Wounds to Bind: A Memoir of the Folk-Rock Revolution
By Jerry Burgan and Sylvia Tyson
(Rowman & Littlefield)
I’m not sure I have enjoyed a personal memoir more than Wounds to Bind: A Memoir of the Folk-Rock Revolution. This is Jerry Burgan’s account (written with help from writer Alan Rifkin) of his time as songwriter/singer/guitar player and co-founder of We Five, a San Frasnciso “electro-folk†group that scored the hit “You Were On My Mind.” Smack dab in the 60’s changes of music and culture as Burgan was, his account couldn’t be more thrilling.
What Burgan manages here is what makes for the best mix with these type of books (but not something accomplished all that often); he weaves his personal story of his life in the band and beyond by writing rich descriptions of the days passed by and his feelings about it all. There is so much heart in this account that I really can’t even pick my favorite sections, of which there are many. But if you were alive at that time or ever wondered about it-a time when everything was a‘changin’ for sure-this book is a must.
I was especially taken by Burgan’s assessment of his long marriage. I’m not sure I have ever read a more astute observation, chilling as it is poignant in its honesty. This warts-and-all look at he and his wife occurs at the tail end of the tale and is as every bit as interesting as the stories about the studios, the concerts, brushes with musical luminaries, Burgan’s life post We Five and what the country was like way back when. Wounds to Bind: A Memoir of the Folk-Rock Revolution is a great great book; get it!
