Most folks, particularly those from Texas, know a little about Doug Sahm. Twice on the cover of Rolling Stone, he was the original cowboy hipster and a Texas icon. Fans revere Doug for his genre-defining work with the Sir Douglas Quintet, who in the 60s forged the sound of Tex Mex music, and they admire the seemingly reckless diversity of the solo work recorded until his death in 1999. But prior to Jan Reid’s new biography, only those lucky enough to have been personally caught in his whirlwind knew Doug as the constantly stoked “little guy” with the huge personality, the consummate (and constant) road-tripper, the baseball fanatic, the devoted father with girlfriends stashed all over town, and of course: purveyor and connoisseur of the finest in both enchiladas and Mexican weed.
Texas Tornado: the Times & Music of Doug Sahm traces Sahm’s tremendous career, from childhood performances in the early 50s as “Little Doug Sahm,” a born talent on pedal steel, fiddle, guitar, and you-name-it, through his rise to national stardom and Summer of Love sojourn in San Fran with the Sir Douglas Quintet, his friendship with the likes of Dylan and Garcia, his forming of the Grammy-winning supergroup Texas Tornados in 1990 (the “Mexican Beatles” as Doug originally envisioned it), to singing the latter half of his own “Give Back The Key To My Heart” on Uncle Tupleo’s Anodyne. Reid analyzes the San Antonio-based influences that made Sahm such a relentless, eclectic and dynamic performer: sneaking out to midnight juke joints as a youngster, cutting his chops gigging country, blues and rockabilly in the smoke filled bars. Though Doug eventually made Austin home base (dubbing the town “Groover’s Paradise“), it was San Antonio’s musical landscape-a mash of Mexican, German and Polish folk traditions, alongside a thriving pop scene-that exposed Doug to Tejano elements like conjunto and norteño music, which he then infused with country and rock, sparking the invention of Tex-Mex.
In 1974, Jan Reid documented the emerging music scene in Austin in his outlaw country “bible,” The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock. Though the name didn’t tickle many of the artists covered, Reid established himself as the chronicler of the movement. Reid’s writing and first-hand experience, alongside stories and images contributed by collaborator Shawn Sahm, make Texas Tornado an in-the-know treasure. The pair dive deep into the good stuff, dusting off classic tales, skipping back and forth between Doug’s recorded chronology and odd, more intimate factoids. Reid’s words flow with authenticity, revealing a spirit in tune with the artists he covers.
According to Reid: “Among Texas musicians, only Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Janis Joplin, and Stevie Ray Vaughan rival Doug’s importance in the evolution of rock and roll.” Through interviews with the key figures in Doug’s life (lifelong bandmate Augie Meyers; Freddy Fender, whose career Sahm would help reignite; legendary producer Jerry Wexler; and Doug’s children, Shawn, Shandon, and Dawn), the case for this statement is well made. But the soul of the book is in Reid’s portrayal of Sahm’s one-of-a-kind personality. Texas Tornado reveals the story of an exceptional but elusive man, boisterous but uncertain, a man who changed the face of rock and country music but who has yet to get his due. words/ b. mcgrath
MP3: Doug Sahm :: Sometimes You’ve Got To Stop Chasing Rainbows
MP3: Sir Douglas Quintet :: At The Crossroads
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+ Download Doug Sahm via eMusic’s 25 free MP3 no risk trial offer
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Great post. I’ve always been a big fan of Doug Sahm.
1 | m February 10th, 2010 at 1:50 pmYeah, another man who walked on the same side of the street as Townes Van Zandt.
2 | john February 10th, 2010 at 2:24 pmThanks for the info, I’m looking forward to reading this book. Groover’s Paradise and Mendicino are great albums.
3 | Philco Brothers February 10th, 2010 at 3:56 pmDoug Sahm, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jimenez are all musicians that deserve more credit. I love Tex Mex and look forward to reading this book. Thanks for the heads up.
4 | DougoBlue February 10th, 2010 at 4:08 pmThanks for the info and the songs. I only recently discovered Sir Douglas Quintet for myself, because I was checking out bands that use combo organs. I hadn’t heard “At the Crossroads” before, but I’m listening to it right now, and it’s got that typical Augie Meyers organ sound. Cool!
5 | Tale February 10th, 2010 at 5:48 pmNice post. Always loved that Texas Tornados record, but I’m on tour in Dallas right now and damned if it doesn’t sound even better here than it does back home.
6 | radionowhere February 10th, 2010 at 6:45 pmGreat post!
totally under-appreciated. and his catalog goes deeeep…. was just out having a beer and they were playing the ful “menodcino” album and it made my afternoon beer taste 1000 times better….
7 | wow.... woooowwww.... February 11th, 2010 at 2:53 am[...] Ok Ok now on to good vibes: soundtrack of the day. [...]
8 | Morning Wood: stiff links « instaboner! February 11th, 2010 at 7:56 amAugie Meyers is the shit too!!
9 | SD February 11th, 2010 at 1:21 pmhuge respect for an LA blog posting about this. huge
10 | latane February 11th, 2010 at 2:20 pmThanks for this nice early notice of our book. Doug’s son Shawn (my collaborator who is now busy playing with the revived Texas Tornados) appreciate it.
11 | Jan Reid February 11th, 2010 at 4:16 pmJan Reid
Mendocino is one of my favorite albums ever – every track is great. I have it on vinyl but I’m going to look right now and see if I can get a CD for traveling with and sticking on my iPod.
12 | Phil February 12th, 2010 at 12:56 amWow – be careful! Just checked Amazon: there are three albums called “Mendocino”, but only one is the original, the others are a compilation, and a very unpopular live album. Get the one called “Mendocino [Import][Original Recording Remastered]“.
many thanks for the Doug Sahm tribute! I am and always will be a fan of all things “Doug”
13 | jim February 12th, 2010 at 6:42 pmloved this, being from san antone this hit home! muchas gracias amigo!
14 | Chris February 14th, 2010 at 7:04 pmAugie Meyers who played with Doug Sahm and Sir Douglas Quintet is now in need of a kidney transplant. He is a legend of Texas Music in his own right. Country, rock and tejano he has played them all. At least check out some of his music and if you can help here is a link to his website.
http://www.augiemeyers.com/
15 | kurt February 25th, 2010 at 11:39 am[...] Rising Storm readers. This is the first biography of the legendary Doug Sahm, a great read which I previously reviewed here. (Back to albums soon I swear it.) To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below (with your [...]
16 | VYNL.FM » Giveaway: “Texas Tornado” Doug Sahm Bio March 18th, 2010 at 3:55 pm[...] Read our book review at Aquarium Drunkard. [...]
17 | The Sir Douglas Band “Texas Tornado” | therisingstorm.net June 14th, 2010 at 10:55 am[...] Rising Storm readers. This is the first biography of the legendary Doug Sahm, a great read which I previously reviewed here. (Back to albums soon I swear [...]
18 | Giveaway: “Texas Tornado” Doug Sahm Bio | therisingstorm.net June 14th, 2010 at 10:57 amDoug Sahm is great and I really recommend to anybody outside of Texas perhaps that hasn’t had the chance to listen. It’s really an iconic sound, worth finding if you get the chance.
19 | Houston Lawyer July 15th, 2010 at 8:13 pm