Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing

Music critic Guralnick (Sam Phillips; Last Train to Memphis) digs into his extensive archives in this revealing collection of musician profiles and personal essays. “Many of the subjects of this book,” he writes, “are people that I’ve known for years—in a number of cases, I’ve simply written new profiles of artists that I have written about before.” In “Living with the Blues,” he and Eric Clapton discuss a shared appreciation for blues legend Robert Johnson, and Clapton’s experience of the blues scene in early 1960s London. In “Meeting Chuck Berry,” Guralnick details his first, starstruck introduction to the musical genius, while “I Will Rock and Roll with You” and “’Til I Can Make It on My Own” chronicle time he spent with Johnny Cash and Tammy Wynette, respectively. In the title essay, Guralnick turns his gaze inward (“how do you avoid repetition, how do you keep from tangling up in the web of your own words and ideas?”). “My Father, My Grandfather, and Ray Charles” is a particularly strong reflection on how his family shaped his interest in writing. Guralnick’s prose remains lyrical throughout, yet never becomes overwrought. These stirring essays will inspire music enthusiasts of all ages. (Oct.)