YOUR FAVORITE BAND IS KILLING ME: WHAT POP MUSIC RIVALRIES REVEAL ABOUT THE MEANING OF LIFE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Steven Hyden | 304 pages | 17 May 2016 | BACK BAY BOOKS | 9780316259156 | English | United States Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal about the Meaning of Life PDF Book Listened in a single day. Aug 11, Anton Iokov rated it really liked it Shelves: audiobooks. I love books about rock music I would definitely recommend this to a music fan, but not so much to a casual fan. The book purports to be a collection of essays, each chapter considering a particularly rivalry in popular music—the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Biggie and Tupac being the ideal types, but there are fourteen others. John Lennon vs. Bob Dylan vs. Get A Copy. Stones: the inter-band rivalries pale in comparison to the intra-band rivalries. There's a fantastic paragraph on patriotism - a section on Crash - and a bunch on how music defines you. Armchair psychoanalysis of collective pop culture criticism, pitting one band's fandom against another's? Want to Read saving…. Funny, thoughtful essays about perceived rivalries in the music world. The Cure 6. Oct 25, Nathan Albright rated it really liked it Shelves: challenge The author seems to imply that Taylor Swift vs. Can't be avoided. Through Jimi Hendrix vs. Just kidding, I just wish this had gone on longer or had a final chapter to ease out of the book. I remember this line of thought from the early aughts: it was why all the good liberals hated the hippies and, sadly but necessarily, support the War. January Axl Rose was once beat up by Tommy Hilfiger. Madonna and Cyndi Lauper is another example. He likes inventing them based on his interpretation of popular culture. For example, the chapter on Hendrix vs. In recent years, Klosterman himself has graduated from writing about pop music to being more of an armchair sociologist, so this book is a welcome substitute if you miss reading stuff like Fargo Rock City and Killing Yourself to Live. Pavement: California self-confidence vs. Pop stars often become stand-ins for social groups and represent the dreams and aspirations of their fan base. This book basically consists of personal essays about the author's own taste in music and his own thoughts about various feuds divided into sixteen essays. Being a patriot means that I believe in a version of America that's basically imaginary, but I hope one day it will become real. As it happens, I saw Cynid Lauper performing last night, just a few days after I finished this book, and its chapter on Madonna versus Cyndi Lauper. And make no mistake—this is book about what it means to live within popular culture, and not see beyond it, except only occasionally. Pavement, a combo essay Dr. Trade Paperback Books. Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal about the Meaning of Life Writer Nor am I minimizing the hell that it is being a teenager. In particular, I got a sweet ass Axl Rose book mark autographed by Hyden just for showing my pre-order confirmation. Aug 30, Tyler rated it liked it. Hyden can be very good at discussion-oriented pieces that delve into new ways of thinking about, or relating to, music and culture. You merely have to recite recycled bits of conventional wisdom. I would definitely recommend this to a music fan, but not so much to a casual fan. Feb 24, Matt rated it really liked it Shelves: contemporary , social-crit , musique. Reading it often feels like a conversation with an informed and passionate friend. Who do you choose? Beatles vs. Apr 21, Peter Colclasure rated it really liked it. Michael Jackson: in the 80's, Jackson the undisputed king of pop. Eric Clapton is not my hero, but he is my avatar. Even though some albums really suck. Jimi Hendrix: is it better to burn out or fade away? He likes inventing them based on his interpretation of popular culture. Publishers Weekly. This book looks at famous pop and rock rivalries. Toby Keith becomes about the unfair ways we perceive others, and, in my personal favorite essay, Black Keys v. Caveat: I'm probably not the intended audience for this book. Biggie vs. The author also digs pretty deeply into the insecurity that drives many musicians to lash out against others, as well as the business side of having to appeal to the prejudices of one's core audience even when one might want to rise above such matters. Some rivalries are real--like, they were popular at the same time and genuinely hated each other, or at least there was a myth that they did. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His examination of the neurosis of Smashing Pumpkins' lead ghoul Billy Corgan is uncommonly insightful "His insecurity over cool people believing that he's awful has made him awful" ; I got a huge kick out of both his personal breakup-album connection to Ween's bizarre "lo-fi scuzz" experiment "The Pod", and his designation of identities for both the Beatles and the Stones Paul's the most musical, Mick's the smartest, and Keith's the one he'd save first if both bands were trapped in a burning building. Weekend Edition. He concedes an argument made by the Blur faithful — that Blur's overall discography was more consistent that Oasis, who put out two great albums and subsequently devolved into over-compressed imitations of their earlier work. Nirvana vs. Which leads him to think that Prince did better than Michael Jackson by surviving—again, weird! I really enjoyed this book, probably because I share very similar views on music with Steven Hyden. Oasis: he writes about how this was primarily a British feud based on class rivalries that didn't translate well in America, where most people only knew Blur for "Song No. Refresh and try again. Hyden is at his best when he breaks free from the theories he offers, and tries to see the cultural world from the outside. Average rating 3. Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal about the Meaning of Life Reviews Vince Neil with a lot of cameos concerning unfought celebrity boxing matches , Smashing Pumpkins vs. Hyden is genuinely funny. With Bryan Adams, for god knows what reason! Miley Cyrus, Roger Waters vs. This book also has a refreshing openness, even empathy, toward various points of view even ones the author doesn't agree with, which he clearly states in an impressively non-aggressive way. Michael Jackson: in the 80's, Jackson the undisputed king of pop. Eric Clapton, Hyden explores burning out and fading away, while his take on Miley vs. The Cure 6. Metallica, David Lee Roth vs. Okay, so I'm just picking at straws here but I read the last half of the book today and there were too many interchangable male lead bands that I didn't Wikipedia while I was reading. Save on Nonfiction Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. The granddaddy of this kind of rivalry is the classic case of Lynyrd Skynryd vs. Blur have their moments, but they pretty much speak for England. As it happens, I saw Cynid Lauper performing last night, just a few days after I finished this book, and its chapter on Madonna versus Cyndi Lauper. Average rating 3. I wrote down approximately a kajillion albums to check out after reading this book, and I felt stupid exactly 0 times. May 17, Theresa rated it it was ok. Welcome back. Because Hyden really, really likes theories. About Steven Hyden. Beatles or Stones? Readers also enjoyed. It made me nostalgic at times and has led me to dusting off old CDs that I haven't listened to in years. I appreciate artists who are experimental Things I took away from this book: Pearl Jam was music for frat boys? May 09, Matt Lohr rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed this book, probably because I share very similar views on music with Steven Hyden. Naturally, I loved this book. The Smiths vs. As an American, I hope for us to be better and own the times when we're not. Funny, thoughtful essays about perceived rivalries in the music world. Brand new: Lowest price The lowest-priced brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging where packaging is applicable. Refresh and try again. Stones: the inter-band rivalries pale in comparison to the intra-band rivalries. Pearl Jam: Hyden reminds us that in spite of the revisionist history claiming Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain were secretly mutual admirers, Cobain hated Pearl Jam when he was alive, and it was only his premature death that allowed Pearl Jam to retroactively frame themselves as a band that Cobain was sympathetic to. But he still sides with Oasis cause those two albums were better than anything Blur ever did. Each chapter in Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me focuses on a pop music rivalry, from the classic to the very recent, and draws connections to the larger forces surrounding the pairing. There are enough snort worthy moments where you don't feel like it takes itself too seriously. Clapton, which explores the real cultural difference between burning out and fading away. But our society has not yet recognized person-rock band marriage rights. John Lennon vs. Tupac Shakur, and Toby Keith vs. Michael Jackson chapter was that prince won by virtue of surviving, i would think the publishers would have made some effort to correct the manuscript in the weeks after Prince's death.