Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop Hardcover – November 1, 2016

Great to know the background on these songs. Some were great stories and others not so interesting. But you make the determination on that!

Being a child of the 1950’s I was born along with the real birth of the genre of music we fondly know as “Rock ‘n Roll”, and then for the genre known as “Pop”. By the time I was eight [1959] and could really begin to enjoy listening to the old style radios we had I enjoyed listening to this kind of music. While I might not have understood the meanings of the songs being sung, I still enjoyed the sound of these songs.When I was ten I got my first transistor radio with those rectangle 9 volt batteries I could listen to my music any time I wanted to. The problem was back then I fell asleep with the radio on, and as you might have guessed by the time I woke up the battery had died. I had no music so I wound up, much to my chagrin, having to ask my parents for money to buy a new battery. Of course, wanting to teach me a lesson about responsibility [turning off the radio before going to sleep], they would deduct it from my allowance.All my friends had record players which we listened to the 45 rpm records we used to buy with our allowances. Some of my friends had been lucky as their parents gave them money to buy their records any time a song became very popular. There was never a party where records weren’t played, sometimes over and over again. We used to stack as many records as we could so we wouldn’t have to change the records on our own. Diners had a small one at all of the booths they had, and if you were lucky your parents would pay for your song selections.We all loved listening to the songs of the “Rock ‘n Roll” and “Pop”, etc. eras, we never became interested if there was a reason as to why the singer[s] decided to write their songs. Even though the eras of this music have died, we’ve never gotten the music out of our blood. Which is why we’re nostalgic about them still today, and why, even as adults, we’re always looking for an opportunity to see our favorite artists live. And along with this nostalgia comes an interest in knowing if there had been a reason for any of the songs a specific artist is noted for singing.The only way to find out what had brought about the creation of the songs we had loved is to speak to those involved which is precisely what Marc Myers has done here. By interviewing these individuals [those still alive] the author takes us into their minds and the events surrounding the decades of songs the author has included in this marvelous compendium of the songs we all loved listening to as we grew up, songs we still love hearing today.If there’s song which would epitomize all of the songs and artists in this book it would be Barry Manilow’s song I Write the Songs:I've been alive foreverAnd I wrote the very first songI put the words and the melodies togetherI am music and I write the songs[Chorus]I write the songs that make the whole world singI write the songs of love and special thingsI write the songs that make the young girls cryI write the songs, I write the songsMy home lies deep within youAnd I've got my own place in your soulNow, when I look out through your eyesI'm young again, even though I'm very old[Chorus]Oh my music makes you danceAnd gives you spirit to take a chanceAnd I wrote some rock 'n' roll so you can moveMusic fills your heartWell, that's a real fine place to startIt's from me it's for youIt's from you, it's for meIt's a worldwide symphony[Chorus][Chorus]This is why I loved Marc Myers efforts in compiling this compendium of the origins of each of the songs he’s included here. Some of us might be familiar with the songs included in this book as they come from a column, of the same name, which the author wrote for the Wall Street Journal [2011 – 2016]. It must have been a monumental task for the author to select the 45 songs he’s included from all those he’s written about; perhaps if we’re lucky we might see a second book covering additional songs, songs we’ve listen to which we’d love to know the origins of.For bringing back memories of our younger days and for enlightening us as to the origins of these songs, how can I not give Mr. Myers 5 STARS for his endeavor here.

A gift for my son who grew up hearing songs on the Radio from that Era.

Am glad a lot of people liked this book; I found it surprisingly dull. It's (mostly) a laundry list of dates and places, in between a few genuinely-interesting anecdotes. So there's lots of "we added the horns in L.A.", or "I sang all the vocals in Atlanta" stories. Yawn.Really, I made myself finish the book. To be fair, for me... maybe 5% of the songs, hold up in 2023; most belong to their era, and should be left there 🤣.Still, I admire the intent of the author, and that he got to the people he got to. But a list of boring facts is nothing more that... a list of boring facts. So it goes.

