Rythm Oil

A disjointed but ultimately interesting collection of essays, most of which previously appeared in various publications, Rythm Oil (the title comes from a potion sold in Memphis) is less a journey than a series of snapshots covering 70 years of Southern and Southern-influenced music and performers. Beginning with a dramatized version of bluesman Robert Johnson's infamous encounter with the Devil--``the embodiment of Faustian legend''--Booth ( The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones ) also chronicles his own meetings with such musicians as B. B. King, Furry Lewis, Otis Redding, Keith Richards and a host of others. The book explores, through interview and observation, who influenced and was influenced by these performers. In an introduction to a Rolling Stone article included here about Janis Joplin, Booth writes: ``I slowly awoke to the realization that I was describing the progress of something, a kind of sexy, subversive music,'' which is about as close to stating a central theme as he comes. There is a raucous quality to Booth's style that is in keeping with the lives and music of his subjects. Photos. (Mar.)