obrioye's review against another edition
2.0
this man really just wrote every random thought he had about the songs he likes and put it in a book
carroq's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
As the title indicates, this book is centered around music and how it relates to aspects of our lives. I like the setup for the chapters. Each one starts with a heading page introducing the topic(s), the next page lists music selections the writer associates with the topic, and then there is an essay about it. Sometimes the topics seemed loosely connected to the music selected, although I was not familiar with many of the songs. That didn't stop me from enjoying the writing because the pertinent details of the music are discussed.
I ended up reading this book on my phone, which is the first time I've used it in that capacity. This book lent itself really well to doing so. Each chapter is relatively short, taking about 5 or 6 minutes to read. So it was pretty easy to open it up and read a small chunk when I had an opportunity without dropping out in the middle of a chapter. I could digest it in smaller chunks rather than trying to sit down and read the whole thing in one go. This gave me some time to reflect back on what Greenman was trying to say at times, which may have made it more enjoyable for me.
His writing reminds me a bit of Chuck Klosterman without being quite so cynical. There are times where his stories put me off, but the honesty behind them kept me reading. He talks quite a bit about how he relates to music. It really is about relationships though. Whether it is something that he experienced directly, or just something he noticed through song or from watching others, there is insight here that should resonate with readers. It is a very personal journey and I'm glad to have had a chance to tag along.
As the title indicates, this book is centered around music and how it relates to aspects of our lives. I like the setup for the chapters. Each one starts with a heading page introducing the topic(s), the next page lists music selections the writer associates with the topic, and then there is an essay about it. Sometimes the topics seemed loosely connected to the music selected, although I was not familiar with many of the songs. That didn't stop me from enjoying the writing because the pertinent details of the music are discussed.
I ended up reading this book on my phone, which is the first time I've used it in that capacity. This book lent itself really well to doing so. Each chapter is relatively short, taking about 5 or 6 minutes to read. So it was pretty easy to open it up and read a small chunk when I had an opportunity without dropping out in the middle of a chapter. I could digest it in smaller chunks rather than trying to sit down and read the whole thing in one go. This gave me some time to reflect back on what Greenman was trying to say at times, which may have made it more enjoyable for me.
His writing reminds me a bit of Chuck Klosterman without being quite so cynical. There are times where his stories put me off, but the honesty behind them kept me reading. He talks quite a bit about how he relates to music. It really is about relationships though. Whether it is something that he experienced directly, or just something he noticed through song or from watching others, there is insight here that should resonate with readers. It is a very personal journey and I'm glad to have had a chance to tag along.
rouge386's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read, but I enjoyed it. Mostly because he applies the songs he discusses to events and conversations he has in his life the same way I do. I saw that a lot of the negative reviews were about the songs being obscure or ones readers had never heard of, but the essays are about life, not about the songs. So I don't think the fact I hadn't heard most of these songs had a negative effect on my reading experience. If you listen to music because the lyrics speak to you and help you understand that others are experiencing the same life events that you are, I think you'll enjoy this book.
parisabell's review against another edition
2.0
Music is very big to me and the idea of a book that talks about the emotional importance of music seemed like such a good fit for me. I don't know if it was the songs he chose or the stories he told, but I couldn't connect with this book like I'd hoped to do.
mdabernig's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I would enjoy this more than I did - I think the idea was good and some of the essays struck a cord with me, but for whatever reason, I just didn't seem to get any sort of connection with this book. Perhaps if I go back to it at another time, I will feel differently, but right now, all I really got out this was some pretty great song recs.
dariazeoli's review
3.0
More a 2.5 than 3 star book. I received the Kindle version thru Goodreads Giveaways. I wish I'd liked it as much as I like essays on music and life, but aside from a few moments, this fell flat for me.
trangham283's review against another edition
3.0
OK book. I got the audio upgrade with the Kindle First version so the narrator's style made it more interesting. There were good/funny parts and others not as memorable.
catsofdeath's review
1.0
This book was horrible. I feel like the author really never says anything meaningful or wise. There is nothing I connect to and he seriously seems very self absorbed. I was so excited to read this book and by the time I finished it I feel like I can safely say I hate the author. If this is really him, he is very selfish. And none of the music really related to what he was saying. It's just like he wanted a book to show all the great songs he knows. Next time just to a list on listopia if that site is still around.
acgood's review
2.0
I won a Kindle copy of this through a Goodreads giveaway.
When I saw the Goodreads rating for this before starting in, I cringed. Less than three stars on Goodreads is a feat reserved for those that have pissed off the general public, or really bad books. I kept that in mind going in, and to be honest, it's not that bad of a book writing-wise. It's just the execution of the premise that keeps it back.
The idea is a great one - writing essays on themes presented in your favorite songs. I've done that before myself. However these essays suffer from the same two problems; they're too short, and try to write about too many songs at once. He never is able to give either the theme or the songs he's writing about a fair enough shake. He seems to just get close to developing something when he wraps it up and is done, never really fully addressing anything that he has brought up.
It's the poor execution that keeps it at a two for me. I really can't give it anything more than that because it has a lot of technical issues. Greenman writes nice prose, but his plotting and structuring needs work.
When I saw the Goodreads rating for this before starting in, I cringed. Less than three stars on Goodreads is a feat reserved for those that have pissed off the general public, or really bad books. I kept that in mind going in, and to be honest, it's not that bad of a book writing-wise. It's just the execution of the premise that keeps it back.
The idea is a great one - writing essays on themes presented in your favorite songs. I've done that before myself. However these essays suffer from the same two problems; they're too short, and try to write about too many songs at once. He never is able to give either the theme or the songs he's writing about a fair enough shake. He seems to just get close to developing something when he wraps it up and is done, never really fully addressing anything that he has brought up.
It's the poor execution that keeps it at a two for me. I really can't give it anything more than that because it has a lot of technical issues. Greenman writes nice prose, but his plotting and structuring needs work.