The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry--the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill--is a towering figure in our culture.In Steel Drivin Man; Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero; telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time; the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data; penitentiary reports; and railroad company reports; Nelson reveals how John Henry; victimized by Virginias notorious Black Codes; was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497; and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the CO railroad. Equally important; Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry; tracing the songs evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy; to Carl Sandburgs use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer;" to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford.Attractively illustrated with numerous images; Steel Drivin Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song--and a true American legend.
#931791 in eBooks 1997-02-01 1997-02-01File Name: B002RT85ZO
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good basic songbookBy Long Time BoaterFirst. let me say I opted for the kindle version. The format of the songbook is very simple. melody line. guitar chords. lyrics. There is no piano score. so if you play piano youll want to choose another book. That said. the chords and melody seem accurate and there is a chord diagram at the end (not quite all the chords used in the book). so you can have a lot of fun playing and singing the basic songs. No strum patterns are included.My biggest complaint about the kindle version is it is a little grainy. It looks like someone copied the book at about 100 dpi; its readable. but just not sharp. Of course. because of copyrights. youre not supposed to print the book (which is possible but not easy). I mention this because I dont always want to practice the song with the computer or my Android in front of me; Id like to be able to print a hardcopy and put it on a music stand.I found a few of the other reviews off the mark. Yes there is a melody line; there is another book with only chords. Yes this is a songbook. not a story of Neils life.Synopsis: The good - 96 songs with basic. accurate scores. The bad - a little grainy. no piano score. difficult to print selectionsSummary: Im happy with it. Hey for $7 what do you want.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. If you know the melody and can play. you are set to enjoy these songs.By Allen Prime MemberIf you know the melody you can play the songs immediately. I have these books for several artists. Love them.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy meexcellent product and service
