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There's a scene from that book. After the EMTs come to pick up his wife, he's in his house and there's EMT trash all over the floor. Plastic baggies that held all their stuff. All the stuff they used on his wife. I don't have the best memory, but that scene never leaves me.
Then Rob wrote Talking To Girls About Duran Duran, which took us
After Love Is A Mixtape, I'll always have a soft spot for Rob Sheffield. That book was so terrible and sad. Being a widower at such a young age. I can't imagine.There's a scene from that book. After the EMTs come to pick up his wife, he's in his house and there's EMT trash all over the floor. Plastic baggies that held all their stuff. All the stuff they used on his wife. I don't have the best memory, but that scene never leaves me.
Then Rob wrote Talking To Girls About Duran Duran, which took us back to the 80's and into 80's music. I dug that one too.
This book picks up where Mixtape left off.
You can tell I'm a cool, insider-y kind of guy because I just call it Mixtape.
So what happens when a man is heartbroken? REALLY heartbroken.
Last weekend I saw the movie her . If you haven't seen it yet, go for it. I'm not going to waste time telling you what it's about because, like most Spike Jonze movies, it doesn't really matter.
If you have seen it, real quick, I'd love to hear what you thought about it. About one particular part. I'm not going to spoil anything here, so don't worry. The overall premise, did you find it silly and sort of shocking, or did it make all the sense in the world? I have an opinion on that one, but I wonder if it's coming from the pretty weird place where my head lives.
Anyway, there's a part in the movie where a very sad character says something like, "I think I've felt everything I'm ever going to feel. Everything else, it'll just be lesser versions of feelings I've already had."
That's a pretty great summary of how it seemed Rob Sheffield felt after the sudden passing of his wife. Maybe like most people are lucky to get a chance at happiness, and to hope for a second one is just foolish and stupid, and you're better off going to see Spike Jonze movies by yourself on the weekends.
I think Rob Sheffield's writing is the strongest when he's getting personal. Really, really personal. Which is a little weird, I suppose, because he's a rock critic by trade. You'd think his best stuff would be about music.
I don't mean to take anything away from his writing on music. I like it. Seriously. It's just, well.
I'm a weird bookish guy. And since Mixtape in 2007, I've been a little worried about Rob Sheffield. Not worried like I thought I could rescue him from sadness or something. Worried because it was hard to tell where his story was going.
This is a writing theory. But here goes.
I think two kinds of people can write really tender, really revealing books.
One is the kind of person who is very in touch with emotion. If this is a man you know, you've probably seen him cry based on a story someone else told. The kind of person who is in touch with the emotions of others enough to understand them and write about them.
The other kind, I think there's a person who feels a little bit like there's not much left to lose. That all the worst things that can happen, they've happened already. So what does she care if people know how she really feels?
That second group, I worry about those people.
In this book, I think we see Rob go from the second, watchlist group, to the first, happy group.
Lots of other stuff happens in the book too. Music stuff. Karaoke stuff. But honestly, I blazed through that stuff to check on my friend Rob.
And now that I've managed to sound like a total fucking creep, I'll go ahead and be done.
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It's a got a cute, if slightly gimmicky, hook: he's basically telling the story of how he fell in love with his second wife after being widowed, using the conceit of the progression of songs you sing in a night of karaoke. Each chapter is titled something like "8:04 pm : Total Eclipse of the Heart" or "8:59 pm: Livin' on a Prayer".
The problem, I think, is that this reads like a series of
Over the course of my reading it, this book slipped from four stars to three stars, and finally fell to two.It's a got a cute, if slightly gimmicky, hook: he's basically telling the story of how he fell in love with his second wife after being widowed, using the conceit of the progression of songs you sing in a night of karaoke. Each chapter is titled something like "8:04 pm : Total Eclipse of the Heart" or "8:59 pm: Livin' on a Prayer".
The problem, I think, is that this reads like a series of essays, some of which (especially in the beginning) are pretty good. But he runs out of steam and the gimmick starts to take over -- and it gets old. It got real old for me around the time he said being a husband was like being Rod Stewart (it was awful; there was a lot of nattering about plodding on and worrying about Losing It and being confused by his own existence). When everything becomes a forced song or singer metaphor, you end up saying some really dumb-sounding things about music: "Something in Neil Diamond speaks to the boy in you and commands you to answer as a man."
