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The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph
Music playlists are as unique and diverse as the people who make them. Some are wild, some are sedate, and some can transport you through time and space. Since the early 1980s P.A. Kane has been knitting songs into playlists—first on tape, then on CD, and now in the digital cloud. But his most ambitious mix yet is The Last Playlist (A Sonic Epitaph), which weaves personal history and music into an evocative collection of essays that explores not only his rich life, but also his impending doom. With humor, insight, and courage Kane examines the capriciousness of first love, the transcendence of a moon-filled night, and the crushing effects of sexual abuse, plus so much more. Join him on this compelling musical journey into himself.
212 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2020
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
P.A. Kane
4 books17 followers Growing up in a three bed/one bath house with nine siblings in Buffalo, New York was a just the facts, assembly-line type of childhood. However, one day in the late seventies, well into my clamorous teen years, that all changed when my exhausted mom uncharacteristically asked several probing questions about how I was doing, what I wanted of life and how I was going to get there... totally confounding me. She was supposed to dish out commands and make declarative statements: ...take out the trash ...don’t come home unless you’re bleeding; ...every time you masterbate it’s a hundred-years in purgatory. Not ask me to articulate inward looking, reflective questions about myself. Self-examination and contemplation, was light years beyond my transactional existence.
Eventually, though, due to a certain amount of aimlessness and failure I did come to consider my mom’s questions and many more of people, time, place and heritage, which have become the basis of the novel “Written In The Stars: The Book Of Molly.” Seen through the eyes of young Molly Shea it is an exploration of the ways and means of 1979 Irish-Catholic, South Buffalo and an evolving girl’s place in that world.
Presently I am one neighborhood removed from South Buffalo in West Seneca, New York where I live with my wife, three college age children and a cat that hates me. I have a State University of New York background in English and I love trade paperbacks, quiet black mornings and The Ramones.
Eventually, though, due to a certain amount of aimlessness and failure I did come to consider my mom’s questions and many more of people, time, place and heritage, which have become the basis of the novel “Written In The Stars: The Book Of Molly.” Seen through the eyes of young Molly Shea it is an exploration of the ways and means of 1979 Irish-Catholic, South Buffalo and an evolving girl’s place in that world.
Presently I am one neighborhood removed from South Buffalo in West Seneca, New York where I live with my wife, three college age children and a cat that hates me. I have a State University of New York background in English and I love trade paperbacks, quiet black mornings and The Ramones.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 1, 2020
3 ½ Stars
“I get a little excited when I start talking about playlists. In these pages you won’t find any transformational religious, political, or sexual experiences. You also won’t find a life-changing symbolic event resulting from a windy or tempestuous day. What you will find is a thoughtful rendering and reasonable analysis of some of the situations and events of my life along with a really good playlist.”
“Make your playlist personal. You are the artist here telling your story through music that has meaning to you. These mixes should be a collection of your thoughts and feelings and evoke memories of all that you’ve won and all that you’ve lost.”
“…music is everywhere. It’s in the grocery store and the dentist’s office as background noise. At a party or in a bar it’s part of the celebration. When a break-up or death occurs, it adds poignancy to pain. It’s everywhere. And as I’ve said, music is the prism through which I see life. You will soon learn as you go forward with this reading experience absent music, I could not form these letters, words, and concepts. Without judgment or recrimination, music has been my best teacher and friend. Life is always hard, sometimes unjust and often devoid of meaning, but it is my hope that in these pages you will feel the power of music to teach, heal and be a friend.”
The Last Playlist (A Sonic Epitaph) by P.A Kane is the author’s story- a journey through his life- with music at its core. This book is a collection of essays about events/periods of P.A Kane’s life which he then links to a song/music. He uses the song to partially narrate the essay and link the two together.
The essays cover many different periods in the author’s life, and many different topics- from growing up, to a social commentary of the times- with history, politics, life, death, humor, challenges, family, race, and much more- this book provided an interesting journey.
P.A Kane also provides some basic rules for making your own playlist- encouraging you to create something that speaks to you and reflects your life and feelings. His simple steps make it all seem quite easy- and had me itching to shuffle through my own collection of songs and albums.
