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Rogers:The Sound of Being Human
'Too often we treat popular music as wallpaper surrounding us as we live our lives. Jude Rogers shows the emotional and cerebral heft such music can have. It's a personal journey which becomes universal. Fascinating' Ian Rankin'Moving and absorbing, The Sound of Being Human mixes memoir, analysis, anecdote and personal chronicle into a mosaic that evokes what music means to the individual and the human tribe. A candid, beautiful read' Stuart MaconieThe Sound of Being Human explores why music plays such a deep-rooted role in our lives from before we are born to our last days. At its heart is Jude's own how songs helped her wrestle with the grief of losing her father; concoct her own sense of self; sky-rocket her relationships, both real and imagined, propel her own journey into working life, adulthood and parenthood, and look to the future.Shaped around twelve songs, ranging from ABBA's 'Super Trouper' to Neneh Cherry's 'Buffalo Stance', Kraftwerk's 'Radioactivity' to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' 'Heat Wave', the book combines memoir and historical, scientific and cultural enquiry to show how music can shape different versions of ourselves; how we rely upon music for comfort, for epiphanies, and for sexual and physical connection; how we grow with songs, and songs grow inside us. It is about music's power to help us tell our own stories, whatever they are, and make them sing.
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First published April 28, 2022
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December 11, 2022
Jude Rogers is a well-known music journalist in the UK, with her work appearing in the likes of The Guardian and The Times on a regular basis. In this book she looks at the songs that have soundtracked the most important moments in her life, and explore the reason why music plays such an important role in times of happiness and heartbreak.
Each chapter is based around one particular song and there are twelve in all. But there is an introduction before the record begins and I must admit that I found it unbearably moving. Little Jude is five years old, standing on the doorstep as her Dad waves goodbye before a hospital operation. They both share a love of pop music and before he leaves, he asks her to let him know what song goes to number one in that week's chart. He died two days later. Rogers thinks back to this moment a lot - why that information mattered to her father and why it has carried such weight in her mind ever since. She realises that music was their profound way of connecting with one another and that the songs they loved were a magical extension of their ordinary lives.
The rest of the tracks signify other important occasions throughout Rogers' childhood, adolescence and career as a critic. Adam Ant's Prince Charming showed her just how exciting and colourful music could be. Neneh Cherry's performance of Buffalo Stance on Top of the Pops while pregnant proved an inspirational example of a woman making it in the music business. R.E.M.'s Drive soundtracked her teen obsession with Michael Stipe and her thrill at interviewing her hero several years later.
My favourite chapter of all was the final one, in which she speaks to Prefab Sprout genius Paddy McAloon. Rogers talks about music not working for her in the same way during Covid, losing some of its enchantment, until she hears Prefab Sprout's epic I Trawl The Megahertz on her car radio and regains her sense of direction. She gets to interview McAloon and they discuss the strange power of music - for example, how you can often remember the mundane details around first hearing a spectacular song. In McAloon's case he can recall heading into his house for lunch as a teenager and bending down to tie his shoelace as the first bars of Chic's Good Times entered his eardrums. He can still see his shoelace and the crappy old radio it played on because it is such an indelible moment in his mind.
Rogers also talks to several scientists in the book to understand what is going on in our brains whenever we hear a song we love. I'm afraid I began to skim some of those parts as I don't find the mechanics of it all that interesting. For me it's enough that the magic happens, I don't need the trick explained to me. But that's down to my own taste and I'm sure other readers would find it intriguing. What I loved most about this book was the personal insight, and in particular the emotion Jude Rogers injects into her writing. I can't help but admire how she has turned her passion into her career and the eloquent way in which she tells her story. Recommended for all music fans.
Each chapter is based around one particular song and there are twelve in all. But there is an introduction before the record begins and I must admit that I found it unbearably moving. Little Jude is five years old, standing on the doorstep as her Dad waves goodbye before a hospital operation. They both share a love of pop music and before he leaves, he asks her to let him know what song goes to number one in that week's chart. He died two days later. Rogers thinks back to this moment a lot - why that information mattered to her father and why it has carried such weight in her mind ever since. She realises that music was their profound way of connecting with one another and that the songs they loved were a magical extension of their ordinary lives.
