Dreaming Out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes, and the Changing Face of Nashville

Rating:
Summary: Very in-depth look at the business of country music
Review: Although Garth Brooks, Wynonna and Wade Hayes are featured in the title of this book, the real key figure is the business that is country music, particularly in Nashville. Feiler uses these three artists as a jumping off point for a sometimes seemingly tangential look at the origins and growth of country music and its effects on pop culture, the city of Nashville and the music industry in general. For true country music fans, as well as those interested in the sociology of music, it is a must read. It sometimes feels a little intense, but it is a well-written tome. Unlike a recent predecessor, it does not aim to be an "inside scoop" on the stars, and is not as eager to highlight flaws. Feiler's writing appears much more objective.

Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware
Review: Bruce Feiler presents what one supposes to be an 'insider's' look at country music. He had access to Garth Brooks for what was suposed to be a magazine article (which never materialised) for about 48 hours total. Much of what is written is a re-hash of past articles, conjecture and 'sound bites' from Garth Brooks. I have had it on good authority from Garth himself to disbelieve the majority of what is written about him. For example, Mr Feiler portrays Mr Brooks as a 'womaniser' throughout school; Mrs Brooks (Garth's mum) had stated in several interviews Garth did not date widely, and was somewhat shy in that area.

There are several easily verified errors in the book. The Wynonna web sites deride this piece of fiction, and perhaps that is the best description: fiction.

Rating:
Summary: +1/2 stars -- Fascinating portrait of country music business
Review: Feiler's book is ostensibly a portrait of three modern country artists, Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd and Wade Hayes. And though he provides interesting portraiture of all three, what he really documents - using the three artists as vehicles - is the changing business of the country music industry, and by association, the broader changes wrought by and to American media and culture. It's a well-written volume, with some illuminating conclusions, fleshed out by first-hand observations the author made in and around Nashville.

Much has been made of Feiler's veracity, but, to a large degree, his larger theses are independent of the specifics. Brooks and Judd have each taken their digs at Feiler (the latter being more surprising, since Feiler's portrait of Judd is, ultimately, quite flattering), so one might take his biography of their lives with a grain of salt. Even so, his conclusions about Nashville's changing face, both musically and operationally, are usually spot-on.

The Cliff's Notes rendition of Feiler's work focuses on his portraiture of the three principals: Garth Brooks as an obsessive careerist who only finds joy during his time on stage, Wynonna Judd as the screwed-up (but ultimately triumphant) result of a screwed-up childhood brought upon her by the most heinous of mothers, and Wade Hayes as the naïf, making his way through a hurricane of market forces. By threading these three stories with history of Nashville's business, the reader sees how the threads of art and commerce have intertwined over the years, with commerce realizing a substantial choke-hold on artistry in the '90s.

Of particular interest is Feiler's description of the symbiosis between artists, labels and radio. The manipulations of hit single charts, the conniving for chart position (and the lurid world of not-exactly-payola that fuels it), the trading of accurate charts for those that can be "influenced" is eye-opening for those outside the industry. Feiler's discussion about various trends in country music, the rise of women signaled, in part, by the Judd's supremacy, the displacement of Wynonna by the sex-appeal of Shania, and the replacement of earlier artists by a new wave, are all very compelling.

The book is weighted towards reporting on Garth Brooks, which isn't necessarily a negative, since his is the most complex portrait, and Feiler finds his greatest insights in Brooks' rise and plateau. On the negative side, parts of this book were previously published as magazine articles, and there is some unnecessary repetition. The careful reader will wonder whether Feiler's editor actually read the entire book through.

Feiler is a fine writer, and has provided a unique portrait of Nashville through the peak of its '90s supremacy. Whether or not you believe the details he reports on his principal subjects, there's a deep ring of truth in his analyses.

Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware
Review: Growing up in Mississippi, I heard my share of country music, though I was much more a top 40 and rock and roll fan. I ended up working in radio (album rock radio) during the country-rock era (Charlie Daniels, Poco, Marshall Tucker, John Prine, etc.) and one of my favorite albums (that's how long ago this was) was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will The Circle Be Unbroken." So, while I can't say I'm an old time Hank Williams fan, I do have a fondness and familiarty with the music. But it turns out I didn't know that much about the music. Thankfully, Bruce Feiler has filled in all the blanks for me. His research is thorough and he weaves it seamlessly into the stories he has to tell on three good examples of Nashville in the '90's. It's a terrific mix of music history, market analysis, anecdote, and observation.

Rating:
Summary: Very Captivating, but highly sensational...
Review: I checked this book out from our local library and could not put it down. I am a Garth fan and was amazed at how he handles his work. Wade Hayes is another favorite and I enjoyed reading about his trials and triumphs. If you get a chance to buy this book DO I highly recommend it!!

Rating:
Summary: Great for the non-fan, too
Review: I have never been, nor am I now, a country music fan (sorry Bruce, your book didn't convince me!). I prefer the rebelliousness and political awareness of rock, the fascinatin' African-American rhythms of jazz, and the soulfulness of the blues to, as Bruce Feiler puts it, the music of a "generic social conservatism" and lack of interest in a broader world outside the smug, self-absorbed, oblivious, homogeneous cul-de-sacs of deepest darkest suburbia. Despite all this (maybe because of it) I found the subject matter of "Dreaming Out Loud" -- specifically, the state of country music today, how it has changed, and what it all means about America at the end of the 20th century to be interesting and absorbing. This is no small thanks to the fact that Bruce Feiler (who, by the way, I met while hiking through Israel last summer -- Bruce apparently has traveled to about half the world at this point!) seems to have an uncanny knack for worming his way into ! whatever culture he plops himself down in -- whether it's as a teacher in Japan ("Learning to Bow"), the circus ("Under the Big Top"), or Nashville ("Dreaming Out Loud"). In this book, Feiler manages to get the inside track on famous singers such as Garth Brooks, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Wade Hayes, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Minnie Pearl. Also interesting -- in some ways more so -- than the famous personalities are the people behind the scenes you probably never heard about: producers like Don Cook and Jimmy Bowen; stringers like Becky Goode; promoters like Debi Fleischer; schmoozers and gossip-hounds like Hazel Smith ("the conscience of Nashville"); and many more colorful characters. One of Bruce Feiler's gifts as a journalist and as a writer is his ability to make you feel like you know these people. And to dig out great stories/vignettes about many of them.

But ultimately what raises "Dreaming Out Loud" a n! otch above the ordinary and provincial (those two words cou! ld describe much of country music, come to think of it!), is the broader perspective which Feiler brings to his book. For me, reading "Dreaming Out Loud" did not just help me understand country music and the music industry in general, but also much about American culture -- both historical and contemporary. Among other important issues, Feiler manages to say some intelligent things about the continuing racial segregation in American society (country music in this case), the conflict between big money and "authenticity," issues of class and sex, North and South, old South and new South, suburbia and cities, myth and reality, liberalism and conservatism, and much more. He also manages to turn places and things (Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, Belle Meade) almost into characters in and of themselves. I'm sure some people will criticize Feiler for overreaching, for focusing too heavily on certain artists (I could have done with less Garth Brooks!), or possibl! y for exaggerating the importance of his subject. But overall I don't think that's really the case, and anyway, if "overreaching" is the worst thing one can say about an author, that's the kind of problem I'd love to have! So, in summary, if you're interested in country music (or even if you're not), I strongly recommend Bruce Feiler's latest book, "Dreaming Out Loud." At the least, you'll have gained something new to talk about with your country music-loving friends, relatives, and neighbors!

Rating:
Summary: A well-written insider's account of the new Nashville
Review: This is a must-read for anyone who has noticed the difference between "new" and "old" country. It's not just hillbilly any more, and with its growth in appeal it has lost something in the process. Feiler has that rare combination of a professional writer's skill and an insider's knowledge.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book; a must read for the Country star hopeful.
Review: Very easy reading. Every time I had a question in my mind, Bruce answered it fully. I was truly impressed with this book.