“Memories are hard, more mercurial, more married to the physical world, and Spitznagel proves the point in his new book. We don’t own memories, not really; what we possess are the tokens, the records, that set off age‑old care and carelessness. When he searches for the records he lost – or sold, or gave away – Spitznagel is trying to return to a tangible past, and he details that process with great sensitivity and grace.”
— Dave Eggers, author of The Circle

“Spitznagel’s quest is not for the actual records of his youth (how could there be such a thing?), instead it’s a touching exploration of loss, of opportunities, of love gone soft at the edges. His obsessive devotion makes him hilarious and heartfelt; his is a book for anyone who has ever put away their youth with the volume turned down. These pages are filled with moments of doubt, and also with notes that ring with the sweetness of a favorite song.”
— Jancee Dunn, author of But Enough About Me

“You know, on a list of things that have made me laugh harder than Eric Spitznagel’s writing, it’s a very short list. So far, it involves an Albert Brooks movie, some animals falling down, and maybe a wedding toast gone horribly wrong. Old Records Never Die is funnier than all of those things; it’s also wiser, sadder, and more honest than a book about old albums has any right to be. This book is a beautiful, funny, painful love song to the way music attaches itself to our hearts and lives.”
— J.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically

“I can’t believe how much I loved this book, and how many of my black and unlabeled and unwanted memories came roaring back as I read it. Music lovers and lost‑souls of all ages will see their own ghosts in these pages. Spitznagel writes with such wit and precision and heart that you don’t have to share his record collection to recognize yourself in his story. Something in every chapter will make you stop and think, ‘Oh God, that’s me, too.’”
— Jeff Jackson, author of Mira Corpora

“This is an absolutely wonderful book. A compulsively readable memoir about music, memory, and the strange ways our younger selves keep haunting us. Spitznagel’s funny and thoughtful account, written with terrific, heartfelt insight, takes us through the soundtrack of youth and back again with rare talent and deep compassion.”
— Justin Cronin, author of The Passage trilogy

“Anyone who’s ever gotten lost in their own record collection will understand Spitznagel’s obsession. His adventures with old friends, ex‑girlfriends, and the ghosts of former selves are by turns hilarious and heartbreaking. This is the rare music book that understands the emotional weight of nostalgia without ever lapsing into sentimentality.”
— Rob Sheffield, author of Love Is a Mix Tape

“For anyone who’s ever tried to reclaim a part of their past and, in essence, a part of themselves, Old Records Never Die offers a profoundly moving roadmap that gets to the heart of why certain objects – and certain songs – never really leave us. Spitznagel’s search for his old vinyl becomes a search for meaning, and the result is a book that will stay with you long after the last page.”
— Ann Powers, critic and author of Good Booty

“Old Records Never Die is as bold a book about music as any since This Is Your Brain on Music. A work about why we love the things we love, and why we can’t let them go, even when we know we probably should. Spitznagel is the hilarious, self‑deprecating guide we didn’t know we needed.”
— Chuck Klosterman, author of Fargo Rock City

“Spitznagel’s funny and thoughtful account about collecting gets better with every chapter, as he wanders deeper into his past. He writes about his family and friends with such generosity that even the most painful memories feel strangely hopeful. This book is for anyone who has ever flipped through a crate of records and felt their heart skip a beat at a familiar cover.”
— Neal Pollack, author of Alternadad

“Eric Spitznagel sets off like Captain Ahab, a man whose chosen white whale just happens to be an elusive LP. Along the way, he recovers not just his own funny bones, but a map back to the kid he used to be. Old Records Never Die is as much about fathers and sons and second chances as it is about rock and roll.”
— Dave Holmes, host of International Waters

“This book will be catnip for anyone who has ever argued over a track list, rewound their favorite song a hundred times in a row, or sworn that a particular album literally saved their life. Eric Spitznagel writes about music with the perfect mix of reverence and irreverence; he’s the guy you wish you were record‑shopping with.”
— Martha Plimpton, actress