Do you remember these great pop stars and their hits? Deerhoof's The Man, The King, The Girl , Butch Hancock's West Texas Waltzes and Dust Blown Tractor Tunes or Swamp Dogg's Cuffed, Collared and Tagged ? You will when you read Lost in the Grooves . Illustrated by cult comic book artist, Tom Neely, this fascinating guide to the back alleys of the pop music superhighway will send readers on a nostalgic trip to earlier years. Pop music history is full of little-known musicians, whose work stands defiantly alone, too quirky, distinctive or demented to appeal to a mass audience. This book explores the nooks and crannies of the pop music world, unearthing lost gems from should-have-been major artists (Sugarpie DeSanto, Judee Sill) and revisits lesser known works by established icons (Marvin Gaye's post-divorce kiss-off album, Here my Dear ; The Ramones' Subterranean Jungle ). It also spotlights musicians who simply don't fit neatly into specific categories, such as K. McCarty and Exuma.
The book's encyclopedic structure throws off strange sparks as disparate genres and eras rub against each other: folk-psych iconoclasts face louche pop crooners; outsider artists set their odd masterpieces down next to obscurities from the stars; lo-fi garage rock pairs up with the French avant-garde; and roots rock weirdos trip over bubblegum. As such, this nostalgic collection will delight any jukebox junkie or pop culture fan.