Perfect Sound Whatever
Ratings7
Average rating4
15
Ratings7
Average rating4
*The Sunday Times Bestseller* The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages. PERFECT SOUND WHATEVER is a love letter to the healing power of music, and how one man's obsessive quest saw him defeat the bullshit of one year with the beauty of another. Because that one man is James Acaster, it also includes tales of befouling himself in a Los Angeles steakhouse, stealing a cookie from Clint Eastwood, and giving drunk, unsolicited pep talks to urinating strangers. January, 2017 James Acaster wakes up heartbroken and alone in New York, his relationship over, a day of disastrous meetings leading him to wonder if comedy is really what he wants to be doing any more. A constant comfort in James's life has been music, but he's not listened to anything new for a very long time. Idly browsing 'best of the year' lists, it dawns on him that 2016 may have been a grim year for a lot of reasons, but that it seemed to be an iconic year for music. And so begins a life-changing musical odyssey, as James finds himself desperately seeking solace in the music of 2016, setting himself the task of only listening to music released that year, ending up with 500 albums in his collection. Looking back on this year-long obsession, parallels begin to grow between the music and James's own life: his relationship history, the highs and lows of human connection, residual Christian guilt, and mental health issues that have been bubbling under the surface for years. Some albums are life-changing masterpieces, others are 'Howdilly Doodilly' by Okilly Dokilly, a metalcore album devoted to The Simpsons' character Ned Flanders, but all of them play a part the year that helped James Acaster get his life back on track.
Reviews with the most likes.
Some things about this book bothered me...writing style in some cases, the way the interviews were done...but overall it's well done and inspiring to see someone discovering music in this way. 3.5 stars.
“You're darn tootin!” This line took me about 50 takes. Next time you're feeling depressed, try delivering a convincing “You're darn tootin!” It is honestly impossible.
this is such a niche read in a way, and i can't totally imagine how it would read for people who aren't passionate about music. but this is very much a love letter to music and what it does for us emotionally, and how we connect to it, and how it defines us and moments in our lives.
music has always meant a lot to me and has gotten me through a lot of rough times in my life, and i feel like i really connected to acaster's story here, both from the the emotional perspective, and from the interwoven things about the albums, and artists who released them, in 2016. i feel like i could listen to him talk about music all day every day for the rest of my life tbh lol.
tw for: suicidal ideation
one of the most niche books i've ever read but also one of the realest. it's one of those books that's extremely hard to sell to other people because of its framing but i've never related more to someone's verbalised anxieties and terrible breakup coping mechanisms.
the music is also fantastic.
