Behind The Muse: Pop and Rock's Greatest Songwriters Talk About Their Work and Inspiration [Paperback]

Bill DeMain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2001

"Behind The Muse" features interviews with over 40 successful and respected songwriters. Billy Joel, Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, Smokey Robinson, John Mellencamp, and David Byrne are among the acclaimed writers who discuss their methods for tapping into the sources of creativity, their work habits, and the stories behind their most popular songs.

The book spans 70 years of popular music, from interviews with Mitchell Parish (who wrote the lyrics to "Stardust") and Burton Lane (whose standard "How About You?" first charted in the Big Band era) to discussions with current cutting-edge artists such as Aimee Mann and Tori Amos.

Along the way, there are revealing interviews with the creators of famous songs from a wide variety of genres such as 1960s pop (Jimmy Webb, Hal David), Motown (Ashford & Simpson), classic rock (The Byrds' Roger McGuinn, The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward), country (Dolly Parton), musical theatre (Jerry Herman, Marvin Hamlisch, Tim Rice), 1970s and 1980s Top 40 (Barry Gibb, Phil Collins, Steve Winwood), power pop (Nick Lowe, Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook, Matthew Sweet), and current singer-songwriters (Suzanne Vega, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan).

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bill DeMain is a songwriter, recording artist, and journalist. He is one-half of the pop duo Swan Dive and his songs have been featured on a number of critically-acclaimed albums. His writing has appeared in "MOJO," "Entertainment Weekly," and "Performing Songwriter."

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Tiny Ripple Books (November 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967597323
• ISBN-13: 978-0967597324
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,423,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's not a critic, he's a SONGWRITER..., December 19, 2001

By 

P. B. Fey (Phoenixville, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behind The Muse: Pop and Rock's Greatest Songwriters Talk About Their Work and Inspiration (Paperback)

...and that's why this collection of interviews merits a place of honor in your music library. Bill DeMain appreciates and creates fine songs. And that's the difference. Because he's a songwriter--and a damn good one at that--he brings a refreshing dimension to discussions with some of pop music's most celebrated (Hal David, Jimmy Webb) and, in some cases, least appreciated songsmiths (Nick Lowe, Dolly Parton). I'd place this alongside Bill Flanagan's "Written in My Soul" as a must-have for would-be and working songrwriters alike. And even if you just plain love listening to music, you'll still enjoy this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing, unusual title, February 7, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind The Muse: Pop and Rock's Greatest Songwriters Talk About Their Work and Inspiration (Paperback)

Plenty of individual titles cover pop and rock star biographies and works, but Bill DeMain's Behind The Muse provides an unusual compendium of insights on modern songwriters who talk about their works and inspirations, from Dolly Parton and Billy Joel to Jobim and Burt Bachrach and Tori Amos. The diversity of personalities who appear side by side to share their insights makes for an absorbing, unusual title.