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Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and editor of The New Yorker gathers his writing on some of the essential musicians of our time—intimate portraits of Leonard Cohen, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and more.
The greatest popular songs, whether it’s Aretha Franklin singing “Respect” or Bob Dylan performing “Blind Willie McTell,” have a way of embedding themselves in our memories. You remember a time and a place and a feeling when you hear that song again. In Holding the Note, David Remnick writes about the lives and work of some of the greatest musicians, songwriters, and performers of the past fifty years.
He portrays a series of musical lives and their unique encounters with the passing of that essential element of time. From Cohen’s performing debut, when his stage fright was so debilitating he couldn’t get through “Suzanne,” to Franklin’s iconic mink-drop at the Kennedy Center, Holding the Note delivers a view of some of the greatest creative minds of our time written with a lifetime’s passionate attachment to music that has shaped us all.
The greatest popular songs, whether it’s Aretha Franklin singing “Respect” or Bob Dylan performing “Blind Willie McTell,” have a way of embedding themselves in our memories. You remember a time and a place and a feeling when you hear that song again. In Holding the Note, David Remnick writes about the lives and work of some of the greatest musicians, songwriters, and performers of the past fifty years.
He portrays a series of musical lives and their unique encounters with the passing of that essential element of time. From Cohen’s performing debut, when his stage fright was so debilitating he couldn’t get through “Suzanne,” to Franklin’s iconic mink-drop at the Kennedy Center, Holding the Note delivers a view of some of the greatest creative minds of our time written with a lifetime’s passionate attachment to music that has shaped us all.
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Published May 23, 2023
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About the author
David Remnick
189 books392 followersDavid Remnick (born October 29, 1958) is an American journalist, writer, and magazine editor. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his book Lenin s Tomb The Last Days of the Soviet Empire. Remnick has been editor of The New Yorker magazine since 1998. He was named Editor of the Year by Advertising Age in 2000. Before joining The New Yorker, Remnick was a reporter and the Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post. He has also served on the New York Public Library’s board of trustees. In 2010 he published his sixth book, The Bridge The Life and Rise of Barack Obama.
Remnick was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of a dentist, Edward C. Remnick, and an art teacher, Barbara (Seigel). He was raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey, in a secular Jewish home with, he has said, “a lot of books around.” He is also childhood friends with comedian Bill Maher. He graduated from Princeton University in 1981 with an A.B. in comparative literature; there, he met writer John McPhee and helped found The Nassau Weekly. Remnick has implied that after college he wanted to write novels, but due to his parents’ illnesses, he needed a paying job—there was no trust fund to rely on. Remnick wanted to be a writer, so he chose a career in journalism, taking a job at The Washington Post. He is married to reporter Esther Fein of The New York Times and has three children, Alex, Noah, and Natasha. He enjoys jazz music and classic cinema and is fluent in Russian.
He began his reporting career at The Washington Post in 1982 shortly after his graduation from Princeton. His first assignment was to cover the United States Football League. After six years, in 1988, he became the newspaper’s Moscow correspondent, which provided him with the material for Lenin's Tomb. He also received the George Polk Award for excellence in journalism.
Remnick became a staff writer at The New Yorker in September, 1992, after ten years at The Washington Post.
Remnick’s 1997 New Yorker article “Kid Dynamite Blows Up,” about boxer Mike Tyson, was nominated for a National Magazine Award. In 1998 he became editor, succeeding Tina Brown. Remnick promoted Hendrik Hertzberg, a former Jimmy Carter speechwriter and former editor of The New Republic, to write the lead pieces in “Talk of the Town,” the magazine’s opening section. In 2005 Remnick earned $1 million for his work as the magazine’s editor.
In 2003 he wrote an editorial supporting the Iraq war in the days when it started. In 2004, for the first time in its 80-year history, The New Yorker endorsed a presidential candidate, John Kerry.
In May 2009, Remnick was featured in a long-form Twitter account of Dan Baum’s career as a New Yorker staff writer. The tweets, written over the course of a week, described the difficult relationship between Baum and Remnick, his editor.
Remnick’s biography of President Barack Obama, The Bridge, was released on April 6, 2010. It features hundreds of interviews with friends, colleagues, and other witnesses to Obama’s rise to the presidency of the United States. The book has been widely reviewed in journals.
In 2010 Remnick lent his support to the campaign urging the release of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning after being convicted of ordering the murder of her husband by her lover and adultery.
In 2013 Remnick ’81 was the guest speaker at Princeton University Class Day.