I wish he hadn't tried to make this into a book. If he'd taken the handful of truly good essays and made them a New Yorker-length column, I would have loved it.
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"Guitarist Alex Lifeson has the best line... on their fan base: 'In the early stages, it was very young, almost one hundred percent male. And then, as the years went by, it remained one hundred percent male.'"
This book KEEPS making me laugh out loud.
Apparently, I am a "Geddycorn":"Guitarist Alex Lifeson has the best line... on their fan base: 'In the early stages, it was very young, almost one hundred percent male. And then, as the years went by, it remained one hundred percent male.'"
This book KEEPS making me laugh out loud.
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I really loved Love is a Mix Tape and enjoyed Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, but
Now, I'm the first to admit that this was my "purse book" (the one I read while waiting in doctors' offices and sitting under the dryer at my hairdresser....far more of the former than the latter for this particular title) and so I read it in fits and starts over a three month period. However, the book is really just full of short little essays, so I don't think I missed any sort of thread by reading in pieces.I really loved Love is a Mix Tape and enjoyed Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, but I'm starting to feel like Sheffield only has one story, his own, and now he's telling it over and over. That was fine for Love is a Mix Tape since the story was very compelling, and his second book was a trip down musical memory lane since we are about the same age, but in this book he just takes his day to day life (all previously covered in detail) and relates it (barely) to a karaoke song or musical artist he likes to cover (Sheffield is a serious karaoke addict). There are some good bits here - the chapter about Rod Stewart was wonderful, but overall it felt like a retread - "I've got a great second wife, she is my soulmate, I worked at my college radio station, I love karaoke."). Sheffield is a good writer but it's time for some new material.
(Oh, and yes, pre-iPhone I actually carried an actual book in my purse for many years, so thanks, Steve Jobs.)
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What I found was much more than that. I love the author's voice and he comes across as someone I would really like. He is a music geek and pro
The title of this book is the only reason I even considered reading it. This line is from a Bonnie Tyler song I've always liked, even though I've never been sure what the song means. I've never sung Karaoke nor have I seen it performed in person, only on TV shows or in movies, but I do love music, so I thought I'd skim this book and find something amusing.What I found was much more than that. I love the author's voice and he comes across as someone I would really like. He is a music geek and proud of it. In his job as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine, he meets a lot of musicians and wants them to know that he and others appreciate their talent and work. His description of spending a week in Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp was fascinating.
I'm impressed with the way he takes a song or a singer's life and uses it to illustrate some truth he has discovered about his life or life in general. The chapters about Rod Stewart and about a few Beatles songs were particularly insightful. Even when he discusses songs or singers/bands of which I am unfamiliar, he gives enough information so that I understood what he was saying.
He also clearly states how much he loves being a husband, admitting how devastated he was when is first wife died, the despair of living after her death, and then the joy and contentment he's found with his new wife. There was no sarcasm or snarkiness evident, which was refreshing.
I thank Bonnie Tyler for making we notice this book and I thank Rob Sheffield for writing it.
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Rob Sheffield knows a lot about music and loves to sing Karaoke--but he's terrible. He is the kind of karaoke singer that I avoid at all costs. It is painful for me to listen to bad singers. But he doesn't let anything stop him, and I have to admire his tenacity. He writes for Rolling Stone and has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, yet chords, pitch, rhythm, and guitars mystify him. He went to Rock & Rol
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot...Rob Sheffield knows a lot about music and loves to sing Karaoke--but he's terrible. He is the kind of karaoke singer that I avoid at all costs. It is painful for me to listen to bad singers. But he doesn't let anything stop him, and I have to admire his tenacity. He writes for Rolling Stone and has an encyclopedic knowledge of music, yet chords, pitch, rhythm, and guitars mystify him. He went to Rock & Roll fantasy camp, but majored in tambourine. Even that was a challenge, but he prevailed, bruising and beating his thigh bloody.