The rest of the tracks signify other important occasions throughout Rogers' childhood, adolescence and career as a critic. Adam Ant's Prince Charming showed her just how exciting and colourful music could be. Neneh Cherry's performance of Buffalo Stance on Top of the Pops while pregnant proved an inspirational example of a woman making it in the music business. R.E.M.'s Drive soundtracked her teen obsession with Michael Stipe and her thrill at interviewing her hero several years later.
My favourite chapter of all was the final one, in which she speaks to Prefab Sprout genius Paddy McAloon. Rogers talks about music not working for her in the same way during Covid, losing some of its enchantment, until she hears Prefab Sprout's epic I Trawl The Megahertz on her car radio and regains her sense of direction. She gets to interview McAloon and they discuss the strange power of music - for example, how you can often remember the mundane details around first hearing a spectacular song. In McAloon's case he can recall heading into his house for lunch as a teenager and bending down to tie his shoelace as the first bars of Chic's Good Times entered his eardrums. He can still see his shoelace and the crappy old radio it played on because it is such an indelible moment in his mind.
Rogers also talks to several scientists in the book to understand what is going on in our brains whenever we hear a song we love. I'm afraid I began to skim some of those parts as I don't find the mechanics of it all that interesting. For me it's enough that the magic happens, I don't need the trick explained to me. But that's down to my own taste and I'm sure other readers would find it intriguing. What I loved most about this book was the personal insight, and in particular the emotion Jude Rogers injects into her writing. I can't help but admire how she has turned her passion into her career and the eloquent way in which she tells her story. Recommended for all music fans.
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May 10, 2022A book which manages to be at once an ambitious survey of why music matters so much to so many people, and a deeply personal, often very moving memoir. I do know Jude a bit, which probably helped a little when it came to things like going 'Bless!' at the picture of tiny Jude on the cover doing the world's most wholesome London Calling re-enactment. But I didn't know most of the stories here, certainly not the big ones (I had a particular moment of blanching when I learned the prior associations of the last place I bumped into her). Likewise, I come from a vaguely similar musical background – eighties pop into provincial indie kid, that nineties tribalism hangover of wondering if we were allowed to like dance music – but neither of these is a condition of entry. The reference points are sufficiently mainstream, at least to a British reader, that while there was one chapter whose headline song I didn't know (Gilderoy, by Shirley and Dolly Collins), and a couple like Prefab Sprout's I Trawl The Megahertz aren't exactly hits, you're never far from Abba, Adam & the Ants, or Martha & the Vandellas as a key example of how music helps us forge our selves or understand love. And the love chapter is particularly powerful, asking "is it only something you feel? Or is it something you construct? Or is it both? And if so, can music help it along?" (Spoiler: Yes). Particularly brave, too, given the ready dismissal of female writers on pop as fangirls, of female writers in general as purely autobiographical. That sort of bullshit is dealt with as briefly as it deserves, incorporating a very enjoyable and quietly savage section on Lester Bangs' tiresome punk Clarkson posturings, because there are far more interesting things to address, from pop star anecdotes to neuroscience (in particular, the brief highlights of Daniel Levitin's This Is Your Brain On Music mean I'm now even less likely to read a book I've had for so long that in another year my copy would legally be able to buy a drink, if only it weren't a book). Even more impressive than getting that across for the general reader, Jude manages to do technical musical bits which I can actually follow and appreciate; when she writes about sevenths and ninths, she explains it - the nearly reaching, the overreaching - such that I can actually connect it to the experience of listening to Wham!'s Freedom, the way those moments have that effect on the heart and mind. I did have occasional gripes, as when the 'Secret track' chapter was included on the contents list, the name 'Eventim Apollo' was given an immortality it very much does not deserve in bound pages, or Kenickie's first masterpiece was referred to as 'Come Out Tonite'. But let's face it, too few books mention Kenickie at all for me to mind that much about a missing numeral. On top of which, this was a book which told me things I should have known but didn't, like Berry Gordy and Jimmy Carter being related, as well as putting into words unknown knowns like the way part of early UK house's appeal was the same "reanimation of a collective childhood memory bank" which would later be reprised in more melancholy form by Boards of Canada and Ghost Box. And more than anything, a book which knows what matters: "Music is no luxury to any of us. It is a necessity that helps us restore ourselves to ourselves."
