Sam Savage's first novel, Firmin, chronicled the coming-of-age misadventures of a very literate rat living in a bookstore in Boston's Scollay Square. Garnering praise from authors and...
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This exquisitely written book is at once a review of the album in the context of this insightful series and an offering to anyone curious to interpret music in their own, unique way. Catanzarite has pitched a strong, thoughtful theological interpretation of U2's great record that is easy to read, succinct in style and without dogma. Music is my religion and Stephen's religion includes U2.
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(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
The strength of any argument is directly related to the articulation of that argument. I'm afraid that Rosenberg and Feldman's 211 page rant fails to make a convincing argument because it is so poorly written. The book is an angry diatribe against the News industry for being seduced by speed rather than facts, predicated by the 24/7 news cycle best exemplified by CNN. This is certainly a worthy topic, but the book's narrative style, which is cross between the rhetoric of Jerry Seinfeld and the logic of Bill O'Reilly, fails to present itself in a serious way. It's full of jargon, pseudo-street talk and anger. As a result, the book offers some good examples of bad reportage and the increasing use of opinion as factual information, but if fails to connect our changing technology to the larger picture, offering at the end only a "dose of hope". Our addiction to speed is clearly related to our access and hunger for faster technologies. This book does nothing to enlighten or inform the reader beyond the superficial. A Pulizer prize winner should have done a better job.
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(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
Hayden Childs has written an excellent study of Shoot Out The Lights, complete with song analysis and myth-busting factualness. But I don't understand why the literary device of using a fictional character to tell the story was necessary. Clearly, Childs has the passion and the research to drive the narrative and for me, that's all he needed to write this book.
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(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
David Smay has done his homework. He's been able to dispel a few myths surrounding the life and work of Tom Waits, and still make him mysterious nevertheless. Waits is a unique musician whose song writing and production techniques rarely reveal the man himself. Without saying too much, Smay has written one of the best books in the series so far. It's a great read offering everything you need to know about one of Waits's most important albums yet asking the reader to open one's imagination on the same plane as Tom Waits. Now that's great writing!
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(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
When I was 15 years old, I wanted to explore Classical music for the first time. I subscribed to a series of Lps and was sent the first lot: it was the 9 Symphonies of Beethoven. When it arrived, my father was outraged. "I don't like this kind of music!". I had to return the Lps and cancel my membership. This started the great divide in taste that was to distinguish me from my Dad in more ways than you can imagine. After reading Carl Wilson's book I came to understand the great divide and how one person's music is another person's noise. Is it possible to convert to the music you don't like? Wilson's extraordinary mission to get on the better side of Celine Dion, will make you consider your own sensibilities and why your taste in music is no better than anyone elses. Have fun!
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(11 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
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JohnnyC has commented on (14) products.
U2: Achtung Baby (33 1/3 Series) by Stephen Catanzarite
JohnnyC, January 21, 2009
This exquisitely written book is at once a review of the album in the context of this insightful series and an offering to anyone curious to interpret music in their own, unique way. Catanzarite has pitched a strong, thoughtful theological interpretation of U2's great record that is easy to read, succinct in style and without dogma. Music is my religion and Stephen's religion includes U2.(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
No Time to Think: The Menace of Media Speed and the 24-Hour News Cycle by Howard Rosenberg
JohnnyC, November 19, 2008
The strength of any argument is directly related to the articulation of that argument. I'm afraid that Rosenberg and Feldman's 211 page rant fails to make a convincing argument because it is so poorly written. The book is an angry diatribe against the News industry for being seduced by speed rather than facts, predicated by the 24/7 news cycle best exemplified by CNN. This is certainly a worthy topic, but the book's narrative style, which is cross between the rhetoric of Jerry Seinfeld and the logic of Bill O'Reilly, fails to present itself in a serious way. It's full of jargon, pseudo-street talk and anger. As a result, the book offers some good examples of bad reportage and the increasing use of opinion as factual information, but if fails to connect our changing technology to the larger picture, offering at the end only a "dose of hope". Our addiction to speed is clearly related to our access and hunger for faster technologies. This book does nothing to enlighten or inform the reader beyond the superficial. A Pulizer prize winner should have done a better job.(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
Richard and Linda Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights by Hayden Childs
JohnnyC, October 29, 2008
Hayden Childs has written an excellent study of Shoot Out The Lights, complete with song analysis and myth-busting factualness. But I don't understand why the literary device of using a fictional character to tell the story was necessary. Clearly, Childs has the passion and the research to drive the narrative and for me, that's all he needed to write this book.(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombones (33 1/3 Series) by David Smay
JohnnyC, April 28, 2008
David Smay has done his homework. He's been able to dispel a few myths surrounding the life and work of Tom Waits, and still make him mysterious nevertheless. Waits is a unique musician whose song writing and production techniques rarely reveal the man himself. Without saying too much, Smay has written one of the best books in the series so far. It's a great read offering everything you need to know about one of Waits's most important albums yet asking the reader to open one's imagination on the same plane as Tom Waits. Now that's great writing!(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
Celine Dion: Let's Talk about Love (33 1/3 Series) by Carl Wilson
JohnnyC, January 31, 2008
When I was 15 years old, I wanted to explore Classical music for the first time. I subscribed to a series of Lps and was sent the first lot: it was the 9 Symphonies of Beethoven. When it arrived, my father was outraged. "I don't like this kind of music!". I had to return the Lps and cancel my membership. This started the great divide in taste that was to distinguish me from my Dad in more ways than you can imagine. After reading Carl Wilson's book I came to understand the great divide and how one person's music is another person's noise. Is it possible to convert to the music you don't like? Wilson's extraordinary mission to get on the better side of Celine Dion, will make you consider your own sensibilities and why your taste in music is no better than anyone elses. Have fun!(11 of 18 readers found this comment helpful)
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