This book has a lot of material about karaoke and what songs are most popular at karaoke bars, and how and why it has become such a popular phenomenon. It is also kind of a therapeutic journal about how he went from being a depressed widower, dragging himself like a zombie through ground zero, to being a happy vibrant karaoke kook with a new girlfriend, and later, wife, also a karaoke fanatic, as well as a DJ and an astrophysicist.
I didn't always see eye-to-eye with him but enjoyed his karaoke diary immensely, nonetheless. Most out of synch with him on Bowie, not such a fan of Bon Jovi, kind of liked his take on Rod Stewart, with a few caveats, and would have liked to hear more about Total Eclipse of the Heart, the Bonnie Tyler hit that provides the book's title. But I guess that is what Wikipedia is for--where I learned that it was Rory Dodd who sang the "Turn around, bright eyes" bit. Also involved were Roy Bittan on piano, Larry Fast on synths, Rick Derringer on guitar and Max Weinberg, he of Springsteen and Conan O'Brien fame, on drums. Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Journey, and the karaoke scene in Lost in Translation, are covered--no surprise since they are all obligatory.
Sheffield has a chatty, breezy, style, liberally peppered with repurposed lyrics and cultural reference riffs. He is a much better writer than he is a singer, I'd venture to guess. But it is his passion for singing that fuels this epic, and provides his ultimate redemption, taking him from a morose Morrissey character to the leading man of a whacky rom com with a happy Hollywood ending. Turn Around Bright Eyes is a fantastic title for a fantastic book.
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I'm admittedly a bit of a karaoke novice, but I'm coming out of my shell. This is kind of like a glimpse into the future for me, though there are some passages of this book that have articulated so nicely things
Have you ever sung karaoke with Rob Sheffield? If not, it's an experience I'd totally recommend. I went to his book event at Word in Greenpoint, and it was a great experience. Seeing the man bust out his best falsetto for "Toxic" by Britney Spears really helps to set the tone of the book.I'm admittedly a bit of a karaoke novice, but I'm coming out of my shell. This is kind of like a glimpse into the future for me, though there are some passages of this book that have articulated so nicely things that I have felt for a long time. How music you used to stand against suddenly becomes endearing when you're older and less into your fandoms? Yep. How if you make it into your twenties loving music, that passion's with you for life? Sold. I loved every page of this book and consider it a must for music fans, especially those who adore singing along.
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Random essays about Rod Stewart that contain little more than platitudes and gushing: not so much.
Be advised that this book is not about karaoke in any sense besides being Rob's personal memoir of times he has sung karaoke. There is no substantial discussion of its history and no in-depth analysis of its cultural impact beyond speculation. This is not necessarily bad; but you should know it going in.
Parts about Karaoke & Rob's courtship with his new wife: fantastic.Random essays about Rod Stewart that contain little more than platitudes and gushing: not so much.
Be advised that this book is not about karaoke in any sense besides being Rob's personal memoir of times he has sung karaoke. There is no substantial discussion of its history and no in-depth analysis of its cultural impact beyond speculation. This is not necessarily bad; but you should know it going in.
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You might not think a whole karaoke-themed book would be that engaging
In this lighthearted memoir, Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield tells the story of getting a second chance at love and joy as he and his future wife Ally meet and bond over their shared rock geekery and love of karaoke. Sheffield alternates chapters about their romance with more general chapters about the origins of karaoke, memorable karaoke nights he's had with friends, and his favorite songs and artists for karaoke singing.You might not think a whole karaoke-themed book would be that engaging, but Sheffield's funny and heartwarming writing makes it work. He's clear-eyed about the ridiculous elements in rock music and fandom, but his genuine love for it still shines through. I laughed out loud through his chapters on Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond (the most perfect artist to karaoke), and brushed away tears during his chapters about his love for each of his parents, and the traditional Irish song he always sings for his mom anytime they have a family sing-along.
This is the third Rob Sheffield book I've read this year, and I can't wait to read more. He's definitely becoming on of my favorites.