Remnick provided guest commentary and contributed to NBC coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia including the opening ceremony and commentary for NBC News.
Remnick was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of a dentist, Edward C. Remnick, and an art teacher, Barbara (Seigel). He was raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey, in a secular Jewish home with, he has said, “a lot of books around.” He is also childhood friends with comedian Bill Maher. He graduated from Princeton University in 1981 with an A.B. in comparative literature; there, he met writer John McPhee and helped found The Nassau Weekly. Remnick has implied that after college he wanted to write novels, but due to his parents’ illnesses, he needed a paying job—there was no trust fund to rely on. Remnick wanted to be a writer, so he chose a career in journalism, taking a job at The Washington Post. He is married to reporter Esther Fein of The New York Times and has three children, Alex, Noah, and Natasha. He enjoys jazz music and classic cinema and is fluent in Russian.
He began his reporting career at The Washington Post in 1982 shortly after his graduation from Princeton. His first assignment was to cover the United States Football League. After six years, in 1988, he became the newspaper’s Moscow correspondent, which provided him with the material for Lenin's Tomb. He also received the George Polk Award for excellence in journalism.
Remnick became a staff writer at The New Yorker in September, 1992, after ten years at The Washington Post.
Remnick’s 1997 New Yorker article “Kid Dynamite Blows Up,” about boxer Mike Tyson, was nominated for a National Magazine Award. In 1998 he became editor, succeeding Tina Brown. Remnick promoted Hendrik Hertzberg, a former Jimmy Carter speechwriter and former editor of The New Republic, to write the lead pieces in “Talk of the Town,” the magazine’s opening section. In 2005 Remnick earned $1 million for his work as the magazine’s editor.
In 2003 he wrote an editorial supporting the Iraq war in the days when it started. In 2004, for the first time in its 80-year history, The New Yorker endorsed a presidential candidate, John Kerry.
In May 2009, Remnick was featured in a long-form Twitter account of Dan Baum’s career as a New Yorker staff writer. The tweets, written over the course of a week, described the difficult relationship between Baum and Remnick, his editor.
Remnick’s biography of President Barack Obama, The Bridge, was released on April 6, 2010. It features hundreds of interviews with friends, colleagues, and other witnesses to Obama’s rise to the presidency of the United States. The book has been widely reviewed in journals.
In 2010 Remnick lent his support to the campaign urging the release of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning after being convicted of ordering the murder of her husband by her lover and adultery.
In 2013 Remnick ’81 was the guest speaker at Princeton University Class Day.
Remnick provided guest commentary and contributed to NBC coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia including the opening ceremony and commentary for NBC News.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 14, 2023
David Remnick gives each performer a spotlight, some brighter than others. For instance, I can only say that the chapter on Leonard Cohen was sublime, highlighting an intensity and sensitivity that the other performers in this collection did not quite realize. For this alone this book is worth reading, and the author possesses an eloquence that is not often encountered. Luciano Pavarotti was another surprise subject with a brief and fascinating description of how a singer’s body begins breaking down at age thirty.
A very engaging read, highly recommended to anyone interested in the life of art.
A very engaging read, highly recommended to anyone interested in the life of art.
July 16, 2023
This wonderful anthology shows you just how incisive a profile can be. Author Remnick may be star-struck(I would sure be) but he never lets that get in the way of his job. Each of these music icons comes gloriously alive, warts and all. But not warts - more their humanity. These are all real people who have worries, fears, and incredibly outsized egos that seem to be a prerequisite to putting yourself out there. You come away from each piece with a greater understanding and appreciation for the subject. Just a wonderful, wonderful book.
April 8, 2024
Леонард Коэн, Арета Франклин и другие — все они исчезли, но не забыты. Изысканным, точным и пронзительным языком Пулитцеровского лауреата Дэвид Ремник исследует не рассвет, а закат славы великих. Держать ноту — держать лицо даже тогда, когда твой лучший концерт был 30 лет назад как. И даже умудряться создавать новые шедевры. После прочтения книги есть риск бросить всё и начать заниматься музыкой! Осторожнее!
Многие из них боялись сцены, боялись толпы. Выдержать напряжение, собственную публичность, известность, статус иконы, идола часто помогали различные «обезболивающие» ...
Коэн перед концертом выпивал бутылку шампанского, Бадди Гай (не могу перестать его слушать, как ж он крут!) — пару рюмок коньяка.
