These books used to be about albums from the canon (Dusty In Memphis, Pet Sounds, Low) but now it seems they're going wilfully *anti* canon (The Dreaming rather than The Hounds Of Love, Boys for Pele as opposed to Little Earthquakes, Aquemini as opposed to The Love Below/ Speakerboxxx etc). Not that i'm complaining!
― piscesx, Saturday, 22 May 2010 21:33 (fourteen years ago) link
I liked the one about Low.
― iago g., Saturday, 22 May 2010 22:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Aquemini is way more hip-hop canon than Speakerboxxx.
― Mexico, camp, horns, Zappa, Mr. Bungle (Matos W.K.), Saturday, 22 May 2010 22:34 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah i was gonna say
― mr. milquetoast (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 22 May 2010 23:10 (fourteen years ago) link
who's writing the aquemini one
Michael Schmelling
― The Reverend, Saturday, 22 May 2010 23:15 (fourteen years ago) link
oh
― mr. milquetoast (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 22 May 2010 23:17 (fourteen years ago) link
there are definitely disappointing/subpar books in the series but generally i feel like they're mostly worth what little money and time they cost you and are usually at least fun if not great. how I would rank the ones I've read:
Led Zeppelin IV by Erik DavisAja by Don BreithauptUse Your Illusion I and II by Eric WeisbardThe Who Sell Out by John DouganIt Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Christopher R. WeingartenElectric Ladyland by John PerrySign O' The Times by Michaelangelo MatosArmed Forces by Franklin BrunoLet's Talk About Love: A Journey To The End Of Taste by Carl WilsonExile On Main Street by Bill JanovitzDouble Nickels On The Dime by Michael T. FournierIn Utero by Gillian G. GaarIllmatic by Matthew GasteierLet It Be by Colin Meloy
― every night i tell myself i am the custos, i am the wind. (some dude), Sunday, 23 May 2010 00:07 (fourteen years ago) link
kinda want to read the colin meloy one out of the most morbid of curiosities
― mr. milquetoast (J0rdan S.), Sunday, 23 May 2010 00:09 (fourteen years ago) link
it's not completely terrible and is at times engaging, but it's about as indulgent and autobiographical as you'd expect from a famous person who's not a professional writer
― every night i tell myself i am the custos, i am the wind. (some dude), Sunday, 23 May 2010 00:11 (fourteen years ago) link
i'd say of the three narrative ones i've read it's pretty far below the Master of Reality and Big Pink ones which i enjoyed a lot (MOR the most though)
― Jamie_ATP, Sunday, 23 May 2010 00:53 (fourteen years ago) link
im looking forward to reading nation of millions. fwiw the reckless in wicker park had like a dozen copies all as like featured-displays -- i bet its selling
― its like why GROCERY BAG and not saddam? (deej), Sunday, 23 May 2010 01:24 (fourteen years ago) link
― every night i tell myself i am the custos, i am the wind. (some dude), Saturday, May 22, 2010 7:11 PM (1 hour ago)
and happens to be the lead singer of The Decemberists
― ksh, Sunday, 23 May 2010 01:28 (fourteen years ago) link
Ten pages into the new book on Pavement's Wowee Zowee I thought for sure I was going to hate it for all the author's navel-gazing about his miserable post-college past, but then the book settled in. With such a ramshackle approach (author's life story, the annoyingly self-referential tale of the process of writing the book, lazy transcripts of interviews), it slowly became rather engaging to the point where I was surprised at how much I wound up learning about the album. In a way, it kind of mirrored my initial reaction to the album back in 1995. Which I suppose might have been the whole intention of this book.
― A. Begrand, Sunday, 23 May 2010 09:49 (fourteen years ago) link
uh yeah ksh that was implied
― every night i tell myself i am the custos, i am the wind. (some dude), Sunday, 23 May 2010 10:16 (fourteen years ago) link
:-)
― ksh, Sunday, 23 May 2010 14:46 (fourteen years ago) link
Is the Skiz Fernando 36 Chambers book ever coming out?
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Sunday, 23 May 2010 15:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Has anyone ever submitted a Roxy Music one for this series?
― iago g., Sunday, 23 May 2010 23:06 (fourteen years ago) link
I will propose Max Tundra's Mastered by Guy at the Exchange in the next 5 years.
― Davek (davek_00), Sunday, 23 May 2010 23:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Just started the Wowee Zowee one--I can't believe it, it's one of those memoir-type ones, and I am LOVING it. It might just be generational nostalgia though, page like 20 and he hasn't even heard the album yet
― iago g., Friday, 28 May 2010 01:59 (fourteen years ago) link
It might just be generational nostalgia though
Yeah, that has to be why I wound up giving it a chance too. I don't want to read a memoir in a 33 1/3 book, but damn, if I didn't find myself relating to it.
― A. Begrand, Friday, 28 May 2010 03:44 (fourteen years ago) link
OK, I just finished the Pavement one--very odd to feel that the memoir-y stuff at the beginning is the best part. no structure to this book. it jumps from the memoir into albeit interesting interviews, then it's over. And hids reading that Flux=Rad is about sex as opposed to holding on to punk like your mother's apron strings (styles come and go but I don't want to let you go-I have always assumed he was doing his Cobain primal scream here) is just bizarre. I liked the book overall because I'll read anything about a band I like, and hell, I couldn't do write one, but these books vary real widelyI guess file this unrequested review under "OK then..."
