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1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (1,000 Before You Die) | |||||||
 
| 80% Recommended by our customers. Publisher: Workman Publishing Company Catalog: Book Release date: 2008-08-04 Media: Paperback Number of pages: 992 Ean: 9780761139638 Book Isbn: 076113963X  Tip: compare prices with similar booksAuthor:
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The musical adventure of a lifetime. The most exciting book on music in years. A book of treasure, a book of discovery, a book to open your ears to new worlds of pleasure. Doing for music what Patricia Schultz—author of the phenomenal 1,000 Places to See Before You Die—does for travel, Tom Moon recommends 1,000 recordings guaranteed to give listeners the joy, the mystery, the revelation, the sheer fun of great music. This is a book both broad and deep, drawing from the diverse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, world, opera, soundtracks, and more. It's arranged alphabetically by artist to create the kind of unexpected juxtapositions that break down genre bias and broaden listeners’ horizons— it makes every listener a seeker, actively pursuing new artists and new sounds, and reconfirming the greatness of the classics. Flanking J. S. Bach and his six entries, for example, are the little-known R&B singer Baby Huey and the '80s Rastafarian hard-core punk band Bad Brains. Farther down the list: The Band, Samuel Barber, Cecelia Bartoli, Count Basie, and Afropop star Waldemer Bastos. Each entry is passionately written, with expert listening notes, fascinating anecdotes, and the occasional perfect quote—"Your collection could be filled with nothing but music from Ray Charles," said Tom Waits, "and you'd have a completely balanced diet." Every entry identifies key tracks, additional works by the artist, and where to go next. And in the back, indexes and playlists for different moods and occasions. |
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Written on October 28, 2008 Summary: Some reviewers are missing the point What most readers/reviewers fail to recognize is that this book is not about the BEST 1000 recordings it is about recordings you should HEAR. Those who complain that some really great music is missing are missing the point. Buy this book for education and enjoyment not to see how close Moon comes to your top 1000 music recordings ratings of all time.  Written on October 23, 2008 Summary: Awesome musical resource Tom Moon has compiled an exhaustive list of recordings you must hear "before you die." How does one decided which recordings are the "must hears?" Moon writes that he cast a wide net when it came to determining which ones to include. One musical genre isn't more dominant than another. Some recordings are listed for their groundbreaking/historical value. Others are included for their musical genius. Still, others are listed because they are simply so enjoyable to listen to. I love music, particularly roots music. I was happy to find that many of those artists I would consider "must hears" are included. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I have to listen to each of these recordings before I die, but this book has definitely broadened my aural horizons! Written on October 23, 2008 Summary: Comprehensive and well-organized This is a fun, enjoyable book to dive into. It is very comprehensive and well-organized. You should be warned that it might lead to a desire to purchase a large number of albums that you might not already own! The indexes and playlists are a particularly nice feature. The one area where I think the book could be improved might be around the physical elements - it would be nice to have color and a larger page size. Other than that, I found it very interesting and enjoyable.  Written on October 19, 2008 Summary: Gaping holes make this guide useless While the majority of albums on Tom Moon's list are worthy, and he shows an admirable willingness to list lesser-known albums that are wonderful listens, a series of blind spots in his selections are so egregious and so utterly misrepresent the history of 20th century music, that ultimately they leave this a deeply flawed book. The worst is the utter absence of the New Orleans jazz renaissance of the 1980s through the present. Moon lists not a single album by the Marsalis clan: nothing from Wynton, nothing from Branford, nothing from Delfeayo or patriarch Ellis. Even if one doesn't particularly care for Wynton (which Moon clearly does not, offering several withering comments about him in other jazz entries), the man has been the most influential jazz musician of the last quarter-century. And, oh yeah, he's the only jazz composer to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for music. The Marsalises aren't the only folks who have helped restore New Orleans to a place of prominence in American music, either. But you won't find Harry Connick Jr. here, either. Nor Terence Blanchard, Leroy Jones or Nicholas Payton. The re-emergence of New Orleans as a major jazz center has been one of the most important developments of the past few decades, and yet there is nothing here to help listeners explore that. It is a truly curious oversight. And while this book is presented as a guide to worldwide music, the French selections are too thin to be truly representative of that nation's contributions. Yes, the obvious Edith Piaf is here - but where's Charles Aznavour? Charles Trenet? Henri Salvador? Did France truly produce only one great singer? The AllMusic Guide is a much better starting place for anyone looking to start their music collection.  