А Кит Ричардс, которому в книге посвящена целая убойная глава, в 1973 году даже числился среди рок-звёзд, «которые умрут в течение года» из-за сами-знаете-чего, но оказался, похоже, бессмертным, да к тому же гениально шарящим во всех финансовых, налоговых и бизнес-делах группы The Rolling Stones (моё почтение!): «Maybe you can’t always get what you want. The rule doesn’t apply to Keith.»
Это мы мним их богами музыки, уверенными, знающими, как надо. Но все они прежде всего были людьми. Простыми, с простыми проблемами: болеющей женой, буйным отцом и т. д.
Это иллюзия, что великий талант делает великий перформанс лёгким. Вовсе нет. Каждый раз на сцене — как последний. Как выступление больной раком Ареты Франклин, которое довело Барака Обаму до слёз: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cF0t....
Бадди Гай (я зафанатела по нему конкретно после прочтения этой книги), у которого учился сам Джими Хендрикс, кажется, сказал нам всё, что нужно знать об искусстве:
«The blues is an impulse to keep the painful details and episodes of a brutal experience alive in one’s aching consciousness, to finger its jagged grain, and to transcend it, not by the consolation of philosophy, but by squeezing from it a near-tragic, near-comic lyricism.»
Короче! Я пошла играть гаммы! Tschüss!!!
Многие из них боялись сцены, боялись толпы. Выдержать напряжение, собственную публичность, известность, статус иконы, идола часто помогали различные «обезболивающие» ...
Коэн перед концертом выпивал бутылку шампанского, Бадди Гай (не могу перестать его слушать, как ж он крут!) — пару рюмок коньяка.
А Кит Ричардс, которому в книге посвящена целая убойная глава, в 1973 году даже числился среди рок-звёзд, «которые умрут в течение года» из-за сами-знаете-чего, но оказался, похоже, бессмертным, да к тому же гениально шарящим во всех финансовых, налоговых и бизнес-делах группы The Rolling Stones (моё почтение!): «Maybe you can’t always get what you want. The rule doesn’t apply to Keith.»
Это мы мним их богами музыки, уверенными, знающими, как надо. Но все они прежде всего были людьми. Простыми, с простыми проблемами: болеющей женой, буйным отцом и т. д.
Это иллюзия, что великий талант делает великий перформанс лёгким. Вовсе нет. Каждый раз на сцене — как последний. Как выступление больной раком Ареты Франклин, которое довело Барака Обаму до слёз: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cF0t....
Бадди Гай (я зафанатела по нему конкретно после прочтения этой книги), у которого учился сам Джими Хендрикс, кажется, сказал нам всё, что нужно знать об искусстве:
«The blues is an impulse to keep the painful details and episodes of a brutal experience alive in one’s aching consciousness, to finger its jagged grain, and to transcend it, not by the consolation of philosophy, but by squeezing from it a near-tragic, near-comic lyricism.»
Короче! Я пошла играть гаммы! Tschüss!!!
February 13, 2024
After reading this book Holding the note. I was very impressed by the amount of detail and information he was provided on the stars he interviewed. It starts with Leonard Cohen and ends with Patti smith.
April 4, 2024
The average rating is FOUR??!??
Judging by the cover the reader knows it is about music. How on Earth can it be lower than 5 Stars? Great writing great subject matter.
Judging by the cover the reader knows it is about music. How on Earth can it be lower than 5 Stars? Great writing great subject matter.
July 14, 2023
A compilation of articles originally written for The New Yorker looking in depth at some of the major singers of our time. Many are as expected—Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan. But there were others not usually given this attention such as Marvis Staples, Buddy Guy, Patti Smith, and Phil Schaap. Who is Bill Schaap you might think, I did. Not a singer but a music fanatic about Charlie (Bird) Parker whose passion led to most of our current knowledge of his career and music and most importantly actual being able to hear a lot of his music that had been lost. I thought this was the most interesting of the articles but enjoyed all of them.
April 1, 2024
David Remnick is the editor of the magazine The New Yorker and clearly is a music aficionado, as this book is a musical labor of love. It is actually a collection of individual pieces that he has written through the years about a number of his favorite musicians. My five star rating is the reaction of another Baby Boomer music fan, although a younger reader would appreciate the wonderful writing that is Remnick's trademark and would very likely be intrigued by his narratives about the individuals contained in this book. It would be impossible in a short review to provide a synopsis of each chapter, so I will simply present the "lineup": Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Mavis Staples, Charlie Parker, Bruce Springsteen Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Dylan, and Patti Smith. His portraits (by design) are all written during the latter stages of the careers of each of these artists, and provide a retrospective of their earlier lives along with their thoughts on the lives that they have lived. I flew through the book and was disappointed that there wasn't more. Many of the books that I have about musicians/bands tend to view their subjects through a haze of nostalgia and reverence. This book does not- it's honest, but laudatory at the same time. High recommended.