December 20, 2023
4.5 Stars!
Ah being around the same age as the author I lost count of the amount of times I was smiling in recognition at the procession of songs, videos and other moments she describes in sometimes exquisite detail. I happily found shared similarities and cultural reference points all over the shop -The Flying Pickets’ haunting cover of “Only You” being a very good example, even buying the same magazine for the first time in the same year (Smash Hits-1989). Neneh Cherry on ToTP to flirting with Indie in between bouts of KWS and Lionel Ritchie the Chart Show in the early 90s and of course let’s not forget the fourth side of Now 11!
Each song works well as a jumping off point, plunging deep into some intrepid waters. On the surface of it, and maybe if done by lesser talents, this could so have easily been a shallow, throw-away nonsense of a book, but Rogers has approached this wisely and opted for a more considered and in depth method, which really helps get under the surface of her songs and her experience with them, shedding light about how they manage to insinuate themselves within our mind and our wider lives in general.
So often Rogers’ insights and ideas really capture the essence with a gratifying clarity and precision, and in some cases touching brilliance, her chapters on Kraftwerk and “Buffalo Stance” verged on perfection. “The Sound of Being Human” cooks up a lovely blend of music, nostalgia, memory and neuroscience making for a delightfully fun and absorbing read, with plenty of tasty cultural offerings to pursue afterwards too. An absolute delight!
Ah being around the same age as the author I lost count of the amount of times I was smiling in recognition at the procession of songs, videos and other moments she describes in sometimes exquisite detail. I happily found shared similarities and cultural reference points all over the shop -The Flying Pickets’ haunting cover of “Only You” being a very good example, even buying the same magazine for the first time in the same year (Smash Hits-1989). Neneh Cherry on ToTP to flirting with Indie in between bouts of KWS and Lionel Ritchie the Chart Show in the early 90s and of course let’s not forget the fourth side of Now 11!
Each song works well as a jumping off point, plunging deep into some intrepid waters. On the surface of it, and maybe if done by lesser talents, this could so have easily been a shallow, throw-away nonsense of a book, but Rogers has approached this wisely and opted for a more considered and in depth method, which really helps get under the surface of her songs and her experience with them, shedding light about how they manage to insinuate themselves within our mind and our wider lives in general.
So often Rogers’ insights and ideas really capture the essence with a gratifying clarity and precision, and in some cases touching brilliance, her chapters on Kraftwerk and “Buffalo Stance” verged on perfection. “The Sound of Being Human” cooks up a lovely blend of music, nostalgia, memory and neuroscience making for a delightfully fun and absorbing read, with plenty of tasty cultural offerings to pursue afterwards too. An absolute delight!
June 28, 2022
Superbly written. Personal yet relatable. If you love music you’ll love this book.
May 12, 2022
Why does music mean so much to us? What is it that triggers that Proustian rush that certain songs or pieces of music have on us? Why are the songs we hear in our teenage years the ones that usually leave the biggest impression on us? Why do we get so upset when a favourite pop star dies – especially when we are unlikely to have ever met them? How and why is music being used increasingly in palliative care?
These are just some of the questions that author Jude Rogers addresses, blending personal (sometimes very personal) anecdotes with contributions from psychologists, neuro-scientists, anthropologists and musicians. As you’d expect from one of our finest music writers, it is an absorbing and fascinating read, which will also affect you deeply - the preface is likely to reduce most readers to tears, and the ‘what happened before I interviewed Paul McCartney’ will touch a nerve with many as well.
Although it’s not officially a companion piece, if you enjoyed the author’s “A Life in Music” series on BBC Radio 4 last year you will also like this. Highly recommended – the best non-fiction book I have read in a long while, and refreshingly different to most books that take pop music as their main theme.
These are just some of the questions that author Jude Rogers addresses, blending personal (sometimes very personal) anecdotes with contributions from psychologists, neuro-scientists, anthropologists and musicians. As you’d expect from one of our finest music writers, it is an absorbing and fascinating read, which will also affect you deeply - the preface is likely to reduce most readers to tears, and the ‘what happened before I interviewed Paul McCartney’ will touch a nerve with many as well.
