Will Anderson will be at the Convention to personnally autograph your copy of the book!
 
I am of an age that affords me the luxury of having lived through the early years of Rock n Roll! Nineteen fifty-six was the year I went from 13 to 14. Mathematically that would make me an official teenager!!!!! My most vivid memory of that time is of the local parish priest exclaiming in an elevated pulpit red-faced rant, how he could see the devil in Elvis Presley’s eyes!! How could this be? Elvis was a bigger than life icon in his own time. Luckily I had a different kinda eyesight.
 
Music of a broader cultural influence was the order of the day. “How Much is that Doggy in the Window” was giving way to “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog”. It may seem tame now, but back in the day it was radical stuff…so much so that Elvis appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show from the waist up because of prudish influences. Nevertheless, the Genie was outta the bottle. Rock n Roll was here to stay. I remember Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, The Big Bopper, The Platters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley and the Comets, The Shirelles and so many others.
 
I was into it but not as much as ECBA’s own Will Anderson. His 21st book “When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine” is about the early days of Rock n Roll in his adopted state of Maine. (A number of Will’s books have a Maine setting.) To me Will’s books are a nostalgic look back at America and Americana. From beer to baseball to roadside delights etc., etc. They’re all a trip down memory lane.

Will paints a picture of the who, what, when and why of “When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine”. Will’s a stickler for detail and makes every effort to ferret out required information. Public libraries are one of his main sources. Old newspapers have a lot to say. You just gotta find it. The reader will see the entire scene, to include the local groups, the local venues, the local record stores, the local teenager Rock n Roll TV shows, the local record label, the local and not so local DJ’s and the touring Headliner Groups.
 
When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine” is a graphics-rich historical document, with wide ranging appeal. It’s a soft cover book printed in Lewiston, Maine on heavy, glossy stock paper from Skowhegan, Maine. In addition to being the author of “When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine, Will is the Editor and Publisher. Printed in America!!! How cool is that?!!
 
“When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine” winds down with a “Top Hits” list that started out as a top 50 from the fifties but had to be extended to top 100. (The list ends up being over 100.) Nothing takes you back in time like music!!! If you’re of a certain age and lived through the early days of Rock n Roll, you’ll time travel back to the 55-60 time frame (with a little overlap before and after). Any “Top Hits” list will be arbitrary and subjective but Will created his list from a wide range of sources to include his own radio days when he emceed the Rock n Roll Revival Party over WINE, Danbury, CT and the Big Daddy Rockin’ & Rollin’ Party over WXGH/WGME, Waldoloro/Portland ME.
 
For my Army reunion a few years ago I assembled an amount of period specific music. I was in the military from 1961 to 1964 and the music list I put together ranged from the late 50’s to early 60’s, which means I have in my personal collection a large amount of the music Will placed in his top 100. Playing in the background while I was reading “When Rock n Roll rocked Maine” was music from Will’s top 100 list, which enhanced an already enjoyable experience.
 
Now you’re probably wondering by now does this guy like the book or not? Yes, I enjoyed “When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine” very much and can recommend it to both those who lived through that era and those who
aren’t old enough to have lived through the early days of Rock n Roll. Those too young to have experienced the early days of Rock n Roll will nevertheless recognize a great deal of Will’s top 100 from movie soundtracks, wedding receptions, Oldies radio stations, etc., etc….When they are finished reading “When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine” they’re gonna feel like they lived through the early days of Rock n Roll!!!
 
For the sake of full disclosure I feel compelled to make the reader aware of the fact that I’ve know Will Anderson for over 20 years through the breweriana hobby, ECBA in particular. I’ve been purchasing and reading Will’s books since the early 80’s and currently own 17 of them.
 
There’s been speculation in ECBA circles about having a convention in Maine for some time now. So when Will called and asked Christine and I if we would help run a convention in Maine, we, or course, said YES!!! Besides Will is one of the founders of the breweriana hobby. Will’s ECBA number is #2. After all the years of enjoyment Christine and I have gotten from the breweriana hobby, how could we possibly not agree to help. We’re gonna have a good time in Maine! (see related promo in this newsletter)
 
For those of you who might think I’m biased…what gave it away??????
 
One last thing. With today’s digital technology, in this case a laptop computer with accessory speakers and an MP3 player with accessory speakers, is it possible that some of Will’s top 100 from “When Rock n Roll Rocked Maine” will be playing in the background at the 2008 ECBA Maine convention???
 
Could Happen!!!!!