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Perfect Sound Whatever

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About this listen

 The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages.

PERFECT SOUND WHATEVER is a love letter to the healing power of music, and how one man's obsessive quest saw him defeat the bullshit of one year with the beauty of another. Because that one man is James Acaster, it also includes tales of befouling himself in a Los Angeles steakhouse, stealing a cookie from Clint Eastwood, and giving drunk, unsolicited pep talks to urinating strangers.

January, 2017
James Acaster wakes up heartbroken and alone in New York, his relationship over, a day of disastrous meetings leading him to wonder if comedy is really what he wants to be doing any more.

A constant comfort in James's life has been music, but he's not listened to anything new for a very long time. Idly browsing 'best of the year' lists, it dawns on him that 2016 may have been a grim year for a lot of reasons, but that it seemed to be an iconic year for music. And so begins a life-changing musical odyssey, as James finds himself desperately seeking solace in the music of 2016, setting himself the task of only listening to music released that year, ending up with 500 albums in his collection.

Looking back on this year-long obsession, parallels begin to grow between the music and James's own life: his relationship history, the highs and lows of human connection, residual Christian guilt, and mental health issues that have been bubbling under the surface for years. Some albums are life-changing masterpieces, others are 'Howdilly Doodilly' by Okilly Dokilly, a metalcore album devoted to The Simpsons' character Ned Flanders, but all of them play a part the year that helped James Acaster get his life back on track.©2019 James Acaster (P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Comedy Funny Inspiring Feel-Good Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Witty

Audible Sessions with James Acaster

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Now I have loadw of albums to listen to! a really good, enthralling yet easy listen/binge listen over the August bank holiday weekend. it's always great to learn more about James' life. Truly one of the most unique and hands down my favourite comedian! 😍😍😍

I LOVE JAMES ACASTER! A GREAT LISTEN

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This book has given me a renewed love for music, and some new favourite songs. James Acaster's narration is persuasive and endearing.

Excellent book; Acaster's narration a highlight

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James somehow manages to tackle talking about tough situations whilst also making you laugh… also, you get to find lots of new music that you will love!
I’ve listened to this in parts across the whole year whilst going through and being in different situations, yet in every one it’s been the perfect pick me up/calm me down.
Recommending to everyone!

Best audiobook ever!

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I love James Acaster and have had this on pre-order for so long I actually forgot about it's release! and when I got the email saying I could download it I was so excited. such a great book and James' voice and attitude throughout just make it even better. can't wait to see him live in a couple of weeks!

witty, funny, sad, just amazing...

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Like a few of the more disappointed readers, I was almost ready to give up 10 minutes in, but I stuck with it, and I'm very glad that I did. However, listeners need to be very aware of what this book is - and isn't. It's NOT Classic Scrapes two, but a frequently painful and sometimes hilarious memoir of Acaster's 2017, and the activity that made that year bearable for him.

There a touch of Dave Gorman in the banality of this activity - hunting for music from 2016 - and the book is beautifully read, as you might expect. It's also very funny in places, especially towards the end. However, as an audiobook it does have its flaws. If you're listening in the car or on a walk, there's no obvious way of checking out the artists he suggests. Indeed, while he obviously interviewed the artists he features, his descriptions of their lives and motivations come across like a man reading a glorified press release. Dozens of them. However, there's a sort of mesmeric pleasure in this, and I found myself enjoying these sections even if I was occasionally irritated that they broke up the rather more interesting autobiographical information.

So, if you're a modern music fan looking for recommendations from a music fanatic, or interested in the inner workings of a somewhat tortured comedian, you may enjoy this. If you just want a bunch of funny stories, treat this book with caution.

Interesting but be aware of what you're getting

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