Your Song Changed My Life by Bob Boilen

Summary of the Summary of the Summary

A simple and interesting, though inconsistent, examination of many musical artists across different genres. 

Summary of the Summary

Bob Boilen, host of NPR's All Songs Considered, spends his days playing and reviewing new music from established and up and coming artists alike. In his new book, he uses his music knowledge and connections to interview artists about the song that "changed their life." In theory, it sounds like a good idea, but in execution, Boilen falters a bit. The biggest problem I found was that the idea of one song changing an artist's life is a flawed question to begin with, as what does that even mean?

I suppose Boilen was using the question as an open-ended opportunity to allow artists to share what musicians inspired them and how their musical journey has been shaped by other music. But what he runs into are artists who don't have a clear "inspirational song" or whose song that changed their life has
little to no connection to who they are as an artist today. In these situations, Boilen conspicuously stretches, trying to make connections that may or may not actually be there. Can't he just accept that they liked the song just because it was a good song, but their musical path has decidedly taken a different turn? But I suppose that wouldn't make a good story....

All in all, it's still an interesting book, a mini-biography of 35 very different musicians, and of Boilen himself, as he makes ties and connections between the artists he interviews, his current career, and his past as a member of his own band. It's an interesting concept, and it packs a lot of punch, but it also meanders a bit. It seems Boilen's concept was a better launching off point than as an entire concept for a book. 

Summary

In Your Song Changed My Life, Bob Boilen sits down with over 30 musical artists and talks with them about their influences and inspirations. It's clear that most of these interviews were by-products and asides from his Tiny Desk Concerts and music reporting for NPR, making me think the concept for the book came as a side project or curiosity that he realized could be turned into a book. 

For all the artists he chronicles, the story is just as much about Boilen himself and his musical journey through the years. He starts the whole thing off with his backstory and connection to music, including his great love of the Beatles and his own musical act, Tiny Desk Unit. But then in the meat of the book, as he speaks to all walks of musicians, he connects most of them back to himself, whether it be a shared love of an artist, a club they've both played or spent time at, or whether he's interviewing his own idols and sources of inspiration. 

In that way, this book is perhaps Boilen's own version of a memoir, one fitting of a man whose career is based on other musicians. By talking to artists old and new, and connecting them to himself, he's telling us his story and his experiences, just through the eyes of others. 

The range of Boilen's subjects is vast, including musical icons such as Smokey Robinson, Cat Stevens, and Jackson Browne, alongside new phenoms like St. Vincent, Carrie Brownstein, and Hozier. There are also quite a few underground names, evidence of Boilen's musical knowledge, along with his day job of hosting NPR's All Songs Considered, a showcase of new and emerging music. It's clear it took many years of interviews and meetings to compile this book, and in the process a few of his lesser known artists have become radio-played hits, such as Courtney Barnett and Leon Bridges. But there are plenty that I've never heard of (maybe to someone more fanatically into the music scene these are household names) like Icelandic musician Ásgeir, rapper Kate Tempest, or Israeli singer Asaf Avidan. The last section is even about 2014's Tiny Desk Contest winner, Fantastic Negrito. But if there's anything I got out of Boilen's book, it's a list of artists to check out, as he enthusiastically describes the wide array of music. 

The word I would best use to describe Boilen's book is inconsistent. His "song that changed your life" concept works for some, but not for all, so you find him at times stretching for a connection, and for some artists, for anything to talk about at all. For most he talks in general terms about their inspirations and how music played a role in their upbringing and musical journey. Also for some he just relays a mini history of the musician's work, like a 2 minute biography that could essentially be a Wikipedia page. It's clear that he thinks more highly of some artists over others, as there are some that he seems to spend the majority of their segment speaking on their influence on him, rather on their musical influences. He also appears to have had quite a few "favorite or best shows he's ever seen" as there are several newer artists he can't stop gushing about. So when you start a new segment on a new artist, you're never quite sure what you are going to get; it's a mixed bag. 

But for every schlepping, dragging segment where you feel no inspiration from Boilen, there are ones with real merit, where he really gets to the soul of a musician and what makes them tick. Where his concept really comes clear is in the segments for artists who do have a clear connection with their one influential song, where you can see it all clearly how they got from point A to the present. There are no eureka moments in his book, and no great revelations about any of its subjects, but its a pleasant read, especially if you're into music, that gives a little backstory on a lot of people. And maybe it will inspire you to listen to someone you may have never heard of to begin with. I know that's the case for me. 

Interested? Get it here. 

Disclosure: The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, Amazon sends a couple coins my way. It won't pay the bills, but it may help me purchase my next book to review. Thank you for your support!