Music and Mystique in Muscle Shoals by Reali, Christopher M.

A No Depression Most Memorable Music Book of 2022

The forceful music that rolled out of Muscle Shoals in the 1960s and 1970s shaped hits by everyone from Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon. Christopher M. Reali's in-depth look at the fabled musical hotbed examines the events and factors that gave the Muscle Shoals sound such a potent cultural power. Many artists trekked to FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound in search of the sound of authentic southern Black music--and at times expressed shock at the mostly white studio musicians waiting to play it for them. Others hoped to draw on the hitmaking production process that defined the scene. Reali also chronicles the overlooked history of Muscle Shoals's impact on country music and describes the region's recent transformation into a tourism destination.

Multifaceted and informed, Music and Mystique in Muscle Shoals reveals the people, place, and events behind one of the most legendary recording scenes in American history.

Author: Christopher M. Reali
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Published: 07/19/2022
Pages: 280
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780252086588

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/01/2022 pg. 71
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2022

About the Author
Christopher M. Reali is an assistant professor of music at Ramapo College of New Jersey.