33 1/3 Series of books

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Tori Amos: Boys for Pele - Elizabeth Merrick

hey! wow.

― pisces, Thursday, 22 March 2007 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link

This list is split between albums that I am really excited to read about and albums that I would never under any circumstances read about and very little in between haha.

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 22 March 2007 16:05 (seventeen years ago) link

I always knew you were a Tori Amos fan, Alex.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 22 March 2007 16:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah she's tops.

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 22 March 2007 16:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Sweet! I love new 33 1/3 batches. Then I look forward to the brand-new ILX thread demanded a march to Amazon.com to belittle critical customer reviews. ("Folks, I'm a paid, professional critic, trained in the ancient ways. These public-school-educated peons don't know what they're talking about, WTF.")

― No Scintillating Prose in Outer Space, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Still no Stooges or Cheap Trick. Gotta wonder if the editor hates those groups. Hard to believe there hasn't been one decent pitch yet.

― MC, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Haikunym's pitch for Cheap Trick was fantastic, I don't know why they didn't say yes.

― jaymc, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

uh there was at least ONE decent pitch I thought.

― Dimension 5ive, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Slayer: Reign in Blood - DX Ferris
Nas: Illmatic - Matthew Gasteier
Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions... - Christopher R. Weingarten
Van Dyke Parks: Song Cycle - Richard Henderson
Black Sabbath: Master of Reality - John Darnielle
Wu-Tang Clan: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - S.H. Fernando, Jr.
Flying Burrito Brothers: Gilded Palace of Sin - Bob Proehl
Outkast: Aquemini - Nick Weidenfeld and Michael Schmelling
The Flaming Lips: Zaireeka - Mark Richardson

MAD AMPED

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Just finished the MC5 book today. Very good / fast read. Made me sad that the documentary never came out a few years back.

― MC, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:45 (seventeen years ago) link

The documentary did come out! I saw it!

― Alex in SF, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Must have missed it at the local art house then. Is it on DVD?

― MC, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:46 (seventeen years ago) link

That hasn't happened I think. They were in court wangling about it last I heard.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:53 (seventeen years ago) link

i wish ana gasteier were writing about nas.

― fukasaku tollbooth, Friday, 23 March 2007 21:35 (seventeen years ago) link

one month passes...

I've only read the Low and Daydream Nation books.

The Low one, as everyone else I've seen comment on it has said, is great. It was exactly what I was looking for when I was going in: it goes into Bowie's life and mental state heading into and during the recording, talks a good amount his relationship with Eno and Iggy Pop, details the recording process and the players, talks about Berlin and Bowie's obsession with German Expressionism, and so on. I would recommend it for anyone.

The Daydream Nation book was really disappointing. I mean, I love Daydream Nation and all, and it's a NEAR-perfect album, but this book starts with the premise that it is THE perfect album and then rewrites history around it.

― Z S, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 03:57 (seventeen years ago) link

The Daydream Nation book was really disappointing. I mean, I love Daydream Nation and all, and it's a NEAR-perfect album, but this book starts with the premise that it is THE perfect album and then rewrites history around it.

I love this series, so it pains me to admit that I was a little disappointed by this one also. The chapters about the actual process of recording the record and the things that inspired the songs are very good. The chapters analyzing individual songs (except for the Providence chapter) fall short when they falter on how the songs were constructed and resort to hyperbole. It is a good record, you don't need to convince me otherwise I wouldn't be the audience for it.

Not that I want the books to be formulaic, but I guess I would prefer more of an approach that discusses the nuts and bolts and actual details behind a recording as well as whatever sources or events inspired it. This is what I liked about the Loveless and Murmur books, for example.

I'm looking forward to the Song Cycle one.

― Bill in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 05:02 (seventeen years ago) link

I would prefer more of an approach that discusses the nuts and bolts and actual details behind a recording as well as whatever sources or events inspired it

What else would you want, in this series? Chapters written with the intent of convincing the reader that the album in question is INCREDIBLE seem like preaching to the choir. Is there anyone reading the Daydream Nation book that doesn't already love it?

― Z S, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 06:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Reign in fucking Blood. Yes. Also stoked for Illmatic and 36 Chambers. My boss at the Rock Hall wrote the first book in the series, it was fun to talk to him about that.

― chris.steffen, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 06:45 (seventeen years ago) link

Just finished the one on Joni Mitchell's Court & Spark. Very good, although I don't really get the author's dismissal of Hissing and Hejira.

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 08:29 (seventeen years ago) link

i've given up halfway through the daydream nation book. really obviously padded with waffle, hardly any insight whatsoever, entirely pedestrian interview segments and written in the most annoying authorial 'voice' this side of pitchfork.

― stevie, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 09:32 (seventeen years ago) link

there s an AJA one coming out isn't there? can't wait.

how's the ABBA GOLD one?

― pisces, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Tom should have written it.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:54 (seventeen years ago) link

I thought the Abba Gold one was good.

