Music Lust: Recommended Listening for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason (Paperback)

by Nic Harcourt (Author) "In the 1960s African musicians began incorporating Western jazz and pop styles into their traditional percussion-heavy music..." (more)
Key Phrases: original lineup, debut release, lineup changes, New York, United States, Warner Brothers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The MP3 and iPod revolution have changed forever how people listen to music, but choosing what to listen to next remains the dilemma of music lovers everywhere. As music director of KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, and DJ of the influential "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show, Harcourt uncovers the best in new and overlooked music for over half a million listeners every day. In Music Lust, Harcourt does what Nancy Pearl did for books in her national bestseller Book Lust. With more than 80 unique and unusual thematic lists, Harcourt offers a wide-ranging guide to the best in recorded music, from Frank Sinatra to Frank Zappa, Billie Holiday to Billy Bragg, bebop to hip-hop, The White Album to Back in Black, and much, much more. Known as an international tastemaker, Harcourt lends his discerning ear in recommended listening lists such as "Queens of Punk," "Great Road Music," and "My Desert Island Discs." Within each list, key bands and performers are introduced and discussed, and pivotal albums and songs identified. With the diversity of genres represented and Harcourt at the helm, Music Lust’s eclectic access to musicians, themes, and styles is spot-on for this moment in music.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570614377
• ISBN-13: 978-1570614378
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #519,138 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For people who *really listen* to music, August 30, 2005

By	D. Nixon "corporate bohemian" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Nic Harcourt has been a mainstay at influential KCRW in Santa Monica for several years, and has broken many bands to his wide audience. I believe I first heard White Stripes, Coldplay, Nelly McKay, Sigor Ros, and many many others on his show before they got started playing everywhere. He is also, along with others at KCRW, a top music supervisor for film and tv. This gives him a unique ability to recommend a very wide range of music in many genres, and apply that music to many moods and conditions. In this book, he does it fabulously. If you're like me, you'll read it just to find a few new morsels to try that you might not be aware of. If you're not a hard core music fan, but just love to get turned on to new stuff, this book will really send you to the "music" section of amazon or your nearest music store to pick up music that will blow your mind and change your life. Highly recommended!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound Reading, October 19, 2005

By	S. Finefrock (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

BOOK LUST, influential Dj Nic Harcourt's take on Nancy Pearl' BOOK LUST is a excellent guide for those who wish to pursue music that may wander outside of mainstream tastes.

As host of KCRW'S aptly named Morning Becomes Eclectic, the author plays the role of tastemaker, by playing new and exciting music that falls under the radar of the average music fan. This book acts as a guide to help people explore the same artists, even if they do not have access to his broadcasts. Through the book, he is able to share some of his personal history that illuminates how his tastes have formed over the years as well as inform the reader with a musical history lesson and a generous helping of trivia.

Though my tastes run parallel quite often to the author's, and I was aware of a majority of the artists and albums listed, I still found the book to be fascinating reading. I wholeheartedly recommend it to seasoned musical explorers and novices alike.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a love for lust., January 25, 2006

By	James Stegall "obx jupiter 8" (joliet, il) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

a very fine read from a man who really knows how to break music down into categories you would have never even thought of. you name it, it's there. thanks, nic.