December 10, 2023
This is really good, if you like this type of thing. That might sound like damning with faint praise, but it's not meant that way. It means that capturing music in words is really hard, and these essays and interviews do it intermittently and with some success. But mostly these are personality profiles, and so you don't actually learn a lot about the performers' music. So if you want to learn about their music, this doesn't really do it. But if you enjoy anecdotes about the rich-and-famous, then this is fun. For me, the anecdotes are fun, but they get kind of repetitive.
Take the first three essays: Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy. In each, we hear about the importance of the artist and then get the inside dope about how they are cranky. Leonard Cohen gets mad at Remnick for being late for an interview, despite the interview time being changed and Remnick having responded by email or text. Frankly, Cohen sounds like the crankiest, biggest complainer in the universe. Franklin doesn't seem to have granted any access to Remnick, but he retails various stories of her insisting on always being paid in cash and getting angry when Beyonce introduced some other singer as "The Queen," thus implying Aretha wasn't The Queen of Soul, and even though Beyonce was just reading from a teleprompter. And Buddy Guy whines about being underappreciated and the last of the blues guys, which isn't true (and which Remnick points out).
I began to dread a sameness among the essays at that point, but Remnick is too good to get stuck in a rut. His Keith Richards essay is really short and snappy, and his Paul McCartney one is the fawning review of the lovestruck that McCartney seems to inspire in everyone. (Really, is there anyone in the arts more beloved than Paul McCartney? He's like the Dalai Lama.) Being a fly-on-the-wall at either of those meetings would be amazing.
Then we get the two most obscure profiles: Mavis Staples and some guy who is a jazz obsessive. Mavis Staples is great, and the Staple Singers were influential for a million musicians. Remnick makes you feel like you missed something great if you didn't see them, and I have to admit I haven't. But when I listen to their recordings, it's kinda dull. Seriously overproduced. I imagine they were different in person, more inspirational, more soaring, more spiritual. The jazz guy profile is fun, but it's not like I'm going to track down this guy's radio shows; as Remnick says, he goes way too deep for most people's patience.
The Springsteen one is like the McCartney one. It's fine, but doesn't break any ground. Springsteen's story is well-told by himself and others, and it's been played out in public for decades. I love Springsteen, and I like the info Springsteen reveals about his reading, songwriting, attitude, etc. And Remnick does a good job of showing the paradox of this ultra-rich guy who gets away with writing about teen angst and working class anger for decades.
I skipped the Pavarotti essay, as I have even less interest in opera than I do in jazz. That leaves Bob Dylan, who Remnick does as good a job as you can do on this elusive figure --- again, without any direct access -- and Patti Smith. Patti Smith is like Leonard Cohen for me. Everyone loves them, and I don't like their music at all. Leonard Cohen is painful. I don't think I've ever listened to one of his songs to the finish, as they're all dirges, and who needs that? Patti Smith is, as she admits, a very limited musician and singer. She's a reader and thinker, and that's fine. But if I want to read poetry (and I don't), then I'll read it. If I want to hear poetry put to music, then Bob Dylan has done it much better and more often. I liked Patti Smith's autobiography, which was the reason Remnick interviewed her, and his interview with her adds a little bit of self-revelation about what a spoiled brat she often was until she stopped performing for a decade in order to have children and get healthy, clear her mind, etc.
So that sums it up. These are good essays, thoughtful and with a balance between biography, music criticism, and explanation of context. In a couple of cases, I've gone to YouTube to listen to the performers' music even as I was reading the book. And it's obvious that Remnick knows a whole lot more music than almost anyone else, and he's also a fan who gets chills being invited to Paul McCartney's house and can't believe his luck that Patti Smith asks him to play guitar behind her as she does a couple of songs. Basically, I'm jealous, and that's why I'm giving this book a 4 instead of a 5!
Take the first three essays: Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy. In each, we hear about the importance of the artist and then get the inside dope about how they are cranky. Leonard Cohen gets mad at Remnick for being late for an interview, despite the interview time being changed and Remnick having responded by email or text. Frankly, Cohen sounds like the crankiest, biggest complainer in the universe. Franklin doesn't seem to have granted any access to Remnick, but he retails various stories of her insisting on always being paid in cash and getting angry when Beyonce introduced some other singer as "The Queen," thus implying Aretha wasn't The Queen of Soul, and even though Beyonce was just reading from a teleprompter. And Buddy Guy whines about being underappreciated and the last of the blues guys, which isn't true (and which Remnick points out).
