The points of issue
US E. P. Dutton hardcover, 1975; octavo, approximately xii plus 375 pages with index. First edition so stated, with no additional printings indicated on the copyright page. The book was revised repeatedly across later editions plus a 50th-anniversary edition, so reprints and revised texts are abundant; a first must be the original unrevised 1975 Dutton text.
Is this the true first?
US Dutton 1975 is the true first. The book was famously revised many times, so a first edition must be the unrevised 1975 text, not a later expanded or anniversary printing carrying new material.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later Plume, Penguin, and Dutton paperback printings exist; any post-1975 edition notation or a later anniversary-edition ISBN indicates a reprint, not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US E. P. Dutton hardcover, 1975; octavo, approximately xii plus 375 pages with index. First edition so stated, with no additional printings indicated on the copyright page. The book was revised repeatedly across later editions plus a 50th-anniversary edition, so reprints and revised texts are abundant; a first must be the original unrevised 1975 Dutton text.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Dutton 1975 is the true first. The book was famously revised many times, so a first edition must be the unrevised 1975 text, not a later expanded or anniversary printing carrying new material.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Numerous later Plume, Penguin, and Dutton paperback printings exist; any post-1975 edition notation or a later anniversary-edition ISBN indicates a reprint, not the first.
I have a first edition of Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.