More Songwriters on Songwriting

by Paul Zollo

Twenty–five years after publishing his original groundbreaking collection of insight and advice from the greatest songwriters to ever grace the airwaves, Paul Zollo releases the much–anticipated follow–up volume. The sequel to the bestselling Songwriters on Songwriting features new, revealing interviews with Leiber & Stoller, James Taylor, Aimee Mann, Stephen Stills, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Newman, Brian Wilson, and dozens of other music legends. Once again crossing genres to cover the breadth of popular music over the past decade and a half, Songwriters on Songwriting, Volume 2 is a rare look inside the music industry; an invaluable resource to musicians, songwriters, and students; and an entertaining and important record of a quarter–century of music.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Writing

673 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2011

About the author

Paul Zollo is a singer-songwriter, author, and music journalist. Since 1987, he's dedicated himself to interviewing the world's greatest songwriters. From 1987 to 1997, he was the editor of SongTalk, the journal of the National Academy of Songwriters. He's currently the senior editor for American Songwriter. Born in Chicago, he studied English and Music at Boston University and is the author of The Beginning Songwriter's Answer Book, Songwriters on Songwriting, and Hollywood Remembered.

Reviews

[David Gustafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides being an author and photographer, Paul Zollo is a songwriter who knows how to chat with his subjects about chordal loops, the various "colors" of chords as well as, being taken prisoner by a melody or a phrase.

The many subjects of these interviews range from Peter, Paul and Mary to Leiber and Stoller, Paul Anka, Loretta Lynn, Herbie Handcock, Stephan Stills, Paul Simon, Joe Jackson, Pattie Smith, James Taylor, Brian Wilson and many, many more.

These are short bios of a treacherous business loaded with useful insights and tips for the amateur songwriter.

My favorite snapshot was browsing around inside the busy brain of Rickie Lee Jones.

[Paige Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offered a really cool glimpse into the process behind some of the most popular songs by some of the best songwriters of our time. Some of them I knew, some of them I didn’t, but I did find all of them interesting and informative. Mostly it served to reinforce my own views that there is really no right or standard way to write a great song and that so much of the journey of discovery as a writer is just about taking the time to find and develop your own voice.

Favorite Quote “That was the goal. Not to create good songs. But great ones. As Patti Smith explains in her interview in this volume, the whole difference between poetry and songwriting to her is that a songwriter writes a song not for an elite group of song enthusiasts but for the world. The entire world! That’s a big target audience. And designed to work not just for now or next season but for the ages. To write a song people want to hear and to play and to sing across generations. It’s a lofty goal, to put it lightly, and it says a lot about songwriters - all songwriters - that one would even attempt something so bold. It takes a certain kind of chutzpah - Yiddish for crazy courage. That is where songwriters live, after all, on the edge of courage and crazy. It’s creative chutzpah, the audacity of making art.”

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the interviews with artists that I was familiar with their music. It's an interesting look at the creative process.