A 60's version of rhythm and blues; a big part of its origins is gospel music - soul started basically as a secularized version of it (early stars were established gospel singers like Sam Cooke and Bobby Womack). Rather than the object of desire being divine (as in gospel), it was one's SO. It all branched out from there, with various subgenres sprouting, in Detroit, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, and other locales.

The 16'th book in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, and another in the Death sub-series.

Main/Reoccurring Characters:

Death: Death, (you know, tall guy, kind of bony, thing for old farm equipment), starts to wonder "what's it all about, when you get right down to it?", and wanders off.

Death of Rats: Rather smaller, rat version of Death, Has to find someone to take death's place while he's gone, as well as trying to get him back.

Susan: The granddaughter of death, she is chosen by reality to take his place while they're looking for him. Unfortunately, she's still a small girl at boarding school, and has no idea of her, erm, ancestor's identity.

Imp/Buddy y Celon (Celon meaning "of the holly" in Imp's home country): A young non-druid from a land full of them, he leaves vowing to become the greatest musician ever. Unfortunately, gods tend to pick up on that sort of thing, and Imp's life is hijacked by a rather strange, otherworldly guitar.

Glod Glodsson and Lias/Cliff Bluestone: A dwarf and a troll, and along with Imp, they form the Band with Rocks In. One of the best lines of the book, said by Cliff, "They won't stop us, we're on a mission from Glod".

CMOT Dibbler:Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, Ankh-Morpork's worst businessman and sausage in a bun salesman, and the self appointed manager of the Band with Rocks In. A sure sign of disaster.

And of course, the usual cast of Ankh-Morpork types (The Wizards, The Watch, etc.) .
Published by HarperTorch
Copyright 1995, Terry and Lyn Pratchett
ISBN: 0-06-105489-5

It has sex, drugs and Music With Rocks In It.
Well... One out of three ain't bad...

A book by Terry Pratchett, my favorite of the series and it lives in honor on my bookshelf. That is, it hides away from my brothers in behind The Rincewind Trilogy.

It leapt from head to head...

This book is both a wonderful story and, as is so common with many of Pratchett's books, is a twisted and sometimes confusing narrative describing the history of modern music.

...crackling in through the ears and heading for the hindbrain...

The Band is made of Imp y Celyn, Glod Glodsson and Lias Bluestone, the three main characters. Imp seems to be elvish, but instead he comes from the very wet country of Llamedos, where most people become druids or play harps. Imp played a harp until Lias, the troll and drummer of the band, sat on it. So he became the singer and guitarist of The Band. Glod is a dwarf, and so is obsessed with gold but is unfortunately unable to keep a hold of very much for very long. Lias is the drummer. Together, along with the Librarian, the pianist who left "before they became famous", they were the first musicians to chart the waters known as "Music With Rocks In It".

...Some were more susceptible than others...

Later, Imp becomes Buddy and Lias becomes Cliff. Buddy is an obvious link to the great and famous Buddy Holly; the link is more obvious once one knows that his former name, Imp, means of the shoot, or bud. Cliff may or may not be a link to Cliff Richard.

...closer to the beat...

There are many more links between the new music of the Discworld and the old-ish music of this world. The music creates new feelings in the citizens of Ankh-Morpork, the city honored enough to experience this change in the style of music. The idea that ladies may throw underwear at the stage is explored in this novel, as is idea that music has a life of its own, and that the beat can breathe. Leather clothing is introduced, and shorter skirts. And in Ankh-Morpork, everyone wants a guitar. They all want to play like Buddy.

People said: I can't get that darn tune out of my head...

From these minor similarities Pratchett moves onto bigger things. There is a song, Pathway to Paradise, that no one can play right but everyone wants to. The phrase "Bee There Orr Bee A Rectangular Thyng" is used.

What's more important? Some wall or getting the sound right?

Music With Rocks In begins the music industry, in which there are mangers, in this case the ever famous C.M.O.T. Dibbler, and things to play the music on when the band is not available to do so. To support this industry Dibbler wisely invests in many things. Sausages-inna-bun, for example. And t-shirts with words on them to advertise the various bands that have leapt up.

That's ridiculous. Its only music.

All the new bands that are eagerly following in The Band's footsteps want to push "back the boundaries of musical expression and are definitely going to be big one day". All they need is the right name... One band began as Insanity. Then went on to be known as Suck. Then Surreptitious Fabric. And The Whom. Lead Balloon. The Blots. Eventually one of the members of this band smashes his guitar on one of the other member's head.

That's ridiculous. Its only a wall.

The end is what makes it great, in my mind at least. Buddy puts down his guitar, which, since his first performance is living for him as Buddy is technically dead for most of the book, and the music is doing the living for him. He then takes up his harp which Cliff kindly had repaired for him.

I will never die.

He then plays Hole. That empty nothingness inside of you that exists always. It gives you back your memories. It shows you what's real.

Live your life in a moment.

Then he plays the best music ever heard on the Discworld. The best music ever. It makes me sad to listen to the radio after reading Soul Music because our music is never quite as good as Pratchett makes you think it could be.

Then live forever. Don't fade away.

They live. They die. Read the book. I can't tell you right.

Let me show you who I am. I am the music.

Contains quotes from Soul Music, mainly the stuff on the right and in italics.

Soul music was the result of the urbanization and commercialization of rhythm and blues in the '60s. Soul came to describe a number of R&B-based music styles. From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt, there was an immense amount of diversity within soul.

During the first part of the '60s, soul music remained close to its R&B roots. However, musicians pushed the music in different directions; usually, different regions of America produced different kinds of soul. In urban centers like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the music concentrated on vocal interplay and smooth productions. In Detroit, Motown concentrated on creating a pop-oriented sound that was informed equally by gospel, R&B, and rock & roll. In the south, the music became harder and tougher, relying on syncopated rhythms, raw vocals, and blaring horns. All of these styles formed soul, which ruled the black music charts throughout the '60s and also frequently crossed over into the pop charts.

At the end of the '60s, soul began to splinter apart, as artists like James Brown and Sly Stone developed funk, and other artists developed slicker forms of soul. Although soul music evolved, it never went away -- not only did the music inform all of the R&B of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, there were always pockets of musicians around the world that kept performing traditional soul.

Published before on allmusic.com. Placed with permission.