I began to dread a sameness among the essays at that point, but Remnick is too good to get stuck in a rut. His Keith Richards essay is really short and snappy, and his Paul McCartney one is the fawning review of the lovestruck that McCartney seems to inspire in everyone. (Really, is there anyone in the arts more beloved than Paul McCartney? He's like the Dalai Lama.) Being a fly-on-the-wall at either of those meetings would be amazing.
Then we get the two most obscure profiles: Mavis Staples and some guy who is a jazz obsessive. Mavis Staples is great, and the Staple Singers were influential for a million musicians. Remnick makes you feel like you missed something great if you didn't see them, and I have to admit I haven't. But when I listen to their recordings, it's kinda dull. Seriously overproduced. I imagine they were different in person, more inspirational, more soaring, more spiritual. The jazz guy profile is fun, but it's not like I'm going to track down this guy's radio shows; as Remnick says, he goes way too deep for most people's patience.
The Springsteen one is like the McCartney one. It's fine, but doesn't break any ground. Springsteen's story is well-told by himself and others, and it's been played out in public for decades. I love Springsteen, and I like the info Springsteen reveals about his reading, songwriting, attitude, etc. And Remnick does a good job of showing the paradox of this ultra-rich guy who gets away with writing about teen angst and working class anger for decades.
I skipped the Pavarotti essay, as I have even less interest in opera than I do in jazz. That leaves Bob Dylan, who Remnick does as good a job as you can do on this elusive figure --- again, without any direct access -- and Patti Smith. Patti Smith is like Leonard Cohen for me. Everyone loves them, and I don't like their music at all. Leonard Cohen is painful. I don't think I've ever listened to one of his songs to the finish, as they're all dirges, and who needs that? Patti Smith is, as she admits, a very limited musician and singer. She's a reader and thinker, and that's fine. But if I want to read poetry (and I don't), then I'll read it. If I want to hear poetry put to music, then Bob Dylan has done it much better and more often. I liked Patti Smith's autobiography, which was the reason Remnick interviewed her, and his interview with her adds a little bit of self-revelation about what a spoiled brat she often was until she stopped performing for a decade in order to have children and get healthy, clear her mind, etc.
So that sums it up. These are good essays, thoughtful and with a balance between biography, music criticism, and explanation of context. In a couple of cases, I've gone to YouTube to listen to the performers' music even as I was reading the book. And it's obvious that Remnick knows a whole lot more music than almost anyone else, and he's also a fan who gets chills being invited to Paul McCartney's house and can't believe his luck that Patti Smith asks him to play guitar behind her as she does a couple of songs. Basically, I'm jealous, and that's why I'm giving this book a 4 instead of a 5!
September 5, 2024
Copying a review -
The greatest popular songs, whether it’s “Respect” sung by Aretha Franklin or “Blind Willie McTell” performed by Bob Dylan, have a way of embedding themselves in our memories. You remember a time and a place and a feeling whenever you hear them. In Holding the Note, David Remnick writes about some of the most influential musicians, songwriters, and performers of the past fifty years. He portrays a series of musical lives—Leonard Cohen, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and more—and their unique encounters with the passing of that essential element of music: time. From Cohen’s performing debut, when his stage fright was so debilitating he couldn’t get through “Suzanne,” to Franklin’s iconic mink-drop at the Kennedy Center, Holding the Note delivers intimate portraits of some of the greatest creative minds of our era, written with a passionate lifelong attachment to their music and an acute appreciation of how it has shaped us.
Springsteen-
The Springsteen road show is about as decadent as the Ice Capades
Stones -
Pruney, dyed, and bony, they storm through a set list that is by now as venerable and unchanging as the Diabelli Variations. “You do, occasionally, just look at your feet and think, ‘This is the sam old shit every night.’” Richards has said…..
The greatest popular songs, whether it’s “Respect” sung by Aretha Franklin or “Blind Willie McTell” performed by Bob Dylan, have a way of embedding themselves in our memories. You remember a time and a place and a feeling whenever you hear them. In Holding the Note, David Remnick writes about some of the most influential musicians, songwriters, and performers of the past fifty years. He portrays a series of musical lives—Leonard Cohen, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and more—and their unique encounters with the passing of that essential element of music: time. From Cohen’s performing debut, when his stage fright was so debilitating he couldn’t get through “Suzanne,” to Franklin’s iconic mink-drop at the Kennedy Center, Holding the Note delivers intimate portraits of some of the greatest creative minds of our era, written with a passionate lifelong attachment to their music and an acute appreciation of how it has shaped us.
