American Heartbeat: Travels from Woodstock to San Jose by Song Title

by Mick Brown | Travel |
ISBN: 0140171657 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Loubylou187 of York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on 11/26/2012
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Loubylou187 from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, November 26, 2012
Musical travelogue in which the author travels to the places in American that featured in songs he has know since childhood. The music becomes secondary as he unearths fascinating histories of the places he visits.

Released 11 yrs ago (11/27/2012 UTC) at Monthly BookCrossing Meet Up in York in York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Released at the November 2012 York meet up.

Journal Entry 3 by TheGreenMan at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, November 29, 2012
I've always been interested in what these lyrically 'legendary' places are actually like in real life - so this should be just the ticket !

Journal Entry 4 by TheGreenMan at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, April 24, 2017
This was a good read! The musical aspect is really little more than an organising device for the most part - so, on one level, I was a little disappointed that the symbolism and emotional resonances of the place names in question weren't explored or deconstructed more than they were - but, despite that, this is still a very enlightening ramble across America from East Coast to West Coast and the author explores a variety of different regional issues and cultures in an interesting and informative way. As travel writing, the quality is really good and his style reminds me somehow of Colin Thubron. I did American Studies as part of university degree course - and I wish I had read this book then... as it would have been an enjoyable and useful counterpoint to some of the more dry and academic books on the syllabus! Just don't expect too much in the way of music-related insights...

Journal Entry 5 by TheGreenMan at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, April 24, 2017
I'm planning to release this at the 'Song'-themed BC Meetup - being held at The Brigantes in York on Tuesday April 25th from 7pm onwards...

Released 6 yrs ago (4/25/2017 UTC) at Brigantes Bar & Brasserie OBCZ / Meetup Venue in York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

releasing, as promised...

Journal Entry 7 by Shelagh65 at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 25, 2017
I like travel writing, and America, song by song, sounds intriguing.

Journal Entry 8 by Shelagh65 at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 27, 2017
A really enjoyable book. It sounds straightforward enough - a trip across America, visiting places that have featured in iconic song-titles, but the author's interest in both people and places, and his descriptive ability, set it apart. The songs themselves are more important in some cases than others (it is amazing how many song-writers seem to have written about places they never visited!) but the contrast between the idea of the place and its reality is never less than interesting.

Journal Entry 9 by Shelagh65 at -- Controlled Release in York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Released 6 yrs ago (6/27/2017 UTC) at -- Controlled Release in York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be taken to the June meeting of the York Bookcrossing Meetup group - Brigantes bar, MIcklegate.

Journal Entry 10 by LouiseB79 at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Picked up at the York BookCrossing meetup.

Journal Entry 11 by LouiseB79 at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 6, 2019
An interesting idea for a travelogue, well-executed and full of things I didn't know. Some of the chapters actually are quite musicy - but this obviously depends on the town or city the song references having some kind of musical heritage, like Woodstock, Memphis, and Nashville.

I hadn't heard of all the songs but I admired the author's commitment to accuracy. He didn't actually go to Tulsa itself, but found a town roughly 24 hours away and went there instead. He also attempted to get to Chattanooga by choo-choo, but as there is no longer a working station there (and in fact the train never took the route described in the song even when there was one) he had to drive part of the way.

The book is more than 25 years old, so I do wonder how these various towns have fared since it was written. Is Woodstock still trading on its hippie past 50 years after the infamous festival? What's life like in El Paso now that work will be starting on the border wall? Have the people of Milwaukee come to terms with what the police found in Jeffrey Dahmer's freezer? A revisit would be a good idea for a sequel.

Released 4 yrs ago (4/23/2019 UTC) at Brigantes Bar & Brasserie OBCZ / Meetup Venue in York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Released at the York BookCrossing meetup.

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