PositiveWashington ExaminerThe first two essays in the book offer some rather stunning insights into the nature of the electric guitar, its mechanical development, and how the volume and noise it introduced culturally affected music ... He also speaks profoundly and generously about learning from other musicians ... a fascinating examination of musical theory that is both an implicit and explicit plea for cultural understanding. Along these lines, Ribot also offers up a heartfelt and elegiac tribute to his first guitar instructor, Frantz Casseus, a famed Haitian composer who combined elements of classical guitar and Haitian folk music. It’s ultimately a tragic and familiar tale ... the more Ribot strays from the topic of music, the more his writing resembles that of a rhythmically challenged musician who can’t seem to land on the one ... Fortunately, there’s much more worthwhile here ... The few lackluster pieces in the book can be easily overlooked, and at its best, Ribot’s writing resembles his music: It’s challenging, unique, and very humane.
