Being something of a frustrated musician myself, Will Hodgkinson's Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, Or, My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting is, for me, the sort of book that comes with an undeniable built-in appeal. For an armchair rock star, you can almost picture yourself here as the pages of Hodgkinson's experiences in learning first to write, and then record his very own song unfold.
Song Man is the sequel to Hodgkinson's earlier book Guitar Man, which is the author's personal account of learning to play the guitar. Having recently decided — at a similarly late stage in life — to pick up the instrument myself (I'm still trying to master the dreaded F chord), I found numerous parallels to my own experience in Hodgkinson's funny, if occasionally bittersweet account.
Song Man finds the author himself mastering the instrument by now (well, more or less anyway). So here, Hodgkinson sets out to take things to their next logical step by actually writing his own song. To do so, he soon sets out on a quest to enlist the help of the experts themselves, as he seeks out the assistance of several songwriters to mentor him.
He finds the first of these — a burnt-out and failed but talented songwriter named Lawrence — in a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. It seems Lawrence was once a member of two promising but failed bands — Felt and Denim — who, according to the author, influenced latter day bands like Blur. Hodgkinson finds Lawrence living alone, both penniless and friendless, fighting his various demons and addictions - but still clinging to the songwriter's dream of writing that million dollar hit.
Hodgkinson's account of the meeting is both funny and sad at the same time. You can't help but feel a little bit for Lawrence as he ponders the idea of writing a hit for the American Christian music market, even though he doesn't believe in God. The funny part comes as Hodgkinson plays his own songs for Lawrence.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Sold! Thanks, Glen, for an inspired review of an inspired book.
2 - Glen Boyd
Yer welcome Gordon. For me, the book was as fun to read as it was therapeutic.
-Glen