Cheap Songbook (Book) (Nick Hornby) Price

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Customer Reviews of Songbook

Songbook is a collection of short essays describing his thoughts and feelings (often tangential associations) regarding songs by Teenage Fanclub, Nelly Furtado, Aimee Mann and Ani Difranco, Bob Dylan and the Beatles, Suicide, and others. There aren't 31 essays because Hornby often combines linked thoughts about two different songs in one essay. He delves deep into his personal likes and dislikes and, in the process, has produced a book that is almost a "how-to" of cool. He feels no shame in liking pop music, as long as it's good pop music. What that consists of you'll have to read to find out.

If this were just a book about music, that would be good enough for it to find a place on my music reference shelf (where it fits in quite nicely next to my Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll and my Rolling Stone Record Guide), but it's also--as good reviews are--a portrait of the man himself and the state in which he experienced the songs.

Hornby tells us how he doesn't like to listen to depressing music anymore because life's depressing enough--the only people who can afford to listen to it are those to whom nothing really bad has happened to, he says. He also mention how his book About a Boy--which was inspired by, but is not about, his son--led to a song being on the soundtrack of the movie adaptation that somehow managed to be precisely about his son. It's these kinds of musings that give you entry into the mind of an artist and make him into a real person, not just someone who is paid to entertain you. I found that in many ways, I identified with Hornby and the place he was in his life when he wrote these essays. And that made the reading experience all the more real for me.

This paperback edition is lacking the CD that accompanied the hardcover edition, but in its place are five new essays not appearing in that printing, including another about Aimee Mann--focusing on her album, Bachelor No. 2--and an album review of a Los Lobos boxed set that are just as good as the others. Then, at the very end, he lists some particular recommendations that any music fan would do well to take into consideration.

Songbook isn't just a book of music criticism, it's one man's autobiography in time. Pick it up.

Great book by a thoughtful writer
If you're familiar with Nick Hornby, then you already know he's a huge music fan. In "Songbook", he writes short (each one is about 3-6 pages long) essay pieces discussing some of his favorite songs. His selections are unique and his insights are often wry and humorous. He's truly able to explain what these songs mean to him and what music in general means to fans: how it inspires us and informs the other areas of our lives. The book is an enjoyable (and very quick) read. The accompanying "mix" CD features several of the songs from the book and serves as a great introduction to these bands.

If I have a complaint with this book (and it's a very minor one), it's that some of the essays only tangentially explore their corresponding song. For example, the combined Dylan/Beatles essay only mentions the Beatles "Rain" in the very last paragraph of the essay and it's rather glossed over. This is a minor flaw overall, however, and I highly recommend this book to all music lovers. It will make you think about your passion in some new ways and it will also expose you to lots of great new music.

Love Music
Hornby loves music. He expresses his love in this short book of essays. When he talks about music, he means pop, but not in the narrow sense of the term. Pop by his definition includes rock, reggae, country, R&B, rap, and so on. Through examining 31 songs, Hornby explores the many facets of pop. Some people would claim that pop is just junk or throw-away music, but Hornby claims this is actually one of the good points of pop music. Pop doesn't reach for immortality because it has the maturity to admit that immortality is impossible. Hornby is particularly critical of classical music. He claims it makes no sense to listen to music that has already been over-analyzed and has had the life drained out of it. There's nothing new to learn or experience. Whereas pop fans will always find something new or refreshing. Fans of pop enjoy the mystery of "figuring out" a song and when they're done, they move on to the next one. The puzzle is never complete. The challenge is eternal.

If you're a fan of music, you have to read this book. Even if you don't agree with Hornby's opinions, you'll think about pop music in a different way. You'll find new life in your CD collection. Rediscover your love of music.