Although it’s not officially a companion piece, if you enjoyed the author’s “A Life in Music” series on BBC Radio 4 last year you will also like this. Highly recommended – the best non-fiction book I have read in a long while, and refreshingly different to most books that take pop music as their main theme.
May 15, 2022
A great read. It is emotional, thoughtful, and insightful on the magic of music, with some interesting analysis on why music hits us so hard and why it resonates so deeply. A heartfelt story of a life in love with music.
As an example, on the Flying Pickets - "Around 1984, Welsh men were not known for expressing deep emotions one-to-one. They didn't do this at work or at home or over pints in the workingmen's club, but when you stood near them on a Sunday as an organ struck up the opening bars of a hymn, or saw them standing together on a stage in a welfare hall, shoulder-to-shoulder, about the sing the Elijah or Messiah, you know what was going to happen. Their chests would expand in one collective breath, songs acting on them as defibrillators".
As an example, on the Flying Pickets - "Around 1984, Welsh men were not known for expressing deep emotions one-to-one. They didn't do this at work or at home or over pints in the workingmen's club, but when you stood near them on a Sunday as an organ struck up the opening bars of a hymn, or saw them standing together on a stage in a welfare hall, shoulder-to-shoulder, about the sing the Elijah or Messiah, you know what was going to happen. Their chests would expand in one collective breath, songs acting on them as defibrillators".
October 30, 2022
Not only one of the best music books I’ve ever read, but also a touching memoir and a scientific exploration of how music touches our brains and moves our hearts.
The choice of songs that make up each chapter are significantly varied to have at least one that anyone who reads the book. The themes however are universal, and the emotions and reactions described could apply to each and every one of us.
This is going straight on the list of books that I buy as presents for good friends.
The choice of songs that make up each chapter are significantly varied to have at least one that anyone who reads the book. The themes however are universal, and the emotions and reactions described could apply to each and every one of us.
This is going straight on the list of books that I buy as presents for good friends.
November 20, 2022
I loved this book. Particularly the last few chapters relating to healing and grief. Gave me a new appreciation of how I listen to music. And why I love it so much, why I’m listening to what I’m listening now.
July 10, 2022
Simply one of the best books about music ever written. It captures the emotional pull of familiar rhythms while weaving in personal history and science. On every page you'll read something that will give you pause to consider your own relationship with music.
An honest book, never cloying or sentimental, it speaks a truth about the essence of music and families.
If anyone asked me 'what does music mean to you?', I'd tell them to read this and Broken Greek by Pete Paphides and I wouldn't need to add anything else.
An honest book, never cloying or sentimental, it speaks a truth about the essence of music and families.
If anyone asked me 'what does music mean to you?', I'd tell them to read this and Broken Greek by Pete Paphides and I wouldn't need to add anything else.
December 19, 2022
Have you ever had that feeling that a book was written for you? Well this is my book.
This is a book about how songs frame the experiences, emotions and behaviours of our lives. And whilst they aren’t the songs that are important to me, it was startling how easily mine entered into my mind, prompted by the wonderful and personal descriptions that define this book.
The chapter on music as an expression of love and heartbreak was a standout for me. “I was a cacophony of dazzling, deafening, incredible sound, a whole life. I was love, feeling it, becoming it, as it burned in my heart.”
This is a book about how songs frame the experiences, emotions and behaviours of our lives. And whilst they aren’t the songs that are important to me, it was startling how easily mine entered into my mind, prompted by the wonderful and personal descriptions that define this book.
The chapter on music as an expression of love and heartbreak was a standout for me. “I was a cacophony of dazzling, deafening, incredible sound, a whole life. I was love, feeling it, becoming it, as it burned in my heart.”
June 3, 2022
I loved this book. I can relate so much to the power of music and the way it shaped our lives.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
August 26, 2023
"The Sound of Being Human: How Music Shapes Our Lives" is a symphony of emotions, a powerful exploration of the intricate ways in which music intertwines with our souls. As an individual who finds solace and inspiration in the harmonies of life, this book resonated deeply with me.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the author's journey through the melodies of memory and the rhythms of existence. Yet, I must admit that reading this book was both a heartrending and healing experience. The memories of a lost father, still so vivid and tender, resonated with my own grieving heart. Just as the author navigated the complexities of their relationship with music and their father's memory, I found myself revisiting my own memories, a bittersweet dance of emotions that brought both tears and catharsis.
