Rachel M. (shooglenifty) reviewed I Hate Myself and Want to Die: The 52 Most Depressing Songs You've Ever Heard on
Hilarious in parts, quite cerebral and technical (music-appreciation-wise) in others. Overall a good read, although a few chapters I skimmed for lack of interest. Came away with a few interesting and esoteric tidbits about pop songs I would have dismissed out of hand. Passed it along to a musician to get his take.
Heather J. (LadyCrymsyn) reviewed I Hate Myself and Want to Die: The 52 Most Depressing Songs You've Ever Heard on + 28 more book reviews
The 52 songs lambasted here contain enough pathos to sink a ship (perhaps even the Edmund Fitzgerald). Having to listen to the songs listed in this book would probably send me running for the Prozac. Reading about these songs, on the other hand - well the tears in my eyes were from laughter. Tom Reynolds does a magnificent job breaking down each song with an often caustic wit, giving the breakdown of the plot of the song, as well as what makes it so depressing.
The only complaint I have about the book is his treatment of one of my favorite depressing songs, "Brick," by Ben Folds Five. His opening paragraph about this song admits that everything that follows is based on the mistaken belief that this is a song about a teenage breakup, and that therefore nearly every statement about the song is incorrect. So, even though he admits that the section was written based on incorrect information, he still included it, rather than rewrite based on the actual theme of the song (which loses none of its depressing power). Still, out of 52 songs, having one poorly-written section is hardly a deal-breaker, and I highly recommend this book to music lovers anywhere.
The only complaint I have about the book is his treatment of one of my favorite depressing songs, "Brick," by Ben Folds Five. His opening paragraph about this song admits that everything that follows is based on the mistaken belief that this is a song about a teenage breakup, and that therefore nearly every statement about the song is incorrect. So, even though he admits that the section was written based on incorrect information, he still included it, rather than rewrite based on the actual theme of the song (which loses none of its depressing power). Still, out of 52 songs, having one poorly-written section is hardly a deal-breaker, and I highly recommend this book to music lovers anywhere.