A thought-provoking read.
Thank you, P.A Kane!
“I get a little excited when I start talking about playlists. In these pages you won’t find any transformational religious, political, or sexual experiences. You also won’t find a life-changing symbolic event resulting from a windy or tempestuous day. What you will find is a thoughtful rendering and reasonable analysis of some of the situations and events of my life along with a really good playlist.”
“Make your playlist personal. You are the artist here telling your story through music that has meaning to you. These mixes should be a collection of your thoughts and feelings and evoke memories of all that you’ve won and all that you’ve lost.”
“…music is everywhere. It’s in the grocery store and the dentist’s office as background noise. At a party or in a bar it’s part of the celebration. When a break-up or death occurs, it adds poignancy to pain. It’s everywhere. And as I’ve said, music is the prism through which I see life. You will soon learn as you go forward with this reading experience absent music, I could not form these letters, words, and concepts. Without judgment or recrimination, music has been my best teacher and friend. Life is always hard, sometimes unjust and often devoid of meaning, but it is my hope that in these pages you will feel the power of music to teach, heal and be a friend.”
The Last Playlist (A Sonic Epitaph) by P.A Kane is the author’s story- a journey through his life- with music at its core. This book is a collection of essays about events/periods of P.A Kane’s life which he then links to a song/music. He uses the song to partially narrate the essay and link the two together.
The essays cover many different periods in the author’s life, and many different topics- from growing up, to a social commentary of the times- with history, politics, life, death, humor, challenges, family, race, and much more- this book provided an interesting journey.
P.A Kane also provides some basic rules for making your own playlist- encouraging you to create something that speaks to you and reflects your life and feelings. His simple steps make it all seem quite easy- and had me itching to shuffle through my own collection of songs and albums.
A thought-provoking read.
Thank you, P.A Kane!
December 16, 2020
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a non-fictitious memoir of the author’s life played by music. He uses words and music to weave his story and the essence of his life. We all tend to see; smell hear something that reminds us of certain events in our lives and that is what PA has done with his story. It is an intriguing way to tell a story and he invites us to write our own stories in the same way. It is easy to see that his life is one of looking inward and reflection. Truly finding oneself is never easy but there is also so much more room for growth as we continue to reflect and age.
December 19, 2020
P.A Kane introduces the idea of playlists of music and what story they can and will tell you during their journey and he should know, he has been creating them for years and on all the available and changing media throughout this time, but it isn’t just something any old person can throw together and there are rules to be followed, but also bent and broken. As you read through this book, you are taken on a journey through the playlist Kane has created to document his life and the experiences and the stories associated with the songs contained within it.
The book begins with a description of what a playlist is and the fundamentals of creating one, the rules, the do’s and don’ts, as well as how they can be creatively and emotionally satisfying. It also documents how the availability of music, the technology he used and uses and his perspective have changed and adapted over the years too.
The rest of the book is a series of essays which are attached to specific songs, it is written as a memoir and goes into incredible detail, both within the experiences and other pieces of music which complement or contrast with the title song and why. The experiences described are positive and negative in nature and some are harder to read than others, but it is done in such a way that even the most negative are brought to us as a way to encourage awareness and provoke thought and conversation around the subjects.
This is a biography, but not your usual run of the mill one, this one is a legacy of a life filled with revelation and the most important aspect is the music described within, it makes you feel like you are living in the moment being described and takes you to places you may never have experienced yourself, there is something in it for everyone and leads you on a musical discovery all at the same time.
The book begins with a description of what a playlist is and the fundamentals of creating one, the rules, the do’s and don’ts, as well as how they can be creatively and emotionally satisfying. It also documents how the availability of music, the technology he used and uses and his perspective have changed and adapted over the years too.
The rest of the book is a series of essays which are attached to specific songs, it is written as a memoir and goes into incredible detail, both within the experiences and other pieces of music which complement or contrast with the title song and why. The experiences described are positive and negative in nature and some are harder to read than others, but it is done in such a way that even the most negative are brought to us as a way to encourage awareness and provoke thought and conversation around the subjects.
