Compiled by editors Peter Guralnick and Douglas Wolk, Best Music Writing 2000 includes 35 pieces previously published in a wide array of publications, from Oxford American to Vibe. Billed as ìthe yearís finest writing on rock, pop, jazz, country and more,î it covers a dizzying variety of subject matter, from a poignant visit with (most) of the members of The Shaggs, to a long interview with songwriter Steve Earle.

Guralnick has written extensively about American music and musicians, and is the author of a two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love. In choosing these selections, he admirably sought those which ìrepresent the sound of the individual human voice.î He also looked for writers who had ìrefused to give in to the seductive blandishments of an increasingly mass-produced age.î

In other words, many of these selections bore in on the truth of the subject, no matter how embarrassing or unpleasant it may have been. Thatís the goal of good writing.

You can open to any page and be entertained. The first article I read was Susan Orleanís ìMeet the Shaggs,î published in 1999 in The New Yorker. Was there ever a more curious case than that of these three sisters from Fremont, New Hampshire ó who released the famously dreadful (or wonderful, if you like, Frank Zappa called them, ìBetter than the Beatlesî) Philosophy of the World in 1969 and created a cult which continues to grow?

It turns out Helen, Betty and Dot Wiggin existed in the Bizarro World opposite The Jackson Five. The Wigginsí father forced the teen-agers to practice endlessly ó and to do calisthenics between songs to get into shape ó and then perform at a local hall for years. It didnít matter that the kids in the audience made fun of The Shaggs and pelted them with stuff. Mr. Wiggin figured he could make a hit pop act out of the girls, but all he did was create a basement band famous for the weirdly affecting simplicity of their lyrics and their terrible playing. Years later, Orlean interviews two of the sisters (the third wouldnít talk) and there are allegations of sexual abuse by their father and other craziness. The sisters still donít understand why their album has been re-released twice as CDs.

One of the more interesting longer pieces first appeared in Esquire, a profile of guitarist Ry Cooder, 53, a most talented but shy performer, who has been seen less on-stage than any other player of his stature. If you want to know what Cooderís distinctive style and arranging sound like, listen to The Rolling Stonesí ìHonky Tonk Women.î It seems that while he was working on the Stonesí Let It Bleed, Cooder showed Mick Jagger a little something heíd worked out on the guitar. Later, the Stones released ìHonky Tonk Women,î which sounds exactly like Cooder and nothing like the Stones ever released in 30 years of music.

There is also the sad legacy of legendary blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt, by Heather Heilman in the Memphis Flyer. Hurt had a great influence on other blues composers and considerable late-career popularity, but now his meager estate is being fought over by battling descendants. Heilman doesnít take sides, but presents the often ambiguous claims being made toward a few thousand dollars by people so poor it really matters. Excellent journalism.

And is there any cooler musical family in the country than the Carter family, now joined in marriage to Johnny Cash through June Carter Cash? In ìUnbroken Circle,î Bill Friskics-Warren makes the point that the Carter Familyís attention to folk and country music, beginning in the 1920s, was the seminal event in American popular culture, preserving a legacy which became the foundation for most pop and rock ní roll and all of country music. June Carter Cash sublimated much of her own considerable talent to Cash and their family, but has recently released a new CD.

June Carterís stepdaughter, Roseanne Cash, contributes a charming recollection of growing up steeped in music and of how her father changed her mind about being a performer by taking her on the road. She also chides modern country song writers by reminding them traditional country music was about more than saloons and lost loves ó it was also about family, friends and community.