Book review: How Music Works, By David Byrne

"Everything started with sound", Byrne reminds us. "In the beginning was the Word."

And this, his own musicology bible, takes us through the founding of Talking Heads to questions of how technology and space change sound (Sinatra learned to adjust his voice for a mic) and logistics of a recording studio.

Byrne's writing is erudite, lucid and his breadth sees him speak as rock star, anthropologist and philosopher. Don't be deceived by the slick pictures and cool design: this is so much more than a coffee table book.