This is a biography, but not your usual run of the mill one, this one is a legacy of a life filled with revelation and the most important aspect is the music described within, it makes you feel like you are living in the moment being described and takes you to places you may never have experienced yourself, there is something in it for everyone and leads you on a musical discovery all at the same time.
December 16, 2020
What can I say about The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane? There is so much boiling around in me right now. First and foremost, I loved it. I’m about five years older than Mr. Kane and I am a child of the sixties. So much of the music he uses flowed through my head. I was right back there, in that time, I could feel the sun on my face, smell the newly mown grass, and hear the children playing in the background. That’s the magic of music, it defines us in ways we cannot express, although Mr. Kane does an excellent job in this novel. I have to say, and you whoever you are can have your own opinion, Mr. Kane is a liberal and I am a conservative. What struck me most about this novel is how much alike we actually are. We recognize the same problems, we want solutions, we want justice for all, and we want freedom for all. But in this chaotic, super overcharged political climate we can’t listen to each other long enough to see how very similar we are. Our methods and theories on solving the problems are shaped by our life experiences. Mr. Kane doesn’t offer solutions in this book; he expresses what is in his heart and how his life experiences have shaped him. Oh, how I wish we could all just listen to each other and actually hear what is being said. Excellent job Mr. Kane, I wish I could give you more than five stars.
November 26, 2020
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph
By P.A. Kane
5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading the book The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane. I found it to be an intriguing story and I enjoyed the way that the author put together his last playlist while telling about what the songs are about and what they meant to him. I also enjoyed the personal experiences that are given. Some moments are heartbreaking, sad, heartwarming, as well as humorous. Some experiences must have been hard to write about. This is a story that had me thinking about it even after I had finished the final page. The author has a love of creating playlists that can’t be denied. I know a few of the songs on the playlist and by the end of the book, I found myself wanting to go to my favorite music site to listen to the ones that I didn’t. Don’t miss out on a story that has you taking a journey that is both musical and personal. I highly recommend reading it.
By P.A. Kane
5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading the book The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane. I found it to be an intriguing story and I enjoyed the way that the author put together his last playlist while telling about what the songs are about and what they meant to him. I also enjoyed the personal experiences that are given. Some moments are heartbreaking, sad, heartwarming, as well as humorous. Some experiences must have been hard to write about. This is a story that had me thinking about it even after I had finished the final page. The author has a love of creating playlists that can’t be denied. I know a few of the songs on the playlist and by the end of the book, I found myself wanting to go to my favorite music site to listen to the ones that I didn’t. Don’t miss out on a story that has you taking a journey that is both musical and personal. I highly recommend reading it.
December 10, 2020
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph
By P.A. Kane
4 stars
This was a really interesting read. After reading the synopsis I was intrigued by what I would read and I was looking for something different so thought I would give it a go – overall I really enjoyed it. I think going in have no preconceived idea about what the book would entail meant I had a complete blank mind about it. The author definitely captured my interest form the beginning and the way in which the memoirs were presented made it really easy to read. I really felt like I knew the author after finishing to book. There was emotion in what I was reading and it definitely made it different knowing it was about the author’s life/feelings/emotions and not fiction.
Overall a really interesting and different read and I would recommend it to others.
By P.A. Kane
4 stars
This was a really interesting read. After reading the synopsis I was intrigued by what I would read and I was looking for something different so thought I would give it a go – overall I really enjoyed it. I think going in have no preconceived idea about what the book would entail meant I had a complete blank mind about it. The author definitely captured my interest form the beginning and the way in which the memoirs were presented made it really easy to read. I really felt like I knew the author after finishing to book. There was emotion in what I was reading and it definitely made it different knowing it was about the author’s life/feelings/emotions and not fiction.
Overall a really interesting and different read and I would recommend it to others.
