33 1/3 Series of books

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Z: I did read it and it is good. A Poe short story, too: you can down it in one sitting.

I should really put together a proposal for "Return to the 36 Chambers".

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 10 April 2005 16:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

Did anyone hear anything about the Loveless book?

― Orange, Sunday, 10 April 2005 16:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Don't know about the Loveless book, but all of these, if you were hoping, ain't happening:

Songs in the Key of Life, by Dave Hesmondhalgh
Parallel Lines, by Elisabeth Vincentelli
Three Feet High and Rising, by Brian Coleman
Tusk, by Stephin Merritt
Computer Love, by Michael Bracewell
Marquee Moon, by David Keenan
Master of Puppets, by Tom Bissell
The Basement Tapes, by Damon Krukowski

The editor/creator of the series, David Barker runs a blog about the series. Email him directly if you like:

http://33third.blogspot.com/

I finally read one of these. I think I picked a great place to start, Douglas Wolk's Live at the Apollo. It was really really good.

― Matt Sab (Matt Sab), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

Greatly enjoyed Meat Is Murder, the Joy Division one was more of a factual view but still very interesting, the Dusty one didn't work for me.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

God, I cannot wait for the In the Aeroplane over the Sea book. The excerpt and things I've read by the author seem like she really gets it spot on.

― PB, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

why aren't those ones happening?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

i just bought the James Brown too. not started it yet.

also got the ABBA one, which i devoured in a day. twas OK, wish Ms Vincentelli had spent fewer sentences justifying (or having to justify) the book's very existence. also i'm not sure she cracked the problem of how to order the narrative, though I accept it's a toughie.

― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

according to the blog:

These are a few of the projects that - for various and sometimes complicated reasons - never made it to fruition. Some came very close to happening, others less so; but they all would have been fun.

― Matt Sab (Matt Sab), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Don't know about the Loveless book, but all of these, if you were hoping, ain't happening:

Songs in the Key of Life, by Dave Hesmondhalgh

Why not?

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

For those ...

Matos' Sign O'The Times book's prince has been slashed (on Amazon at least) to $4.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0826415474/qid=1122928710/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-2999298-5726417?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

― Matt Sab (Matt Sab), Monday, 1 August 2005 19:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

I'm sorry to tell you that we've chosen not to sign up your proposal for the 33 1/3 series.

This has been a difficult process: we received dozens of very strong proposals from dozens of very good writers and it's a shame to have to turn down so many of you.

If you're interested, the 33 1/3 books we eventually decided to sign up are:

"If You're Feeling Sinister" by Scott Plagenhoef

"Aja" by Don Breithaupt

"Shoot Out the Lights" by Hayden Childs

"Pretty Hate Machine" by Daphne Carr

"Use Your Illusion" by Eric Weisbard

"Horses" by Phil Shaw

"Double Nickels on the Dime" by Mike Fournier

"Pink Moon" by Amanda Petrusich

"People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" by Shawn Taylor

"Achtung Baby" by Stephen Catanzarite

"20 Jazz Funk Greats" by Drew Daniel

"The Dreaming" by Ann Powers

"Rid of Me" by Kate Schatz

"Another Green World" by Geeta Dayal

"Songs in the Key of Life" by Zeth Lundy

"Trout Mask Replica" by Kevin Courrier

"Let's Talk About Love" by Carl Wilson

"Lucinda Williams" by Anders Smith Lindall

"69 Love Songs" by LD Beghtol

“Marquee Moon” by Peter Blauner

“Swordfishtrombones” by David Smay

― that's so taylrr (ken taylrr), Thursday, 26 January 2006 18:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

Congrats to Drew and Geeta! (Are there other ILMers on this list I don't know?)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

ann powers is actually esteban buttez

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Scott P. has been around since the Greenspun days.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

i wish you could get these easily in book stores (AND NOT JUST IN THE AEROPLANE MURMUR THE SEA LIKE ROUND HERE).

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

hey everybody read the frank bruno one and then try to make yrs like him cuz it is AWESOME

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

i have only read 2

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

the franklin bruno one is not only awesome, it is superhuman. one of my fave pieces of rock criticism ever.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

yeah same here

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

I loved that review he wrote of that indie-boy novel, so I guess I gotta get this book.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

ysi?

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

DeRo disses Matos for doing (very well IMHO) what he himself does in like every review ever (poorly IEHO): http://www.suntimes.com/output/derogatis/sho-sunday-dero04.html

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 9 June 2006 18:06 (6 years ago) Permalink

Jim Milonakis?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 9 June 2006 18:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

I found that one entertaining and was actually less satisfied with Michaelangelo Matos' self-indulgent look at Prince's "Sign o' the Times," which spent entirely too much time dwelling on how the author discovered the disc as a teenager in the Minneapolis suburbs.

