Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, Or My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting [IMPORT] (Paperback)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (June 16, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0747592950
• ISBN-13: 978-0747592952
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,001,883 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great fun!, May 15, 2008

By	J. Rosenthal (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, or, My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting (Paperback)

One doesn't have to be a songwriter to appreciate Will Hodgkinson's odyssey. He does an admirable job of summing up the highs and lows of the creative process, regardless of genre. I thought _Song Man_ was particularly skilled at presenting the challenges of writing music in a way that doesn't require four years at a conservatory to appreciate.

The interviews with a diverse range of musicians are amazing. It's not a surprise that most of their advice conflicts -- that seems to be one of the book's central themes -- but I heard plenty of observations by artists that were nothing like what I would have expected.

And it's hilarious. I laughed out loud so often while reading _Song Man_ that people would stop me in public and ask about it. What a treat!

5.0 out of 5 stars a lesson in love, April 22, 2008

By	S. Armstrong (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, or, My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting (Paperback)

As a fan of Hodgkinsons excellent first book about learning the guitar, I was glad to find he'd lost none of his insight when graduating to something much tougher - writing a song that really touches people. On the way, he finds some of the funniest and most tragic people in the music industry. I thought the scene from Narcotics Anonymous with failed and desperate songwriter Lawrence (who I assume is an ex-star under a false name). Keef Richards agrees to help out as well, and you can't say fairer than that. Where Guitar Man was funny and self depreciating, Song Man is more about talent than skill - the mystery of what makes someone creative and how destructive that can be. Its made me listen to my favourite tunes in a compeletely different way.

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny Book, April 6, 2008

By	W. Senn "Wm. Harold Senn" (Summerville, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, or, My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting (Paperback)

Will Hodgkinson writes with a good sense of humor. Just like in his book, Guitar Man, he tells the story from the point-of-view of an ordinary guy trying to do something extraordinary for him. Great fun!