John Metzger
2007-02-16 00:55:14 UTC
Book Review - Johnny Cash: The Biography by Michael Streissguth
Review written by Douglas Heselgrave
Does the world need another Johnny Cash biography? After all, Cash's
own attempts at setting the record straight (The Man in Black and
Cash) are among the two most riveting reads in the genre of modern
autobiographies. Both demand to be read and re-read, not simply for
the stark and honest manner in which Cash explores the highs and lows
of his personal journey, but also for his vivid and often beguiling
way with words. His unabashedly naive and rambling narratives take the
reader deep into the soul of both the artist and the man. Yet, just as
the picturesque autobiography Bound for Glory gives readers no more
than an impressionistic rendering of Woody Guthrie's story -- thus
making Joe Klein's Woody Guthrie: A Life a necessary adjunct to the
mythic stature he has achieved -- Michael Streissguth's Johnny Cash:
The Biography ought to serve a similar function in clarifying and
arranging in a coherent way the facts about The Man in Black's life.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
http://www.musicbox-online.com/bookreviews-2007/michaelstreissguth-johnnycash.html
Review written by Douglas Heselgrave
Does the world need another Johnny Cash biography? After all, Cash's
own attempts at setting the record straight (The Man in Black and
Cash) are among the two most riveting reads in the genre of modern
autobiographies. Both demand to be read and re-read, not simply for
the stark and honest manner in which Cash explores the highs and lows
of his personal journey, but also for his vivid and often beguiling
way with words. His unabashedly naive and rambling narratives take the
reader deep into the soul of both the artist and the man. Yet, just as
the picturesque autobiography Bound for Glory gives readers no more
than an impressionistic rendering of Woody Guthrie's story -- thus
making Joe Klein's Woody Guthrie: A Life a necessary adjunct to the
mythic stature he has achieved -- Michael Streissguth's Johnny Cash:
The Biography ought to serve a similar function in clarifying and
arranging in a coherent way the facts about The Man in Black's life.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
http://www.musicbox-online.com/bookreviews-2007/michaelstreissguth-johnnycash.html