Peanut Butter and Mashed Potatoes: Satisfying Trivia for Rock and Pop Fressers

Deborah Godin
BookSurge (2009)
ISBN 9781439248843
Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (02/10)

 

If you read Deborah Godin’s first book you know that she knows her rock and roll trivia.  If you haven’t, not to worry, her latest book is just as good if not better than the first.  Either way, you are in for a real treat - especially if you love rock and roll music.  Her latest book is titled “Peanut Butter and Mashed Potatoes: Satisfying Trivia for Rock and Roll Pop Fressers.”  Quite a mouthful isn’t it?  I recognized right away that “Peanut Butter” and “Mashed Potatoes” referred to pop hits during that era; but I was stumped over the word “Fresser.”  (So was my spell checker dictionary for that matter, but that’s another story.)  But before I had time to “kvetch” over the intrusion of this foreign sounding word, Godin helpfully explained that “Fresser” is a Yiddish word that rhymes with dresser and means a person who eats copiously, and with great auditory gusto; a real scarfer.  Oy, who knew?

A glance at the table of contents reveals that the book is laid out in a very organized, but fun way; that is to say, the title of each chapter is also the title of a well-known song. For example: Chapter 1- Here, There and Everywhere - songs about real places; Chapter 2-What’s Your Name, Who’s Your Daddy? - songs about real people; and so on.  By the time you finish the book, you will have discovered what life was like swinging in the Chelsea Hotel, have gotten directions to Hotel California, Tobacco Road, and the House of the Rising Sun, and most intriguing, have learned who the real people were who inspired songs like “Mack the Knife,” “Mrs. Robinson,” And Rag Doll.”

I am lucky enough - or unlucky enough, depending on your outlook - to have lived through the entire era of rock and roll/ pop music starting in the 1950s; so naturally I drilled right down on Chapter Two to find out who provided the inspiration for that luscious character Mrs. Robinson played by Anne Bancroft.  I’ll never forget that famous promotional shot of Dustin Hoffman dwarfed by Mrs. Robinson’s leg.  Although Godin was unable to discover who the real Mrs. Robinson was, she did reveal that the leg in the shot did not belong to Miss Bancroft, rather to Linda Gray, who was then an unknown model and years away from playing Sue Ellen on “Dallas.”

There is one chapter that is bound to generate some good natured controversy; namely; From Californ-ya to New York Eye-land - searching for America’s band.  In her search to determine which group deserves this title, she came up with seven finalists: 1) Glenn Miller Band; 2) The United States Air Force Band; 3) America; 4) Chicago; 5) Grand Funk Railroad; 6) The Eagles; and 7) The Beach Boys.  And the winner is----!  Not so fast!  You have to read the book to find out!

So, what’s the final verdict on “Peanut Butter and Mashed Potatoes” by Deborah Godin?  In keeping with the format of her book I say:  “People Get Ready” (The Impressions) - readers, you’re going to enjoy this book!

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