THE RECORD MEN: A REVIEW

Rich Cohens The Record Men begins with a portrayal of the Chess family,
founders of the legendary Chess Records label. The author writes of Leonard Chess,
a Polish-born Jew who arrives in America in 1928. After quickly adapting to the
American way of life, Leonard and his brother Phil open the Macomba Lounge in
Chicago, a club that very soon after becomes a musical hot spot in that sprawling
American city. (26)
Leonard soon begins to notice men who are interested in the musicians
performing in his club, and after some time he realizes that they are talent scouts in
the employ of major record labels. He soon comes to the conclusion that he himself
could record the acts playing in his club, and subsequently offers his services to
Aristocrat Records, an independent label, in exchange for being taught the business.
It is not long before Leonard finds success and buys out the other partners of
Aristocrat, ultimately founding Chess Records in 1950.
After establishing the history of the famed label, Cohen goes on to attest to
the significance it is to have on Rock and Roll. We are told that it is Chess Records
that discovers the music legends Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry, artists whom the
author argues not only transformed the Blues but created a whole other genre, Rock
and Roll. We are told of Howlin Wolf and Willie Dixon, of John Lee Hooker and Bo
Diddley. These musicians, Cohen claims, helped create the greatest Blues catalogue
in the history of American music.
Throughout the book, however, a more encompassing conversation takes
place. The author tells of the musical transition from the Blues of the Deep South to
the Electric Blues of Muddy Waters. It is at this point where Chuck Berry makes
the last great innovation on the road leading to Rock and Roll, or as Cohen puts it,
where he builds a bridge out of the Blues. (161) It is Berry who adds the speed to
the classic Blues form, that quick pace that is so vital to Rock. As the author writes,
Rock and Roll was invented by Chuck Berry in 1955. (160)
The book ends on a particularly somber note, as we are told that Leonard
Chess finally succumbs to the pressures of the big record labels, selling Chess
Records in 1968. The tyranny of the recording giants is a theme mentioned all
through Cohens work, and he writes constantly of the invaluable contribution made
by independent labels to popular music. Cohen makes the argument that
historically, it is always the independent labels that discover new talent and develop
new trends. For after all, it was Sam Phillips of Sun Records who discovered Elvis
Presley and Johnny Cash, while Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic (then an independent
label) found Ray Charles and John Coltrane. The author asserts that the major labels,
with their bureaucratic processes, lack the foresight and familiarity with the
common man that is so essential to any success in the recording business.
The one thing that strikes me while reading this book is the fact that it isnt
fascinating. In other words, there are no real revelations here, nothing that one
would learn only as a result of reading this particular work. Indeed, there are many
published books on this specific subject, a fact that the author is not reluctant to
point out. What is to be gained from the reading of this work is the entertainment it
provides. Mr. Cohen has a way of making ordinary stories seem extraordinary, of
grabbing a readers attention. This is not to say that the subject matter is dull; on the
contrary, the story of Leonard Chess and the legacy he created is a captivating one.
But Cohen writes with a great passion for his chosen topic, a trait clearly evident in
the finished product.
Additionally, this book seems to have a very Jewish feel to it. Indeed, an
alternate title given to it in some markets is Machers and Rockers, clearly a nod to
Leonard Chesss Yiddish-speaking background. Fans of shows like Seinfeld and Curb
Your Enthusiasm will surely appreciate Cohens writing style with sentences like
Shmucko! If you spend a buck, make sure you get back a buck and a half! (47)
While this sage advice given by Leonard Chess to his son may offend some
(especially Jews), it certainly adds to the books flavor, ultimately making for a more
interesting read.
While most of the arguments presented in this book are hard to dispute,
there are a few points that I find issue with. For instance, Cohen writes of the
musical progression from Blues to Pop, that, to him, is so clearly evident. You can
draw a straight line from Chuck Berrys Sweet Little Sixteen to the Beach Boys
Surfin USAto the Beatles Let It Be, to Woodstock, and then on to the Real
World on MTV. (163) While this order of events may make perfect sense to the
author, I personally do not see the connection, and Mr. Cohen does little to convince
me (or the reader) of his position. It seems that the authors love for his subject
slightly overwhelms his ability to convey complex ideas simply, to what is an
otherwise ignorant audience.
Similar confusion also arises when the author quotes lyrics from rare and
archaic songs, seeking to expose their similarity to contemporary classics. An
example of this occurs early in the book, during a discussion of the Blues. Cohen
writes of Robert Johnson, the famed Blues guitarist who, as legend has it, sold his
soul to the devil in exchange for his extraordinary guitar skill. Writes Cohen rather
eloquently, To this day, every rock & roller lives under the contract Robert Johnson
struck at the crossroads the way every American lives under the deal agreed to in
Philadelphia in 1776. You hear it in the voodoo songs of Muddy Waters, or when
Howlin Wolf sings (86) The author then goes on to quote lyrics from songs by
Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, all containing the word devil, thus
establishing Modern Rocks connection to early Blues folklore. Needless to say,
this argument is at best weak, and I believe readers like myself will have a hard time
getting any reference made to Lloyd Prices 1959 hit Stagger Lee and its obvious
connection to Mississippi John Hurts 1928 song of the same name.
In addition, while Rich Cohens account of Leonard Chess is at times brutally
honest, it can also be very generous. The reader is told of the unorthodox methods
used by Leonard Chess while at work, such as deducting gifts from musicians
salaries or paying off disc jockeys to play more Chess records. While these
descriptions of Chess certainly arent glamorous, there always seems to be another
side of things, another perspective in which Leonard Chess isnt doing anything
technically illegal, but something morally reprehensible. For example, Cohen tells
of Chesss relationship with Etta James, the famous Blues and Soul singer who
suffered from countless drug abuse problems. It turns out that Chess often refused
to pay her many of the royalties she was owed for fear that it would only feed her
habit. Instead, he saved the money against her will and used it to by her a house.
Cohen quotes James as saying, Even when I had lost everything, Leonard made sure
I had somewhere to live. (154) This is of course a nice way of sugarcoating things,
but was Chess justified in his actions? Did he do the right thing? Cohen seems to
think so, but Im not so sure.
Aside from these few points, this book really is an excellent read. As stated
above, the author is a phenomenal writer and he tells the tale of Chess Records the
way it should be told, with all the hyperbole and embellishment that a story of its
stature truly deserves. While this book can at times be rather wordy and drawn out,
in the long run, its reading is more than worth it. Cohens research is impeccable,
and his writing does offer insight into the many complexities of the recording
industry. While this work probably wont be appealing to the average listener of Top
40 radio, it will be well received by anyone with a more than rudimentary grasp of
modern American music history. I, for one, rather enjoyed it.