― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 15:58 (9 years ago) Permalink
I like his writing...I love the album.
― ddb, Tuesday, 7 October 2003 16:03 (9 years ago) Permalink
Wasn't it Zappa who said this?
― scottjames23 (worrysome-man), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 19:07 (9 years ago) Permalink
i think it's pretty well accepted that (a) both frank and elvis said this, (b) but various others (charles mingus, for example) said it way before they did, and (c) trying to figure out who exactly thought of it first is kind of like, ya know, dancing about architecture.
― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 7 October 2003 19:36 (9 years ago) Permalink
Hey, when will Douglas Wolk's book be out then?
― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 19:46 (9 years ago) Permalink
Right now I'm writing a sequence about a bear that climbed a fence in Duluth right about the time James Brown was singing "I Don't Mind" and thereby came yay-close to starting World War III.
I can't WAIT to read Matos on Prince and Elisabeth Vincentelli on ABBA.
― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 20:39 (9 years ago) Permalink
:::drool:::
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 21:20 (9 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 21:21 (9 years ago) Permalink
― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 21:46 (9 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 21:53 (9 years ago) Permalink
http://33third.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 April 2005 13:52 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Eric von H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 9 April 2005 14:00 (8 years ago) Permalink
― tylerw, Saturday, 9 April 2005 14:03 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Masked Gazza, Saturday, 9 April 2005 14:14 (8 years ago) Permalink
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 9 April 2005 15:04 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 9 April 2005 15:16 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 9 April 2005 15:34 (8 years ago) Permalink
I'll probably read the Entroducing book.
― Jordan (Jordan), Saturday, 9 April 2005 16:28 (8 years ago) Permalink
I also got the feeling (primarily from the VU book) that the writers were getting their one and only chance to write about a particular passion and as a result I felt like there was this barely constrained urge to branch out beyond the scope of the single album in question. Maybe my personal expectations for this type of book were off base but I think that for example the artist's personal life should barely if at all come into play.
I might be more interested in reading one by a writer who had already done a full biography of the artist in question so that the standard gossipy stuff and most common observations would already be out of the way. Maybe then the author would be forced to focus more deeply on the music in abstract terms and not worry about some of the more mundane details. But these criticisms are all very nitpicky and I'm sure I'll be ordering another batch soon.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 10 April 2005 00:45 (8 years ago) Permalink
The Armed Forces one? That's definitely on the top of my list. I'm optimistic because it's a pretty interesting choice out of the early Costello albums so I'm guessing he'll have something unique to say. A lot of the other picks are very classic-rock-y but maybe once those are out of the way the series will get more interesting.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 10 April 2005 00:52 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 10 April 2005 03:07 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Douglas (Douglas), Sunday, 10 April 2005 06:53 (8 years ago) Permalink
Just out of curiosity, could you tell me what you think is the difference between turntablism and scratching?
Turntablism is the description of scratching that’s supposed to make people who don’t listen to hip-hop, sit up and go “Hmm, maybe it is real music.” Scratching, to me, is just what it is. Turntablism has this virtuosic aspect to it, and to me, that’s when things start to turn jazzy. And I’m not a huge fan of when things turn jazzy. Because when I think of jazzy, I think of Wynton Marsalis.
― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 10 April 2005 08:28 (8 years ago) Permalink
i saw Douglas's book in the shop the other day. Looked a bit dauntingly 'conceptual' on a quick flip through, what with all the headings and shit. But I'm sure it's a good read and i'll probably buy it. Anybody else read this?
― zebedee (zebedee), Sunday, 10 April 2005 13:54 (8 years ago) Permalink
― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 10 April 2005 16:47 (8 years ago) Permalink
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
― Orange, Sunday, 10 April 2005 16:56 (8 years ago) Permalink
Songs in the Key of Life, by Dave HesmondhalghParallel Lines, by Elisabeth VincentelliThree Feet High and Rising, by Brian ColemanTusk, by Stephin MerrittComputer Love, by Michael BracewellMarquee Moon, by David KeenanMaster of Puppets, by Tom BissellThe 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:
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
― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:29 (7 years ago) Permalink
― PB, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:32 (7 years ago) Permalink
― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:34 (7 years ago) Permalink
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
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
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
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
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
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:38 (7 years ago) Permalink
― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:41 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:47 (7 years ago) Permalink
― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:41 (7 years ago) Permalink
― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:42 (7 years ago) Permalink
― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:42 (7 years ago) Permalink
― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:24 (7 years ago) Permalink
― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:26 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:30 (7 years ago) Permalink
― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:31 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 9 June 2006 17:57 (6 years ago) Permalink
― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 9 June 2006 18:06 (6 years ago) Permalink
― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 9 June 2006 18:48 (6 years ago) Permalink
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
Bjork: Biophilia, by Nicola Dibben
This is gonna be a "fascinating critique of a great artist's shortcomings" type of defense, right?
― Eric H., Saturday, 1 September 2012 01:17 (8 months ago) Permalink
probably more of a "lots of non-musical/technical stuff surrounding the project to delve into" type of book
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 01:20 (8 months ago) Permalink
would definitely feel better about them doing books about such recently released albums if there had already been 33 1/3s about earlier Bjork and Kanye records
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 01:21 (8 months ago) Permalink
Genuinely excited about Bobbie Gentry book
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 1 September 2012 01:25 (8 months ago) Permalink
Not sure how that Bjork album got in the list? Assuming the writer already was involved in writing about said contemporary album and was able to successfully roll it into a book.
