1000 Essential Recordings by Tom Moon

I have to preface this review by stating that I have already told a little fib in this post. I doctored the title of the book because the alternative, 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die, A Listener's Life List, irks me. It isn't the simple fact that the title is unwieldy (although was the alliterative addition at the end really necessary?). What annoys me more is the idea that I must do these things before I die. I don't have a fundamental problem with lists, but why call to my attention my impending death? This phenomenon is all over the place these days. 100 films to see before you die. 50 cities to visit before you die. Why not make it 50 cities to visit, enjoy and get home safe afterwards?
Anyway, that is the only complaint I have about this book. At just over 1000 pages, it is ideal to dip in to a random page every so often. Tom Moon's (NPR, Rolling Stone) featured recordings cater for almost every conceivable taste. Genres range from techno and metal to jazz and songbook. There are even a few genres I have never encountered before. What the heck is' fado' for example? (Turns out it is Portuguese music based around mournful tunes and lyrics)

1000 Essential Recordings - I'm persisting with my title - is ideal for any music lover. Each entry is given around a page in which Moon details the origins of the album/track and highlights similar recordings. This will help me in my quest to discover new music for years to come. As Moon states the more you love music, the more music you love.