December 18, 2020
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane. This book is about music and music being the playlist of your life. Music gets us thru life, there is music that makes you happy, music that makes you sad, music that brings back memories and music that brings us all together. Its a collection of essays about event and times in P.A Kane's life while music is at its core and the playlist of his life. This book made me realize that music at its core brings us all together whether we have political differences, monetary differences, or genetic differences. This book encourages us to make playlists for our lives about your thoughts, your emotions, your loves and losses. It teaches us that music is the ultimate healer if you accept it. This book will make you think, teach you things and help you learn to let music heal you.
December 18, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up, but I knew I loved music and words so I dove in and gave it a go. I am glad that I did. While this is not the typical type of novel that I choose this was a nice departure and felt very refreshing to have something new. I will say this would be the perfect book for you if you love music. I see my life and am reminded by life so much with songs as well as books and this combined my love for both. In The Last Playlist we get the author's story but told in ways of music and lyrics. I loved how personal that felt and by the time the book wrapped up I felt as if he could have been a long lost cousin. I enjoyed some of the profound thoughts he has gained and chose to share. I look forward to seeing what else is available from PA Kane in the near future.
January 21, 2025
Really 4.5/5 stars.
This was very close to becoming a 5 star review. The .5 reduction comes from Kane’s own “playlist rules”? which he admittedly says he doesn’t follow at the end.
Kane takes us on a journey through his life, not seemingly in order—each chapter is dedicated to a song that links to a particular space of time for him. Some songs even encapsulate more than one memory.
I like that this playlist is a grab-bag of genres—all similar but different enough to garner interest.
I do like the way that Kane writes, it’s very familiar, engaging, and fun to read!
Even though this book /could/ be viewed as morbid, considering this is his “last playlist”, curated for his children to listen to or play at his memorial service; it truly celebrates life more than anything and perfectly captures the many ups and downs we all face. This is a book (and playlist) for the common man.
This was very close to becoming a 5 star review. The .5 reduction comes from Kane’s own “playlist rules”? which he admittedly says he doesn’t follow at the end.
Kane takes us on a journey through his life, not seemingly in order—each chapter is dedicated to a song that links to a particular space of time for him. Some songs even encapsulate more than one memory.
I like that this playlist is a grab-bag of genres—all similar but different enough to garner interest.
I do like the way that Kane writes, it’s very familiar, engaging, and fun to read!
Even though this book /could/ be viewed as morbid, considering this is his “last playlist”, curated for his children to listen to or play at his memorial service; it truly celebrates life more than anything and perfectly captures the many ups and downs we all face. This is a book (and playlist) for the common man.
December 19, 2020
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is about music and how music is always there in the background of life. For many, music gets you through different things or helps you celebrate. If you think of a time in your life, you can probably name the music that was playing. Alternately, you may here a song that transports you back to a different time and place in your life. This book is a collection of essays of different times in the authors life that music was at the core of his life.
Music has a lot of power and sometimes we don’t even realize it. This book isn’t something I normally would have read but I connected with it more than I expected. Music has helped me through some of the toughest things I’d ever have to go through so I definitely understand.
Music has a lot of power and sometimes we don’t even realize it. This book isn’t something I normally would have read but I connected with it more than I expected. Music has helped me through some of the toughest things I’d ever have to go through so I definitely understand.
December 19, 2020
The Last Playlist: a sonic epitaph by P.A. Kane was a great read! Reading this autobiography (written for his kids) was like sitting in a room listening to a good friend talk to you. The words flowed effortlessly, and I found myself laughing throughout, while sympathizing and agreeing with a lot of what Kane had to say. This is also a great read if you love music. While this is an autobiography, this novel is also about 70% music, and I think it's a great read for the music enthusiasts out there. This was a book I was hoping to like and I ended up loving it. I definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of autobiographies and music also.
December 16, 2020
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a great book made up of a collection of essays detailing the authors review into his own life and how it has been shaped through music. I loved how this whole book had a unique feel about it. It is completely different to everything I have read before and I really feel like it gave me a great insight into the person behind it. I loved how it was shaped based on music and playlists - being a big music fan this whole concept appealed to me and really piqued my interest more.
I think this is a brilliant collection and is one of those books I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I would definitely recommend picking this one up today!
I think this is a brilliant collection and is one of those books I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I would definitely recommend picking this one up today!
