The title suggests a book about music theory, but theory is one of the few musical subjects that Byrne doesn't tackle. His main theme is how musical creativity flows from its context, not from "an upwelling of passion or feeling...that simply must find an outlet to be heard." The first chapter talks about how the buildings in which different types of music are typically played influence that music; for example, churches favor harmonically simple pieces while nightclubs like CBGB demand insistent rhythm and volume. He also has a couple of chapters about the influence of recording technologies, which I would have found fascinating if I hadn't already read Perfecting Sound Forever.
The biggest strength of the book is the specificity of Byrne's examples. He illustrates his points with events from his own life and experience, and mentions other artists by name. This approach pays off especially well in the "Business and Finances" chapter, which explains how professional musicians make money. He shows exactly how much money he made on a few of his albums, and from what sources.
The last couple of chapters are less strong because Byrne abandons the detail-oriented nature of the rest of the book. These chapters argue about the importance of making music, and there's a lot more hand waving and questionable research. However, they don't diminish how entertaining and informative the book is.
The biggest strength of the book is the specificity of Byrne's examples. He illustrates his points with events from his own life and experience, and mentions other artists by name. This approach pays off especially well in the "Business and Finances" chapter, which explains how professional musicians make money. He shows exactly how much money he made on a few of his albums, and from what sources.
The last couple of chapters are less strong because Byrne abandons the detail-oriented nature of the rest of the book. These chapters argue about the importance of making music, and there's a lot more hand waving and questionable research. However, they don't diminish how entertaining and informative the book is.
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