Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-Off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock and Roll
Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-Off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock and Roll
“A fun read that’ll have you replaying the songs in your mind and on your stereo.” —Chicago Tribune Have you ever listened to a new song and felt as if you’d heard it before? It’s not your imagination. Melodies are “borrowed,” consciously or subconsciously, more than you might think. For instance, do you know: That U2’s “Beautiful Day” shares part of its tune with an a-ha hit from the eighties? Why Huey Lewis was so upset when he first heard Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters”? How John Lennon’s classic “Imagine” bears an uncanny resemblance to a novelty record cut by his dad? Sounds Like Teen Spirit tells the fascinating true stories behind these and many other “sound-alike” songs. Showcas
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A lot of fun despite errors,
This book was a lot of fun. It included the sound-alikes everyone knows – “My Sweet Lord” and “He’s So Fine,” “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.” – and some surprises. Did you know, for example, that Radiohead’s “Creep” borrows from the Hollies’ “The Air That I Breathe,” and that Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name” was re-worked from a Bonnie Tyler song? I didn’t, and it made me listen to those songs to hear the resemblances.
I wish the book had been twice as long, as there certainly are more such examples. I also wish the author had included a CD with examples, but I’m sure that would have been a copyright nightmare.
The book, as fun as it is, is full of printer’s errors. Who are “Nirvina” and “Holwin’ Wolf?” I hope the sequel is more carefully edited.
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|Sounds Like is a Behind The Hits winner,
As a music author (Behind The Hits) and a radio dj/musicologist, I was very excited to learn of Timothy’s book. Smells Like Teen Spirit has put together many of the songs I have chronicled over the years that sound suspiciously like others.
On my radio shows I have played them in a feature named “Call The Lawyers!” — and, indeed, some of these song pairings went to court. Others didn’t but perhaps should have. All in all, they represent a fascinating side of rock music history. Rip offs or inspirations? Homages or stolen riffs? No matter — it’s what was in the grooves that counts. Some are obvious, but one is often surprised by the musical connection Tim’s ears have made. There are some songs here that even I never put together (or didn’t know about), like Jorge Ben’s “Taj Mahal” as the basis for Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”. And the song by John Lennon’s father? Imagine that!
This is a very well-researched, well-documented and well-written reference as well as being a fun read. I commend and recommend Timothy’s book to all who love and enjoy the various decades of rock and roll and the artists who made (or should we say, “re-made”?) the music.
–Bob Shannon
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|Fun and quick, but could be so much more,
If you’re into the history of rock music and love dissecting songs to see where they came from, you’ll enjoy this book. It has many interesting examples of songs that were either directly ripped off from something else, or just sound suspiciously similar. The author gets into the history of the songs, the lawsuits and the stories behind the scenes. You’ll be surprised and amused when you realize how many classic songs were ripped off from others, and that’s the real joy of the book.
On the down side, the writing isn’t dynamic and the book is a very quick read. You can probably get through it in half an hour. Also, it’s tough to enjoy without hearing the music you’re reading about. But if you can flip through it and listen to the songs at the same time, it’s a lot of fun.
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