I don’t know what I was thinking about originally when I got this book but it was really not what ever was on my mind at the time. The author's vision of the 70s version of the music was or is different from mine and I was all over the place but I was also older than the author and had started going to rock concerts in the early seventies. That being said I will say it was good to remember for I did have good times in the 70s along with the good music

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Sometimes I like to just throw a music memoir into the mix as they give great perspective of the journey of life with great music as a backdrop.

I did get that here, though to be honest I had to skip some sections. I was reading it all for the first quarter but found myself mired when the author was covering artists I wasn't familiar with. Ideally, the writing would make me want to go out and find the material and give it a listen. But that didn't always work here. Sometimes I think the author just got too heavy handed with the descriptive words and cultural references that I didn't often get.

That said, there were some great moments here, especially in the areas where an artist I listen to was covered. These would take me back to a time when it was all new to me, much like it was for the author.

So yeah, great sections and some areas where my eyes glazed over. But all in all a fun experience...

'Pick Up the Pieces' is a sprawling [obligatory rock-crit modifier] overview of an extraordinary decade of music. Corbett's approach is engaging and infused with lotsa love and lore -- mixing contemporaneous recollections and impressions with I-missed-'em-when-they-happened appreciations and long-view/Big Picture assessments. It's fairly inclusive and should inspire hours of engaged listenings. But I can't help but nitpick re: some groaners in the text: citing Joni Mitchell's 'Mingus' as a Columbia release [it was on Asylum]; confusing Gregg and Duane Allman [c'mon!]; and placing John Cale's 'Paris 1919' release date in 1974 instead of 1973 [though that's almost-excusable since I dig its pairing with '74's 'Veedon Fleece']. Beyond the nits picked, it's highly recommended!

If you like rock, if you grew up in the 70s/80s, if you were into new wave or punk this is a must read.
I loved the memories, how it was written and how it helped me to remember may records I loved.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to University of Chicago Press and Netgalley for this ARC