Written on October 18, 2008 Summary: What is the plan? What is the purpose? Yesterday I listened to Schumann's first symphony, with Thomas Dausgaard conducting the Swedish Chamber Orchestra (BIS SACD 1569). I was blown away. My soul was ripped out and (briefly) rearranged. It was such an ecstatic experience that, even after it ended, I was on the verge of crying for the next half hour. I had great trouble sitting still and focusing on my work. Why did I react that way? Was it simply this conductor's profound insight into a classic piece of music? Was it a reaction to the many bad experiences I've had this year? Simply the way I felt at the moment? These were certainly all factors. But there is little doubt that I'd have reacted the way I did if I _had not_ been thoroughly familiar with the "Spring" symphony and heard it many times before. I was listening in the context of my knowledge of and experience with classical music. It was _not_ an isolated experience. Someone with no knowledge of Schumann or orchestral music would probably not have reacted this way. Indeed, they might have said "So what? I hear nothing special." Yet this is what Moon is selling -- a thousand more-or-less isolated musical experiences, _without context_. On a less-profound level... I'm currently studying (and enjoying!) Haydn's keyboard works, as performed by by Buchbinder, Brautigam, and Schornsheim. Though the Schornsheim is arguably the "best" of these sets, there is no question they "inform" each other. One's understanding of Haydn is enhanced by hearing all of them. Musical works and their peformances do not exist in isolation. To assume that one can listen to a "must-hear" recording and properly grasp it -- or merely enjoy it -- particularly when one is dipping into an unfamiliar genre -- makes little sense. If I ever developed an interest in rock 'n roll, I'd probably want to start at the beginning. The book has other problems. I find it hard to believe anyone can have such broad musical tastes that they like _everything_. I find this off-putting -- I'd rather read the views of multiple reviewers who are deeply -- or even exclusively -- into classical, rock, blues, C&W, etc. As far as taste goes... Anyone making a "best of" or "must-hear" list will be attacked from all sides for what they included or left out. Moon is no exception. Of the many Bach "Goldberg Variations", the _only_ recommendations are the 1955 & 1981 Gould (currently available in a double-disk set, "A Sense of Wonder"). The 1955 version is -- to put it kindly -- a wayard and self-indulgent performance that Gould later disowned. * Yet (unlike other works) he offers no alternative. Pinnock is fine on the harpsichord, and Perahia's piano performance shows profound insight into both the structure and humanity of this work. It is currently considered one of the great recordings of any piece of music. Yet Moon doesn't even mention it. There are four great American musicals -- "Guys and Dolls", "Finian's Rainbow", "The Music Man", and "West Side Story". Only the latter is included, ** but Moon wastes space on "The Sound of Music" (gar-bage), "Hello, Dolly!", and "Funny Girl". There are no comedy recordings. Was there no room for "Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America", which has consistently been voted the greatest comedy recording of all time by Dr. Demento's fans? How about Paul Weston and Jo Stafford (as Jonathan and Darlene Edwards) trashing cocktail-lounge peformers? Stafford is brilliant, and Weston's dreadful piano playing is a work of genius. He's not only technically inept, but his fundamental _approach_ to the music is wrong. Yes, this is a recording you _have_ to hear. This book is useful for exposing listeners to unfamiliar works or genres. But if one is (presumably) going to work through 1000 great recordings (at one per week, it would take 20 years), one would expect to actually _learn_ something about the music. If one's only source of information is this book, learning will be largely by accident. Had I been the publisher, I would have recommended arranging the material by genre, and within genre, in chronological order, with the essays expanded to cover the _progression_ (or changes to) music within each genre. The current arrangement, with recordings arranged alphabetically by composer or performer is not only an implication that any genre of music is as good as any other (it's not), but it obscures or ignores similarities and differences among and within genres. Finally... In case anyone is wondering... Yes, I'm a Classical Snob. Western art music (a more correct term) is not _inherently_ superior to any other form of music. But, like Avis, it tries harder -- a lot harder -- and succeeds. When rock 'n roll produces a work comparable in quality to "Don Giovanni" or "Das Lied von der Erde", or the Eroica, then I'll take it seriously. But not until then. * In fairness, it might be a good introduction for someone not familiar with Baroque music. ** "Guys and Dolls" gets a secondary recommendation. |
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| Catalog | Book | Book | Book | Book | Book |
| Release date | 2008-08-04 | 2008-10-14 | 2008-06-28 | 2008-11-11 | 2008-11-18 |
| Media | Paperback | Hardcover | Paperback | Paperback | Hardcover |
| Number of pages | 992 | 1024 | 280 | 208 | 320 |
| Ean | 9780761139638 | 9780307264619 | 9781846700828 | 9781416562023 | 9780316017923 |
| Book Isbn | 076113963X | 0307264610 | 1846700825 | 1416562028 | 0316017922 |
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