The edition includes a new chapter on curation that explores four ways we discover music in the digital age. About the author 2012 known as the force behind talking heads and later as the creator of the highlyregarded record label luaka bop, scottishborn david byrne also works as a photographer, film director, author and solo artist. How music works by david byrne the washington post. A fantastic book written by david byrne of talking heads fame. The first edition hardcover version is a beautifully bound book with a plush cover and color photos throughout the book. The complete list find recommendations for fiction, nonfiction, mystery, short stories, graphic novels and more. He lives in new york and he recently added some new bike racks of his own design. David byrnes book, although its a selfconscious art object backwards pagination, upholstered cover and so on contains plenty of plainspoken. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. His book bicycle diaries is a journal of what he thought and experienced while cycling through the cities of the world. The revolution nothing but flowers talking heads song gods child buck naked broken things and she was talking heads song once in a lifetime talking heads song the great.
How music works is david byrne s bestselling, buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. He offers keen observations about the music industry, the art of making music, telling stories in the book using a combination of history, anthropology, and music theory. Byrne is remarkably forthcoming in his book about how much he gets paid over the course of making an album. David byrne is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. Mar 12, 2020 how music works is david byrne s remarkable and buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. Research director north tyneside community development project 197477.
The title of david byrne s book is academic, but the way it begins is. Someone comes up with a pop song or a symphony or feedback, and someone else listens to it. New york times 100 notable books of 2012 fiction and nonfiction. Its a worthwhile goal and byrne and his book make for good company. How music works is david byrnes bestselling, buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. Attended university of newcastle and lse before teaching at durham 197074. For me, the most successful chapters were the ones in the middle of the book that were informed by byrnes own life experiences in music.
David byrnes new book, how music works, is not so bad as that. Former talking heads frontman and allround happy mutant david byrne has written several good books, but his latest, how music works, is unquestionably the best of the very good bunch, possibly the book he was born to write. As the creative force behind talking heads and many solo and collaborative ventures, hes been writing, playing, and recording music for decades. The book was published through mcsweeneys on september 12, 2012, and was named as one of s best books of the month in that same month. He discusses the form and influence of music in a nonlinear narrative fashion, using a variety of experiences from his career to create something part autobiography and part music theory. The book is byrnes take on the industry hes succeeded in. Drawing on his own work over the years with talking heads, brian eno, and his myriad collaborators along with journeys to wagnerian opera houses, african villages, and anywhere music exists byrne shows how music emerges from cultural circumstance as much as individual. Pretty a music history text book and part david byrne memoir, that is very readable and very informative. But this book is not just, or even primarily, a rock memoir. Byrne is best known as the frontman for talking heads and will actually be making his return to the sketch series after 31 years. Oct 07, 2014 how music works is a very good and interesting book, but its not always a successful one, as it is feels like two different books in one. Born in scotland but raised in the united states in maryland, byrne began performing musically in. David byrnes impressive output over the past four decades reaches far beyond his work as a musician, most famously in talking heads and in.
Byrne is best known as the frontman for talking heads and will actually be making his return to the sketch series after 31 years byrne and talking heads made their debut on the show back in 1979, performing take me to the river and artists only. How music works is david byrnes remarkable and buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. In it he explores how profoundly music is shaped by its time and place, and he explains how the advent of recording technology in the twentieth century forever changed our relationship to playing, performing, and listening to music. David byrne speakers bureau and booking agent info. To celebrate the 2017 edition of how music works published by three rivers press, this months radio is a mix of songs referenced throughout the book. David byrnes how music works was a perfect book for me to take travelingdense with information, observations and concrete advice, all organized in manageable sections and copioiusly illustrated. And his 2012 book how music works expands on his 2010 tedtalk to imagine how music is shaped by its time and place. A cofounder of the musical group talking heads, david byrne has also released several solo albums in addition to collaborating with such noted artists as twyla tharp, robert wilson, and brian eno. Now, byrne has expanded the ideas from the talk into the book how music works, published on september 12 by mcsweeneys. David byrne talking about psycho killer by davehaslam. Join facebook to connect with david byrne and others you may know. Byrne delivers most handsomely on his titles promise. In an era of punk decadence, talking heads created a pop revolution by combining tight, funkbased rhythms, a clean. Sep 26, 2012 at ted2010, byrne spoke about how the nature of a space effects what kind of music is played there, from a gritty club like new yorks cbgb to the echofilled chambers of a gothic cathedral.