Springsteen-
The Springsteen road show is about as decadent as the Ice Capades
Stones -
Pruney, dyed, and bony, they storm through a set list that is by now as venerable and unchanging as the Diabelli Variations. “You do, occasionally, just look at your feet and think, ‘This is the sam old shit every night.’” Richards has said…..
April 14, 2023
Music is a part of everyone’s life. Whether you appreciate it or not, there is no escaping it. Music surrounds us when shopping, having a coffee at the local coffee house, watching our favorite television show, or enjoying the latest action flick at the movie theater. Oftentimes, when a song comes on, we are reminded of another time when we heard that song—-a happier time, a sadder time, or a reminder of someone who shared that day with us. As a music lover, I dove into “Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music” with gusto after flipping through the book and sampling a few pages. David Remnick gives the reader an inside look at the lives of some of the most influential artists of all time. I felt like I had exclusive access to some little-known secrets of some of the greats. Through Remnick’s accounts, I was transported back in time and discovered some amazing details and stories about those profiled. Reading this book gave me a deeper appreciation of the artists, and it changed how I feel when I listen to their music and those they influenced. If you enjoy music too, I recommend you read this well-written book and uncover some true gemstones about these artists, their music, their creativity, and how their work shaped many lives.
March 30, 2024
I found most of the book to be highly entertaining and very interesting. He (the author) gives his interpretation of each one of the entertainers telling the readers why and what they did in their days as blues, jazz, opera and popular music of their time.
I found the chapters on Leonard Cohan one of my favorites along with Luciano Pavarotti. David Remnick gave me so many highlights of their lives that I was not aware of. It was worth it to have the book just to read about those two people. There were a couple chapters I wasn't very interested in and after about three or four pages, I went on to the next chapter.
He writes about Bob Dylan or Zimmerman as I remember him from others talking about this strange guy who hung around seven corners (East Bank) and Dinky town (West Bank) back in the early 60s. Little did they know that eventually he would end up with a different name and a whole lot of records of his being played on their stereos.
If you are interested in the era of Music from the Juke Joints of Louisiana and Mississippi, to the Beatles, to the Motown sound, music through the 60s and into the 70s, I highly recommend you read this book. Not only will you relive old memories but learn a lot of things about these people you never knew about.
I found the chapters on Leonard Cohan one of my favorites along with Luciano Pavarotti. David Remnick gave me so many highlights of their lives that I was not aware of. It was worth it to have the book just to read about those two people. There were a couple chapters I wasn't very interested in and after about three or four pages, I went on to the next chapter.
He writes about Bob Dylan or Zimmerman as I remember him from others talking about this strange guy who hung around seven corners (East Bank) and Dinky town (West Bank) back in the early 60s. Little did they know that eventually he would end up with a different name and a whole lot of records of his being played on their stereos.
If you are interested in the era of Music from the Juke Joints of Louisiana and Mississippi, to the Beatles, to the Motown sound, music through the 60s and into the 70s, I highly recommend you read this book. Not only will you relive old memories but learn a lot of things about these people you never knew about.
October 26, 2023
I'm listening to The Real Slim Shady, which I find is a surprisingly great soundtrack for this book. If you subscribe to The New Yorker, you can read all of the pieces in this book at their website, where Remnick is the editor. This eclectic collection encompasses pieces about Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Paul McCartney, Charlie Parker, Lucian Pavarotti, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen and Mavis Staples. When it comes to boxing and Russia, among others, Remnick ranks among the heavyweight writer-thinkers around. But I have found most of his writing on music and musicians over the years head-scratching or just plain dull. The ho hums for me here are his takes on Franklin, McCartney and Dylan. Nevertheless, Remnick's pieces about Cohen and Richards are equally illuminating. And his profile of Springsteen, even if you're not a fan, ranks among the best ever by anyone about him. His revealing takes of the Boss on and off stage (and some equally amazing pearls of insight and wisdom offered by his wife, Patti Scialfa) are breathtakingly candid, riveting and memorable.
August 8, 2023
I enjoyed this book as I have always been fascinated with how singers/ musicians/songwriters do what they do. Remnick highlights twelve people and how they became an integral part of some form of music, touching only briefly on biographical details like birthplace, parents, where they live now,etc.
