Book Review - By Bob Silvestri
bobsilvestri@bestofwny.com

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the music of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils purveyors of the hits "If You Wanna Get To Heaven", "Chicken Train" and "Jackie Blue". I remember seeing them on the bill with the Doobie Brothers and Chicago for a show at then Rich Stadium way back in 1974 during my teenage days. I'll spare you the details of that day but needless to say I became a fan for life. So it was with great curiosity when this book came out to see what had become of the band. Written by original band member and founder Michael Supe Granda it tells the story of their forming in Missouri thru their halcyon days and finally the break up of the band. Granda's recollections and breezy style make for an easy read. He admits that the band caused a lot of their own problems as living the good life of partying and dining high style left little time for writing new material, sound checks, rehearsals and radio and TV interviews. A widening chasm between the band and the record company over the direction of the music along with the normal internal band combustion added more fuel to the fire. Their music is still a daily staple of Classic Rock radio. You can check out more about the band by going to www.ozarkdaredevils.com or www.supeline.com