Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener``s Life
The musical adong>veong>nture of a lifetime. The most excong>itong>ing book on music in years. A book of treasure, a book of discoong>veong>ry, a book ong>toong> open ong>youong>r ears ong>toong> new worlds of pleasure. Doing for music what Patricia Schultzauthor of the phenomenal Places ong>toong> See Before ong>Youong> Diedoes for traong>veong>l, ong>Toong>m Moon recommends recordings guaranteed ong>toong> giong>veong> listeners the joy, the mystery, the reong>veong>lation, the sheer fun of great music. This is a book both broad and deep, drawing from the diong>veong>rse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, world, opera, soundtracks, and more. ong>Itong>``s arranged aong>lpong>habetically by artist ong>toong> create the kind of unexpected juxtaposong>itong>ions that break down genre bias and broaden listeners horizons ong>itong> makes eong>veong>ry listener a seeker, actiong>veong>ly pursuing new artists and new sounds, and reconfirming the greatness of the classics. Flanking J. S. Bach and his six entries, for example, are the long>itong>tle-known R&B singer Baby Huey and the ``80s Rastafarian hard-core punk band Bad Brains. Farther down the list: The Band, Samuel Barber, Cecelia Barong>toong>li, Count Basie, and Afropop star Waldemer Basong>toong>s. Each entry is passionately wrong>itong>ten, wong>itong>h expert listening notes, fascinating anecdotes, and the occasional perfect quote"ong>Youong>r collection could be filled wong>itong>h nothing but music from Ray Charles," said ong>Toong>m Waong>itong>s, "and ong>youong>``d haong>veong> a completely balanced diet." Eong>veong>ry entry identifies key tracks, addong>itong>ional works by the artist, and where ong>toong> go next. And in the back, indexes and playlists for different moods and occasions.