So then I guess he didn't read the 100-odd pages in which Matos discussed Prince.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 9 June 2006 20:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

Shh, you're giving it away!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 June 2006 20:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

"...he not only gives us the perfect adjective for Sly's dense epic ("swampy," indeed) but the nugget that this was a pioneering use of the beat box. (Who knew? I didn't.)"

DeRo is a FUCKING MORON.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 9 June 2006 20:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

I just finished the one on PAUL'S BOUTIQUE. It's only the third I've read thus far, but it's the one I've enjoyed the most.

― Terrible Cold (Terrible Cold), Friday, 9 June 2006 20:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

The one supposedly on the Replacements was AWFUL!

― Jeff LeVine (Jeff LeVine), Friday, 9 June 2006 21:09 (6 years ago) Permalink

I just finished the one on PAUL'S BOUTIQUE. It's only the third I've read thus far, but it's the one I've enjoyed the most.

Yeah, it's all info, no prose. A lot of the 33 1/3 books seem to forget how much people like that.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 9 June 2006 22:05 (6 years ago) Permalink

personally speaking, i'd read a book that wasn't taking on yet another album from the canon. c'mon, guys! dig deeper!

― gear (gear), Friday, 9 June 2006 22:32 (6 years ago) Permalink

Christ, that quotation. Shakey OTM.

― David Bachyrycz (David Bachyrycz), Friday, 9 June 2006 22:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

c'mon, guys! dig deeper!

Someone should do Tom T. Hall's greatest hits.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 June 2006 22:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 9 June 2006 22:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

(That was a "dig deeper" joke in case it wasn't clear. LOL @ self.)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 9 June 2006 22:59 (6 years ago) Permalink

I just fell asleep.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:00 (6 years ago) Permalink

i've got an idea, fellas, let's create a book series in which we reinforce the canon some more.

seriously though, i realize the books have to sell, hence the more mainstream angle. i'm sure there are a ton of albums the writers would love to write about that aren't commercially viable for the publisher.

― gear (gear), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:11 (6 years ago) Permalink

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:26 (6 years ago) Permalink

ned you should pitch that one!

actually do you think they would let somebody self-33 1/3? if it was some famous musician?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:33 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Morrissey on...Morrissey."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:38 (6 years ago) Permalink

Morrissey did write a book actually! (didnt he?)

― ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ (chaki), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

yeah, i think it was about the new york dolls or something

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

He founded the series in spirit!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 June 2006 23:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

i thought it was on James Dean, re: Moz's book

― that's so taylrr (ken taylrr), Saturday, 10 June 2006 02:04 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Morrissey on...Morrissey."

Morrissey is not attracted to Morrissey.

― jinx hijinks (sanskrit), Saturday, 10 June 2006 02:15 (6 years ago) Permalink

i'm sure there are a ton of albums the writers would love to write about that aren't commercially viable for the publisher.

Carl Wilson is writing one about Celine Dion's "Let's Talk About Love".

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 10 June 2006 02:59 (6 years ago) Permalink

You are all OTM regarding the Franklin Bruno Armed Forces book, but has anyone read Daphne A. Brooks' take on Grace? I found it largely disappointing for a number of reasons. For someone who's obviously deeply in love with the material and who has deeper access to the Buckley archives than most, she made some really frustrating, bizarre factual errors. Maybe I'm being overly-pedantic, but simple mistakes like misquoting lyrics kept me from enjoying and engaging in the book as much as I could have-- like I couldn't trust her after a certain point. Clearly, I'm an asshole, but did anyone else have problems with this?

― Jeff Reguil0n (Talent Explosion), Saturday, 10 June 2006 03:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

The Aeroplane book was excellent. The Pet Sounds book was not.

― Steve Schneeberg (Steve Goldberg), Saturday, 10 June 2006 11:52 (6 years ago) Permalink

Somebody pitched to do Killed by Death Vol. 2 for the last round of books. I would have loved to have read that!

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Saturday, 10 June 2006 15:25 (6 years ago) Permalink

And that Kick Out the Jams book that DeRo praises was the worst I've read in the series--no original info or thinking whatsoever, and blandly told.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Saturday, 10 June 2006 15:30 (6 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 1502 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Excited about SAWII. And reading that proposal convinced me to break out "Passion," which is a great ambient record (of a sort) in its own right.

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 2 September 2012 19:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

i wanna read the new talking heads one.

― This Is... The Police (dog latin), Monday, 3 September 2012 13:25 (8 months ago) Permalink

Keeping in mind that I'm a hardcore Lethem fanboy, it's pretty awesome.

Reading Loveless right now. Very entertaining and well written, plus it seems to have some ILM connections!