I was familiar with ten of them and two pages into the two unknowns’ shared chapter acknowledged I didn’t care to know more and skipped to the next person. I also skipped Luciano Pavarotti’s chapter as I have zero interest in opera. I especially liked the chapters on Keith Richards, Mavis Stapleton, and Bob Dylan. I tired quickly of Bruce Springstein’s angst and melancholy and felt his chapter was ten pages too long. Overall though, this was an interesting and enlightening book.
I was familiar with ten of them and two pages into the two unknowns’ shared chapter acknowledged I didn’t care to know more and skipped to the next person. I also skipped Luciano Pavarotti’s chapter as I have zero interest in opera. I especially liked the chapters on Keith Richards, Mavis Stapleton, and Bob Dylan. I tired quickly of Bruce Springstein’s angst and melancholy and felt his chapter was ten pages too long. Overall though, this was an interesting and enlightening book.
August 26, 2023
New Yorker editor David Remnick sifted through his many years of interviews with musicians to compose his marvelous collection, Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music. In essays initially published from 1993 to 2022, the range of artists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Mavis Staples, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Patti Smith, among others, Remnick is incisive and illuminating. All of the conversations are with the artists in his or her later years, hence the title.
This is a treasure trove of heartfelt, sincere, beautifully written profiles, many about whom, if you liked the artist before (Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith), you will love them even more. And one or two folks that you will happily leave behind.
This is a treasure trove of heartfelt, sincere, beautifully written profiles, many about whom, if you liked the artist before (Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith), you will love them even more. And one or two folks that you will happily leave behind.
July 8, 2023
Obviously well written and very interesting. Remnick has heroes and favorites which came across loudly. He’s a huge fan of Springsteen and Dylan which are abundantly clear. I was impressed more by his thoughtful approach and words with Leonard Cohen and Mavis Staples (I won’t spoil the surprise but a very famous musician wanted to marry her). Really glad I read it but felt The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards came off less than fairly while others were kind. Sorry but that’s blasphemy. If you’re a music fan it’s a terrific book.
December 2, 2023
L Cohen
A. Franklin
B. Guy
K. Richards
P. McCartney
M. Staples
C. Parker & P. Schaap
B. Springsteen
L. Pavarotti
B. Dylan
P. Smith
entertaining; Remnick (a bit of a P. Smith groupie) seems to have enough respect as a serious writer to have earned access to these musical icons
The icons are examined and interviewed late in their careers so we get to see Remnick pushing for and getting some serious reflection.
The range of style and genre of the performers is a big plus. Also hearing them speak about the difference between 'performer' and music creator is interesting.
A. Franklin
B. Guy
K. Richards
P. McCartney
M. Staples
C. Parker & P. Schaap
B. Springsteen
L. Pavarotti
B. Dylan
P. Smith
entertaining; Remnick (a bit of a P. Smith groupie) seems to have enough respect as a serious writer to have earned access to these musical icons
The icons are examined and interviewed late in their careers so we get to see Remnick pushing for and getting some serious reflection.
The range of style and genre of the performers is a big plus. Also hearing them speak about the difference between 'performer' and music creator is interesting.
December 6, 2024
A beautiful book of musical portraits. Trying to pick my favorites and they mostly include people I wasn’t very familiar with before reading the book. Now amazed by Leonard Cohen’s breadth of talent. Adored the Mavis Staples piece. Knew nothing about opera and found the Luciano Pavarotti segment very interesting particularly the focus on Herbert Breslin. Am not a jazz aficionado, but loved the passion of Phil Schaap. Wrapping it up with Patti Smith was something really special. Extremely well written and a great read.
June 17, 2023
As with all things Remnick, this is great. Nothing new , except the Patti Smith piece, which I believe was new. The rest appeared in the New Yorker at some point and I'm sure I read most of them but reading things twice is not a bad thing especially if written by one of our best non-fiction writers,
My favorites were Leonard Cohen, Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen but that is not to say the other pieces weren't good and mostly great. If you are a popular music fan this is a must.
My favorites were Leonard Cohen, Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen but that is not to say the other pieces weren't good and mostly great. If you are a popular music fan this is a must.
July 1, 2023
Received from Truman Books as a free gift for their 2nd birthday celebrations. Marked as an advance copy.
Excellent set of writings on various singers and musicians, the author originally wrote these after meeting and talking to the individuals concerned. Springsteen, Dylan, McCartney, Cohen, plus a jazz enthusiast, Phil Schaap, who has dedicated his life to celebrating and playing the music of Charlie Parker. Oh, and Patti Smith.
Publication date shown as 23 October 2023.
