Quick reviews: Two colorful slices of Memphis' rich musical history

Longtime readers know I'm a longtime fan of Southern soul, a genre whose capital was Memphis, Tenn. 

Hardcore music fans know Memphis' music history runs much deeper, with deep veins in the blues, R&B, Elvis and the rest of the Sun Records legends, and later a streak of rock highlighted by The Box Tops and legendary power poppers Big Star. 

While many books have chronicled Memphis' big names, I've recently finished reading two books that dare to leave Beale Street and Graceland to document some of the lesser-known stories that are no less rich.

Robert Gordon's "It Came From Memphis" and Stanley Booth's "Rythm Oil: A Journey Through The Music Of The American South" come from different perspectives but often end up in the same place, documenting some of the most colorful characters music has ever seen.    

"Rythm Oil" (the misspelled name of an elixir once sold in Memphis) was my introduction to Booth, a renowned music writer known for his long-delayed history of The Rolling Stones. 

Booth is a talented writer, and as colorful and troubled as his subjects, with whom he shared rooms and vices. This collection of magazine articles and book chapters is a breezy read covering blues, soul and rock. I found myself growing a bit tired with Booth's complaints about alleged injustices and grievances, but that's easy for me to say: I didn't live through the upheaval of the civil-rights movement nor the Vietnam War. 

Gordon lives a more subdued life, and lets his diverse cast of characters take the spotlight in delivering a history that's as much about music as sociology. And those characters are extreme, ranging from an odd pro wrestler to a DJ who helped shape rock 'n' roll to an ill-tempered musician turned legendary producer. Somehow Gordon ties the chaos together, and you're left with a to-do list of music to buy and places to visit. 

My one visit to Memphis touched me deeply, and "Rythm Oil" and "It Came From Memphis" add to my feeling that the city was the heart of pure magic that continues to resonate decades later. Thank God for that.