Paul Quarrington's last book as we was diagnosed with lung cancer. Read this if you: (a) like Canada and/or Toronto and/or its suburbs, (b) like music including the blues, gospel, rock, and other forms, or (c) like good writing. Paul's last book is obviously tinged with sadness (how could it not?) and nostalgia, but it is important to note that his humor is as strong as ever here. ( )

An entertaining, informative and emotional-without-being-mawkish book that is a fitting sendoff to the late Paul Quarrington. This book was originally intended as "Notes on Music" or the history of the song, but Quarrington's diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer added a different thematic twist, the notes on "Life". Music was a key part of Quarrington's life, and here he shares anecdotes about his vaunted youth as a bluesman from Don Mills, his friendship with songwriter Dan Hill, and of course his band Porkbelly Futures. He also manages to slip in plenty of interesting musical tidbits about various popular bands, give a sort of condensed history of popular music, and even introduce technical concepts that would normally fascinate only the hardcore guitar geek (but here they become quite readable).

Humour is never far from the surface in this book -- it is stated that the tumour is afraid of laughter, so Quarrington is determined to laugh and make that sucker flee. The tone is self-deprecating but still lighthearted, and I personally found his onomatopoeic representation of a soundcheck quite amusing. Other situations are rendered amusing by the matter-of-fact delivery, while still others are made by the clever turns of phrase. (I had to laugh at his comment about how he, being 56 and dying of lung cancer, would glare at elderly people, especially if he saw them drinking, smoking, or eating the wrong foods.)

Quarrington writes well with a good eye for detail; for example, he describes the fluid that is aspirated from the lung (or environs?) as being the same brown as English bitter, as if he had been drinking so fast that in his haste he poured a few pints down the wrong hole. He brings well-known music figures to life with judiciously chosen traits, such as Richard Bell (keyboardist for The Band)'s penchant for telling really horrible jokes.

And because this was Quarrington's last book, it ends with a brief but very touching postscript written by a drummer friend of his, as well as the lyrics to his last two songs. (The book also comes with a CD that has these songs on it.)

If you're a Quarrington fan already, this book is a must-have. It also comes recommended for music fans who like colourful, readable memoirs, or people who are sick of all those doom and gloom cancer memoirs -- this one celebrates life, and music, which some would argue IS life. ( )