31 Songs
by
Nick Hornby
There is nothing quite so incomprehensible as love: 31 Songs is Nick Hornby's account of a selection of the music that lives deep in his heart and it is beside the point that most of us would make radically different selections. He makes some useful distinctions--these are not songs he loves for their associations so much as particular songs through which he learned more a...more
Paperback
Published
February 24th 2005
by Penguin
(first published December 15th 2002)
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the original hardcover edition is the one to get. it's all made up nice to resemble a mix tape you made back in high school and handed, sweaty palm and all, to the girl you were madly in love with. she was all long brown hair and old striped izod shirts that were hand-me-downs from her older brother or father. and afterwards. days later. you sat on a guardrail in a parking lot and talked about the songs. and the sun was setting over telephone wires on beat-up cars and still. it was a perfect lan...more
Apr 12, 2010
Alison
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
music lovers, Hornby lovers (is there a difference?)
A couple of times a year I make myself a tape to play in the car, a tape full of all the new songs I've loved over the previous few months, and every time I finish one I can't believe they'll be another. Yet there always is, and I can't wait for the next one; you need only a few hundred more things like that, and you've got a life worth living.
I love Nick Hornby. I love his voice. And I love that he's so neurotically obsessive about the things that he loves.
Here he dissects 31 of his favorite s...more
I love Nick Hornby. I love his voice. And I love that he's so neurotically obsessive about the things that he loves.
Here he dissects 31 of his favorite s...more
Bueno, no es una novela, ni un ensayo, ni una crítica musical (como se esfuerza en recordarnos el autor constantemente).... es una mirada sobre 31 canciones que de alguna manera u otra han calado en Hornby, bien sentimentalmente, bien por otros motivos más "musicales". No puedo evitarlo, Hornby me cae bien, me gusta como escribe, y es un fan de la música, como yo, aunque no tenga su nivel de conocimientos seguramente... pero el libro destila pasión y eso es lo que me atrapa, aunque no compartamo...more
What could perhaps described as autobiographical music criticism. Anyone who knows me knows I frequently cite the often miss attributed quote "writing about music is like dancing about architecture" (Costello? Monk? Mingus? Kant?) so this book is kinda like that. Plus, Hornby frequently comes across as an old, liberal fart, especially in his descriptions of 21st century pop music and hip hop BUT HE KNOWS HES AN OLD LIBERAL FART AND HE REALLY LOVES Nelly Furtado so that sort of makes it OK doesn'...more
“You could, if you were perverse, argue that you’ll never hear England by listening to English pop music. The Beatles and the Stones were, in their formative years, American cover bands that sang with American accents; the Sex Pistols were The Stooges with bad teeth and a canny manager, and Bowie was an art-school version of Jackson Browne until he saw the New York Dolls.”
So begins Nick Hornby’s chapter on why England’s national anthem should change (shouldn’t they all?) from “God Save the Quee...more
So begins Nick Hornby’s chapter on why England’s national anthem should change (shouldn’t they all?) from “God Save the Quee...more
En este libro, NH se dedica lo que sabe: escribir y contar cosas. Es un libro en el que nos cuenta su relación con 31 canciones, tanto las que le han marcado como las que le recuerdan algo de su vida, como las que le sugieren cosas nuevas. Este NH es un melómano de cuidado. Leyéndole uno tiene la impresión de que nunca llegará a escuchar tanta música como él.
Ya que el libro iba de canciones, se me ocurrió algo. Me fui a radio mula y sintonicé las 31 canciones, que fui escuchando a razón de una –...more
Ya que el libro iba de canciones, se me ocurrió algo. Me fui a radio mula y sintonicé las 31 canciones, que fui escuchando a razón de una –...more
A nice, breezy little insight into the music half of Nick Hornby's brain (the other half would be equal parts football and writing, I suppose). It feels a bit loose and seat of pants-y (which, again, I suppose, is the point) but there are too many references to Nelly fucking Furtado. But there are also two Teenage Fanclub songs on the list, so I guess that balances it out. Songbook worked the best when Hornby went on about songs that inspired bits and pieces of his books (the part about Badly Dr...more
Dec 27, 2011
Noel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
music lovers
Recommended to Noel by:
Garrett Lemons
I love Nick Hornby. I enjoy his non-fiction, essay style and am inconceivably envious over the freedom he has in expression. Some of his verbiage and description out of reach for me merely because I lack the gumption to be as wittily vulgar. (My favourite line from the book was something like: as a writer "everything should be effing effable, otherwise what's the point?") Most of the music reviewed, I'm sad to say, I haven't experienced very much. But much like Rob Sheffield's Talking to Girls...more
Sep 26, 2011
Patrick McCoy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
music,
non-fiction
Nick Hornby has been a part of mainstream culture for a while now, and I didn't bother with his last novel, How to Be Good. But I heard good things about Songbook and have read occasional essays about music by him in the New Yorker. I bought it and finally got around to reading and really enjoyed it. I like his conversational tone and self-depreciating humor. The essays are general and personal the same time. I am not familiar with all the songs and disagree with some of his picks, but it still...more
I've never read hornby before - though of course i saw high fidelity, because (as everyone knows) all movies set in indie record stores are must-sees. it's the second book i have read that makes me nostalgic for the days of mixed tapes and mixed cds - despite the fact that my ipod & the internet have allowed me to explore ever broadening musical tastes - i was reminded of the art of one perfect song. my friends will suffer for this at christmas, no doubt.
i came away with a renewed appreciati...more
i came away with a renewed appreciati...more
I've been a Nick Hornby fan ever since I read High Fidelity and was blown away by what I consider to be one of the best "pop" novels ever written. But ever since reading High Fidelity, I've felt let down by his work. It's not that the other novels aren't enjoyable, but they don't emanate the same kind of raw honesty and personal meaning that High Fidelity did for me. There was something about that book that just seems very true to me.
