Songwriters On Songwriting: Revised And Expanded (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Pete Seeger's songs are some of the most heartfelt a country has heard, songs that seem to have been born with the earth because we..." (more)
Key Phrases: rainbow sleeves, orange crate art, small blue thing, New York, Bob Dylan, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If your bookshelf or wallet can only accommodate one book at this moment, it should be this one." -Cashbox -- Cashbox

Product Description

An expanded edition of a classic collection of interviews with the greatest songwriters of our time.

This expanded fourth edition of Songwriters on Songwriting includes ten new interviews--with Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Lou Reed, and others. In these pages, sixty-two of the greatest songwriters of our time go straight to the source of the magic of songwriting by offering their thoughts, feelings, and opinions on their art. Representing almost every genre of popular music, from blues to pop to rock, here are the figures that have shaped American music as we know it.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 4 edition (June 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306812657
• ISBN-13: 978-0306812651
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,331 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from SING OUT magazine, September 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Songwriters On Songwriting (Paperback)

By MICHAEL TEARSON

Paul Zollo, himself a singer-songwriter , has assembled a mighty and important book here. He has gathered 52 interviews he conducted for SongTalk. The subjects are a virtual who's who of songwriters. Zollo has an obvious love of song and songmaking and a curiosity about the process that won't quit. These qualities are reflected in his interviewing. So, too, is Zollo's uncanny knack for putting his subjects at ease so they will open up to him and candidly reveal more than they might have expected to. He probes intelligently, asking questions that evoke true responses. I often found myself thinking how good his questioning is. He clearly does his homework so that he can display an encyclopedic knowledge of the artist's full career, often asking specifically about the damnedest, most obscure songs. Two pieces juxtaposed early in the book form a kind of core around which this collection revolves. These are lengthy interviews with first Bob Dylan and then Paul Simon. In each of these, Zollo shows how well he listens and responds in his questioning. Both interviews are tremendously revealing and rewarding. This collection is about just what it is singer-songwriters of all stripes do, plus the how, in the way their various processes work, and the why of their drive to create. Essential questions all. This is compelling, don't-you-dare-miss-it stuff for anybody who writes songs, and equally for anybody else who listens to songs and cares about them.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars open your head!! something to learn from every single entry., August 19, 2001

By	Jeffrey J. Sanders "psychedelic tunesmith" (www.mountainmirrors.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Songwriters On Songwriting (Paperback)

I love this book. It really delves into the heart and soul of the songwriter and the idea that the songs don't come as much from themselves, but an unseen force which they are conductive channels to.... I started with the interviews with artists I'd known, like Carlos Santana and Paul Simon, and when I'd eventually gotten to the ones I'd never heard of is when the genius of this collection became more apparent. There is something beautiful and inspiring to be learned from everyone in this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insight into the songwriting process, November 26, 2002

By	jg_music (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songwriters On Songwriting (Paperback)

The author interviews songwriters about their songwriting habits, attitudes, experiences and inspirations. Each songwriter has something unique to say. The interviews are educational, insightful, and occasionally inspiring. There are many interviews, so the book is a very good value for the price.

This book tells you how songwriters think and feel. The focus is on intangible artistic creation, vs. mechanical songwriting techniques.