Songwriters on Songwriting

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In these 52 interviews 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 folk to Tin Pan Alley to jazz, from blues to pop to rock, these are the figures who have shaped American music as we know it. Here they share their secrets and personal methods for converting inspiration into song: both Robbie Robertson of The Band and Tom Petty talk about working with Bob Dylan; Dylan himself, in his only in-depth interview in more than ten years, says that the world doesn't need any new songs; R.E.M. name their favorite R.E.M. songs; Madonna describes collaborating with Prince; Sammy Cahn talks about writing standards for Sinatra; Pete Seeger recounts hitting the road with Woody Guthrie; Frank Zappa admits to loving "Louie Louie"; Todd Rundgren explains how he dreams his songs; and, in the book's most extensive interview, Paul Simon delves into his entire opus from "The Sound of Silence" to Graceland. And almost all of them express delight at being able to talk about the mechanics of music itself, something that they have been rarely asked to discuss.

FROM THE CRITICS

Songwriter's Monthly

A songwriter simply should not be without this book...You can not only read it at your leisure, you can go back to it—again and again and again.

Cashbox

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

Booknews