Three years may have passed since my father's departure, but his presence lingers, much like the notes of a cherished melody. Reading about the author's journey in facing their father's loss allowed me to reflect on my own grief, a testament to the universality of loss and the ways in which music becomes a vessel for our emotions, offering comfort and a safe space for healing.
As someone with synesthesia, the book took on an entirely unique dimension. The intricate exploration of how music shapes our lives and intertwines with our senses resonated deeply with my own experiences. The interplay of colors, textures, and emotions painted by music becomes a captivating tapestry, turning each page into a symphony of sensory delight. The author's insights into synesthesia added an extra layer of richness to their narrative, highlighting the beauty and complexity of experiencing music in such a visceral way.
Yet, amidst the somber moments and the depths of grief, "The Sound of Being Human" carries a message of hope and resilience. Just as music has the power to evoke sorrow, it also has the capacity to uplift and heal. The stories of individuals who found solace, connection, and strength through music serve as a reminder of the transformative power of art.
This book, while at times difficult to read due to its resonance with my own experiences, provided a sanctuary where I could explore the complex emotions tied to loss and remembrance. Its insights into synesthesia added an extra layer of fascination, igniting my curiosity and deepening my appreciation for the intricate relationships between our senses. In the end, I closed the book with a renewed sense of gratitude for the healing power of music and the way it threads through the tapestry of our lives, connecting us to our past, present, and future in a symphony of being human.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the author's journey through the melodies of memory and the rhythms of existence. Yet, I must admit that reading this book was both a heartrending and healing experience. The memories of a lost father, still so vivid and tender, resonated with my own grieving heart. Just as the author navigated the complexities of their relationship with music and their father's memory, I found myself revisiting my own memories, a bittersweet dance of emotions that brought both tears and catharsis.
Three years may have passed since my father's departure, but his presence lingers, much like the notes of a cherished melody. Reading about the author's journey in facing their father's loss allowed me to reflect on my own grief, a testament to the universality of loss and the ways in which music becomes a vessel for our emotions, offering comfort and a safe space for healing.
As someone with synesthesia, the book took on an entirely unique dimension. The intricate exploration of how music shapes our lives and intertwines with our senses resonated deeply with my own experiences. The interplay of colors, textures, and emotions painted by music becomes a captivating tapestry, turning each page into a symphony of sensory delight. The author's insights into synesthesia added an extra layer of richness to their narrative, highlighting the beauty and complexity of experiencing music in such a visceral way.
Yet, amidst the somber moments and the depths of grief, "The Sound of Being Human" carries a message of hope and resilience. Just as music has the power to evoke sorrow, it also has the capacity to uplift and heal. The stories of individuals who found solace, connection, and strength through music serve as a reminder of the transformative power of art.
This book, while at times difficult to read due to its resonance with my own experiences, provided a sanctuary where I could explore the complex emotions tied to loss and remembrance. Its insights into synesthesia added an extra layer of fascination, igniting my curiosity and deepening my appreciation for the intricate relationships between our senses. In the end, I closed the book with a renewed sense of gratitude for the healing power of music and the way it threads through the tapestry of our lives, connecting us to our past, present, and future in a symphony of being human.
May 27, 2023
I guess because we are the same age, it was easy for me to tap into Jude Rogers’ experiences with music - although our tastes and lived experience is very different, I feel that there is a musical shorthand among people of the same age - a soundtrack that hums alongside your interactions regardless of your particular musical interests and great loves.
I took particular time over reading the chapter on collective grief as, when a public figure has died and I have found myself faintly embarrassed to have been affected by the death of someone I never knew, it’s comforting to know that this is not emblematic of my love of celebrity, but more about the role that person has played in the soundtrack of your life. Jude’s example is David Bowie and it’s true that, from that first sighting of him at the start of my VHS tape of The Snowman, to ‘discovering’ his music as a young adult, it really is like dealing with the death of an old friend.
A solid five stars from me for this very personal, and yet universal expression of love for music and the roles it plays throughout our lives.
