Rock Me Amadeus: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Handel ... [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Seb Hunter has once again written a book that ties in his love of music with his life, friends and adventures. This time through, rather than telling another story about heavy metal (which his previous book "Hellbent For Leather" focused on), he moves on to a more "grown up" style of music, classical. I suppose whether it's having kids, reaching middle age, buying a house, most people reach a time in their lives when they realize that perhaps broading their horizons in one way or another makes sense. Well as a lifelong fan of popular music, Seb decides to immerse himself, completely into classical music and nothing else.

He goes back to the roots of classical, exploring it's beginning, from monks chanting, through the invention of instruments, the various periods, baroque, romantic, etc. and moves through classical music history chapter by chapter. What's really entertaining about this book is that he not only takes the reader with him on the journey as he listens to this music, but he actually travels about Europe, exploring the locations where the composers lived and wrote their various symphonies and operas.

This book, as with Seb's previous work, are a blend of autobiography, anecdote and review. So, each chapter had a bit of history of what was going on in classical music at the time, a description of what it was like to listen to this music initially, a story about exploring the location of the birth of this particular period of musical history or the composer himself, and finally, each chapter ends with Seb's recommendations for the best works from that particular period or his favorite versions of a composer's work.

What I like best about this book, is that while the subject of classical music may sound a bit dry, the author tells his stories with that wry British sense of humor that serves him so well in all his writings. His descriptions of the torture he goes through one day while listening to 19 straight hours of Wagner (an 4 part opera about dwarves among other things) is absolutely priceless. By totally immersing himself, Seb refuses to listen to any of his beloved pop music. To try and get around this, he has his wife listen, while humming how the song goes. Needless to say, this doesn't work out well, and Seb sheepishly admits that his total ban on pop music eventually went out the window.

The author has a colorful group of friends and family, and is at his best when describing them and his interactions with them while exploring the subject of classical music. From his first trip to the opera, fighting a hangover and trying to stay awake to sneaking off from the tourist group in the Kremlin (and being berated in Russian by the guards), the adventures continue. Seb takes the reader up all the way to the most current classical composers, although it is obvious that the earlier works of classical music are what he would most strongly recommend.

As someone who has never listened to classical music at all, I can say that whether you are a complete novice or a huge fan of classical, or anything in between, this book has something for you. I learned a lot about it, but there were plenty of nods to those with a background in classical music. So, give this book a go, you won't regret it.

As a side note, the other review of this book which states it's "written for heavy metal dudes" could not be more far from the truth. On the contrary, there were maybe a couple references to rock music in "Rock Me Amadeus", but really it is a completely different work from his previous book about hard rock music. Like "Confessions", you don't have to be a fan of this type of music to enjoy the book, but you may just learn a little bit on your way. It's audience is anyone who has even the slightest interest in music and someone who likes to laugh. If you are in this category of reader, give this book a chance, you won't regret it.

In his first book, "Hell Bent for Leather: Confessions of a Heavy Metal Addict," Seb Hunter chronicled his experiences in the heavy metal musical world. In his new book, "Rock Me Amadeus ... or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Handel," Mr. Hunter has turned his hand to a different musical stratum Here is his explanation for the change in musical territory: "I love music, you see. And I've reached a stage in my life where it's time to try and love classical music, too, even if it doesn't particularly want to love me back." [Page 3 of the trade paperback edition]

From that beginning, Mr. Hunter narrates a personal journey of discovery from the 12th Century cloisters of Hildegard von Bingen, the lady whom he regards as the founder of western classical music, step by step, age by age, composer by composer, musical form by musical form, until he reaches such modern (and often British) luminaries as Sir John Taverner, Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, Harrison Birtwhistle, Joby Talbot, Philip Glass, John Adams and Ellen Zwilich. At the end of his journey lies this grand conclusion: "I know that I'll listen to much of this music now for the rest of my life; and I know there's still loads more fantastic stuff beneath the surface that I can explore and swim through for years to come." [Page 403]

Mr. Hunter has chosen to write his book in what might be described as Regular (English) Guy Talk. In direct communication with me, Mr. Hunter wrote of "the implicit self-mockery throughout this book; indeed that drives my writing, period. This is high art from a humorous, low-cultural (rock-steeped) perspective". He's a heavy metal dude talking to and for others of his background and persuasion, but he can take off on such flights as this one: "Chopin's piano music is sweeping, swoonsome, swish yet swampy. It's beautiful, lilting stuff, but it makes me feel a bit ill. It's so charming, deft, rich, autumn-tinged and achy that its like slightly over-ripe fruit." [Page 269]

This is not a book that holds appeal for me, so I cannot give it a high rating. In simple truth, I find passage after passage to be stultifying or aggravating, and sometimes both. It is obvious, however, that the book was never in any way addressed to me or anyone like me, but to an entirely different audience and constituency. Mr. Hunter's book, unlike more formal and perhaps more rigorous alternatives, does seem to have the considerable merit of getting through to metal dudes and chicks--to head-bangers of all stripes, in fact, who have at least some curiosity about a new and different musical world. That being the case, I cannot in good conscience give the book the abysmally low rating that was my first reaction.

Three stars, then, as a practical compromise.