Amazon.com: Blinded by the Lyrics (9780806526959): Brent Mann: Books

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Even a rock aficionado will learn a thing or two, February 3, 2006

By

Greg Brady "columbusboy" (Capital City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Blinded by the Lyrics (Paperback)

My wife characterized this, correctly, as a "great bathroom book". The chapters are all about 2-3 pages with a theme of a particular song's most "inscrutable" lyric but with lots of neat bunny trails along the way. For example, a section on Steely Dan's "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" also includes a tidbit on Genesis' "Squonk". Besides the parts on particular songs, there are portions that deal with decades in general from the 1970s to the 1990s.

If you don't know what a "fried out Kombi" is, what part Freddie Mercury's country of origin played in the writing of "Bohemian Rhapsody" or what the "pompitous of love" are, (to say nothing of a "cool water sandwich and a Sunday-go-to-meetin' bun") this book will clue you in.

Perhaps the best part is this book doesn't focus only on the oft analyzed Rolling Stones, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, et al., but it also finds time for tunes from Men At Work, The Fixx, Barenaked Ladies and Rickie Lee Jones.

PROS:
Mann's style is breezy and he's unafraid to inject his personal opinion even if he thinks it will be an unpopular one. (He fondly recalls the video for Huey Lewis and the News' "If This is It".)

CONS:
You'd probably not want to refer to this again and again and because of the diversions, it doesn't necessarily make a good "reference" book if you're a DJ or musicologist. It's not always easy to remember WHERE you learned, for example, how the Marshall Tucker Band got its name, since they don't have a chapter dedicated to them..just a bunny trail off the "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" entry. There's no index either.

BOTTOM LINE:
The BIGGEST lyrical mysteries (Who are the Queen and the Jester in "American Pie"? What got thrown off the Tallahatchie Bridge?) aren't solved, but I'd be willing to bet 98% of this book's readers will learn at least ONE thing they didn't know about a band or song and the casual rock listener will find it a treasure trove of information.

3 1/2 stars

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comment

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The pompatus of pop culture -- a terrific book, August 16, 2005

By

David (Marin County, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blinded by the Lyrics (Paperback)

It's seldom that I've read a book that left me both entertained and informed -- "Blinded by the Lyrics" is such a book. Brent Mann gives you the inside story behind hundreds of mysterious, fascinating rock & roll lyrics. What did the Grateful Dead mean by "Dallas got a soft machine" in Truckin'? What exactly is the enigmatic "pomatus of love" in "The Joker" by Steve Miller? "Blinded by the Lyrics" answers these sorts of questions with wit, style and exhaustive research.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comment

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A trip through some of my favorite tunes!, June 14, 2005

By

Leslie Doyle (Southboro, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blinded by the Lyrics (Paperback)

This is the fun summer book I'm sharing with all my friends.

A terrific read!! Mann unraveled the mysteries of some of my favorite tunes. If you ever said "hey, love that tune but what the heck is he/she talking about in that line?" pick up the book - It's a blast to read about some of the songs we all grew up with.

Plus you gotta love the insights into Steely Dan's lyrics--possibly the most perplexing of all time!

I was a fan of Brent Mann's from his first book, 99 Red Balloons (about one-hit wonders, only way more interesting than that insipid VH1 show). I liked this 2nd book even better, with more of Mann's trademark wit. A definite recommend!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comment

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 13 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars My highest recommendation
I recently heard Brent Mann interviewed on the radio here in Chicago and he was really informative, insightful and funny, as is his book. Read more

Published on March 20, 2006 by Jonathan Alderman

3.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
Thumbs up for filling me in on the meaning behind the "Beds are Burning" lyrics.

Thumbs down for crediting "God Save the Queen" to the Clash. Read more

Published on March 19, 2006 by Jeffrey T Schroeck

4.0 out of 5 stars One star deducted for the book's length - not long enough!
That "One Hit Wonders" book sounds like a lot of fun! This one certainly was, and loaded with fun factoids. Read more

Published on February 10, 2006 by kohoutekdriver8

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Cool Book with Many Unexpected Treats
What makes this book exceptional is that Brent Mann includes dozens of cool songs and artists that almost never get written about -- for example: "Saved by Zero" by The Fixx,... Read more

Published on October 15, 2005 by Yukako Saito

3.0 out of 5 stars Silly songs make a great idea for a book.
OK idea, but ultimately boring. Could have been better
but it was entertaining in the end (and beginning}.

Published on October 2, 2005 by George E. Myers

5.0 out of 5 stars Blinded By the Lyrics opened my eyes
Brent Mann's new book Blinded by the Lyrics opened my eyes and answered many of my questions that I wondered about for years. Read more

Published on July 18, 2005 by T. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars What a hoot!
How many times have I sang or hummed along with the song "Rosanna." I did not know the song was about Rosanna Arquette. Read more

Published on July 11, 2005 by Rusty J.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hours of entertainment
Great information from an expert. "Blinded by the Lyrics" answered over two dozen questions I have wondered about for years. Read more

Published on July 11, 2005 by Dennis R. Coates

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, breezy read!
This book was a great trip down musical memory lane. I know so many of these songs by heart, but have never tried to figure out what the lyrics really mean. Read more

Published on July 8, 2005 by Harper21

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and hilarious!
This book is one of the funniest and best books I've read on the subject of songs. So many times I've wondered what a song's lyrics meant, or if I heard them wrong. Read more

Published on June 13, 2005 by Kevin Marshal

› See all 13 customer reviews...

Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
one headlight, seaside arms, estate novelist, low spark, national charts, black balloon, single called

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Los Angeles, Steely Dan, New York City, American Pie, Louie Louie, The Beatles, United States, The Weight, John Lennon, One Week, New Wave, The Knack, Brent's Two Cents, George Harrison, Solsbury Hill, Duran Duran, Electric Avenue, The Night Chicago Died, Crackerbox Palace, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Steve Miller, Julian Lennon, Cheap Trick

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!