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 11:01 (seventeen years ago) link

It was kind of weird in that it *didn't* assume the readers were already converted and spent a bit too much time semi-apologetically establishing ABBA as a great band. I guess there were quite a few people who bought ABBA Gold itself as a kind-of ironic joke but they're unlikely to buy a book about it! So it was slightly frustrating, though if you want a beginners guide to ABBA it's pretty good.

I also think it missed an opportunity to talk about compilations, especially as it now looks like it's the only 33 1/3 book that will be about one.

― Groke, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 11:04 (seventeen years ago) link

right yeah that's what i feared. the LAST thing i want a beginner's guide to is abba.

― pisces, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 11:14 (seventeen years ago) link

What else would you want, in this series?

Yeah, mostly true. Though the Murmur book is about half interpretation and analysis and the author pulls it off really well.

Oh, Aja book sounds great. Although I don't know what they could add to it that the Aja film didn't cover.

― Bill in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 12:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Can we start some kind of master list on the GREAT books of the series? They're too expensive for me to just do trial-and-error with, even though some of them are about some of my favorite albums.

― Reatards Unite, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link

I thoroughly enjoyed the 'Bee Thousand' GBV entry - can't recall the author's name, but he made the book engaging and interesting at all times. I especially liked his touch of incorporating several 'listener accounts' of fave songs, gut reactions, reminiscing, etc.

Just picked up the 'Daydream Nation' SY entry - about a quarter of the way through and it's just not grabbing me so far. Maybe I want it to put me in a magic state of mind for the ATM/Pfork performance coming up in July. So stoked for that!

― BlackIronPrison, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:26 (seventeen years ago) link

Or more specifically, can someone let me know how these are (some of them may not be out yet, I'm just looking at a list of all titles):

Prince - Sign O the Times
The Replacements - Let It Be
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (!!)
REM - Murmur
David Bowie - Low
The Byrds - Notorious Byrd Brothers
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Pixies - Doolittle
Stone Roses - Stone Roses
Nirvana - In Utero
Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica (!!)
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion

― Reatards Unite, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:27 (seventeen years ago) link

the sly stone one is amazing.

― stevie, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, which ones are about the record itself? I was very tempted to get the Replacements one until I read the reviews that it was a "coming-of'age" memoir about the author who listened to the record.

― Pleasant Plains, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 16:46 (seventeen years ago) link

even worse: it's written by the Decemberists guy

― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 16:48 (seventeen years ago) link

the sly stone one has only the slightest bit of autobiog, and it actually helps illuminate the album. and it is very well written too - can't reccommend it enough.

― stevie, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 16:49 (seventeen years ago) link

there's a whole thread about MATOS's book on 'sign o the times' somewhere i think. it got raves in the press and its brilliant. the IN UTERO is also ace.

― pisces, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 16:54 (seventeen years ago) link

Trout Mask book is a little disappointing, but I still read it in a day.
The author has written a book on Zappa, so there's a lot of that. At least one factual error about Steve Reich's "Come Out" that is really glaring, but I think it's attributable to one of the ladies in the GTO's.
A good read, nonetheless.

― Trip Maker, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 17:02 (seventeen years ago) link

I also think it missed an opportunity to talk about compilations

it actually talked a lot about compilations, specifically how Gold was put together etc. it's a terrific book.

― Matos W.K., Wednesday, 2 May 2007 17:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Well, it should have talked about them even more then. I did read it on an overnight flight back from the EMP though, so I will re-read and own up if I was wrong.

― Groke, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 17:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Has anyone read the Guns 'n' Roses book? I wasn't sure if I'd like this one (I'm not a huge GNR fan at all) but the author had an interesting take on the GNR phenomenon of the early 90s.

― Nik, Sunday, 6 May 2007 21:18 (sixteen years ago) link

especially as it now looks like it's the only 33 1/3 book that will be about one.

I enjoyed what I read of it in that sampler book (which, for whatever reason, I thought would be a collection of FULL books, buyer beware and/or actually know what you're purchasing first -- but this is a good idea since buying lots of individual books can be daunting, and doesn't let me read about albums I'm not already interested in). But it was frustrating that 33 1/3 chose a compilation when ABBA has several excellent albums to choose from (it's not like they aren't covering other artists whose catalogue makes picking one album almost impossible). That in itself seemed somewhat apologetic, though the history/song selection process (that I've read about so far anyway) was interesting. I'd like to see a history of ABBA that refuses to engage with them only as a "singles band" (especially in a format devoted to albums).

― dabug, Sunday, 6 May 2007 22:55 (sixteen years ago) link

*releasing compilations with several full books, I mean. Although it would probably be fairly expensive.

― dabug, Sunday, 6 May 2007 22:56 (sixteen years ago) link

GOLD IS AN ALBUM

― Dimension 5ive, Sunday, 6 May 2007 23:19 (sixteen years ago) link

So what was the GNR book like, Nik? Was there much about the making of the actual albums? I AM a big GNR fan, but I could see how an author could easily mess up a book about the Illusion albums.

