Songbook

Who better than the author of "High Fidelity" to dissect and ruminate on the art of the Pop Song? I was introduced to this book by a high school teacher who used it as basis for an assignment asking students to create a soundtrack of their lives. As Hornby admits, though, he doesn't select songs with attachment to a particular moment in his life, so much as songs that represent why he loves the verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/maybe solo/chorus style of music above all others. He openly attests that he uses even the most revered Mozart as background noise, that he doesn't get jazz, and he doesn't like music that brings him down. Within those parameters, he finds many areas of music and his own life to expound upon. In doing so, he also turned this reader on to a lot of great music (esp. if you're lucky enough to get the hardcover with included CD). Here are a few choice examples: Born For Me by Paul Westerberg: A song destined for play at a future wedding, but this chapter describes the art of the instrumental solo, and why less is so often more. Hornby exalts Westerberg's plinky-plink piano break by saying, "A bad musician would have picked the wrong four notes." Samba-Pa-Ti by Santana: A hilarious chapter on the song Hornby planned to lose his virginity to. This leads to a great diatribe on songs like "Let's Get It On," and how they're really intended as sex substitutes rather than sex accompaniment. And in a great last laugh, the chapter segues into- Mama, You Been On My Mind by Rod Stewart: This would seem too easy a target, but the author has some real compassion for the guy, and for others who are masters at the lost art of making someone else's song their own. That said, he can't resist some jabs at the rusty-throated one, and if anyone knows where to find Rod's rendition of the Scottish World Cup song (Ole Ola), please let me know. A Minor Incident by Badly Drawn Boy: After the preceding comedy of several chapters, I was completely bowled over by this one; Hornby describes the grieving process of discovering his son's autism, and paints quite a moving picture of their father-son relationship. As the brother of a child with autism, I identified with quite a lot here, and learning later of the book's philanthropic nature (proceeds benefit a school devoted to the education of such populations) have even greater pride in my purchase. Anyone familiar with Badly Drawn Boy or his soundtrack to the film adaptation of Hornby's "About A Boy" will never be able to hear this song the same again. Hornby goes so far as to say that the song his book inspired now means more to him than his book ever could. Through each chapter, Hornby maintains his deft use of phrase and subtle aphorisms, so slyly that you must often re-read passages to catch a clever quip that dares not draw attention to itself. Fans of Hornby's fiction will find no complaints here. A thoroughly engrossing read which lends itself to periodic visitation, but will probably be

Anybody who has read (or seen the movie of) High Fidelity knows that Nick Hornby knows his music. Well, he's just proven it again with his writing in 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.

I thoroughly enjoyed not only the book, filled with excellent essays about Nick's favorite songs, but the CD is a great bonus, as well. I loved it! I bought two extras as presents. It was like having a good friend burn a CD for you, with new and old stuff, and then being able to tell you, or write you, thoughtful, insightful, funny and touching stories behind each selection. If only more artists did this--pick 20 or so songs of their favorites, so we can be exposed to the great music that is out there. I highly recommend this.

1 Paul Westerberg - Born For Me2 Teenage Fanclub - Your Love is the Place Where I Come From3 The Bible - Glorybound4 Aimee Mann - I've Had It5 Rufus Wainwright - One Man Guy6 Rod Stewart - Mama You Been On My Mind7 Badly Drawn Boy - A Minor Incident8 Teenage Fanclub - Ain't That Enough9 Ben Folds Five - Smoke10 Mark Mulcahy - Hey Self Defeater11 Ani DiFranco - You Had TimeThe book is genuinely more engaging than his pop music criticism for The New Yorker as he is obviously writing with his heart as opposed to his head.