Customer Reviews

Like Young: Jazz, Pop, Youth, and Middle Age

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This is my second book by Francis Davis. My first was Jazz And Its Discontents: A Francis Davis Reader, another fun read. I'm sure I'll now be seeking out most of his other work. In this book, Mr. Davis ponders the question of how the music we grew up with colors our lives. While he is considered a jazz critic, in this particular book he also covers pop, country and even Broadway music. Each of the pieces was previously published, but according to the author, were modified in different ways to fit the book. There are sections on Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach, a fascinatingly strange interview segment with Sun Ra, plus many others. Most of these are not profile pieces, but rather studies of how their lives influenced their art and in turn, how we are effected by listening. What makes this all such a pleasure to read, is the style in which it's written. Many authors writing becomes almost scientifically cold and detached, when analyzing such topics; whereas Mr. Davis keeps it warm and human. If music has always been an important part of your life and especially if you are middle aged, you will find much to relate to in many of these articles.