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The Plot: The general format of Rob's lineup of memoirs is to headline each chapter with a song, and then write an autobiographical essay that tie into some relationship, moment, or philosophy in his life. This time he uses karaoke – a
How I Came To Read This Book: I got a digital ARC through Edelweiss. I also read Rob's first book, Love is a Mix Tape, several years ago and was interested to read one of his follow-ups (I haven't, however, read his second book, Talking to Girls About Duran Duran)The Plot: The general format of Rob's lineup of memoirs is to headline each chapter with a song, and then write an autobiographical essay that tie into some relationship, moment, or philosophy in his life. This time he uses karaoke – a huge passion of his that he fervently tries to rationalize throughout the book – to speak to the music industry as whole (i.e. how bands you despised as a kid give you some nostalgia and respect as an adult), his relationships (i.e. how his dad went through life as a generally cool dude or what his new wife is like), and his general love of karaoke as an industry (i.e. the rise of the 'karaoke' scene in nearly all rom com's, how a technologically redundant microphone separates the performer from the crowd). The essays are all rather short and sweet – I think there's about 25 of them in total – and follow a loose chronological timeline.
The Good & The Bad: I have a lot of thoughts about this guy. On the one hand, I think he's a more relatable Chuck Klosterman (indeed, in a meta moment he discusses reading and guffawing at a book he'd read multiple times, Klosterman's 'Eating The Dinosaur'). He is unabashedly nerdy and loves stuff in poor taste – Britney Spears' movie debut Crossroads is brought up multiple times, as an example. But his nerdiness is predominantly geared toward music, and if you have a short fuse when it comes to rock geeks, you may want to pass on this one – sometimes I felt like Sheffield's passion for bad music and obscure music was a little obnoxious, and almost self-serving (like when he discusses how amazing and rare it is to compare the singles of a super obscure band with his now-wife). You know music, we get it. But it makes for a dull read when you veer into an invisible pissing match of "I know more out there bands and singles than you do." It might be a slight generational thing as well. I always perked up at the mention of more modern / recent bands – where I'm a decade plus younger than Sheffield, I think some of his musings on certain bands were a bit over my musical head.
In general, this book certainly has the voice and tone of a rock journalist. Sheffield isn't a spring chicken anymore, and yet he writes like a guy in his early twenties – it's a weird dichotomy when you read about Bowie being a slut and Sheffield shaking his ass yet knowing that he's around the 40 mark, and almost a little uncomfortable. The writing style on its own is fine, but when you put it in the context of the author, it's a little eh. But who am I to be an ageist – the book is more readable and poppy with Sheffield's style anyway.
Anyway, I guess because Sheffield is such a big karaoke fan, this time around his tone is a lot more confident than in Love Is A Mix Tape, which was an ode to his deceased wife (she died in an untimely, unexpected way at age 31). Sometimes, a tad overconfident. As with Sheffield's pronouncement of deep rock geek trivia, he also loves to write about how amazingly awesome he's able to feel emotions and live life. I was originally going to say he loves to overstate how amazingly awesome his wife (and his friends) are in particular, but the guy lives his depression as richly and deeply as he lives his love. I'm not discrediting someone that feels so much and I say he's brave for putting it onto paper, but sometimes it rings a little untrue. It's almost like he undoes a lot of the work he puts into other chapters in making himself relatable by making his feelings and relationships so untouchable – it's incredible that a guy who defines himself as kind of a rock schlub lands a woman that's unbelievably amazing in every which way you can imagine. Again, I honestly think it's sweet and kind of fantastic in and of itself that a guy can so openly profess his adoration...but sort of unrealistic (and therefore irritating) at the same time.
Still, there were definitely some highlights in the book. I agree with another reviewer that the karaoke theme was maybe a little thin, especially because Sheffield frequently reverts back to it and further tries to clarify a point he ekes out pretty early on ('this is why karaoke rocks'), but in general it was a decent read. I think my favourite chapter was the one on 'the microphone' and how it's actually archaic technology that we all still adore for some reason – that one'll stick with me for awhile.
The Bottom Line: If you like the writing style and musings of a rock journalist, this is a fantastic book. If, like me, you're a music (and karaoke) fan but not a fanatic, you'll probably find it okay.
Anything Memorable?: Like I mentioned, I perked up at the mention of more recent bands. I do love me some karaoke (although again, not to Sheffield's diehard level) and have a decent voice, and I got a few ideas for some songs to try out...if I were a bit older, I'll bet I would've glommed onto even more choices!
