Transcendent Pop

It's out at last. Bill Friskics-Warren's book about the spiritual components of popular music, a semi-academic discourse on the attempts of artists from Madonna to Van Morrison and (of course) the Staple Singers to imbue vernacular music with the big questions: Who are we? Why are we here? What can give our life meaning?  I haven't read the book yet, but here's a smart first look: Paul Griffith's new review in the Nashville Scene. Here we have one of the best music writers in Music City writing about Bill, whom I regard as Nashville's standard-setter for beautiful, informed music journalism (He also married my wife and me, but that's another story). I'm looking forward to reading I'll Take You There and hope it's well received.