"David Byrne: How Music Works Review"

Reviewing David Byrne's "How Music Works"

David Byrne's How Music Works (Canongate, 2012, 358 pp., £25.00) arrives amid a recent wave of publications examining how the digital revolution has transformed the recording industry. Books like Matthew David's Peer to Peer and the Music Industry and Patrik Wikström's The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud have attempted to frame contemporary developments through thorough historical grounding. Barry Kernfeld's Pop Song Piracy: Disobedient Music Distribution Since 1929 stands as another notable contribution to this conversation.

What sets Byrne's volume apart, however, is the infusion of personal observation drawn from his own career. Best known as the frontman of Talking Heads, Byrne writes with undeniable authority, having lived through many of the changes he describes. His passionate prose turns what could be a dry subject into a surprisingly exhilarating read, especially given the book's vague title. As Byrne explains in his preface, "each chapter in this book focuses on a distinct aspect of music and its context." He adds that "the chapters are not chronological or sequential. You can read them in any order" (9). While some sections overlap, each stands reasonably well on its own.

Music's ephemeral nature

The opening chapter, "Creation in Reverse," establishes a core theme that runs throughout the book. Byrne repeatedly uses the word "ephemeral" to describe music's character, tracing its evolution from the concert hall to the home environment. He draws on academic literature to discuss music in the natural world and, in the following chapter "My Life in Performance," explains how he sings for pleasure much like birds do.

Technology's impact on sound

Chapters three and four examine how analog and digital technologies have shaped music. Byrne's genuine enthusiasm for his subject comes through clearly here. He argues that "music tells us things—social things, psychological things, physical things about how we feel and perceive our bodies—in a way that other art forms can't" (94). His discussions of acoustics particularly demonstrate his technical expertise. Throughout these chapters, Byrne maintains a balanced perspective on audio quality: his fondness for vinyl does not prevent him from making impartial observations about digital music's functionality.

A fresh look at piracy

Piracy does not appear as an overt topic until page 109, and when it does, Byrne treats it with surprising fondness. Recalling the emotional benefits of music, he writes, "you could make mixtapes that corresponded to emotional states, and they'd be available to pop into the deck when each feeling needed reinforcing or soothing. The mixtape was your friend, your psychiatrist, and your solace" (110). This observation highlights how unauthorized sharing has always been woven into the fabric of music enjoyment, underscoring the need for the industry to adapt to new technologies.

A particularly vivid example of this theme appears in Byrne's discussion of the anecdote that Sony's president dictated the CD's size to accommodate his favorite piece of music, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Rather than debating the story's historical accuracy, Byrne uses it to illustrate how physical format limitations—especially recording duration—have constrained musicians for decades.

Behind the scenes and back to business

The book's fifth and sixth chapters draw most heavily from Byrne's autobiography. "In the Recording Studio" and "Collaborations" assume no prior familiarity with his work, instead documenting what it meant to be a musician during the 1980s. These sections cover the importance of radio airplay, music videos, and the broader landscape of the era. This behind-the-scenes perspective reaches its peak in chapter seven, "Business and Finances," where Byrne poses the fundamental question, "what is the purpose of record labels?" (218). He describes six distinct music distribution models, supporting his arguments with sales data and excellent visual aids. Drawing from his own experiences with self-distribution alongside contemporary examples like Radiohead and Amanda Palmer, this section stands out for its direct relevance to current shifts in recorded music practices.

Scenes and strategies

In "How to Make a Scene," Byrne takes on a commanding tone, essentially laying out a formula for bands seeking success. He revisits venues mentioned earlier in the book, placing special emphasis on live performance. He notes, for example, that "it must be possible to ignore the band where necessary" (261). His reflections on the iconic New York club CBGB include sketched maps and vivid descriptions of that particular "scene."

Later chapters and grander themes

The final two chapters, "Amateurs!" and "Harmonia Mundi," prove less tightly focused than the earlier material. Chapter nine continues the book's central dialogue about music's context, touching on subjects as varied as the New York Metropolitan Opera's 2011 annual operating budget and what Byrne calls "maybe the most successful music education program in the world" (292)—a program that began in a Venezuelan parking garage in 1975. The tenth chapter fittingly contemplates how music truly works, engaging with music theory and even astronomy. At one point, Byrne observes, "you might say that the universe plays the blues" (311).

A uniquely personal approach

While Byrne frequently references academic literature, he relies primarily on personal accounts. This approach yields the kind of rich, detailed observation that is often missing from purely scholarly texts. Complex subjects are presented clearly and concisely, making the book accessible without sacrificing substance.

How Music Works will naturally appeal to a broad readership. Researchers in popular music studies, music psychology, and ethnomusicology will find it particularly useful. Musicians and aspiring musicians, along with anyone working in the recorded or live music industry, will gain practical insights. And, of course, fans of Byrne's own music will enjoy the personal perspective. Published at a moment when the growth of digital music is inspiring cautious optimism about the industry's future, this book acts as a cultural artifact bridging older and younger generations of music lovers. In doing so, it captures the cultural impact of the digital revolution while complementating existing academic treatments of the subject.