Tom Lambrecht, Nederland.  In the bestsellers market, books devoted to music seem to be dominated by biographies of mainstream rockers and contemporary artists. As one would expect, fringe and alternative music artists do not receive as much attention in the literary world.

The last title I picked up was from Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth fame whose autobiography, Girl in a Band, was simultaneously cathartic and dispassionate while providing an under-the-hood look at a band that I revered during my post-punk years.

Another icon from those heady days, David Byrne, the cerebral frontman of the Talking Heads, released the book How Music Works in 2012 and the Nederland Community Library recently acquired a copy. It is embarrassing for this Talking Heads fan to admit that he is just getting around to reading it now. Though the author’s name appears on the stark white cover in the same large type as the title, it becomes evident upon first reading that Byrne and his music take a back seat to his ruminations on the history and the very nature of music as well as the industry and technology that has sprung up around it.

Music probably originated as improvisations for the sole pleasure of the individual who was making the sounds. In time, if the performer had any chops at all, these performances might attract an audience.

Music became associated with rituals and religion and in time developed into less spontaneous composition. Byrne brilliantly addresses how composition is dictated by less-obvious factors as architecture of the performing space, economics and even the maximum length of recording technology at the time.

The book is arranged thematically by chapter, but of course any discussion this broad will digress and loop back on itself. The analysis of society’s perceptions of various genres of music including the rigid and costly performances of loftier forms like classical music and opera and less-exalted pop music is particularly interesting and makes up the bulk of the chapter titled: “Amateurs!”

The chapter “How to Make a Scene” should be required reading for every struggling artist (musical or otherwise) and every wanna-be club owner. Using the legendary punk venue CBGB as a model, the author explores its success as an alternative music venue despite (or as Byrne maintains, because of) its squalid location. “In the Recording Studio” is a fascinating look at the thought and technology that went into the music of the Talking Heads including their magnum opus world music mashup, “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.” The final chapter “Harmonia Mundi” is an intricate examination of sound itself.

There are few contemporary music books that I feel compelled to actually own for the purpose of re-reading. Mark Prendergast’s The Ambient Century and Paul Tingen’s Miles Beyond spring to mind. How Music Works is a worthy addition to any reader’s collection.

Tom Lambrecht is a Library Assistant at the Nederland Community Library.