Bibliograph

Long players, writers on the albums that shaped them, edited by Tom Gatti

Type

Label

Long players, writers on the albums that shaped them, edited by Tom Gatti

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references

resource.biographical

contains biographical information

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Long players

Nature of contents

bibliography

Responsibility statement

edited by Tom Gatti

Sub title

writers on the albums that shaped them

Summary

Our favorite albums are our most faithful companions: we listen to them hundreds of times over decades, we know them far better than any novel or film. These records don't just soundtrack our lives but work their way deep inside us, shaping our outlook and identity, forging our friendships and charting our love affairs. They become part of our story. In Long Players, fifty of our finest authors write about the albums that changed their lives, from Deborah Levy on Bowie to Daisy Johnson on Lizzo, Ben Okri on Miles Davis to David Mitchell on Joni Mitchell, Sarah Perry on Rachmaninov to Bernardine Evaristo on Sweet Honey in the Rock. Part meditation on the album form and part candid self-portrait, each of these miniature essays reveals music's power to transport the listener to a particular time and place. REM's Automatic for the People sends Olivia Laing back to first love and heartbreak, Bjork's Post resolves a crisis of faith and sexuality for a young Marlon James, while Fragile by Yes instils in George Saunders the confidence to take his own creative path. This collection is an intoxicating mix of memoir and music writing, spanning the golden age of vinyl and the streaming era, and showing how a single LP can shape a writer's mind. Featuring writing from Marlon James, Ali Smith, George Saunders, Bernardine Evaristo, Ian Rankin, Rachel Kushner, Ben Okri, Patricia Lockwood, Sarah Perry, Neil Gaiman, Tracey Thorn, Clive James, Eimear McBride, Neil Tennant, Daisy Johnson, David Mitchell, Esi Edugyan, Deborah Levy, among many othersA collection of essays by 50 authors that discuss the albums that shaped their lives, from Deborah Levy on Bowie to Sarah Perry on Rachmaninov to Mark Ellen on The B-52's

Classification