If you love great writing, pop music and pop culture (and who doesn't) you'll love Rob Sheffield's "Love Is A Mix Tape."
I consider myself a music nerd, but Rob Sheffield is like the Einstein of music geekitude. The fact that he's hilarious and an amazing writer make this a must read.
Sheffield is the superb music critic for Rolling Stone magazine. His album reviews and monthly "Pop Life" column are often the best parts of each issue. And while there are plenty of pop music references in this read, the book is really about so much more.
(Spoiler Alert: Don't keep reading this post if you want to go into the book knowing nothing more about it...)
In the span of seven years, Rob met the girl of his dreams (Renee), was married to her for five years, and went through the unthinkable hell of having her die in his arms, due to a freak medical condition. He uses the listings of fifteen of his favorite mix tapes that he and Renee loved to paint an incredible portrait of her, their love, and the power of music to touch us in powerful, profound ways.
This story, in the hands of a lesser writer could be such a downer. But Sheffield's memoir is as humorous as it is heartbreaking. Not to mention it made me remember a wealth of long-forgotten one-hit wonders from the 80s (Scritti Politti, anyone?)
Turn this one up to 11!
2 comments:
You're far from a music nerd if you think that Scritti were one-hit wonders. Post-punk legends, Peel favourites, NME darlings, they set the blueprint for electronic pop in the 80s and got a Mercury Prize nomination not 18 months ago. Jeez.
Sorry, Charlie. By "one hit wonders" I simply meant just that. Outside of "Perfect Way" please remind me again what "hits" Scritti Polliti had
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