Scan barcode
p_scale's review
4.0
Really interesting sociological look on popular music, loses a star because the writer kept assuming that the reader would be like him and the last few chapters were really boring. Other than that its such a good book and you should read it.
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
My music geek heart loved this book of essays, ostensibly about some of the biggest rivalries in popular music - Oasis/Blur, Nirvana/Pearl Jam, Madonna/Cyndi Lauper, Tupac/Biggie. But he connects those rivalries to things bigger than simply that, like what it means to be a fan, why men have a hard time making friends with other men, anxiety about getting older and relaxing into being totally "uncool." You don't have to know a lot about these rivalries to enjoy this engaging, funny, smart book.
I loved this quotation on page 34: "If you're reading this book, there is probably an artist or band whose music you have an intense personal relationship with. I would also guess that this artist or band came into your life during a time when you were highly vulnerable. if this is the case, this artist or band might be the closest thing you had to a confidant. in fact, he, she, or it was better than a confidant, because his/her/its music articulated your own thoughts and feeling better than you ever could. This music elevated the raw materials of your life to the heights of art and poetry. It made you feel as if your personal experience was grander and more meaningful than it might otherwise have been. And naturally you attributed whatever that music was doing to your heart and brain to the people who made the music, and you came to believe that the qualities of the music were also true of the music's creators. "If this music understands me, then the people behind the music must also understand me," goes this line of thought. "
I loved this quotation on page 34: "If you're reading this book, there is probably an artist or band whose music you have an intense personal relationship with. I would also guess that this artist or band came into your life during a time when you were highly vulnerable. if this is the case, this artist or band might be the closest thing you had to a confidant. in fact, he, she, or it was better than a confidant, because his/her/its music articulated your own thoughts and feeling better than you ever could. This music elevated the raw materials of your life to the heights of art and poetry. It made you feel as if your personal experience was grander and more meaningful than it might otherwise have been. And naturally you attributed whatever that music was doing to your heart and brain to the people who made the music, and you came to believe that the qualities of the music were also true of the music's creators. "If this music understands me, then the people behind the music must also understand me," goes this line of thought. "
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
A very well written and fun look at band rivalries. There is a clear understanding that most rivalries are rooted in hopes and speculation and not reality, and this adds to the fun of the book.
You'll agree with some positions of the book, wonder why a rivalry is explored in other portions and get sucked into some of the author's sidetracked rabbit holes. All are worth enjoying.
You'll agree with some positions of the book, wonder why a rivalry is explored in other portions and get sucked into some of the author's sidetracked rabbit holes. All are worth enjoying.
ekb523's review against another edition
2.0
I think if I was more of a fan of the bands in the book I would have liked it, but I had a hard time getting invested.
terroreesa's review against another edition
2.0
don't get me wrong, i thoroughly enjoyed this book. and i actually learned a lot from it, particularly in the chapter on neil young v. lynyrd skynyrd. i had no idea skynyrd was from florida????
the thing is, it's a fun piece of ephemera. i enjoyed it, i learned some stuff, but ultimately there was no point to most of what he was writing. he was reaching quite a bit on some of the larger themes he was trying to draw upon. some of his references were too self-congratulatory.
also, considering that the main thesis of his Prince v. Michael Jackson chapter was that prince won by virtue of surviving, i would think the publishers would have made some effort to correct the manuscript in the weeks after Prince's death. i get that the first run was probably already printed, but when his survival is tantamount to your thesis, the chapter falls apart. it was released after his death, so it's no longer pertinent.
it's fun and quotable. but it's not revelatory in any way.
the thing is, it's a fun piece of ephemera. i enjoyed it, i learned some stuff, but ultimately there was no point to most of what he was writing. he was reaching quite a bit on some of the larger themes he was trying to draw upon. some of his references were too self-congratulatory.
also, considering that the main thesis of his Prince v. Michael Jackson chapter was that prince won by virtue of surviving, i would think the publishers would have made some effort to correct the manuscript in the weeks after Prince's death. i get that the first run was probably already printed, but when his survival is tantamount to your thesis, the chapter falls apart. it was released after his death, so it's no longer pertinent.
it's fun and quotable. but it's not revelatory in any way.
lfraczek's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting read about a lot of rivalries before 'my time.' It definitely was written more to the author's life than people in general, but it was an amusing read nonetheless.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining look at various "musical rivalries" like The Beatles vs. The Stones and Nirvana vs. Pearl Jam. The author mixed in his personal history and current events during each rivalry to help with context and he had a nicely readable style with some humor.
littlemascara's review against another edition
4.0
Caveat: Steve is my friend and has in fact slept in my living room. That said, I loved this book! On one level, it's a walk through famous (and semi-famous) music rivalries. On another, it's about how the music we love shapes us as people and how the personal passions and feuds of our favorite artists contribute to our understanding of ourselves. Really fun.