Worst songs make for a good read

There are plenty of books devoted to the greatest songs in history, but how about some of the worst? \n"I Hate Myself and Want to Die: The 52 Most Depressing Songs You've Ever Heard" is Tom Reynolds' hilarious tribute to some of the most dismal moments in pop music.\nAfter listening to thousands of depressing songs recommended by friends and fellow musicians, Reynolds compiled what he thought were the most miserable and analyzed each one for its particularly melancholy characteristics. The result could be considered the "What Not to Wear" of the songwriting world, pointing out the disastrous techniques of these horrible songs we all know.\nThe book is separated into chapters including "I was a Teenage Car Crash," "I'm Trying to be Profound and Touching, But Really Suck at It" and "Horrifying Remakes of Already Depressing Songs" to make the search for your favorite terrible tune easier. In "The Anatomy of Melancholy," Reynolds tells the reader about the beginnings of his search for depressing songs at an early age, after deciding the world's saddest song was in fact a Christmas favorite. \n"To this day, I cannot hear 'What Child is This' without envisioning a pillow covered in snot."\nReynolds' uproarious account of his favorite sad songs includes "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers (you probably know the Pearl Jam cover), "My Immortal" by Evanesence, "Brick" by Ben Folds Five, "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston and my personal favorites, "All by Myself" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart." \nAnyone can write a book about bad songs, but Reynolds has a gift for language that made me laugh aloud quite a few times while I read the book. \nFor example, here are his thoughts on "Total Eclipse of the Heart."\n"Listening to it is like an opera company bludgeoning you with Anne Rice novels...You're completely drained when it's over and desperately in need of a shower so you can rinse off the raven droppings. Turn around, bright eyes. And look at the mess you left."\nMy favorite segment has to be his description of Celine Dion's version of "All by Myself" and how it "resembles two tectonic plates battling over a continent ... had she been around in 1944, the Allies could've skipped the D-Day invasion and just dropped her off at Omaha Beach with a PA system so she could sing 'All by Myself' until the German infantry bayoneted themselves."\n"I Hate Myself and Want to Die" is a hilarious read. For maximum effect, I recommend making a playlist on your iTunes of selections from the book; the juxtaposition of the horrible songs against Reynolds' satirical writing really adds to the experience.