Rating: 
Summary: He's part of the problem
Review: In the world of songwriting, there are artists and craftsmen. The artist will produce for you a work of originality that no one else has ever done quite the same way before, that will touch you in some unique way and that will stay with you. The craftsman will give you a serviceable reproduction of something but it will lack anything special and will have the lifespan of a fruit fly. Jason Blume is a craftsman. He makes his living by studying "the market" and basically rewriting other people's songs. Ideas are difficult things. Not everyone has great ideas, so some take the road Jason Blume has taken. He's apparently feeding his family by being a craftsman, so there's nothing wrong with that. We need bricklayers as much as we need architects. I'm just letting you know what you're getting into here. If you want to learn how to design a beautiful building, you don't study with the bricklayer. This guy ain't no talented songwriter but he is living proof that you apparently don't have to have talent to make money in the music biz these days. I'm sure that gives hope to a lot of untalented people, which is probably why this book has gotten such good reviews. He's strictly a bubblegum pop writer, so if that's the direction you want to go in, maybe you'll get something out of this book. Just remember that bubblegum loses its flavor really fast. If you're really serious about this, if it's something that burns within you and you want a real career as a songwriter, you should shop around for a better book. This one will only make you feel that you're in the wrong business.
This book is littered with quotes from music biz insiders that are far more insightful than anything Jason Blume has to say. And the interesting thing is, they mostly contradict his thoughts about what make a great song and a great songwriter. For example, here's what one producer had to say:
"The great writers of this century are all originals. You will find that the vast majority of their work was not 'commercial' until after it was successful."
Contrast that with Jason Blume's advice: you'll get nowhere unless you learn to mimic what's already successful. Time and again, musicians, producers and execs are quoted in the book as saying you need to be yourself and be original. It's hard to understand what these quotes are doing in this book because Jason Blume has no idea what constitutes originality and probably doesn't want to know because he makes his living by writing sound-alike junk that is designed to appeal to the lowest common demoninator and to copy the other crap that's on the radio. I laughed out loud when I read this but here are some lyrics that Jason Blume, believe it or not, describes as "a completely new approach" and "truly novel":
It's getting hot in herre
So take off all your clothes
I'm not kidding! He thinks this is great, fresh, original songwriting! If this is your idea of brilliant lyrics, I feel sorry for you. He gives lip service to "originality" but then shows his hand with the examples of what he thinks constitutes the good stuff. In another example, he pats himself on the back for having the brilliant idea of writing a "dear diary" song for Britney Spears. He actually thinks that's an original idea that's never been done before! And he doesn't even pull it off well. It's typical junk pop lyrics that only a 13 year old with her first crush could possibly be moved by. Blume comes across as someone who would gladly jump on any musical bandwagon that comes along. He's never met a hit song he didn't like because if it's a hit, it must be good. He's the happy lap dog of a cynical system that is destroying the music business and making it hard for real talent to be heard. If that sounds ridiculous to you, you're either: a) not old enough to remember when the music/radio business was controlled by the demands of the audience to hear good music, not by greedy, shortsighted corporations who care more about their shareholders than their audience, b) you just have terrible taste in music and you LIKE what you hear on the radio, or c) you don't really care about music, just money. It's sad that there are people (just read these reviews) who think they can read a book like this and follow its advice all the way to fame and riches. Forget about it. In fact, I wonder how well Jason Blume is doing now that Britney and boy bands are over. That's probably why he's writing books and teaching classes now.
I gave this book two stars because there is some useful information about the way things work in the music business today. If you still want to get involved with it after reading this, good luck to you!
Rating: 
Summary: Delivers what it promises!
Review: Although writing music is actually too ephemeral to break down scientifically, Jason Blume is generous in sharing what has worked and NOT worked for him - and he sets a good example for aspiring professional songwriters. I especially appreciated that HALF the book is about the BUSINESS of songwriting - what's necessary to get songs recorded and released - the networking and just plain LUCK that go into "the deal"! I remember Jason's early songs from his first years in LA, and he HAS come a long way and is living proof that his methods work!
Rating:
Summary: Become a pro or improve your craft
Review: As a beginning songwriter, I found Jason's book to be a godsend for me. It's funny, clear and helpful reading. He gave a lot of hope and freedom for those who aren't musicians because he is the living proof of the diference between musicians and songwriters. Everything is OK: the order of the lessons, the examples, the stories and the exercises. You can read the entire book in few days because is so interesting, but you will comeback once and again, to learn more and more.
Rating:
Summary: One of Two Great Songwriting Books!
Review: Being a complete novice at songwriting and wanting to start NOW!, I bought this book at the same time as "Tunesmith" by Jimmy Webb. I batted 100%. Both are great! Jason Blume's book is a kickstart to jumping right into the process with specific directions and tips. Quick reading and a great reference for "do's and don't's". If you're curious about any aspect of songwriting, it all seems to be there from how to do it through how to sell it and spend the money. Also, the index is pretty thorough which is very important to me. Webb's book, on the other hand, also seems to cover it all but at more length and more depth. (I say "seems" because I haven't finished either book yet). I'm reading it at my leisure and supplementing the Blume reading... and working at my first song.
