Skip to main content

How Music Works by David Byrne



Review: How Music Works
David Byrne
2017
Three Rivers Press

The back cover lists several adjectives---brilliantly original, fascinating, extraordinary, dazzling, essential, and absorbing---to describe this book.   I think that pretty well covers most of the endorsements and reviews that are out there already. 
 
How Music WorksI liked the cover and that’s pretty much why I picked the book, that and I am interested in music.  The author’s name rang no bells for me.  As I read through the endorsements I discovered that I probably had seen or heard some of his music.  My kids both knew not only his name, but some of his music.  I must’ve been listening to another sort of music at the time.  However, all that has been corrected now.

I read the book as presented, but as the author mentioned early on, it could be read in any order.  Each chapter is a unique entity of its own.  There’s some of Byrne’s personal history interspersed with some topical essays that intertwined with information and comment.  I think the only chapters I skimmed were the compensation discussion and the last chapter that felt like something written trying to tie it all together.  Or maybe I was just tired that day.  The narrative is dense and I discovered that it was more enjoyable to read a little and then come back for more later.  I found myself thinking about what I’d read and talking to others about it.  I’d say this book lived up to its back cover.  His comments were well stated, insightful, and just down right intelligent.  Doesn’t get much better.  I liked this book and particularly enjoyed his sharing his creative processes. 

I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to think more deeply about music.

I received this book from the publisher in return for a review.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: When God’s Ways Make No Sense by Dr. Larry Crabb

Review: When God’s Ways Make No Sense Dr. Larry Crabb Baker Books 2018 I chose this book because the title intrigued me.   When God’s Ways Make No Sense.    There have been plenty of times when that seemed truer than I’d like to admit.   Are we even allowed to say something like that?   Even if we think it.   So, an author willing to take on that topic had my attention. And mostly because I wanted his take on what to do about it? As it turns out Crabb pretty much gave away his case very early on in his book with a single scripture quote.   The basic idea is God is GOD and we are not.   His motives and actions are incomprehensible to mankind and He owes no explanation for them either.   Crabb admits near the end of his book that he is not a theologian which I knew going into this book, but his arguments are theology.   Or at least I think so.   I found his repeated circling the topic a bit frustrating. ...
1 comment
Read more

Buntings and Books

Time to blog says the calendar. So OK let's blog. What about? Oil spills? Court nominees? Euro problems? Weather? The last one is the easiest to go with it looks like. Cold and windy again. What is this about? Not more than a week ago it looked like summer. Even needed fans to cool the place. Well, the fans are off now. Nature has provided some pre-cooled forced air for a few days now, complete with humidity adjustments ie rain. Keeps the ground cold and the urge to garden at bay. Protection for those of us who aren't in the best physical condition. The weather has the birds on the feeder more often and that included a new one in the area. We've decided to call it an indigo bunting. Matches the picture in the book so that's got to be who he is. Pretty little guy, all decked out in his breeding plumage. Haven't seen those colors since the last peacock came around. Just read that cowbirds like to use them to raise their chicks. Yet another reason t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Anatomy of the Soul

Anatomy of the Soul Curt Thompson. M.D. Salt River, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2010 This is the most helpful,insightful book I’ve read in a long time. There’s advice, guidance, explanations and examples to illustrate discussion offered by the author. Best of all, for me anyway, it explains some of what I had suspected about how things work all along. Dr. Thompson links human anatomy and physiology to the spiritual part of our being throughout the text. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. And God uses His creation of the physical body in amazing ways. The author does a great job showing God’s wisdom found in research and the discoveries that science has made recently in neuroscience. Whether science wants to or not, it is describing the wonders of creation. Read this book. The text will require thought, evaluation, and time to go through. The author’s writing style is quite readable and he covers the material well. While this isn’t a how to or self help boo...
4 comments
Read more