'A remarkable new book goes leaping from Beethoven to Big Black from Morton Feldman to Curtis Mayfield identifying continuities while delighting in contrasts' Alex Ross New Yorker For the first time ever we have all the music in the world to choose from As Ben Ratliff one of America's celebrated music critics shows us it's time to listen in a new way too Opening our ears to unexpected connections new experiences & little-known delights this book will change the way you appreciate music forever ' Masterly An instructive guide to opening one's mind & compiling a new kind of playlist succeeds brilliantly' John Clarke Independent' Smart provocative in every case informative' August Kleinzahler The New York Times Book Review ' Like a trip into the world's coolest record store' David Browne Rolling Stone