MurderBalladsOld&New:ADarkandBloodyRecordisanexplorationofanage-oldtopic--ourhumanneedtodocumentthehorrorsoftheworldaroundus.Themurderballad,hereexpandedtoincludesongsabouttraumaticlossinmodernvariantsandmultiplestyles,includingpunk,post-punk,alt-country,andfolk.Thebookisagraveyardstrollpasttombsbothwell-keptandhalf-hidden.MurderBalladsOld&Newexcavatesfactsaboutkillers,victims,andthefolkloricstorytellerswhodisseminatedtheirtalesinsong.AuthorStevenL.Jonesfocusesthetragicballadas“anactofrememberingandasoul-reckoningwiththeineffable.“SongsexaminedrangefromobscuretunesfromthefoundingdaysoftheUnitedStatestofamiliarcanonicalsongslearnedinschoolroomsandhonkytonks.Jonestackleseachsonginamannerthat’sequalpartsmusicological,psychosocial,andgenealogicalasheuncoversstoriesthatreveallargercontextsandmapsthelineagesofsongsandthemes,forebears,andancestors.MurderBalladsOld&Newincludesawiderangeofsongsandperformersfromtherelativelyunknown(BoiledinLead,Freakons,Nelstone’sHawaiians)totheironicallyfamous(JohnnyCash,LouReed,SonicYouth).HighlightsincludetalesofMuddyWatersguitarsidemanPatHare,whoseincendiarybluesboast“I’mGonnaMurderMyBaby“provedgrimlyprophetic.Andhonky-tonkpioneerEddieNoack,whosemorbidstabatlate-careerrebirth,“Psycho,“couldn’tmatchthebottomlesstragedyofhisownlife.AswellasDepression-eraholdupmanPrettyBoyFloyd,Schubert’smythicalErlk繹nig,andtheMansonFamily.MurderBalladsOld&NewisacompellingdelveintotheperennialAmericanfascinationwithTrueCrime.Includesarchivalandhistoricalblack&whiteimages.
