It doesn’t help. From time to time, we need to do an inventory. And that includes the bookshelf, I’m afraid. Which books are allowed to stay? Why?
David Byrne: How Music Works
For all of us, music has become a constant part of our lives, and one that has always been fascinating to me personally. This is because music is a human form of expression for situations and emotional states that cannot be grasped with language.
Furthermore, I consider music
to be primarily a social and organizational miracle: How does music come about? Why do people get together to create and/or listen to soundscapes? In so many different ways? Is there anyone who can escape the magic of music?
Even in today’s times, in which music is available everywhere
it is worthwhile to investigate this question: Why is that? Why has music been such an essential element of human cultural history for so long? What are the musical expressions and why? What are the social, economic and political effects of music? What do technological developments have to do with it? How do all these connections fit together?
David Byrne gives many answers to all these questions in his book.
Byrne, the creative mind behind the Talking Heads and thus a more than proven expert in the field of music, brings together the musical, technical, historical, sociological, economic, political strings. So the book becomes this incredibly good compendium of music. And this with a playful, light tone, incredibly simple and at the same time detailed-competent.
It really is insane how well Byrne not only makes music, but also writes about music! Then again, if not him, then who?
Whoever wants to talk about music MUST read this book!