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Monday, 3 September 2012 14:20 (8 months ago) Permalink

I read the Tom Waits one a wee while back. Not sure what I thought of it, although it felt worthwhile at the time. The Paul's Boutique one is pretty good too.

I have If You're Feeling Sinister ready to read but I don't know if I can be fucked - is it any good?

― This Is... The Police (dog latin), Monday, 3 September 2012 15:02 (8 months ago) Permalink

"i'd read something that actually took 70s hard rock seriously, though."

you stay here, i'll be right back!

― scott seward, Monday, 3 September 2012 15:57 (8 months ago) Permalink

Poliopolice, did you miss the part where Weisb@rd goes song by song?

No, I did mention that:

the author states upfront that he hadn't heard the albums in 15 years, and still hadn't before writing the majority of the book. This was presented as a positive thing. When it finally got to [discussing] the songs, it was presented as a fairly half-assed song-by-song analysis at the end, totaling about 10-15 pages or so.

The analysis of the songs seemed very half-hearted to me. It felt like that part was only there because if he left it out, there would have been very little in the book that was specific to these albums.

As a meandering personal essay about the author's feelings on GNR, and GNR's place in the canon of music, it's a decent, if trifling book... but as an expository essay on the Use Your Illusion albums proper, I'd say it was not illuminating in the least bit, and in fact spent very little time talking about them. The Amazon reviews corroborate this.

― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 16:15 (8 months ago) Permalink

Except uh he's not trying to write an expository essay of UYI so who cares.

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 4 September 2012 16:22 (8 months ago) Permalink

Then the title of the book should not be "Use Your Illusion."

― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 16:34 (8 months ago) Permalink

Brr. I read the one on "Low" based on recommendations from this thread. I didn't like it that much. The historical stuff had some dynamite writing, but it was pretty strange to see "serious anecdotes" from "serious Bowie biographies" put side-by-side with sordid details from Angela Bowie's tell-all book. Admittedly, Angela's account is totally hilarious and interesting but she eats a lot of crow in that book-- the first chapter talks about Bowie's dick iirc-- so to read her account blended together with more serious interview-based stuff read to me as meta-narrative?

The track-by-track chapters were hit-and-miss for me, too. There was a paragraph about Eno/Bowie beating Burroughs and/or Stockhausen at their own game that made me frustrated and sad. Hugo's a good writer though, would read his other books.

― would smash pumpkins (Ówen P.), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 13:15 (8 months ago) Permalink

i liked the one on loveless. it was rather personal and was based a lot on interviews with the band, esp. kevin shields. i didn't realise before that loveless is almost a solo album by kevin except bilinda's singing.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:36 (8 months ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

My two year old niece brought me the 20 Jazz Funk Greats book and asked "Can we play with this?"

I have no idea what she meant but I'm gonna play her some very inappropriate music tomorrow. I have a feeling I've got a very small and very cute Cosey fan here.

― kraudive, Saturday, 6 April 2013 00:51 (1 month ago) Permalink

look tasty all in a row don't they.

― piscesx, Saturday, 6 April 2013 01:08 (1 month ago) Permalink

the next one up; FLOOD by They Might Be Giants, is a bit of a surprise

― piscesx, Saturday, 6 April 2013 01:11 (1 month ago) Permalink

how so?

― Devendra Bumhat (sic), Saturday, 6 April 2013 01:13 (1 month ago) Permalink

TMBG aren't as alt/indie canon as a lot of bands of their generation that have had 33 1/3s, so it's a little surprising, mostly just nice that they're going for a cult classic that's obsessed over by a slightly different crowd.

― the drummer for gay Daddy Yankee (some dude), Saturday, 6 April 2013 01:16 (1 month ago) Permalink

oh the band themselves? yeah guess so. the album is way more beloved than many many others in the range though, so.

I just got excited when it was announced bcz I <3 Flood and I <3 Sandifer - thought it would still be ages away though, iirc was only turned in a month or so ago? hyped now.

― Devendra Bumhat (sic), Saturday, 6 April 2013 01:24 (1 month ago) Permalink

why arent those books in chromatic order

― Poliopolice, Saturday, 6 April 2013 01:42 (1 month ago) Permalink

Actually, Histoire de Melodie Nelson is next, to be released in October, followed by Flood in November and I Get Wet in January.

― MarkoP, Saturday, 6 April 2013 03:40 (1 month ago) Permalink

unhyped again

― Devendra Bumhat (sic), Saturday, 6 April 2013 03:56 (1 month ago) Permalink

I have the "Loveless", "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" and Afghan Whigs' "Gentlemen" books and enjoyed them all. Liked a lot of the contextual stuff in the Whigs book about the general events surrounding the making of the album.

― michaellambert, Saturday, 6 April 2013 19:56 (1 month ago) Permalink

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