Your Song Changed My Life: From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It
Written by Bob Boilen
Narrated by Bob Boilen
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
From the beloved host and creator of NPR’s All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts comes an essential oral history of modern music, told in the voices of iconic and up-and-coming musicians, including Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page, Michael Stipe, Carrie Brownstein, Smokey Robinson, and Jeff Tweedy, among others—published in association with NPR Music.
Is there a unforgettable song that changed your life?
NPR’s renowned music authority Bob Boilen posed this question to some of today’s best-loved musical legends and rising stars. In Your Song Changed My Life, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), St. Vincent, Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Cat Power, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Jenny Lewis, Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney), Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), Trey Anastasio (Phish), Jackson Browne, Valerie June, Philip Glass, James Blake, and other artists reflect on pivotal moments that inspired their work.
For Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, it was discovering his sister’s 45 of The Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn.” A young St. Vincent’s life changed the day a box of CDs literally fell off a delivery truck in front of her house. Cat Stevens was transformed when he heard John Lennon cover “Twist and Shout.” These are the momentous yet unmarked events that have shaped these and many other musical talents, and ultimately the sound of modern music.
A diverse collection of personal experiences, both ordinary and extraordinary, Your Song Changed My Life illustrates the ways in which music is revived, restored, and revolutionized. It is also a testament to the power of music in our lives, and an inspiration for future artists and music lovers.
Amazing contributors include: Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney, Portlandia, Wild Flag), Smokey Robinson, David Byrne (Talking Heads), St. Vincent, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), James Blake, Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), Trey Anastasio (Phish), Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Sturgill Simpson, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Cat Power, Jackson Browne, Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Philip Glass, Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Hozier, Regina Carter, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, and others), Courtney Barnett, Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers), Leon Bridges, Sharon Van Etten, and many more.
Bob Boilen
Bob Boilen is the creator and host of NPR Music’s All Songs Considered, and of their Tiny Desk Concert series, which hosts well-known and emerging artists for intimate performances filmed at his desk. He was also the director of NPR’s All Things Considered (1989-2007) and chose the music between the news stories. As a composer and musician himself, Boilen has always been passionate about music. Prior to joining NPR, he was a long-time record store clerk and performed with his band Tiny Desk Unit. Constantly on the lookout for new music, Boilen sees more than 500 live bands each year. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Related to Your Song Changed My Life
Related audiobooks
The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Bowie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Never a Dull Moment: 1971—The Year That Rock Exploded Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Music Is History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dirty Blvd.: The Life and Music of Lou Reed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Who I Am Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All These Things That I've Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl in a Band: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Janis: Her Life and Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stone Free: Jimi Hendrix in London, September 1966–June 1967 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hotel California Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That Thin, Wild Mercury Sound: Dylan, Nashville, and the Making of Blonde on Blonde Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anthems We Love: 29 Iconic Artists on the Hit Songs That Shaped Our Lives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRock Concert: An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Life in the Purple Kingdom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sex, Drums, Rock 'n' Roll!: The Hardest Hitting Man in Show Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Led Zeppelin IV Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Where’s My Guitar?: An Inside Story of British Rock and Roll Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Somewhere You Feel Free: Tom Petty and Los Angeles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Glam!: Bowie, Bolan and the Glitter Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy of 55 More Songs: The Oral History of Top Hits That Changed Rock, Pop and Soul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Music For You
Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Swingtime for Hitler: Goebbels’s Jazzmen, Tokyo Rose, and Propaganda That Carries a Tune Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paris: The Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rememberings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5More Myself: A Journey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Heroin Diaries: Ten Year Anniversary Edition: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Sweeter Sound: The History of Black Country Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Open Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Effin' Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5High School Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Storyteller: Expanded: ...Because There's More to the Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within, Book & Includes Online Downloadable code Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The FBI War on Tupac Shakur: The State Repression of Black Leaders from the Civil Rights Era to the 1990s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I've Had to Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists: Master the Essential Knowledge All Guitarists Need To Know Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Constitution of the United States of America, 1787 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Autobiography of Gucci Mane Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sing From Within: A guide to developing a dynamic singing voice using techniques used by the professionals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Inner Game of Music Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Your Song Changed My Life
28 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anything that allows me to get a glimpse of what inspires Justin Vernon wins all the prizes for me. It helped that some of my most favorite people are interviewed here - not just Justin, but Sharon Van Etten, Carrie Brownstein, Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens. A great variety of some of the best musicians in my opinion. This is a great read for any audiophile.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bob Boilen of NPR's All Songs Considered interviews about three dozen musical artists, focusing on the music that influences those artists. The subjects are quiet varied in representing different areas of popular music from Jimmy Page to St. Vincent to Smokey Robinson to Iain Mackaye to Phillip Glass to Lucinda Williams. Some of the influences are what you'd expect, but then they're surprises like Trey Anastassio of Phish citing Leonard Bernstein or Jenny Lewis drawing on hip-hop. Some of the best interviews are with artists I otherwise knew nothing about such as Hozier and Fantastic Negrito. A significant part of this book is also abotu Boilen's own experience as a kid first hearing the Beatles, working in a record store, and starting a band. He frequently relates the artists' experience back to his own and indirectly to the reader's as we all have our own experiences of being exposed to music. This is a good book for music fans, and even if you don't read it cover to cover, it's worth checking out some of the interviews.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your song changed my life, from Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier_ thirty-five beloved artists on their journey and the music by Boilen_ BobEnjoyed this story of how different musical artists changed his life as he moved around the world as a child, teen, adult.Like hearing of the artists behind the scenes and little known information from the 60's to current days artists and how their music changed the world.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).