The Art of Writing Great Lyrics

June 1, 2001
Cruelly dumped, the songwriter storms into his or her studio, slams the door and writes a heartbreaking platinum hit. According to Pamela Phillips Oland, one of the most prolific songwriters in the nation, this is no melodramatic fantasy. Oland's songs have been recorded by Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Selena and Frank Sinatra and featured on Xena: Warrior Princess and The Sopranos. She has worked in nearly every popular genre: rock, country, gospel, R & B, theater, alternative rock, blues and jazz, and she shares dozens of the tricks of her much-envied trade in The Art of Writing Great Lyrics, a revised version of her 1989 book You Can Write Great Lyrics. She even has the honesty to include an exegesis of a failed attempt: the first song she ever wrote.

July 1, 2001
A prolific songwriter whose lyrics have been recorded by such notables as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra, Oland speaks from 20 years of experience when she stresses the importance of song titles, dissects catchy lyrics, and warns of rejection by publishers. Her latest guide for emerging songwriters examines the profession from all angles, focusing in-depth on the craft of song. Oland prefers to think of her book as a "recipe for success" and, in fact, she provides a solid foundation for anyone interested in the industry. The author shares a wealth of knowledge about many of the more ambiguous aspects of the field, particularly on how to discriminate lyrics from poetry and how to become an adept miner of everyday conversation. Oland's perspective will intrigue not only followers of the songwriting field but anyone captivated by the art of the written word. This book nicely complements Paul McCartney's recent book of lyrics and poetry, Blackbird Singing (Norton, 2001). Suitable for all public and academic libraries. Caroline Dadas, Univ. of Ilinois, Urbana-Champaign

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.