That said, this is best book I've read by him since High Fidel...more
That said, this is best book I've read by him since High Fidel...more
Rummaging through the music section of my library one day, I found Songbook by Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About A Boy, and immediately brought it home. There’s nothing better than coming across someone who enjoys music and can write about it with skill and verve.
Songbook is basically a collection of reflections on 31 songs, not his all-time “best of” list, but rather, songs which he’s listened to over and over again and which he wanted to write something about. Thus he has essays o...more
Songbook is basically a collection of reflections on 31 songs, not his all-time “best of” list, but rather, songs which he’s listened to over and over again and which he wanted to write something about. Thus he has essays o...more
Nick Hornby starts out the book by saying that these will not be essays about the memories these song invoke, so "Love is a Mix Tape" this is not. However, he has quite a few things to say about the thoughts these songs might generate. And being Nick Hornby, he does state everything quite well. This book did inspire me to look up quite a few of these songs and give them a listen. I just wish that the CD included with the book included all of the songs he mentions, rather than just a few. I feel...more
'31 Songs' isn't as profound as it thinks it is; it's a fun, quick read and rather enjoyable for the most part. But I still don't get why Hornby's musical taste is any more interesting to read about than mine (or yours), apart from the fact that he's a 'name' author. I reckon I could have written something just as interesting, but (probably like Hornby) I've found that my views on music are a great way to scare girls away.
I would have given this 3 stars, but I've just started reading Lester Bang...more
I would have given this 3 stars, but I've just started reading Lester Bang...more
Knew instinctively I would love this book and it's been on my shelf for ages but thought that reading it without listening to the music would be like someone describing to you, in great detail, their favourite chocolate bar then handing you the empty wrapper.
But if you do it properly - find somewhere quiet (a rare commodity, and the reason it's taken me so long to finish it), read a chapter, listen to the song(s) - it gives the delicious sensation of being gently seduced. Because while The Mix T...more
But if you do it properly - find somewhere quiet (a rare commodity, and the reason it's taken me so long to finish it), read a chapter, listen to the song(s) - it gives the delicious sensation of being gently seduced. Because while The Mix T...more
I definitely think this book (at least the first half of it) is a must-read for anyone who is very interested in music. He uses various songs (often surprising selections) as examples for what makes music important/enjoyable/valuable. In many of the chapters/articles he will describe exactly why one might shy away from, dismiss or dislike a particular artist, song or genre and then essentially give you a very valid explanation for why that isn't acceptable. I feel like it's not only fun to hear...more
p. 43 ...the best music connects to the soul, not the brain, and I worry that all this Dylan-devotion is somehow antimusic - that it tells us that the heart doesn't count, and only the head matters.
p. 49-50 "All art constantly aspires toward the condition of music," Walter Pater said, in one of the only lines of criticism that has ever meant anything to me (if I could write music, I'd never have bothered with books); music is such a pure form of self-expression, and lyrics, because they consist...more
p. 49-50 "All art constantly aspires toward the condition of music," Walter Pater said, in one of the only lines of criticism that has ever meant anything to me (if I could write music, I'd never have bothered with books); music is such a pure form of self-expression, and lyrics, because they consist...more
I'm a big fan of Nick Hornby, partially because I relate so much to his musical references. So I really enjoyed these essays on songs. I especially like that I don't share all the same tastes in music, but I do share his passion, obsessive nature, and desire to discuss music at length. As an artist I really related to his feeling that sometimes when he writes he is trying to evoke a song, even though the reader will probably never realize this. I've had the same experience with painting. In fact...more
I wanted to give this book five stars, because I can't really fault it at all, but at the end of the day it didn't change my life or blow me away with it's artistic majesty, so four will have to do. Just know that while Nick Hornby may not be the most literary example of writers in our contemporary culture, he certainly is brilliant.
This particular collection of songs that actually mean something to the author, is a great read. Any book that makes me laugh out loud gets bonus marks in my world a...more
This particular collection of songs that actually mean something to the author, is a great read. Any book that makes me laugh out loud gets bonus marks in my world a...more
(Written by my husband Edward) "This is an amazing collection by one of my absolute favorite contemporary authors on the subject of pop songs. I know, I know...when most people hear the words 'pop music' images of boy bands and bubble-gum dance through their skulls. This is a mistake. Pop music is more like a medium than a genre. Like the three minute song with wicked hooks that goes 'Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus-Chorus' is equivalent to a novel; any book of fiction between 100-1000 p...more
Throughout this book, Mr. Hornby promotes the case for loving disposable, easy-to-listen-to pop music, arguing (quite reasonably, in my view) that you cannot eat caviar and drink champagne every day. Towards the end of the book, however, he complains that he no longer has time to assimilate a new pop song and enjoy it before he starts hearing it at the supermarket, or Starbuck's, or soundtracking a TV commercial. It seems Mr. Hornby wants to have his cake and eat it.