I took particular time over reading the chapter on collective grief as, when a public figure has died and I have found myself faintly embarrassed to have been affected by the death of someone I never knew, it’s comforting to know that this is not emblematic of my love of celebrity, but more about the role that person has played in the soundtrack of your life. Jude’s example is David Bowie and it’s true that, from that first sighting of him at the start of my VHS tape of The Snowman, to ‘discovering’ his music as a young adult, it really is like dealing with the death of an old friend.
A solid five stars from me for this very personal, and yet universal expression of love for music and the roles it plays throughout our lives.
July 20, 2022
A tenderly written, deeply personal meditation on the transcendent power of music. In “The Sound of Being Human”, the music writer Jude Rogers selects ten tracks that have resonated throughout her life in order to explore themes such as how music is the basis of social bonding and collective joy, the ways that music can stimulate our senses of imagination and curiosity, but also how music helps us cope with isolation, loneliness, grief and bereavement.
Rogers supports her explorations through the use of scientific and academic references which never feel forced or out of place. “The Sound of Being Human” is refreshingly free of the snarky cynicism that so often blights so much of music journalism. Instead, Jude Rogers writes with a warmth and openness that convinces the reader of her argument that “Music is no luxury to any of us; it is a neccesity that helps all of us”.
Rogers supports her explorations through the use of scientific and academic references which never feel forced or out of place. “The Sound of Being Human” is refreshingly free of the snarky cynicism that so often blights so much of music journalism. Instead, Jude Rogers writes with a warmth and openness that convinces the reader of her argument that “Music is no luxury to any of us; it is a neccesity that helps all of us”.
August 15, 2025
A lovely memoir, a musical journey, an academic analysis of the impact of music in our lives and an excellent guide to some great songs. Some complex intentions knitted smoothly together by a smart, charming and friendly guide who through loss and growth has been moved by sounds both cool and uncool. A lovely, intelligent book.
March 1, 2023
Jude Rogers is a music critic for the Guardian and she writes about the importance of music. Each of the twelve chapters are signposted by a track; from ABBA to Kate Bush. The best bits are how music has punctuated her personal history (father's death, wedding etc.). The dullest bits are her interviews with academics on why music is important and with musicians talking about a song I don't like. The book didn't finish strongly but there was an interesting part near the end exploring why deaths of musicians affect us.
March 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
very interesting but also unexpectedly very moving. enjoyed a lot
very interesting but also unexpectedly very moving. enjoyed a lot
May 31, 2022
Read this slowly - recent life events have affected my reading patterns again. A really rewarding read - lots to think about concerning how music affects us at different stages of our lives. The chapter that talked about grief was (unsurprisingly) particularly relatable.
August 7, 2022
A fascinating and heart-felt attempt to explain why music matters so much, and how it achieves that. Taking Rogers own life-experiences as a narrative thread and jumping off point, the book explores the neuro-science, psychology and emotive resonances of our relationship with music, without at any point getting dry or crusty about it. Taking some specific tracks as lodestones for certain themes (love, grief, healing, community, memories), this book will resonate with anybody who has a deep love of popular music, particularly if - like me - some of the musical choices (Prefab Sprout, Talk Talk, Kate Bush, ABBA) also have deep personal resonances.
July 10, 2023
Loved this. Music means so much and this explores some of how personal history and music fire together
September 17, 2023
Hands down, the greatest book about music, family, love and loss that I've ever read.
Jude Rogers is a brilliant writer and this is astonishing.
Jude Rogers is a brilliant writer and this is astonishing.
January 23, 2025
Jude Rogers is a fine music journalist, whose reviews I enjoyed in the late, lamented Word magazine. This fine book combines her love of pop music with its effect o. Her life, extending that to everyone’s lives.
Each chapter features a particular song and how it featured in her life, but it adds up to far, far more. It doesn’t matter if you’re even unfamiliar with those songs.
She even interviewed or at least communicated with a number of academics, and presents a very readable introduction to some neurological, social and philosophic theories on why and how music is so much a part of our lives.
She’s a lot younger than I am and has very different tastes in music but neither of those things matter. She expresses enthusiasms in ways to which I can relate.
