Sep 10
16
Book Review – 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die by Tom Moon
Well worn and well read
I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about writing a review of a book about reviews. But when a book is this darn entertaining I just have to share it with the rest of you!
1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die is an excellent book of, well, music reviews by critic, writer, and musician Tom Moon. What is most amazing about this book, and what keeps me flipping through it almost daily, is how diverse it is in its musical choices. From blues to rock to jazz to hip hop to music that is almost devoid of category, Moon writes effortlessly and eloquently to such a degree you’ll find yourself seeking out almost every single piece of music he reviews. Seriously, get ready to scour the internet to find samples of these recordings so you can better appreciate his thoughts and writings. There were songs and artists in here I had never heard of and I continually find myself seeking out a new recording every time I pick up the book (which is quite often as you can see by the well worn cover).
As a fellow reviewer of music I can attest to the fact that paring a review down to just a few paragraphs can be a daunting task. How, in just a few short paragraphs, can you distill what is most important about the music and convey that to the reader and make them actually feel the music without ever hearing it? Well, it can sometimes feel impossible but Moon does it here without any problem. His words have a unique flow to them, and in writing about music he is most certainly an inspiration. He catches the very essence of the music, the dream that is possible in every recording, and presents it with nothing less than pure musical enjoyment and passion.
The reviews are all spot on and in nearly every instance I agree with him completely. In some instances I feel a different recording would have better served the artist – my choice for Grant Green would have been Green Street – but what is most important is what he is writing about that album and how he makes you feel about it. His reviews are so well written, and so darn convincing, you can’t help but think you need to go out and buy all 1,000 recordings regardless of genre.
Seriously huge
It is indeed difficult to include 1,000 recordings without leaving something out or leaving people wondering where their favorites are. But Moon does an excellent job of diversifying the material and after the final page it feels as if you’ve just had a huge lesson in music appreciation. His choices seem to make more and more sense as you move along in the book and you begin to truly realize the thought, care, and preparation that went into it. At first I flipped through to see my favorites but then I found that starting on page 1 and reading through it like a novel presents a more accurate view of music, all music, as a whole. Moon, in both his words and choices, furthers the notion that music is a vast universe and it can be shared by all across many spectrums.
In the end, this is an excellent and entertaining read that can be enjoyed on multiple levels. Moon certainly knows his stuff and I find myself reaching for this all the time. It is well written, informative, huge, and just might change your musical life. What can I say? A book of reviews and nothing but reviews is something that I have wanted to review for quite some time. How many times can I say review on this review site before it just up and shuts down?
Review.