December 16, 2020
This book follows the author through his life of music. When you think about it, music is everywhere. We are so used to it being everywhere, that sometimes we do not even realize we are listening to anything. We all have moments in life that are defined by a song. When we listen to music, it is usually based on what we are feeling at that moment. This book contains the authors playlist, essay pieces about songs and what they meant to him. A biography about the author told through songs.
December 19, 2020
This is a very different and unique book. I loved the way the author uses music and references to music as he goes through and describes his life.
It is a really interesting book of essays written by the author about aspects of his life. They are written with humour and sadness, heartbreak and love. Everything you read is full of emotion that you can't help but feel like you know the author by the end of the book.
It's different to any memoir I have read before which makes it very special and an enjoyable read.
It is a really interesting book of essays written by the author about aspects of his life. They are written with humour and sadness, heartbreak and love. Everything you read is full of emotion that you can't help but feel like you know the author by the end of the book.
It's different to any memoir I have read before which makes it very special and an enjoyable read.
November 25, 2020
I enjoyed this book. This is a collection of essays by this author that can be seen as inspiration and also sadness. The collection goes through this author’s life such as humor, romance and so much more. They are interesting and easy to read for the most part. Each essay is unique and different from each other. This is a great way to look at and learn about this author’s life. I highly recommend this book.
December 2, 2020
Weaving music and writing to deliver this memoir, the author intrigues the audience to read more. Soon, the reader is creating their own memories alongside the author. Auditory memory is strong and it is an easy shift to place oneself inside the memories shared. This creative piece leaves the reader both remembering the songs that have defined their past and wanting to create their own epitaph through music.
December 16, 2020
5 Star
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a very inspiring story made up of several essays that shows us details of the authors life and how music helped shape it. I’m a huge fan of all sorts of music so I was very intrigued to read this book. I found myself lost in the pages and going along on this journey with the author. I lost all track of time and read in one afternoon. I truly enjoyed reading and I highly recommend reading it.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a very inspiring story made up of several essays that shows us details of the authors life and how music helped shape it. I’m a huge fan of all sorts of music so I was very intrigued to read this book. I found myself lost in the pages and going along on this journey with the author. I lost all track of time and read in one afternoon. I truly enjoyed reading and I highly recommend reading it.
December 18, 2020
One of my favorite sayings is “When words fail, music takes over”. This book takes us on a journey through the playlist of the author. That is one of the most amazing aspects of music. Music can speak to your soul in ways no words can touch it. P.A. Kane takes us through playlists to show how it can be humorous, sad, romantic, and frightening. Kane takes you through different essays and you can see how music has a special place in your life.
June 7, 2021
Who doesn’t love a good playlist? Well, P. A. Kane not only makes a great playlist but he has the rare (very rare) ability to explain the art. And, in this book he shares the playlist that tries to explain and/reflect his life. Pretentious? Nah, because he doesn’t pretend to be right. It’s not about being right, or making excuses.
It’s a cool book—part memoir, part rant, part philosophy, part musical journey, and then another dose of rant. I l Ike it, a lot.
It’s a cool book—part memoir, part rant, part philosophy, part musical journey, and then another dose of rant. I l Ike it, a lot.
December 16, 2020
Takes us through the journey of music. This book is a collection of information it read like a dairy. I enjoyed reading about the song and how they were put together the experience which were given you can tell are personal. There is a lot of emotion and feelings written into this memior which fetches the audience in more.
December 17, 2020
Music plays such a large part in our lives. I really found this book to be fascinating and emotional as I dove into the individual thoughts/essays and explored the music that “played” throughout. Kane does a beautiful job putting this work together. I appreciate the introspection and emotion that obviously went into crafting this work. This memoir is definitely worthwhile.
December 19, 2020
This novel really spoke to me, music is something I'm truly passionate about so reading this was absolutely amazing! I like how he expresses himself throughout this story using not just words but music, music truly does help you tell other's how your feeling, tell your story it's an amazing book and I truly 100% couldn't put it down highly recommend!
January 31, 2025
A heartfelt autobiography written with humor and endearing honesty.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews