Between The Lines: Cowboys and Indies by Gareth Murphy

by Tim Wenger

Gareth Murphy is not a writer who cuts corners. His new book, Cowboys and Indies, is a blazingly descriptive documentary of the record industry’s epoch. At times, I found myself wondering how Murphy was able to uncover the details that he presents (which are often down to direct, behind-the-scenes dialogue between record label big shots), and many hours of grueling research went into uncovering them.

The book provides an in-depth, humanized look into the ever-evolving industry of selling music. Murphy takes readers from the “talking machines” of 1850’s Paris all the way to the modern era of ProTools and iTunes, vividly describing each step along the way and detailing the lives of those who made them possible.

Plan on taking some time if you want to read this book. It is not a quick read, and is certainly not catered for those with only a lukewarm affection for the music business. By taking us through the late 1800’s, into the jazz and swing era to blues and finally to rock and roll and other forms of modern recorded music, Murphy shares many the previously untold tales of success and failure that happened along the way. From The Beatles assistance in helping the Rolling Stones craft a masterpiece single, to Elvis loitering in a local recording studio begging for a chance, this book is a must read for musicians and music historians alike.

Murphy’s prose is easy to follow, never leaving the reader in the dark without a frame of reference, and without favoritism- he remains objective and pinpoints the key ideas, moments, and transactions that took place in each era of the recording industry. Journalistically, the book is solid- I found myself at many points wondering how he uncovered so much information about people that lived before our time, and about others who generally keep their personal lives behind closed doors.

Cowboys and Indies will, for years to come, serve as the readers’ and researchers’ encyclopedia of the recording industry.

Tags: Tim Wenger, music business, rolling stones, the beatles, elvis, capitol records, atlantic records, Between The Lines, Cowboys and Indies, Gareth Murphy, record business, Paris, record companies, A&R

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