the music book recommendation beat goes on. lists from people with different musical tastes and points of view - that is what we are aiming for here. several more parts still to come.
previously:part 1, u2 reading listpart 2, best rock bios part 3 of the music reading list veers off to new terrain, as
heather goes outside of the box to recommend four books, two of which aren't music tomes at all, but are stories in which "the characters listen to a lot of cool music." these books make you
feel the music, which is fitting because that is exactly what heather does so well on her site
i am fuel, you are friends.
here are a few book recommendations and thoughts from heather: Songbook
by Nick HornbyIf you've ever popped by my site, you may notice that I have a quote from this book on the main page because Hornby has this massive gift of being able to say what I would love to say about music and loving it passionately. He says, "I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part...."
This collection of short essays on 31 different songs that Hornby loves is engaging and articulate, funny and very readable. His musical tastes are far-ranging and although you'd think he is writing about the songs, in many cases he's just using it as the lens to look at life itself. I'd say it is my favorite book about music out there, from one of my favorite music writers.
Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley
by David BrowneAn astonishingly well-researched and thorough biography of one of my most beloved artists ever, the illuminated Jeff Buckley, and that of his father, folk-singer Tim Buckley. After reading it, I feel a bit more in love with the music, somewhat eviscerated by the sad details of untimely deaths, and pensive over all the history that I didn't know. I highly recommend the book to fans of Jeff or Tim Buckley, or even to just your average music lover. It's engaging and readable even if you know nothing about either man. Both were fascinating in their complexity and their premature deaths stand in stark contrast to what I feel were their weighty contributions to the field of "good music."
Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger Makes me sound like a girly girl by the title but I swear it is NOT that kind of book. Dude is always involuntarily traveling through time and meeting his wife at different stages in her life. Then he spends time scouring record stores, attending Violent Femmes shows and discussing punk rock with two high school kids in the kitchen at a Christmas party. I enjoyed it.
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
by Dave Eggers (re-read)Please tell me you've read this book. This paragraph is the only thing you need to know to entice you to read it (setting - protagonist and little brother have had both their parents recently die. Protagonist is college age, they are relocating to CA):
"We drive past Half Moon Bay and Pacifica and Seaside, the condos on the left and the surfers on the right, the ocean exploding pink. We pass through cheering eucalyptus and waving pines, cars reflect wildly as they come at us . . . Our car thrums loudly and I turn up the radio because I can. I drum the steering wheel with open palms, then fists, because I can. Toph looks at me. I nod gravely. In this world, in our new world, there will be rocking. We will pay tribute to musicmakers like Journey, particularly if this is a Two-For-Tuesday, which means inevitably one of the songs will be:
Just a small-town girl..."There are times when I am concerned about Toph's expression when I'm really singing, with vibrato and all, singing the guitar parts - his expression one that to the untrained eye might look like abject terror, or revulsion - but I know well enough that it is awe. I deserve his awe. I am an extraordinary singer."
visit heather at i am fuel, you are friends
feedback and suggestions to add to any of the lists are always welcome. related:part 4: dr. bob k's list focuses on the beatles
