Eric Spitnagel is an excellent writer, that came as something of a surprise since this was the first book of his that I had read. When first picking up the book I thought the premise, a man rediscovering his life through the music he once owned, and all explored through the journey to find exactly those pieces of vinyl, was evocative of a place we all get to in our lives... and then I read his biography and thought hmm glossy magazines like esquire? what have I picked up... As it turns out, what I had picked up was funny, poignant, and riveting. You may even learn a little about records.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this title. It just wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this title. I will not be posting a review online, in order not to skew the ratings. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

Eric Spitznagel got it into his head one day that life just wouldn’t be the same unless he could recover his lost record collection. We’re not talking about just any old piece of vinyl; he wanted the actual record that was in HIS collection, the ones he shared with friends, the ones he sold, the ones he stashed his weed in. His quest takes him on a journey through many a used record store, basement sale and out-of-town record expo. But this isn’t just a physical journey, it’s also a spiritual one, as Eric recalls the magical moments of the past that reside in his soul and are connected to each piece of music he hunts for.

Wow, Eric….I SO GET THAT! Records had character…fingerprints, warps, scratches, writing on the covers! I too am a vinyl junkie, but unlike Eric, I have never parted with my vinyl. Having worked in a record store when I was younger, I have a LOT of vinyl. It would be like taking a piece of my soul to get rid of certain records.
Does anyone remember that “if you could only bring one album to a deserted island, what would it be?” Eric certainly does! I mean come on; this was a standard question in the days of vinyl. In today’s electronic age only those of us who lived through the vinyl years know how badly we miss it. What a world of difference it felt like sitting and listening to music while holding the sleeve in your hand and examining it. It’s about so much more than the music. It’s about the people you listened with, the thoughts going through your head, what you were doing at that precise moment, the arguments with friends over this song or that song, this musician or that musician... So many memories are wrapped up in that one piece of vinyl, moments in time as vivid today as they were those many years ago. Something about vinyl could be so comforting, creating a world of illusion all its own! I just have no idea how you can get that same vibe listening to downloaded music.

So I guess you could say I identified with this book, LOL! All vinyl junkies will! For the readers who weren’t around in the vinyl days, just read it to understand. The great foreword by Jeff Tweedy will help you on that score too!

I want to thank the publisher (Penguin Group PLUME) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.