Rating:
Summary: 50% INSPIRATION + 50% NETWORKING = 100 % SUCCESS
Review: Having watched Jason's own professional journey since the mid-80s, I'm overjoyed at his success, and the fact that he shares all of the peaks and valleys of his career so honestly in this book! Jason doesn't sugarcoat anything about the music biz - but he keeps the joy and enthusiasm and LOVE for music intact as he tells what worked for him, what DIDN'T work - and why! You won't find a more honest and revealing look at what it takes to be a hit songwriter today.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't trust opinion of a top40 songwriter. They have no soul
Review: I can't take anything Jason Blume writes seriously. I have fully read both of his books at Barnes and Noble, and all I get from each book is "sell your soul, make really cheesy top 40 songs like I did. I couldn't make money as an honest songwriter, so I used the formula of tried and true (and stale) pop songs from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and made tons of money."I can't take books like this seriously. I'd like to see Sarah McLachlan write a book on songwriting success. Or Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker/Jets To Brazil. Songs with meaning, songs with soul, songs that MOVE people emotionally, not move their butts and hormones. Jason makes some ok points here and there, but most of it is just filler, and how he went from a pot-smoking folkie who wrote acoustic songs on guitar, to penning top 40 hits. Like that's something to be proud of. I don't care how much money top 40 artists make. 97% of the songs in the top 100 SUCK (with the exception of Coldplay, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, and others). The best books on songwriting are Rikky Rooksby's "How To Write Songs On Guitar" and "Songwriting". That guy knows his stuff. And no, I am not connected with him in any way. But any writer/songwriter who uses The Smiths as references for chord progressions and song info in general, is ace in my book. Don't buy anything by Jason Blume unless you are wanting to make a career writing terrible, predictable pop songs for The Backstreet Boys, Jodeci, Avril Lavigne, etc. Oh, and side note--- he actually mentions that Avril Lavigne writes her own music, in his second book "Inside Songwriting". That is about the funniest thing I've ever read. Avril couldn't write her way out of a paper bag, let alone a good song. If you're into GOOD music, stay away from this book and any books that claim to make you superstars in the world of songwriting. The best songs don't make millions. They MOVE millions. -Skip from Beauty's Confusion
Rating:
Summary: Recommend Highly
Review: I had a chance to attend one of the author's lectures at Taxi in Los Angeles. He is an amazing teacher and this book is just like listening to him speak. It's extremely easy to understand and apply to my own writing. I write pop and country songs and the insights in this book are already making my writing much stronger. The section about writing melodies made it so much easier for me and the business part of the book is the clearest I've seen. I finally understand about how to get a publisher and what they do. I would have to say that this is the best songwriting book and I believe I have read all of them. This book really inspired me and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST Songwriting book
Review: I've read the books mentioned in previous reviews and completely disagree. There's sometimes an arrogance to those musically trained that makes them feel those without music theory classes haven't a chance. Blume refutes that notion and seems to have quite a career. (I don't see any of the other authors selling 45 million albums or having songs on the Country, Pop and R&B charts.) Jai Josef's book was so technical that it was impossible for a layman to understand and didn't have much relevance to the real world of songwriting. Josef's and Perricone's books only deal with melody writing. Jai's book spends ONE page on marketing your songs and Perricone's book doesn't mention it at all. Blume's book covers not just the "music" - but lyrics, structure, melody, demos, and the business - and it's in plain English. This is the only book that really helped me. The Pat Pattison book was like a college textbook and some of the others are so simplistic that they are useless. FYI, here in Tennessee, Blume teaches the monthly BMI Songwriting Workshops the reviewer finds so helpful. The classes are free and they're amazing. If you are only going to buy one book, I would wholeheartedly recommend it be "6 Steps..." (even you music majors).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Songwriting Tool
Review: It is a great book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly organized guide for aspiring professionals
Review: Jason Blume has demystified and illuminated the process of professional songwriting. Using straightforward language and tracing a logical progression of ideas that any songwriter could follow, he guides readers through the six steps indicated in the book's title:
(1) understanding pop song structures;
(2) writing effective lyrics;
(3) creating appealing melodies;
(4) producing professional demos, even at a relatively modest budget;
(5) navigating the realities of the publishing business; and
(6) acquiring the inner tools to persist and achieve realistic goals.
Each step is broken down into specific topics, with real-world examples and comments from industry veterans. Checklist summaries follow each section, so that the reader can create a personalized workbook of notes for quick reference. One especially helpful section examines the frequently overlooked but vitally important process of reworking lyrics. By contrasting cliché first drafts with often radically different rewrites, Blume argues for the vitality of the unexpected turn of phrase, the indirect approach to translating emotions into word images.
As a professional songwriter whose work is recorded by mainstream artists, he offers pragmatic advice for gaining the attention of busy music executives who will often judge a song as much by its arrangement and production values as by its artistic merits. Yet at no point are the efforts of creative musicians to write from the heart disparaged. The book provides useful commentary on smaller specialty markets such as cabaret, Christian and Latin pop, and alt-folk. Leonard Cohen and Janis Ian, whose work often lies far outside the contemporary mainstream, are cited for their important contributions to the art of songwriting.
Jason Blume honors the efforts of all committed songwriters by offering hard-learned advice and clear-sighted observations of an often misunderstood and mythologized profession.
No aspiring songwriter should miss Six Steps to Songwriting Success.
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