― your native bacon (mh), Saturday, 1 September 2012 02:41 (8 months ago) Permalink
Don't know who Mike Foley is but that DKs album (and the band's whole history) definitely deserves analysis.
― 誤訳侮辱, Saturday, 1 September 2012 02:46 (8 months ago) Permalink
― your native bacon (mh), Friday, August 31, 2012 10:41 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark
well people submit pretty extensive proposals, and they apparently liked that proposal
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 10:35 (8 months ago) Permalink
i mean, given the fact that there have been some fairly lousy books about great canonical albums in the series in the past, i think offbeat picks like that are actually kind of a good sign that they're looking out for really convincing proposals that would make engaging books rather than greenlighting things because they're about canonical albums everyone loves and wants to read about
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 10:37 (8 months ago) Permalink
I'm willing to bet the Bjork book is going to focus a ton on technology and interaction and a good deal of it will be abt the iOS app and maybe her live setup
― clijster flockhart (Stevie D(eux)), Saturday, 1 September 2012 14:58 (8 months ago) Permalink
yeah it makes sense to write about in the same way Zaireeka did
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 15:03 (8 months ago) Permalink
offbeat picks like that are actually kind of a good sign that they're looking out for really convincing proposals that would make engaging books
It seemed like the Use Your Illusion book was only chosen because it was the non-obvious pick. It had very little of value to say about the albums, and actually talked more about Appetite for Destruction than UYI. Regardless, all these offbeat picks makes you wonder how this functions as an actual business model.
― Poliopolice, Saturday, 1 September 2012 15:46 (8 months ago) Permalink
i disagree and think UYI was one of the best books in the series so hey
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 15:49 (8 months ago) Permalink
really? it hardly talked about the albums at all, seeking instead to talk at length about the band, their history, their fans, their disastrous concerts, their influence, and everything else except the actual albums at hand-- all which conveyed quite clearly that the author was no fan of GNR. In fact, 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 the songs, it was presented as a fairly half-assed song-by-song analysis at the end, totaling about 10-15 pages or so.
― Poliopolice, Saturday, 1 September 2012 16:08 (8 months ago) Permalink
it hardly talked about the albums at all, seeking instead to talk at length about the band, their history, their fans, their disastrous concerts, their influence, and everything else except the actual albums at hand-- all which conveyed quite clearly that the author was no fan of GNR.
yeah this is not accurate imo
― cute, banned, alert (some dude), Saturday, 1 September 2012 16:09 (8 months ago) Permalink
Marc who is writing the Aphex one is a brilliant sound-thinker, I bet this will kick ass.
― Lewis Apparition (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 1 September 2012 16:44 (8 months ago) Permalink
oh yeah, i left out the huge personal bloglike sides that litter the book, which also have little to do with the albums. how are you gonna write a good book about an album you haven't listened to in 15 years?
― Poliopolice, Saturday, 1 September 2012 17:04 (8 months ago) Permalink
xp Use Your Illusion made sense in this series IMO because the story of their implosion is more compelling than the story of their rise and the success of Appetite.. I thought it was great.
― billstevejim, Saturday, 1 September 2012 18:54 (8 months ago) Permalink
sometimes the records that are most heralded or most popular don't always generate the best discussion... I don't think any of the album choices are "offbeat" as long as there's something worth saying about them.
― billstevejim, Saturday, 1 September 2012 19:03 (8 months ago) Permalink
Glad to see Entertainment! but what I'd really like to see - Hex Enduction Hour. Why no Fall yet?
― Silvercigarette, Sunday, 2 September 2012 18:24 (8 months ago) Permalink
Poliopolice, did you miss the part where Weisb@rd goes song by song?
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 2 September 2012 18:29 (8 months ago) Permalink
man I really feel that Rocks or Toys in the Attic (but to me Rocks is the one) ought to get one of these. Does anybody even pitch Aerosmith albums? I mean actual Aerosmith albums. We were an awesome band for about six years and we made some classic records!!
― we don't wanna miss a THING!!! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 2 September 2012 18:50 (8 months ago) Permalink
I wonder if those are albums that would hold up to sustained analysis, though. Sure, there'd be plenty of lurid drug stories and I-hate-your-wife-so-I-wrote-this-song-about-how-much-I-hate-your-wife psychodrama, but as far as actual detailed musical analysis, I don't know what there would be to say. The songs are killer, but they're also not particularly formally or technically innovative - they're just really good songs, played by a perfect combination of complementary musicians. Which is on the one hand all you need, but on the other hand really fucking hard to write about in a compelling way.
― 誤訳侮辱, Sunday, 2 September 2012 18:55 (8 months ago) Permalink
feel like if someone pitched an aerosmith album it'd be kind of a lol klosterpaws one about Get a Grip and have long alicia silverstone digressions, sorry to say. i'd read something that actually took 70s hard rock seriously, though.
― tylerw, Sunday, 2 September 2012 19:06 (8 months ago) Permalink
i'd read something that actually took 70s hard rock seriously, though.
Me too. Could you imagine, say, Joe Carducci doing a 33 1/3 book about Rocks?
― 誤訳侮辱, Sunday, 2 September 2012 19:10 (8 months ago) Permalink
yeah, carducci was who i was thinking of! he is really the only person i can think of who would do it, who'd be less interested in the sordid stuff and more into how the music does what it does? not sure if he likes aerosmith though.
― tylerw, Sunday, 2 September 2012 19:13 (8 months ago) Permalink
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
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
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