Diverse Subjects, Worth the Time

The best thing I can say about any essay in book like this one - a collection of writers writing essays about musicians - is that it got me interested in the work of the particular musician even if before I had no interest whatsoever. For the most part, that is true of the essays in "Here She Comes Now", which is why I feel that this is a very strong book among its kind. While not necessarily a must-read, I think any fan of music, regardless of genre, would be very happy to read this. After all, this fan of punk/alt/indie who knows more than my share about a few of the subjects of the book (Kim Gordon, Liz Phair) got the most out of essays on such diverse subjects as Dolly Parton, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, and Sinead O'Connor. That's saying something. I can't imagine a world where I read an entire book about Dolly Parton, but a 10 minute essay extolling her virtues on the musical landscape, showing what a smart and shrewd woman she was, and demonstrating the lasting cultural effect that she had (and why she had it) - that is well worth my time and has altered the way I think about Dolly. Which ultimately is the purpose of the book. For someone else, it probably did the same regarding Kim Gordon. Not every essay hits, with the ones that miss straying too far into the autobiographical. Most of the essays tie the writers' life to the subjects, but a few go a little too far. It's only a few though. By and large "Here She Comes Now" is an enjoyable and educational read.