![]() ![]() One of the book’s strengths is the way in which Questlove tucks in subtle details about the lives of important artists, encouraging us to think more deeply about the songs we love and the people who made them. Bill Withers, his “first true idol,” refuses to collaborate with him. Any artist who has ever entered Questlove’s mind seems to make an appearance in the book, from the Austrian composer Alban Berg, who is mentioned in passing, to Prince, who is a recurring figure. The chapters are organized chronologically, starting in 1971, the year he was born. The title may suggest this is a book about music - or the history of music - but it is really more akin to a diary in which Questlove tries to explain how music has shaped his worldview. When I order Mexican food, I am usually thinking one of two things, “I’m hungry” or “I may regret this,” depending on the restaurant. In trying to unlock those mysteries, however, Questlove often ends up asking meandering questions such as this: “When you order Mexican food, do you ever think about what that really means, how you’re conflating various regions and time periods, how you’re distilling centuries of cultural thought about food and dining, how you’re overlooking a million questions about the agriculture and technology and economy and medicine?” Its main preoccupation is to examine how history is made, or why some works of art and events become a part of the historical record while others fade from view. “Music Is History,” his latest book, was written with the novelist and journalist Ben Greenman. and has done a bit of writing, contributing to New York magazine and other outlets. He came to fame as a founding member of the Roots, the respected Philadelphia hip-hop group that peaked in the 1990s and is now led by him as the house band for “The Tonight Show.” He made his directorial debut in July with “Summer of Soul,” an award-winning documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Questlove is a talented artist with a deep passion for his work. “Music Is History,” by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, is one of those books. Or they might write a book that does its best to make listening to music sound like a chore. An artist could play out of tune, for example. And sadly, as with life, there are many ways to ruin it. Listening to music is one of life’s simple pleasures. MUSIC IS HISTORY By Questlove with Ben Greenman
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