Whistle While You Read

You don’t have to know me long to know that two of my passions are music and reading. When the two combine, I am a happy guy.

There are, of course, a plethora of books written by and about musicians and music itself. Most people would assume that the reader would need to have an interest in the artist or genre being written about to enjoy a given book, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily true.

So I submit the following books as recommendations of music books for non-music geeks.

1. Love Is A Mixtape: Life And Loss One Song At A Time-Rob Sheffield
   Rob Sheffield is a contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine, and this is his true, tragic love story. The book uses music and the mixtapes made by Rob and the love of his life Renee to frame their all too brief story. This book both will warm your heart and break it. It is a beautiful work that illustrates the power of music as a joyful expression, a melancholy reminder, and ultimately a healer. Music fans of any genre will no doubt relate. If you’re not a music fan, the story will keep you reading along, and perhaps give you some new music to discover. Recommended for everyone.
2. Traveling Music: Playing Back The Soundtrack To My Life And Times-Neil Peart
   Neil Peart (RIP) was the drummer/lyricist for progressive rock band Rush. He is often referred to as the greatest drummer of all time, and is known for intelligent, thought provoking lyrics. His second career was as a travel writer, telling the stories of his (mostly) solo travels and adventures. This book tells the story of one such trip while discussing the music he brought along to loosen to in the car and discussing the impact these particular albums had on his life. The music featured is perhaps a bit more varied than one would think, from jazz to alternative rock and more. Part travelogue, part music review, part autobiography, all good.
3. The Facts Of Life And Other Dirty Jokes-Willie Nelson
   Willie Nelson is a unique American voice, and this is my favorite of the several books he has authored. It features many stories from Willie’s life and career, along with the lyrics to related songs. There are wise observations, tender moments, and laugh out loud stories from all aspects of Nelson’s life. There are also, as the title implies, just a lot of dirty jokes. So if that’s not your thing, maybe give this one a pass. For the rest of us, it’s a fun read.
4. Man In Black-Johnny Cash
   On the other side of the coin, we have this autobiography by Johnny Cash. Yes, it is his life’s tale, but it is also the story of his faith. Cash has always been known to have a dark side that balances the more evangelical bent to his work. This is Johnny Cash diving in to explain at least a little bit of both. Ultimately it is the story of his own redemption. I’ll tell you the truth, I read this book at the exact right time in my life, and it did more for my own spiritual journey than countless sermons, hymns, and Sunday School classes ever did.
5. Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changes Rock, R&B and Pop-Marc Myers
   Okay, this one might be aimed a little bit more at the music obsessed, but anyone who is interested in the artistic process should find plenty to like here. While this book does not claim to include the greatest songs ever written (though some would qualify), it does do a very good job at putting the featured songs into historical perspective. There are tons of stories about the inspiration behind these tunes, and the sometimes strange stories of how they came to be. Informative and well written.

All right, that should get you started. There are tons more books I could recommend, and I may well do that soon, but these are, I think, a good introduction to the world of music literature for the uninitiated. Keep reading, keep listening, and keep coming back here for more MonDAVEs.