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  • Crossroads

  • In Search of the Moments that Changed Music
  • By: Mark Radcliffe
  • Narrated by: Mark Radcliffe
  • Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (392 ratings)

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Crossroads cover art

Crossroads

By: Mark Radcliffe
Narrated by: Mark Radcliffe
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Summary

Standing at the crossroads - the Mississippi crossroads of Robert Johnson and the devil's infamous meeting - Mark Radcliffe found himself facing his own personal crunch point. Aged 60, he had just mourned the death of his father, only to be handed a diagnosis of mouth and throat cancer.

This momentous time in his life, and being at the most famous junction in music history, led Radcliffe to think about the pivotal tracks in music and how the musicians who wrote and performed them - from Woodie Guthrie to Gloria Gaynor, Kurt Cobain to Bob Marley - had reached the crossroads that led to such epoch-changing music.

In this warm, intimate account of music and its power to transform our lives, Radcliffe takes a personal journey through these touchstone tracks, looking at the story behind the records and his own experiences as he goes in search of these moments.

©2019 Mark Radcliffe (P)2019 Canongate Books Ltd

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What listeners say about Crossroads

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Bill Bryson’s musical doppelgänger

Such an enjoyable romp though multiple genres of music littered with fascinating trivia as well as details about pivotal moments in modern music.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What a fun, little book

Really enjoyable listen. Thankfully no chapters on Metallica and only a very brief mention of ABBA. phew!

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  • PT
  • 02-07-20

very good music anecdotes

well read by MR - loads of good stories . a must for musos

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Mark without Lard or any Graceland gluttony

Great book, well researched and funny. Marks oration is perfect as he weaves great images of key points in musical history with his trademark humour. Learnt lots with a smile on my face.

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Brilliant and engaging

Great listen, funny, erudite, informative. Mark at his best. come on Audible, get Show Business, Diary of A Rock n Roll Nobody on here

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Great listen

Always enjoyed Mark and Lard on the radio years ago.
The links in the stories to famous musicians is both compelling and easy to listen too.
Well worth a listen.

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Love this daft bugger!

Lovely ambling through music history, have smiled through most of it and frequently burst out laughing and spat me tea out!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Nostalgia isn't what it used to be

Many reminders of my youth in Mark's evocative tales. It was well reasearched and referenced.

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Fantastic Journey

A wonderful meandering history of music as told by one of my favourite presenters and authors.
Mark Radcliffes northern nuances plot the course of popular music from the blues to the modern, pausing to take in all the side streams and tributaries of all genres, histories and the occasional anecdote along the way.

Good to hear your voice Mark. Thank you for entertaining me to and from work during the time of pandemic!

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a compelling listen

mark has a very unique way of letting the listener into the story.
a very wide & eclectic presentation of musical aspects & artists.
thoroughly enjoyable

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