ldquo;All I have to say about these songs is that I love them; and want to sing along to them; and force other people to listen to them; and get cross when these other people donrsquo;t like them as much as I do.rdquo; mdash;Nick Hornby; from Songbook A wise and hilarious collection from the bestselling author of Funny Girl; About a Boy; and High Fidelity. Songs; songwriters; and why and how they get under our skinhellip;Songbook is Nick Hornbyrsquo;s labor of love. A shrewd; funny; and completely unique collection of musings on pop music; why itrsquo;s good; what makes us listen and love it; and the ways in which it attaches itself to our livesmdash;all with the beat of a perfectly mastered mix tape. From the Trade Paperback edition.
#701142 in eBooks 2003-10-07 2003-10-07File Name: B000P46RZ8
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great read but not terribly Axl insight offeringBy CustomerIt was interesting but it was sort of a touring memoir. Great read but not terribly Axl insight offering. Fun; though. Reading Slashs book and he tells you what was in his head through it all. A lot more personal and therefore more meaningful to a fan like me. That original 5 will always be Guns and Roses for me. Just thought I would spit that out there.33 of 35 people found the following review helpful. An informative but superficial biographyBy SastenioIf you dont already know too much about Axl Rose and Guns n Roses; this is a very informative read. On the other hand; theres nothing here thats really new. Most; if not all; of the information is from secondary sources (published articles and interviews; website posts; etc.) rather than original research. Its as much a biography of the original members of Guns n Roses as about W. Axl Rose. Their stories are inextricably interwoven--its only to be expected that a bio of Axl will cover a lot of GNR territory; however; as the title promises a bio of Axl; I was expecting a little more than I got. Its tempting to compare this book with the recently published biography of ex-GNR guitarist Slash; but I wont; because Slash was cool enough to give us a window into his own life in the writing of that book and was completely on board with its content; while this bio of Axl is; as the title says; unauthorized.It does cumulate to some degree the timeline of Axls *still* unreleased CD Chinese Democracy; and I came away with a slighly better understanding of the mystery behind its perpetual delay. Writer Mick Wall also covers the known facts of Axls seclusion and the emotional and legal entanglements of the years following the disintegration of the original Guns n Roses; the evolution of the "new" Guns n Roses; and the persistent striving toward perfection that seems to inform (and torment) every choice made by Axl Rose.While this is a worthwhile read for anyone who wants to know something about the provocative frontman to one of the worlds biggest rock bands and how it all went down; as a biography W.A.R. fails to meet its own challenge. True biography requires much more in-depth research into the biographers subject; with input from the primary players in the life of the subject; from the subject him/herself when possible; and it requires a willingness to delve in a balanced; serious way into the influences and motivations of the subject in order to see the large framework of a life and its influence; and what that life can contribute to our understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit. Axl and his raw genius deserve as much. Hopefully his story will one day be told with the honesty it deserves.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Paul BlissBest book on GNR hands down.