Nick Hornbys Songbook is being presented as a collection of short, personal essays on 31 of his favorite songs and song-writers; but really, after reading this charming book, Im left with the impression that Songbook is more of an explanation as to the general importance of music, rather than songs, in Hornbys life.  Thus, anyone with similar sentiments, anyone who lives, eats, and breathes music, anyone who thinks that music makes the world go round (and I see lots of hands going up) would truly enjoy reading this book.

Unlike many pretentious music critics who believe that pop music is a genre that has long been washed up, Hornby harbors a deep appreciation for the perfectly-written, perfectly-performed pop song.  Anyone who has read Hornbys High Fidelity (or even seen the movie) is familiar with his fixation on pop music.  Songbook is as much a statement on, or in defense of, pop music as it exists today, as it is a collection of essays about some of his favorite songs.  Thus, Hornby has selected a wide variety of songs as subjects for the 31 chapters of this book.  Artists from far across the pop music spectrum make appearances: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Westerberg, Santana, Ani DiFranco, Rod Stewart, Patti Smith, Royksopp, Nelly Furtado and several others you might or might not expect.  In choosing such a diverse group of songs, Hornby is able to show that its not really the artist or the song that hes writing about.  Rather its the feeling that the music evokes in him or what the song has meant to him personally.  And isnt that always the case with art?  It can be argued that art, in and of itself, has no real value.  The value of art is the way it makes us feel when we experience it.  Set to the soundtrack of pop music, Hornby takes the reader through his own feelings of contentment (Teenage Fanclub: Your Love is The Place That I Come From), sexual excitement (Santana: Samba Pa Ti), fear (Suicide: Frankie Teardrop), spirituality (Rufus Wainwright: One Man Guy), desperation (Ben Folds Five: "Smoke"), and much more. 

Further proof that the ironically titled Songbook isnt really just about the songs: Hornby often doesnt get around to actually mentioning the song hes writing about until halfway through the short chapters of the book.  Mention of the actual song is frequently prefaced by things such as a personal anecdote, opinions on things like guitar solos or dancing, thoughts on America and Americans, and the trials and tribulations of fatherhood.  But like any music lover, Hornby relates everything in his life to song, and by the end of each chapter, his seemingly meandering thoughts are brought into at least some kind of focus.  Each chapter makes some sort of musical point or tells a story, and frequently the song takes a backseat to the point or story.  In the chapter on The Velvelettes Needle in a Haystack, Hornby leads the reader through his amusing experiences with dance music, and ends up mentioning the actual song only once in the entire chapter. 

Hornby presents other musical thoughts and discussions throughout the various chapters:  the maturation of ones musical tastes with age, the importance of supporting the independent record store, the adaptation of (his own) books to film, and the oft misperceived inanity of pop music.  At each chapters conclusion, he manages to bring each of these points and discussions into focus with a single song.

Perhaps my favorite chapter of the book (even despite the fact that I personally dislike the song) is the one on Nelly Furtados Im Like a Bird.  Nowhere else in the book does Hornby so adamantly and unapologetically defend the merits of pop music.   He tells the reader that even though pop songs are quite capable of being disposable and easy to figure out, the way they can make us feel, if only for a moment, gives us a life worth living.  Amen to that.  

Those of us that write about music do it for selfish reasons, really.  We want people to understand the powerful effect it has on our feelings, the significance it carries in our own lives.  Hornby successfully projects these things and much more in Songbook.  If you consider yourself a music lover, there is no real reason you shouldnt buy this quaint little hardcover book.  It comes with a CD containing 11 of the songs he discusses, and the proceeds from the books sales go to two worthy charities.  Buy copies for you and all your music-loving friends.

This book can be purchased atAmazon

Other Feature Articles

About LOTD        Contact/Staff        Advertise        Home

All content  © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved.