To preface, I’ll say that I began this book as a fan of the author and his work – I devoured his two previous books, Love is A Mixtape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time and Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man’s Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut, so I was excited to pick up his latest release. Rob is a rock journalist who writes for Rolling Stone, so it’s safe to say that music is a very influential force in his memoirs. Anyone who considers themselves an audiophile or a fan of pop culture will probably appreciate his obvious passion and authority on the subject, as well as his frequent witty references and asides.
While his other work discussed his grief after unexpectedly losing his wife at a young age and revisited his youth growing up in Brooklyn in 70's and 80's, Turn Around Bright Eyes revisits Rob as he tries to make sense of the world again and rebuild his life prior to the tragedy that ended his marriage. The real delight that comes with reading Rob’s writing, for me, is how masterfully he weaves his love of music and his emotional connection to it into philosophical and heartfelt observations on life and human nature. Many a quote from his writings have made their way into my personal quote book.
Be warned, this book is less about karaoke itself and more about the feelings of empowerment and catharsis it has allowed the author to tap into. If you come in expecting a primer to a pastime you’re curious to learn more about, you may be disappointed. That stated, as someone who has always been too shy to find karaoke appealing – I tended to think of it chiefly as a means of embarrassing one’s friends after a few drinks in a bar - it did open my eyes to another perspective on the subject entirely. Turn Around Bright Eyes is, more correctly, about how music allows people to connect and find comfort in one another through song, and about the times in life where enthusiasm outweighing actual talent is totally okay.
Depending on your preference, you may either find Rob’s exuberance and penchant for making metaphors out of any piece of obscure pop culture detritus geekily endearing or annoyingly pretentious (there’s an entire chapter about how the stages of a man’s life can be paralleled with Rod Stewart, and another chapter that talks about how the changing perceptions we have about love in our teenage years and in our twenties can be defined by The Beatles’ songs “She Loves You” and “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”). I, personally, am in the former camp.
If you’re looking for an introduction to the author, I wouldn’t recommend this book, but rather his first, Love is a Mix Tape, which is an unofficial prequel. This is still a fun read that will satisfy fans and newcomers alike.
Reviewed by Paige