Recommended to anyone to whom any of that sounds vaguely interesting.
Each chapter features a particular song and how it featured in her life, but it adds up to far, far more. It doesn’t matter if you’re even unfamiliar with those songs.
She even interviewed or at least communicated with a number of academics, and presents a very readable introduction to some neurological, social and philosophic theories on why and how music is so much a part of our lives.
She’s a lot younger than I am and has very different tastes in music but neither of those things matter. She expresses enthusiasms in ways to which I can relate.
Recommended to anyone to whom any of that sounds vaguely interesting.
April 1, 2023
Music has always been a mainstay in my life, something which Jude Rogers and I share in common. The Sound of Being Human is Rogers' memoir with music as its trellis. An impressively diverse set of artists and songs are explored, but the sometimes digressive tangents always loop back to a dozen songs that spoke to her in myriad ways. There's a light touch on the science of why music is such an important part of humanity. While you'll get quite a few good references in that area, look elsewhere for a serious discourse on the subject. On full display is Rogers weaving through her life experiences with a poignancy I haven't seen in quite some time. Highly recommended.
June 21, 2022
I read this in the sunshine with the sound of the Spotify playlist spilling out into the garden. There's so much to savour in this book. It manages to explore the emotional resonances of music and its relation to our memories and our sense of self, at the same time as being deeply intimate. As anyone who has read her work over the years already knows, Jude Rogers writes about music with a huge amount of heart and care. In this book, the interweaving of her life experiences with the music that soundtracked her grief and joy spoke directly to me.
Oh, and I love the occasions when Jude describes people by the song that makes her viscerally think of them, tied to time, place and experience. My husband is 'Fiesta' by 'The Pogues' and my daughter is 'Rise To Me' by 'The Decemberists, and just writing that makes me feel the rush and recall so brilliantly described by Jude.
Oh, and I love the occasions when Jude describes people by the song that makes her viscerally think of them, tied to time, place and experience. My husband is 'Fiesta' by 'The Pogues' and my daughter is 'Rise To Me' by 'The Decemberists, and just writing that makes me feel the rush and recall so brilliantly described by Jude.
June 29, 2022
Music means so much to me. It’s where my focus goes, which means I often miss what’s being said, or on television when music plays in the background. So it was enlightening to read this book written by someone for whom music brings back vivid memories and experiences, who can explain in simple terms why this is so.
She says near the end that she could have written about so many other songs other than those included in the book; several of which would have meant more to me than those she did choose. Never mind, an enjoyable book which struck many harmonic chords.
She says near the end that she could have written about so many other songs other than those included in the book; several of which would have meant more to me than those she did choose. Never mind, an enjoyable book which struck many harmonic chords.
July 5, 2025
Brilliant book, offering an interesting perspective on the influence of music in our personal and collective lives. I absolutely loved the relaxed tone, even when discussing neuroscientific or sociological ideas, it read as a discussion with a friend on music they love or you collectively shared. Jude's use of her own story is a truly beautiful way of conveying the powerful and connecting force of music and one that has made me reflective of music's influence on my life and my responses to loved songs as a result.
October 4, 2022
I struggled through this book because the idea of it was kind of interesting but I concluded that I like listening to music that means something to someone more than reading about it. Kept stopping therefore to listen to tracks that are mentioned or songs that were triggered in my memory by the author’s recollections. Preferred the personal stories to the science
February 25, 2023
As a reader that is not a fan of non fiction (but read this due to it being a book club choice) I struggled to get into it. I love facts and information but I struggle to read about them as I feel it stops reading being my escapism and becomes more like I’m HAVING to learn. That being said the personal side of this non fiction memoir is something I enjoyed greatly and it was very informative.
April 6, 2023
A lovely book about music & memories / music & memory. Just the right amount of analysis & research balanced with joy of just loving a good banger! It felt like a trip down memory lane for me, but I was also surprised by how affected I was by the chapter on healing & those (still) traumatic feelings of post-natal adjustment.
August 30, 2023
Jude Rogers has penned a fabulous ode to life, love, and family, using the soundtrack of her life. She chose a select group of songs to share her store, some better known, and others less well known to casual music fans. The book was thoroughly engaging and a real treat for those of us who see Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and wonder, where's the music!
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