Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, or, My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Will Hodgkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2008

An amateur guitarist delves deep into the mysterious art of songwriting and receives revealing tips from the masters.

Song Man is the endearing sequel to Will Hodgkinson's Guitar Man, wherein our hero, having learned to play guitar (badly) in six months, endeavors to unlock the process of songwriting and ultimately record a single. Featuring pithy, humorous, and illuminating one-on-one songwriting lessons with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Ray Davies of the Kinks, Andy Partridge of XTC, Arthur Lee of Love, Chan Marshall of Cat Power, Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, and a host of others who run the gamut from unknown muses to cult icons to superstars--including Hodgkinson's lovable crew of ne'er-do-wells first introduced in Guitar Man--Song Man is at once an investigation into the most ephemeral of arts and a highly readable journey of discovery.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hodgkinson picks up right where his previous and immensely entertaining Guitar Man left off. After learning to play the guitar and perform on stage in only six months, with the help of fret board luminaries such as the Smiths' Johnny Marr, Hodgkinson attempts to learn how to write songs and then get them recorded, although this time he gives himself a year to do it all. When his first songs are met by his friends with less than enthusiasm (Are you going to sing 'Mystery Fox' to Hal David and Carole King?), Hodgkinson seeks out various songwriters such as XTC's Andy Partridge who are more encouraging (At least it's a good title). One of Hodgkinson's most endearing features—and one that his prose perfectly captures—is his utter lack of fear. In his humbling, and enjoyable, musical journey, he's willing to talk with unknown songwriters as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber (With perfect grace he found a way of agreeing with whatever inanity spewed from my mouth before explaining aspects of his craft with eloquence). (Feb)
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Review

"Song Man is a vivid portrait of pursuing a creative life, despite the odds, with an emotionally driven narrative and spot-on characterizations."—Harp

"In Guitar Man (2006), Hodgkinson reported on mastering the guitar. In the funny, self-deprecating, very entertaining sequel, writing a song and recording a single is his mission. Most know a great song when they hear it, but defining its essence is trickier. Hodgkinson admits he has a lot to learn, since his songwriting technique primarily consists of thinking of the name of an animal and "then finding something to rhyme with it." He receives desperately needed tips from Keith Richards, Ray Davies, Andy Partridge of XTC, Arthur Lee of Love, singer-guitarist Bert Jansch, and even Andrew Lloyd Webber as well as motley eccentrics including brilliant, erratic Lawrence, who dropped his surname years before it became fashionable. Hodgkinson also talks to muses, such as Patti Boyd, who inspired George Harrison’s "Something" and Eric Clapton’s "Layla," and visits New York to pay homage to the great Brill Street Building lyricists Carole King and Gerry Goffin. He and sometime partner Doyle go to great lengths to find the proper atmosphere for songwriting, one time as far as the tiny Hebridean island of Eigg. Ultimately, older and a bit wiser, Hodgkinson enters studio and records single. Wherever his next journey takes him, his many fans will gladly tag along."—Booklist, starred review

"In this sequel to Guitar Man (2007), music journalist Hodgkinson challenges himself to write and ultimately record an original song and, in the process, to determine the keys to creativity from some masters of the genre. A diverse array of songwriters from megastars Keith Richards and Ray Davies to such esoteric artists as folkie Bridget St. John and Lawrence Hayward, an eccentric songwriter from the 1980s, reflect on songwriting in conversations that endeavor to explain the magic, mystery, and magnetism of song. Hodgkinson displays a journalist's narrative style coupled with a novelist's eye for piquant descriptions of characters and places as the book progresses from his nascent lyric writing to a studio session in London. Other highlights of his often hilarious sojourns include a visit to a remote Scottish island to find inspiration and his self-deprecating description of singing in front of a professional music teacher. Stellar music writers—and with his two books, Hodgkinson certainly qualifies—elevate their writing to reflect on what music tells us about ourselves and our humanity. Highly recommended for all public libraries"—Library Journal

"[A]n engaging look at the English music journalist's failed attempt to reach songwriting success…charming little book."—Chicago Tribune

"Ultimately, the book is more self-effacing memoir than songcraft primer…but it’s still endearing and encouraging."—Relix

"A companion piece to his excellent Guitar Man, Hodgkinson is a warm, welcoming host…by the end you may well fancy a career as a pop star yourself."—MOJO

"Will Hodgkinson has the self-effacing British charm that make Hugh Grant such a reserved, melting-romantic hero—and with that ability to ingratiate without sliming, he follows up his quest-to-play-guitar bestseller Guitarman with this freewheeling odyssey through the creative process of some of pop’s most telling songwriters/artists….Like dancing about architecture, and yet, using the planes, cranes, and foundation to create something utterly Martha Graham, Song Man is the common man’s trip to a mystical place with some of the shamans of song."—American Songwriter, four-star review

"Song Man is a vivid portrait of pursuing a creative life, despite the odds, with an emotionally driven narrative and spot-on characterizations."—Harp

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Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1st Da Capo Press Ed edition (January 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306815818
• ASIN: B001G8WGKC
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,581,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars First person tale actually a trove of interviews with great songwriters, February 22, 2008

By 

E. L. Megel "himselves" (Earth) - See all my reviews

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

Will Hodgkinson is an utterly charming guy - a first rate raconteur and a delight to hang with through this entertaining book.
What first appears to be naught but a first person account of someone with little talent for and less of a clue to song writing, is actually a vessel for interviews with some of the best songwriters of the mid-late 20th Century. Some of the interviews are more revealing than others; some are revealing only of interviewee (Keith Richards, Ray Davies), some also of the songwriting craft (Andy Partridge, Andrew Lloyd Webber).
That such luminaries agreed to meet and open up to Hodgkinson is evidence enough of his charm, but he charms us too, with a breezy, conversational style but also with his gall, naïveté (we don't even care if its put on or not), and affection for his friends and family (liberally laced throughout the book).
I'm inspired to return the affection - in thanks for a couple of very pleasant evenings (the perfect book for a cross country or trans-Atlantic flight!) and surprising amount - albeit mostly superficially but, so what! - of insight into the craft of songwriting (a craft I've practiced myself). A most creative approach to the subject. Hodgkinson may not be able to write a song, but he most certainly can write a book!

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed reading this while taking procrastination breaks from writing my first song, October 24, 2011

By 

Booker T. - See all my reviews

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

I've been an instrumentalist and singer for a long time and while I enjoy interpreting other people's material I would like to write songs as well. This book is full of interviews with good songwriters, from retired folkies to Andrew Lloyd Webber. There's a lot of good stuff here, ranging from warnings against letting your song go on too long, how to write for singers, writing what you know, and so on. While "Song Man" has book proposal written all over it (it whetted my appetite for more complete memoirs writtens by career songwriters), Hodgkinson is entertaining and it all comes to a satisfying conclusion.

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!