Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time

I would have to post a video of me singing karaoke because that is what brought the author and his wife together. Though personal stories of great joy and sadness, the book shows how authentic music transforms. Authentic coming from the artist, and authentic coming from a karaoke club. My choices have improved and the reception of my singing has improved. Great book. Great stories of music.

Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape is a heart-breaking, uplifting, funny, sad and entirely human memoir about love and loss unified by Sheffield's love of music and his life-long penchant for crafting the mix tape. Music fans born in the 60's will recognize most of the music (and understand why, for example, the eighth grade dance mix tape had to have Free Bird and Stairway to Heaven to end the sides), but I don't think you have to know much about the music he mentions to enjoy this wonderful book because the book simply uses music as a way into his story about Renee. Renee was his wife with whom he shared an intense love and they found love through love of music as well. Renee died suddenly, tragically at a young age, but somehow Sheffield's engaging personality comes through so well in his writing that he makes this memoir overall an uplifting read, despite the undertones of intense sadness and loss. The love he has for Renee (and she for him) and the love of music, Sheffield's charming, self-deprecating humor makes this a wonderful read. I recommend this one to all, music-obsessed or not. Enjoy.

I sat in Lulu's Beehive this morning with my coffee and banana bundt amongst a sea of laptops, a painting of ducks that looked suspiciously like a picture in my own flickr photostream, and a friend's ex-boyfriend with another girl I knew but couldn't place. While I wasn't the only one with white buds in my ears, I was the only person cracking the spine of a book. The women that kept walking into the cafe were all cleavage and caffeine and cigarettes and a welcome distraction from the chapters about grief in this love letter to music and marriage and life. I kept catching myself staring too long at these ladies and thought, either I need to get laid or get loved.Probably both.I kind of hate Rob Sheffield for making me feel like all the relationships I've had in the past have been inadequate. I have never loved anyone like he loved his Renee. He doesn't even hide the feelings he had for her in ebullient metaphor or shlocky hyperbole. He just tells it like it is and it is wonderful and amazing and way shorter than it had any right to be. While I did blow through the chapters focused on his loss and his dealing (or not dealing) because I don't quite have the emotional armor right now to handle more mourning, it's a beautiful love story all explained in terms I totally get--song lyrics and beats and all the feelings and emotions that we associate with music.There's probably a mix tape of my own that will come out of this that includes "Symptom Finger" by the Faint, "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by The Arcade Fire, "Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix)" by Feist, "One More Hour" by Sleater-Kinney, "Keeping You Alive" by The Gossip, "Misread" by Kings of Convenience, and "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" by Beck, almost all of which acted as my soundtrack this morning. Somehow, I don't own nor don't think I have ever even heard "One More Hour" by Sleater-Kinney and it is the one song he goes into detail about in the book that I want to know everything about. I can imagine the track in my head by his description. I can hear Carrie and Corin going back and forth. I've already attached an emotional response to it. I will love it. Even if I was deaf, I would love it.Sheffield goes into great detail about the significance of Nirvana on his life and, in particular, "Heart-Shaped Box". I decided while reading that I'd add Joe Hill's (Stephen King's son) recent debut novel of the same name to my queue. While reading, I aped a line of his that he stole from some outfit a member of Pavement was wearing for a twitter message. I took down quotes, one for me that's a truth I'm going to keep for myself about love and loss and fear and the real agreement that people make to each other when they go into a commitment like marriage and one for you:"Most mix tapes are CDs now, yet people still call them mix tapes."There's a reason for that. I leave it to you to figure out why.

I own it already but purchased it for a friend.

Do you know anyone who takes what life gives them but doesn't really have a plan of any kind? Actions only taken when given by a charismatic friend or when forced to by law, nature or an accumulation of unavoidable circumstances? Although this is a very touching love story and I really liked the author's direct style, I found the aimless, fatalistic existence a bit frustrating at times. The author did not make choices so much as acquiesce to events around him. He hates a song until someone tells them it's their favorite song - then, voila! He likes it too!I found the eclectic selections of music interesting and irritating at the same time. The crazy collection of disco, country, new wave, rock, etc. I always get the feeling someone is trying too hard to be uber-cool when they refer to some obscure song from a critically acclaimed but generally atonal band. What I DID like and in a way somewhat opposed to the prior comment is the appreciation for top 40 along with all the other esoteric stuff. Makes it seem more like someone who just likes what he likes irrespective of whether the music maker is from an "acceptable" genre.I thought the story, although very personal, was very touching. I won't ruin it for those who will read or listen to the book but I found the description of the relationship very moving. In my opinion, the author painted a very compelling image of what life was like with his love. I'm missing the humor part though. I've read some comments about how funny the book was. What? Did I miss a chapter or two? Funny in a kind of "oh yeah, my relatives are a little wacky too" way but not much more than that.Overall, a quick and compelling read that will make you feel and think. Maybe 3 and half stars...

Love is a Mix Tape is a beautiful memoir about a relationship built on a shared love of music. This is one of the most romantic books of all time.

Muy bueno para regalar

Se tornou meu "livro de conforto".Além da cultura pop de uma década pela qual eu sou apaixonada, trata do amor e do luto da forma mais doce que já vi.Tocante, de verdade. Muito emocionante.Achei a capa bem bonitinha e, apesar de ser uma capa comum (não é dura), a qualidade é boa.O papel é mais fininho do que na maioria dos livros, mas eu gostei mesmo assim.

Alla mattina s’alza dal lettofa un bel bagnetto corre in cucinasaluta Armando esce correndosveglia le viole…Gioca a pallone con il leoneall’ippopotamo dice “buongiorno”saluta tutti quelli che ha intornoha tanti amici, trecentotrè(perché?)Perché è la Pimpa ecco perchéPerchè è la Pimpa ecco perchéAlla mattina s’alza dal lettofa un bel bagnetto corre in cucinasaluta Armando esce correndosveglia le viole… (sveglia le viole)Gioca a pallone con il leoneall’ippopotamo dice “buongiorno”saluta tutti quelli che ha intornoha tanti amici, trecentotrè(perché?)Perché è la Pimpa ecco perchéPerchè è la Pimpa ecco perché

Great book

This gateway book into Sheffield's writing has me sold. The quality of the book is great for a paperback as it the content. The artwork is high quality and the page quality and how the book reada is satisfactory to say the least. A recommended book for anyone that wants a piece of Sheffield's life and wants to be swoon bu the bittersweet story.