60-Book Challenge?: Book #24 in 2013
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Not for everyone, but I loved learning about the fascination of karaoke and the people who sing in the bars. ...more
This book is just bad. The author seems like a nice guy and all, so I feel a little uncomfortable heaping this much scorn on his work, but if the most notable thing about you is that you wrote a memoir (or, God help us, more than one memoir), you probably didn't need to write a memoir. The writing's nowhere near good enough to make
At some point, perhaps, our culture will realize that "OMG! LOL! Cheesy 80s songs! Bonnie Tyler! OMG Journey!" is neither funny nor incisive. It hasn't happened yet.This book is just bad. The author seems like a nice guy and all, so I feel a little uncomfortable heaping this much scorn on his work, but if the most notable thing about you is that you wrote a memoir (or, God help us, more than one memoir), you probably didn't need to write a memoir. The writing's nowhere near good enough to make this book worth reading for its own sake.
The jokes are bad. The supposed insights aren't earned and often have little to do with the prose leading up to them. It's a bunch of gobbeldygook about, say, Neil Diamond, and then he'll drop in some stupid line about what this experience and Neil Diamond supposedly tell us about life. There were a couple of interesting nuggets (female Rush fans are called Geddycorns, haha; I wanted to know more about rock and roll fantasy camp), but those only served to keep me from lighting my kindle on fire.
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Since I listened rather than own a copy (yet), it makes it hard to list my favorite lines. I wanted to take a lot of notes about songs to sing and some of the karaoke joints mentioned in the book.
My two go-to songs are Rod Stewart's "Do
I listened to this book read by the author, who did a great job. I could hear him getting into it more as he went and, I think, growing more comfortable with the act of reading as he got deeper into the pages. Enthusiasm is important in both reading and karoake.Since I listened rather than own a copy (yet), it makes it hard to list my favorite lines. I wanted to take a lot of notes about songs to sing and some of the karaoke joints mentioned in the book.
My two go-to songs are Rod Stewart's "Do you think I'm Sexy?" and LippsInc's "Funkytown."
I thought this book might be a little more "fluffy" or superficial since it was about karoake, but fortunately Sheffield is able to once again tap into his reflective spirit when it comes to relationships, both romantic and familial. The music details make it fun!
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This book is totally cheesy and so not my style. I loved it. It had some very quotable moments involving the meaning of the songs we sing and a very beautiful anecdote from the author about meeting hi
Let me explain: I was informed this afternoon by the powers that be in the Music household that I needed to do the dishes and clean. So to help pass the time, I decided a short audiobook would keep me entertained. I selected the first audiobook that showed up on Overdrive which happened to be this.This book is totally cheesy and so not my style. I loved it. It had some very quotable moments involving the meaning of the songs we sing and a very beautiful anecdote from the author about meeting his wife. I was enraptured. Washing the dishes today was bearable thanks to this.
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I loved Rob Sheffield's previous memoir, Love Is a Mix Tape, which was all about his first wife and all the mix tapes they made and her death. This one starts right where the last one left off. Love Is A Mix Tape had a very low-key style and comic touch that made it seem fluffy and lightweight even though it was about being widowed (widowered?), but then it haunted me (in a good way) and I ended up re-reading
I laughed, I cried. This book was a real tonic for me. (Results not guaranteed for you.)I loved Rob Sheffield's previous memoir, Love Is a Mix Tape, which was all about his first wife and all the mix tapes they made and her death. This one starts right where the last one left off. Love Is A Mix Tape had a very low-key style and comic touch that made it seem fluffy and lightweight even though it was about being widowed (widowered?), but then it haunted me (in a good way) and I ended up re-reading it a couple times. So this time I was prepared for Turn Around Bright Eyes to be kind of a sleeper! I feel like these are both books it's easy to underrate, precisely because they're charming.
The topic of the book is karaoke and how it helped the writer get in touch with his feelings, creativity, and true nature. This was funny for me because my girlfriend just did this project about how playing the drums helped her get in touch with her feelings, creativity, and true nature, so it seemed strangely familiar. If you think karaoke is a thin topic for a book, you're right, but it is really just a jumping off point. So there's also a lot of other stuff in the book that's just tangentially related but interesting, like about his father or how he learned to not hate the band Rush. I identified with the writer because I also can't sing. He explains it, "I have loved music all my life and as they say you always hurt the one you love."