This is a review of Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop.I have been reading this book for years. By that I mean that I have read Marc Myers columns in the Wall Street Journal for years and this book is apparently a compilation of 45 of those columns. So there wasn't much effort in putting this book together since they have all been previously published in the WSJ.There are some questionable choices of songs being profiled but I suppose that is to be expected in any attempt to pick a certain number of things to write about. In any case, whether you agree with the choices or not I found that the treatment and style of writing is pretty much "just the facts and nothing but the facts."This is essentially transcribed interviews with artists, musicians and producers. Some of the backstories are more interesting than others so it's a mixed bag.Overall I enjoy discovering the origins of songs, how the producers did their magic in the studio and other aspects of the backstory. It's just that this is quite dry in the delivery.It's OK for picking up and reading about a song or two for a quick read. Just don't expect too much from this. And I wouldn't be surprised to see the author come out with a Volume 2 in the not too distant future. He's still writing these for the WSJ.

The book hits a certain rhythm you will either love or not - but if you are interested chances are you will like it. I love all the stories, the details, the memories.I know that I, like most, have some issues with the songs chosen - because of the chronological nature, you almost want to be able to note iconic songs and moments ... but you need to let it go, this isn't THAT book. You need to appreciate it for what it DOES deliver ... and it does that quite well.The other minor niggle is that I found some of the technical things didn't sit right - like everything around power chords seemed to be twisted and spun to suit The Rolling Stones rather than reflect history ... and that is actually why I gave this 4 rather than 5 stars.Overall I loved this book and recommend it highly to music lovers and anyone who loves to delve into the history of art.

A good gift for music fans.

Great condition. Great price

A refreshing take on songs we've heard for decades; a bit of behind-the-scenes sprinkled with intimate remembrances from those involved in multiple facets of the host of intricacies necessary as a song begins its journey from a sometimes random thought, other times from a burning need to convey tangled and jumbled emotions from the artist's personal experiences in a coherent fashion, until it finally all comes together in the spit-polished version that fills the shelves. What went into The Rolling Stones "Moonlight Mile" is a perfect example of how gut-wrenching the task can be; while Elvis lending his touch to "Suspicious Minds" reveals that promotion is often the difference between a big hit and one that languishes unheard, just waiting for someone to come along to give the tune credit due. Marc Myers looks at these songs from all aspects, many of which the buying public never considers, oblivious to the importance of the often dozens that played their role and contributed to the song's success. The tidbits he has unearthed by speaking directly with engineers, mixers, band members, backup singers, session musicians, writers, producers, agents, record company moguls, the list is endless, every rock turned over in his search, will come to mind when we hear these songs anew. You will never hear Joni Mitchell's "Carey" again without imagining sitting in that cave; you will find yourself thinking just how complex the process of making a song really is: that finished product you are enjoying, what evolved from conception to the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle being placed, will be appreciated in a new light thanks to Marc's digging deep and prizing loose nuggets and choice morsels that make them tastier than ever.

I love the way each song is stripped down and talked about from different views of those involved in its creation.The back stories are great. I listened to each song by searching youtube and including VINYL in the search to listen to the original as discussed. After I read the chapter I listened again. The second time had a weight and context that the initial listening didn't. At 40 years old I was impressed that I was only unaware of three SONGS although I knew two out of three of those artists. Obviously right song choices, they were obviously chosen as they symbolize pivotal moments in time for music and I am sure within that pivot point people can think of other artists. That aside, the journey through shifting tides was well articulated in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey!!

It’s a collection of columns arranged chronologically. Apart from being American-centric, there is limited evidence of social/cultural narrative. The stories provided interesting detail but appeared to be thrown together.

Great background on iconic songs that influenced the music business and changed the future for the next generation. Wish there were more earlier songs reviewed.

Fabulous resource for anyone who enjoys the trivia and behind the scenes stories of popular songs. It makes it a whole new experience to listen to them. I hope this is the start of a whole series of similar books.