what's covered. Bomar is very accurate about the parts I know about so I assume the rest is spot on. Huge amount of info, sometime too much, but if it's something you're interested in this is a highly recommended read. Easy to read and at times I wanted to add my stories. Like sitting up all night long for night after night prior to the start of the 2nd Atlanta Festival at Byron experiencing the Allman Brothers et al on the free stage.

Full of pictures and packed with Aton of information!

What an amazing book. Clearly a labour of love. Wonderfully written with great photosI’ll certainly be checking out some of the bands I wasn’t familiar with. Bravo!

Nice birthday present. Nicely presented

Spedizione velocissima ed articolo perfetto.

Terrific photos and stories. Anyone that is a fan of rock music, southern or otherwise will enjoy this book.

Libro veramente di ottima fattura, per gli amanti del genere southern rock scritto bene e con foto memorabili ,consegnato in tempi veloci.