Yes, we all would love to keep up with the latest music. The only way you truly can stay on top of it, I feel, is to be unemployed with all the time on your hands – so you can surf iTunes and go out most nights to see the obtuse listings at Mercury Lounge, Arlene’s Grocery or The Knitting Factory.
Well for those of us who gotta hold a job, we can at least make sure we always have knowledge about the influencers. Check a book called Listen to This. Its a reference of 101 musicians listing those musicians who influenced them.
“Leading musicians recommend their favorite artists and recordings.” You might be surprised by the musicians queried – most reviewers have agreed that the artists interviewed are the best musicians but not necessarily those most famous. But hey, wouldn’t you be curious about the music that influenced Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, The Grateful Dead and Wilco? Just don’t go out and buy everything they tell you.
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