Questlove writes about music as a part of American history, world history and his own personal history. In doing so, he brings to life the years of his youth, the music of his life, and the world he has moved through. This book will have you re-thinking how you were taught history, and how you absorb it. As he says, there are many "nonparallel histories, messily intertwined, multiply interdependent, and they remind you that you can't learn one without the other, and also that anything you're seeing is also something you're not seeing."

Given the author's previous books, and my holding him in high regard, I expected a bit more from this book.

It's not bad by any measure, but I feel it lacked the personal connection to music it had promised.

In general, I enjoyed the book and his use of topical lists to highlight music around tangental topics; but ultimately wished for much more.

I was allowed early access to this title's galley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone for whom music has played an important backdrop of my own life, I found it very fascinating to see Questlove talk about the intersections of music and history in his own life (from 1971 through 2001, and then a bit touching on the beyond of that point). His experiences as both a musician and educator, and just as a fan also, brought an interesting take on music history touchstones. Of course, I totally bond with him on his love of Prince, whom he refers to quite a bit. There were plenty of songs and records I was familiar as well as plenty of those that I might have a passing acquaintance. I liked the lists he also intersperses in the book as well. It helped bring out some unique themes and linkages across the decades.

All in all, this is one I definitely would recommend for music fans who have a broad music library of their own.

I loved this trippy, detailed, passionate book about Questlove's journey through music and major world events. Every chapter offers fresh commentary on songs and artists and producers, noting connections I'd never known about and making a lot of songs make so much more sense. I'd happily put music students of any genre in a classroom with Questlove and let him teach how music is history and how music history is an enormous ever-changing web of singers and songwriters and arrangers and experts in every single genre all contributing to sounds t hat transmit meaning.

Very intense book about music during particular years. I love Questlove’s thoughts and feelings about each year and various things associated with it. I aalways have enjoyed his writing, but this book in my opinion, is his bed. Outstanding read. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Did not finish this book. Wasn’t what I expected. Will leave average review for you. Thanks for the opportunity to give it a try.