With his band Wilco, Jeff Tweedy wrote several of my all-time favorite songs on albums like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born. However, Tweedy also wrote three books over the past 5 years, which I all liked.
Let’s Go (So we can get back) Is a wonderfully readable autobiography, which is full of his (particularly surprising) musical inspiration. And also very personal with family suffering, drug problems and depression. I read it when I just got out of hospital after my stroke and the book will always have a special place in my heart because of that. Just like the playlist with songs.
How to write One Song, doesn't sound so interesting to someone who can only strike a few chords a-rhythmically, but turned out to be a great, down-to-earth, book about finding and preserving creativity.
The recently released book World Within A Song goes even deeper into how decisive specific songs can be in your life. Just like Let's Go, it's wonderful how he interweaves his personal story through the chapters. Even songs that he finds terrible, or those that he has learned to appreciate. Dancing Queen by Abba for example.
‘It feels good to stop hating something.’