Actually, I'm going to let the writer explain what this book is really about: "The happy chapter of my life was over, and the world had run out of surprises. But it turned out my life was just beginning." "There's no future without tears. Are you really setting your hopes on not getting hurt at all? You think that's an option?" "When you chew your way out a steel trap, you don't return for a receipt." "Nobody knows if your present mood is just your present mood—-maybe it's not a mood, maybe it won't end." "Once again, I get scared of overdoing, and then end up finding out overdoing is the only thing to do." "I was lucky to get a second chance. I thought I was too late, but it turns out I was just in time." "At any moment, a song can come out of nowhere to shake you up, jump-start your emotions, ruin your life." There, that's clear, right?
My favorite chapters were:
-Chapter 3, Sing Your Life, because he lays out the whole point of the book in it.
-Chapter 4, Work It, which has a great description of Greenpoint, Brooklyn where the writer lived on Eckford Street, because I lived there for six years. Also sometime later he talks about Foodswings. Yay, best vegan food in the borough!
-Chapter 7, Crazy In Love, which was about microphones. Because he runs down who looks good with a mic, talks about the first time he ever saw the thing where the singer turns the mic into the crowd (it was Joe Strummer from the Clash); just fun stuff.
-Chapter 8, Rebel Yell, because it was about rock stars singing karaoke. It made me think of a picture I recently saw of the guy from Sparks singing his own hit song at karaoke in Japan, and a part in David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries where he's in Manila and someone tries to get him to sing Burning Down The House at karaoke but he's taken aback and won't do it.
-Chapter 13, Rock and Roll Fantasy, because it was about Sheffield taking part in an expensive fantasy rock band camp where he played the tambourine and it was alternately hilarious and heartbreaking. Also, whenever Sheffield meets a rock star, he overthinks it and decides to compliment them on their little-known song or band, which sometimes makes them happy but sometimes does not, and that was really funny. I get the strong impression that Rob Sheffield is a nice guy, not an asshole like rock journalists are supposed to be.
-Chapter 16, Debaser. Because this is where he meets his future second wife, an astrophysicist by day, college radio DJ by night. It's very sweet. "I'm not sure how long it took for the Smiths to come up, but it was under two minutes." He asks her what her favorite Pavement album is, and when she says Wowie Zowie, he decides he doesn't have a chance with her because he's a Slanted & Enchanted kind of guy. Then he's eating dinner with her and some friends and they talk about the top 5 hottest guys in rock, and based on her answers I think I fancy her too.
-Chapter 26, Ziggy Stardust. Because, duh!
-My least favorite chapter was the one about Rod Stewart because: blech, do not like Rod Stewart.
I also found his depiction of NYC shortly after September 11 more true to life than anything I've ever seen in print. I guess that just means his perspective was more similar to my own than other stuff I read. Actually, because the book is not chronological, he started by just saying that he moved to Greenpoint from the Financial District in 2002, and I thought, "Oh great, he is not going to discuss September 11th at all, it's just understood; how tasteful and humane of him." But then he did later, however it was still tasteful and humane. I really liked his description of going to his first show downtown in a smelly venue after September 11. With me it was the Moldy Peaches at the Mercury Lounge in November 2001 and they vowed they were never going to play "New York City's Like a Graveyard" again. (I wonder if they did or not?)
Lots of little things were very funny, like he stored cassette tapes in his oven, or how when he was a college librarian he kept secretly erasing the overdue fines (for a book named Sexual Unfolding) of a girl he had a crush on. Other times I wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. Did Neil Diamond really have a conveyer belt that rotated him around the stage when he played at the Garden? Is life really that strange?
Where did I get this book: As soon as I learned of its existence, I put it on hold at the library. I was prepared to wait, even though there were a few people ahead of me and the book was still on order. But then, I was walking through Grand Central Terminal. . . and suddenly I could not resist. I walked into Posman Books as though pulled in by a tractor beam and walked straight up to the information desk. I did something I never do, the humiliating "I don't remember the name of the book or the author's name, but his other book is called. . ." thing. The clerk didn't even have to look it up, he just smirked at me and pointed out how it was on the table right behind me. But why shouldn't he have a little satisfaction in his life? I spent $28 on this book! I didn't even use my one-time 20% discount because I always think I'll need it more later. Anyway, it was worth every penny. Also just a PSA that bookstores still exist and you can in fact buy your books there.