You haven't heard most of the...more
You haven't heard most of the...more
I read this book a few years ago. I picked up the book because this is the author of high fidelity. One of my favorite movies. I also was interested because the idea behind the book. In this book, Nick Hornby takes the reader through a list of his favorite songs, their significance to him and why and what he loves about music in general as well. This is a great book and I believe everyone can relate to the author's emotional connections with a song list, in their own unique way. We all love musi...more
Perfect commentary for those of us who have ever felt touched by music; the lyrics, melody, beat etc etc. Though I do not necessarily know all of the artists he talks about or even agree with him on what constitutes 'good' music, that is the whole point of this book. Whatever your musical leanings, the songs you love will affect you in different ways and its those effects that make music so definitive to our lives. So what if you dance every time you hear a Britney Spears song? Who cares if you...more
Nov 18, 2012
annik
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
brit-lit,
read-in-russian
Хорнби – один из тех парадоксов, которые постоянно встречаются на моем пути. Причем я сознательно взращиваю их, видимо, надеясь перехитрить саму себя.
Парадокс Хорнби в том, что я не читала ни одной его художественной книги, только статьи о книгах и о музыке, хотя изначально к нему меня привела именно обложка его художественной книжки, а отзывы других людей на музыку-кино-книги я вообще не люблю. Читаю только в исключительных случаях, чаще это люди, которых я знаю лично, и поэтому Хорнби – интере...more
Парадокс Хорнби в том, что я не читала ни одной его художественной книги, только статьи о книгах и о музыке, хотя изначально к нему меня привела именно обложка его художественной книжки, а отзывы других людей на музыку-кино-книги я вообще не люблю. Читаю только в исключительных случаях, чаще это люди, которых я знаю лично, и поэтому Хорнби – интере...more
Hornby always makes me laugh, and laugh deeply--from my gut. At the same time he makes me think. Great combination.
In Songbook, he presents eleven essays on songs that have meaning for him. Some of them I've heard, and I love. Others I've heard and didn't love. And other I haven't heard even heard of the band, let alone the song.
What makes this book good, if not great, is that he was able to find ways to connect me as the reader to songs I've never heard and bands I've never heard of. Not only...more
In Songbook, he presents eleven essays on songs that have meaning for him. Some of them I've heard, and I love. Others I've heard and didn't love. And other I haven't heard even heard of the band, let alone the song.
What makes this book good, if not great, is that he was able to find ways to connect me as the reader to songs I've never heard and bands I've never heard of. Not only...more
I like the way Hornby writes. I like what he writes about. In fact, he wrote the only young adult book I have ever read. This one, although valid, is a bit lazy. What are your top 31 songs and why? What's your pet peeve? He makes some choices I would like Van Morrison and some I wouldn't like Patti Smith. In between he writes about autism and his son and other things that matter. But he always pushes to the front that what matters most is music. He makes the English mistake of evaluating America...more
There are people who listen to music as background and filler, and there are people for whom music is something very personal and profound. I am the latter, and so is Nick Hornby (no surprise to anyone who has read High Fidelity).
I was familiar with only about a third of the songs in this book, and was at least acquainted with about half. I was, however, familiar with about 95% of the sentiments expressed in this book, even if I was never able to express them myself.
Overall, a great musing on t...more
I was familiar with only about a third of the songs in this book, and was at least acquainted with about half. I was, however, familiar with about 95% of the sentiments expressed in this book, even if I was never able to express them myself.
Overall, a great musing on t...more
This was my first introduction to Nick Hornby, and now that I've found an author who shares my feelings and taste in music, I'm completely willing--even more willing than I might be for a writer who's "only" as great as Hornby--to explore the novels he's written. For one, he's hilarious. I laughed and laughed deeply at his jokes (especially those regarding his Billboard exploration and songs to have sex to). And secondly, he has a writing style that's both candid and eloquent, serviceably invisi...more
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Nick Hornby is the author of the novels A Long Way Down, Slam, How to Be Good, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. He is also the author of Songbook, a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, Shakespeare Wrote for Money, and The Polysyllabic Spree, as well as the editor of the short-story collection Speaking with the Angel. He is a recipient of the American Acade...more
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“Sarcasm and compassion are two of the qualities that make life on Earth tolerable.”
—
392 people liked it
“Because music, like color, or a cloud, is neither intelligent nor unintelligent - it just is. The chord, the simplest building block for even the tritest, silliest chart song, is a beautiful, perfect, mysterious thing, and when an ill-read, uneducated, uncultured, emotionally illiterate boor puts a couple of them together, he has every chance of creating something wonderful and powerful. All I ask of music is that is sounds good.”
—
71 people liked it
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