It is not exactly a memoir the aging rocker bio is a crowded shelf. David byrne is saturdays snl musical guest, marking one of the few times weve seen a classic act take the stage this season. Sep 12, 2012 the last time i saw byrne live was when i caught the talking heads on august 19, 1983 at the old forrest hills tennis stadium in new york city. David byrne is a brilliantly original, eccentric rock star, and he has written a book to match his protean talents. David byrne breaks down how music works in new book wired. How music works by david byrne goodreads share book. It is not exactly a series of essays about music, either, though it is some of that. Though not strictly a memoir, david byrnes book about music explores his. His new album and book are smart, calculated works that dont leave much of an impression. In an era of punk decadence, talking heads created a pop revolution by combining tight, funkbased rhythms, a. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading how music works. Talking heads frontman rips up the live show rule book on stage in oxford sep 14 2012. For me, the most successful chapters were the ones in the middle of the book that were informed by. At ted2010, byrne spoke about how the nature of a space effects what kind of music is played there, from a gritty club like new yorks cbgb to the echofilled chambers of a gothic cathedral.
Sep 23, 2012 david byrne is a brilliantly original, eccentric rock star, and he has written a book to match his protean talents. Not unlike getting your ears syringed, this book will make you hear music in a different way. Sep, 2012 david byrnes new book, how music works, is not so bad as that. But im fairly certain its tedium stunned some of the cluster flies on my office windows. David byrne is an oscar winning composer, songwriter and singer, best known for being frontman of the new wavepunk band talking heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. I could made good case for calling this how art works or even how everything works. The book also features contributions from outstanding scientists for each crop species. David byrne speaks in 2012 on the early years of talking. David byrne hosted a variety show at new york citys town hall last night to celebrate the release of a new edition of his 2012 book how music works.
How music happens is a better suggestion as to the content of this fascinating and highly accessible book by david byrne. In david byrnes 2010 tedtalk, the image of cbgb comes from joseph o. His art includes photography and installation works and has been published in five books. Sep, 2012 how music works is david byrne s buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. David byrne the rockandroll hall of fame inductee and cofounder of talking heads presents a celebration of music that offers insight into the roles of time, place and recording technology, discussing how. Sep 12, 2012 how music works is david byrne s remarkable and buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. The first edition hardcover version is a beautifully bound book with a plush. Kurt andersen spoke with david byrne in 2012 about the groups early years. All of the images david byrne discusses in this essay are in. How music works by david byrne 2012, hardcover for sale. David byrne is a lot more than just the frontman for talking heads. How music works is probably not quite the right title for this book. How music works is david byrnes buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about.
David byrne s most popular book is how music works. All of the images david byrne discusses in this essay are in a slide show at the bottom of the story. How music works is a very good and interesting book, but its not always a successful one, as it is feels like two different books in one. The title of david byrnes book is academic, but the way it begins is.
Here are all of nprs picks for best books of 2012 in one place. What is surprising is how well his voice translates to the page. Equal parts historian and anthropologist, raconteur and social scientist, byrne draws on his own work over the years with talking heads, brian eno, and his myriad collaborators along with journeys to wagnerian opera houses, african villages, and anywhere music exists to show that music. Born in scotland but raised in the united states in maryland, byrne began performing musically in high school. If you listen to music too soon after reading david byrnes new book, how music works, especially chapter 5 how recording studios shape what we hear, chapter 6 how collaborations shape what we hear, and chapter 7 how recording budgets shape what we hearyou might be in for a disorienting experience, like watching a magic show after youve been. It is not exactly a memoir the aging rocker bio is a crowded shelf, as he puts it in his acknowledgments. David byrne books list of books by author david byrne. David byrne has 34 books on goodreads with 74930 ratings. Best music of 2012 on subjects familiar beethovens fifth and obscure. David byrne, the principle force behind the alternative band, talking heads, lets his art school education out of the closet with this brightly colored offering of postmodern collage and language as medium work. David byrne knows a few more things, and hes written a book about them. Sep 11, 2012 his new album and book are smart, calculated works that dont leave much of an impression. David byrne generally travels from new york, ny, usa and can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. David byrne talking about psycho killer by davehaslam published on 20121125t19.
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