Book design: The cover, whatever. But the interior is delightful! Each chapter heading has a drawing of a mic, and each one is different. The chapter headings all begin on the right side of the page, so if the previous chapter ends on a right-hand page, then the microphone cable is stringing all the way across the left-hand side of the page which is otherwise blank. (This will all make sense when you see it.) Very cool!
What other book is this like? It's kind of the lite version of How Music Works by David Byrne.
Theme song: This is silly, when the whole book is itself a big playlist, but I'm going to say Destination Greenpoint by the Fleshtones.
...more Rob listened to
I did not have a chance to love Karaoke, because I have never set foot in a Karaoke bar since I grew up. But I get why Rob Sheffield became obsessed with Karaoke. Because it offers "a safe and welcoming place where everyone can join in the music." Moreover, after a long time of mourning since the abrupt death of his wife, Karaoke restored his faith in life. It is not a coincidence Rob found Karaoke the same time he met Aly, the DJ astro-girl who shares his enthusiasm in singing.Rob listened to a vast amount of music — he used kitchen oven to store cassettes. Unlike in Love is a Mixed Tape, the bands he mentioned in this book are mostly popular ones. Otherwise, they won't make their place in a Karaoke songbook. So I had to skim through the chapters about Elton John, Bon Jovi, and David Bowie. But I already knew it when I started the book. I didn't read the book because Rob writes for the Rolling Stone. I read it because I wanted to know how he found a second chance.
Stray Observation:
- I second that singing to a headset is businesslike.
- Asking performers about their favorite Karaoke songs is a useful interview strategy because it "makes them relax, slaps them out of interview mode."
- You don't want to bring stress to people by telling them about your tragedy. But if you don't tell anyone, you walk around feeling "like a fraud traveling under pretenses".
- The emotional essence of Karaoke: "Sometimes you can only confess the truth about yourself when you're pretending to be somebody else."
This seems to be a collection of essays with transitions added in later to keep them flowing together. Each chapter is a title of a
At first look, this seems to be about karaoke and Rob Sheffield's recovery from the loss of his wife through that. But then it evolves into a deeper look at how music is much the soundtrack of our lives, whether we're trying to sing it at some bar at 4 a.m., debating about an obscure band's merits or simply listening to a song repeatedly to gain a feeling and memory.This seems to be a collection of essays with transitions added in later to keep them flowing together. Each chapter is a title of a song that means something to Sheffield. There's parts on his mother and family and his meeting his eventual new wife. There's also chapters on how Neil Diamond made karaoke what it is today with his songs and how Rod Stewart is.. well, Rod Stewart. One of the better lines in the book is Sheffield's take on aging. "Men think Rod Stewart is cool. Men don't think Rod Stewart is cool. Men are Rod Stewart."
I read his first book years, "Mix Tape" years ago and was moved at the loss of his wife and how music played a part in his mourning and slow recovery. This one is a lot more spirited and upbeat and, for lack of better word, happy.
The guy knows his music and is able to weave it around points of his life. I'm one of the more demographically challenged people to have enjoyed his book as much as I do. I'm culturally challenged when it comes to current music and actors. Still, though, I found the writing in this one to be brilliant, fun, moving and informational... and I never had any desire to do any karaoke in my life.
This is a great read for those who like music, life, love and observations. Sheffield admits in his book that he is somewhat shy and reserved, but he opens up fully in his writing and it's well worth the read to see that.
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His first book, Love is a Mix
Rob Sheffield is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine. In addition to writing music reviews and profile stories, Sheffield also writes the Pop Life column in the Mixed Media section of the magazine. His work has also been featured in The Village Voice and Spin. A native of Boston, Sheffield attended Yale and the University of Virginia, and is six foot five.His first book, Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time (an excerpt of which was featured in the January 2007 issue of GQ), was released by Random House in January 2007. It received starred reviews in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal.
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