Title: Gulf Coast Boys
Author: Richard Dobson
[$5 postpaid! CLEARANCE SALE! …was $15] “GCB” by Richard Dobson is a hard-to-find memoir of wild days in the 1970’s in Texas, touring in bands with greats like Townes van Zandt, working oil rigs and shrimp boats, and songwriting in Nashville.
[Dobson died in 2017.]
Dobson was one of the guys who helped create what’s known as the Austin Sound and the Austin music scene. I think he was housemates with Guy Clark for awhile. (He’s in the wonderful DVD-movie “Heartworn Highways” about those early singersongwriter days.)
He’s a fine writer and storyteller. And is also considered one of the best songwriters of our fair nation. —One who probably no one knows. He’s been making a living the past few years in Europe, where all our great country stars go. Who want to play real music, not the circus stuff.
Note: UK/Euro customers should click the ordering button then also click the extra button below to add an extra $8 to your Shopping Cart to partly offset the excess postage. BUT! If you’re also ordering Richard’s CD, then skip that step, as one excess postage payment will cover shipping both items. Thanks!
Here’s what others have to say about Richard’s music:
“His rhythms and ideas are great. His words are precise and never wasted. He’s one of my favorite songwriters.” –Townes Van Zandt
“Richard Dobson is a great songwriter.” –Steve Earle
“Richard Dobson is one of the best songwriters in Nashville — make that the whole U.S.” –John Prine
“Richard Dobson is the Hemingway of Country Music.” –Nanci Griffith
How many other unknowns out there get such praise?
His prose-writing keeps right up with his music.
He’s lived the rough and tough life of the hard-drinkin’, hard-drivin’, hard-tourin’ cowboy rockers of the 70’s.
The chapters about the big tour in the Rockies in an RV with TVZ make for amazing insights into that day’n’age and show the charisma of the brooding, troubled lead man.
There’s also a lot on the hard-workin’ and outdoor-sports-lovin’ that goes on down there. It’s the side of pop music you probably can’t read about elsewhere, especially in places like Rolling Stone. —Blue collar action heroes, unite!
Now, this book is a homebrew production. It has a pro binding, but it also has typos and a very plain layout. But it’s an important record of a real artist’s life.
I also sell Dobson’s “greatest hits” two-record CD called “Back Tracks” which is basically unavailable otherwise—$12. It’s full of simply great and classic country music that you’ve never heard of. Here’s a link to music samples and more info: outyourbackdoor.com/samples.dobson/music.dobson.html