― Reatards Unite, Sunday, 6 May 2007 23:46 (sixteen years ago) link

I read Eric's Use Your Illusion book not long ago: not bad at all; a nicely ambivalent book. The track-by-track analysis is quite useful.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 6 May 2007 23:53 (sixteen years ago) link

I read the Music From Big Pink book last week. Definitely a page-turner. The author wrote his appreciation in the form of a novella from the perspective of a young man who dealt drugs to The Band. The parts about the music were worthwhile, but what really struck me was how vividly it depicted the tragic consequences of the disconnect between the Greatest Generation and their Baby Boomer offspring.

― Fitzcarraldo, Sunday, 6 May 2007 23:56 (sixteen years ago) link

OTM, stevie, the Daydream Nation one was bad--i've read six or so of the titles and 1/2 are good, 1/2 bad

― iago g., Monday, 7 May 2007 00:30 (sixteen years ago) link

Prince - Sign O the Times
If you are looking for a making-of book, then get Posessed. This is a pretty personal book, and while I like Matos' writing elsewhere, I think I wanted something different than what this book offered. I didn't really find Matos' critical analysis of the album itself to be illuminating but that wasn't (to me) what the book was about.

The Replacements - Let It Be
I was so disappointed in this one even though I really related to Meloy's experience a lot. The problem--which Jim Walsh will rectify shortly, I hope-- is that the book doesn't touch on the making of the album or even the band.

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (!!)
I LOVED this book but I'm kind of a homer because I like Bill Janovitz so much. I loved reading about this book from not only a huge fan, but from a musician's perspective. It's a solid combination of musical authority, historical context, and recording overview.

REM - Murmur
This is probably my favorite. Niimi does a killer job of combining critical analysis, the recording process, and mystification/demystification of the album

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Enjoyable, historical thingie.

Pixies - Doolittle
This one is also good, if nothing else because it's kind of a dream assignment: the writer gets in the car with Frank Black for a few days and they drive around talking about the album. It's well done.

Nirvana - In Utero
I really thought this one started out awkwardly but got better as it progressed. It's a pretty straight forward making-of.

Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On
I'm reading this one right now and like it.

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
I think this book could have been better, writing-wise. But it's an album so near and dear to my heart, and I'm thankful a big fan like Mike could write it. The bulk of it is very good.

Don't buy the Radiohead album.

― Dandy Don Weiner, Monday, 7 May 2007 00:33 (sixteen years ago) link

The GNR book definitely includes a making of, but a lot of it is also kind of an ode to the lost potential of GNR - he definitely calls 'em on their numerous missteps. It kind of examines the notion of popular success in general and I think at one point he calls Use Your Illusion kind of the lack "mega" blockbuster album (forgive the paraphrase, he definitely had a better label for it but I'm full of decongestants and can't get to my book right now). Anyway, it's definitely a decent read if you ever liked GNR.

― Nik, Monday, 7 May 2007 03:58 (sixteen years ago) link

Don, I agree the Mats book isn't a fine one if you're looking for info on the band, but I still really liked Colin Meloy's melancholy evocation of his boyhood. He certainly evokes what the mid-80s felt like if you were a young artsy-fartsy outkast kind of fella in a small town. It's one of my favorites of the series (although I'd still like a more straightforward Replacements book too)

― Nik, Monday, 7 May 2007 03:59 (sixteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I just finished the GNR book and I'm sorry, I gotta call bullshit. The chapters where Weisbard chronicles his own ascent to Critic Valhalla are boring, and the track-by-track is pretty much just him going "haha I never should have written this book because these records mostly suck." I hear he is a top guy -- and he comes around here sometimes too, so probably just shooting myself in the foot here if I ever thought about presenting at the conference or whatever -- but he had an opportunity to do something cool and I think he mailed it in.

Is this bitterness because the fat dead Hawaiian ukulele dude book was greenlighted but my Cheap Trick proposal never had a chance? OF COURSE. But all the stuff about "oh here's what Jon Pareles said" and "I worked for Bob Guccione Jr. and he was nice to me so Axl is a dickbag"...I ain't buyin' it.

― Dimension 5ive, Wednesday, 27 June 2007 15:05 (sixteen years ago) link

That's a shame to hear, because I could totally see a great book being written about the Use Your Illusions (obviously, since I started this thread, and should probably re-do it as a poll).

I came the conclusion a while back that the best possible 33 1/3 book I could write would probably be about Pearl Jam's Vitalogy, although I don't think I could ever bring myself to pitch it and possibly go through with re-living my grunge adolescence like that and be the guy who wrote a book about Pearl Jam. But it would be awesome.

― Alex in Baltimore, Wednesday, 27 June 2007 15:41 (sixteen years ago) link

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