Excellent set of writings on various singers and musicians, the author originally wrote these after meeting and talking to the individuals concerned. Springsteen, Dylan, McCartney, Cohen, plus a jazz enthusiast, Phil Schaap, who has dedicated his life to celebrating and playing the music of Charlie Parker. Oh, and Patti Smith.
Publication date shown as 23 October 2023.
July 15, 2023
This is a collection of essays about popular American musicians.
The essays varied in interest to me. I admit I do not have a varied taste in music. I really enjoyed the essay about Leonard Cohen, Paul Mc Carney, Aretha Franklin, and Mavis Staples.
I think this book would appeal to people with a broad taste in music. A friend who has always loved Leonard Cohen read the essay about him and found it to be very moving.
The essays varied in interest to me. I admit I do not have a varied taste in music. I really enjoyed the essay about Leonard Cohen, Paul Mc Carney, Aretha Franklin, and Mavis Staples.
I think this book would appeal to people with a broad taste in music. A friend who has always loved Leonard Cohen read the essay about him and found it to be very moving.
October 4, 2023
Not a coherent book, as the title would have you believe, but a collection of Remnick's articles published in his own magazine, The New Yorker. The articles are good, if repetitive: each intersperses interviews with the musicians with snapshots of their earlier glory days, alongside detailed and depressing descriptions of the musicians' physical decay. Typical New-Yorker writing: witty and descriptive, with a lot of name-dropping.
May 25, 2024
Familiar artists from a new perspective
An engaging collection of essays. All of the subjects are well known, yet Remnick unearths information new to all but the most hardcore musical historians. Yet the authorial voice is often conversational. Maybe the best thing I can say is that even though the essay format would allow me to put the book down between chapters, it was absorbing enough that I did not.
An engaging collection of essays. All of the subjects are well known, yet Remnick unearths information new to all but the most hardcore musical historians. Yet the authorial voice is often conversational. Maybe the best thing I can say is that even though the essay format would allow me to put the book down between chapters, it was absorbing enough that I did not.
June 29, 2023
Fascinating Insights
A fascinating and behind then scenes look at the careers of some of the most famous musicians of our time; Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Luciano Pavarotti, Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, and more. Each chapter has revealing insights into each artist life and work.
A fascinating and behind then scenes look at the careers of some of the most famous musicians of our time; Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Luciano Pavarotti, Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, and more. Each chapter has revealing insights into each artist life and work.
June 30, 2023
A compilation of Remnick’s essays from The New Yorker on various musicians. Read ebook version via NYPL. Partly enjoyed the ones on Mavis Staples, and on Buddy Guy (impact of racism and, in the case of Staples, religion), and Bruce Springsteen (his growing up, depression experienced, and the physical toll that live performance exacts).
July 13, 2023
A good intro bio to a lot of different artists, though each chapter could easily be stretched into its own book, some of which I’d want to read (esp. the Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Bruce Springsteen, and Mavis Staples ones), and some of which I might not, feeling satiated with what I got from the chapters here.
July 19, 2023
In this collection of essays, David Remnick writes about the lives and thoughts of some of the greatest musicians in the past fifty years. It's an interesting peek at the artist behind the music. My favorites were reading about Paul McCartney, Phil Schaap and Mavis Staples (but I enjoyed all of them). Perfect read for music lovers.
October 28, 2023
Mildly entertaining snippets of music legends told towards the tail end of their careers. If you need the Coles Notes history of Buddy Guy, Leonard Cohen, Charlie Parker, Mavis Staples, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, you could give this one a go. Then again, there are numerous options much better than this volume.
February 12, 2024
Like any collection of stories, you like some better than others, and in this case, I felt more connected to some of the artists than others but it’s so clear that Remnick is a music lover - it’s in his bones- and that shines through. Loved reading about the long arc of the careers of the musicians chronicled here and what keeps them in the game.
April 14, 2024
From Pavarotti in 1993 to Patti Smith in 2023, Remnick's profiles illuminate each subject and bring together under a single banner: genius. Very good on the demise of blues and jazz, as well as gospel (Mavis Staples), rock'n'roll (Richards, McCartney) and whatever Leonard Cohen does. The centrepiece is a 50-page profile of his fellow Jersey chap Bruce Springsteen, which is worthy of an anthology.
August 27, 2024
really well written book! I didn’t have the right expectations going in and didn’t realize it was going to be an anthology of profiles from the writer’s past but they were standalone very well done.
it didn’t capture me entirely but I don’t think that’s at the authors fault. It was more on the intellectual side and I was hoping for more ~ emotion led.
it didn’t capture me entirely but I don’t think that’s at the authors fault. It was more on the intellectual side and I was hoping for more ~ emotion led.
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