Cover Image: Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band

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Member Reviews

Redbone is told much in the same way Daisy Jones and the Six or The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, an interview with flashbacks to the past, but this time in graphic novel format. The distinction between timelines is told through the color of the pages background, white for present day and a tan for the past. We start our story in 1960 where the idea for the band was first conceptualized with brothers Pat and Lolly. Over the years, and the rest of the book, we watch as band members change, record deals are made, songs are written, and the social climate surrounding Native Americans changes, thus further influencing the course of the band.

I really liked the idea of this title, especially being a massive fan of oral history style books based on music from the 60s-80s. I had never heard of Redbone before either, so it was insightful to me to also learn of a new group. I was also pleasantly surprised how much history they were able to squeeze into this little book, especially that which directly impacted the band. My only complaint about this book, which is the reason I rated it so low and almost didn't even finish the whole book: the lack of panels. I don't know if the illustrator was trying to do something different or be unique, but it was so difficult trying to read this without panels to guide me on what I should be reading next. If only a few pages or even the present day sections looked like that, I could've forgiven the whole thing and made it through the story with no issue. But the lack of panels made this book impossible to read. I kept getting confused and lost and having to reread portions just to find the right path the text was supposed to be read in. It was very frustrating, and I'm an avid sequential art reader! I can't imagine someone not used to the format already, trying to pick this up just because they want to read about Redbone, they would never be able to finish it. And that's really sad too since it was such a great read outside of that.

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I would like to read Redbone at some point. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance just yet. Giving 3 stars for now as a place holder.

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IA great non-fiction graphic novel for those new to the genre and good read if you are a fan of Redbone or not.

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An impressive tale that depicts the story of Redbone. I thought that the choice to have this in graphic novel form really strengthened the story and brought it to life.

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Really original and interesting, even more so knowing that it is a true story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book.

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This is a really long winded graphic novel. While it tells a great story that isn’t well known, it is too long for a middle school library. Definitely recommended to students interested in musical history.

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This was an amazing graphic novel about a band I didn't know the history of. I had heard one of their popular songs but knew nothing else. It was amazing to see their history and everything they were fighting for. You hear stories about the struggles of Native Americans and how they had to fight for their rights, but this book is a great example of how hard that was, its something we can learn from. I really loved the art style and how it perfectly captured the 60s.

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Interesting story witch is filled with a topic that I dont think is used much in modern storys especially of the genre of this. It was an interesting read for sure, and if you think it will interest you, it probably will

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Graphic novels are a great vehicle to bring diverse stories to the masses, and the story of Redbone is no exception to lending itself well to the format. The art style is a bit gritty and utilizes a limited colour palette, which works. There are no punches pulled in the expression of the themes of rock 'n' roll and social justice, while Pat and Lolly Vegas are depicted as true trailblazers.

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This was a biographical graphic fiction text about Redbone, the all Native American rock band from the 70s/80s. The illustrations are great and the story is awesome! This group used their fame for political activism to make positive change. Although several of the land claim issues are still being fought today, this band made a difference, as well as, really great music!

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Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni is a graphic novel geared toward YA/adult. Their most famous song “Come and Get Your Love” brings back the memories of the college years for me way long before Guardians of the Galaxy, LOL! This is the story of the first Native American band to reach the Billboard Hot 100 and their fight for their civil rights. This graphic novel is one that has beautiful illustrations and tells their story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

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An incredible true story that shows the unique history behind this rock band. In addition, the artwork is wonderful.

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This was a fantastic graphic novel. I learned a lot about this band that I didn't know before reading this. If you're a music fan then I think that this would be right up your alley!

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Prior to seeing the blurb on this title and seeing the tie to Guardians of the Galaxy's soundtrack, I couldn't have told you that Redbone even existed. I am so glad to have not only learned more about the band behind that song but to also learn more about the history of civil rights movements for Native Americans. Often times when we are discussing social issues in the United States we gloss over the experience of Native Americans. Staebler dives in and gives us a first hand look at the lives of the different men who made up the band over the years and their individual stories that lead to them becoming musicians and members of one the first all Native American rock groups. Added bonus to the story was learning about PJ Vegas, the son of one of the founding members, and discovering his music as well. I'll look forward to hopefully some more history graphics from Staebler and more of the muter art from Paoloni that so perfectly captured the story of Redbone.

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I really enjoyed this quick read! I thought that it gave a good amount of background knowledge without leaving me feeling like it was being jammed down my throat. I also think this would be a good read for a book club.

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*I received this book as an eARC from IDW Publishing via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I was familiar with some Redbone songs, but I did not know the story of the band's origin. This is a biographical graphic novel that follows the members of the band starting in the late 1950s. There's also a paired story in the modern time within the book. These kind of stories deserve to be told. I just really wish this particular book was more captivating.

I found the formatting of the book difficult to follow. I read a lot of graphic novel and I found myself unsure where on the page to read next. I ended up reading many sentences out of order, I think. There isn't a clear through-line to guide you through the historic events. It's awesome to see the cameos of other famous musicians during that time period, but they didn't blend well with the story. It seemed like the book followed the chain of events that happened in reality, but there wasn't a story to follow that really kept me gripped. I found myself casually flipping ahead while perusing the pages.

I give this book a 3/5. The content and historical facts were super interesting, but the artwork and the storytelling methods used did not compliment them well. I'm glad I read this book because it led to me researching more about the band and listening to their music on Spotify.

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An excellent look into one of music history’s well-known artists. Redbone may not be well-known by name to younger listeners, but anyone who has seen Guardians of the Galaxy is sure to have heard one of their greatest hits: Come and Get Your Love.

The art in this illustrated nonfiction work is beautiful and easy to follow. Differing styles differentiate between past memories and the modern time in which the story is told. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys music history or just history as a whole.

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Rebone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band is an excellent addition to the nonfiction graphic novel canon. Told as if from one member to his children, we're lead through the story of the band, though not necessarily in a linear fashion. Highly suggested for all adult collections and teen collections where Redbone's music could be a heavy draw.

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Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this graphic novel.

This is an interesting story. So much cool information that filled in the gaps of my knowledge of music in the 70s. I thought the color scheme/design was fitting.

I did find the structure a bit confusing sometimes, and there were longer stretches of exposition (talking about AIM and other Native movements) that slowed the flow. Again, valuable information, but the structure of moving between a casual conversation at a bar with friends/family to the flashbacks wasn't always fluid.

As an adult, I enjoyed this information because I had so much prior knowledge to hang new knowledge on. I wonder/hope students will have the same level of engagement.

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Very interesting biography on a band I was not super familiar with told in graphic form. Short, easy read that covered the rise and fall of the band and its members.

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