― iago g., Saturday, 29 May 2010 14:22 (fourteen years ago) link
"his reading", sorry
― iago g., Saturday, 29 May 2010 14:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Loved Weisbard's book. The only one that deeply disappointed me was Dusty in Memphis.
My favorites:
LowSign o' the TimesCourt and SparkUse Your Illusion I and II
― Filmmaker, Author, Radio Host Stephen Baldwin (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 29 May 2010 14:33 (fourteen years ago) link
agreed on all four. i've yet to hear the record dusty in memphis so maybe i'll buy the book and record in tandem.
― iago g., Saturday, 29 May 2010 14:39 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah the Court and Spark book is great.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Saturday, 29 May 2010 15:17 (fourteen years ago) link
Zaireeka is good and basic, very much a beginner's guide to the Flaming Lips, and I polished it off in no time. Geeta's I read in advance and of course like. Just began Weingarten's, which is terrific so far (though disco wasn't in its velvet-rope phase yet in 1973; that happened four years later, when Studio 54 opened).
― Mexico, camp, horns, Zappa, Mr. Bungle (Matos W.K.), Saturday, 29 May 2010 18:25 (fourteen years ago) link
anyone have suggestions on which one(s) i should read next based on my list posted a bit upthread? how's the Achtung Baby book?
― Christina NAGLera (some dude), Saturday, 29 May 2010 18:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Master of Reality by John Darnielle (I think my #1)Live at the Apollo by Douglas WolkPaul's Boutique by Dan LeRoy (not sure if you're a Beasties non-fan, but I recommend this even if so; it's really well done and gives great insight to that whole time and place)
― Mexico, camp, horns, Zappa, Mr. Bungle (Matos W.K.), Saturday, 29 May 2010 18:55 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah i'm not huge into the Beasties in general but that one seems worth checking out -- i think Whiney described it as similar to his but in his opinion better
― Christina NAGLera (some dude), Saturday, 29 May 2010 18:56 (fourteen years ago) link
― iago g., Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:06 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark
Pitched Avalon about two years ago, got a response saying "Great idea! Wait till the next open call!" and never followed up.
I have a different one in mind now but I'm uncharacteristically intimidated. I mean, if I'm going to write a book - even a short one - I'd have to do nothing but. No internet, no records, no food. And my life doesn't currently allow me to make that kind of commitment.
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Saturday, 29 May 2010 19:05 (fourteen years ago) link
I just hope whenever they do a Roxy one, that it's not one of the first two albums. I love them, but there has been too much ink spilt about the Eno years. My vote is for one of the next three (unsurprisingly) or Avalon--the latter is a GREAT subject for one of those books, such a deeply weird record
― iago g., Saturday, 29 May 2010 19:13 (fourteen years ago) link
I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reading the Nation Of Millions book by Christopher Weingarten of this parish over the last couple of days. It's a great, punchy piece of journalism. The extended comparison of the changing line up of the J.B.s to the progression of various tracks on the album is masterful and he nails the oft suggested but rarely convincingly well explained theory that hip hop can be seen as an Afro American form of folk music (with the recontextualization of samples and raps working in the same way as folk memory) in a few short, crystal clear passages.
I'd also recommend the Matmos guy's book on 24 Jazz Funk Greats. In fact his own theorising is much more illuminating than the actual interview sections.
― Duran (Doran), Sunday, 20 June 2010 16:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Finally got my first few of these. I'm not going to name the ones I don't like, but I really, really love Drew's 20 Jazz Funk Greats book.
― Grisly Addams (WmC), Friday, 16 July 2010 20:40 (fourteen years ago) link
friend loaned me the In the Aeroplane Over the Sea one. it was okay. reading about how Schneider got the distortion on there was probably the most interesting thing, but I imagine I could've found that out from Tape Op or something if I had really cared. was surprised at how little this record actually sold, always seemed to me like it was way more popular than it actually was.
― Major Lolzer (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 16 July 2010 20:50 (fourteen years ago) link
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Sunday, May 23, 2010 Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Friday, 16 July 2010 20:53 (fourteen years ago) link
i just read the Big Star Radio City one -- pretty great overall. Nice to have some tech-y info on a lot of this stuff + some pretty good access to all of the bandmembers including Chilton. Even the personal stuff, detailing the author's time playing with Alex, is well done. way fucking better than the bio that came out a little while ago.
― tylerw, Friday, 16 July 2010 20:54 (fourteen years ago) link
so far i've read and enjoyed:
Led Zeppelin IV Let's Talk About Love: A Journey To The End Of TasteSign o' the TimesMaster of RealityAnother Green WorldArmed ForcesABBA GoldEndtroducing
have but need to get to:
Live at the ApolloExile On Main Street LowUse Your Illusion I and IILoveless
― deep purple yoda (Ioannis), Friday, 16 July 2010 22:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Live At The Apollo is the best I've read, keep it top of your list
― oh sh!t a ¯\⎝⏠___⏠⎠/¯ (sic), Saturday, 17 July 2010 05:40 (fourteen years ago) link
Read the Eno book a week or two back - it's great. Hoping to get to the Wire and Big Star books soon.
― scott pgwp (pgwp), Saturday, 17 July 2010 08:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Whiney's was terrific. I've always had in my head a want to get a FREEDOM IS A PATH SELDOM TRAVELLED BY THE MULTITUDE tattoo and now I know the whole story, I want it even more so. Thinking that next payday it will happen. It sucks beyond belief that Wattstax isn't available on dvd over here yet.
― one man meme-denier (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 17 July 2010 10:34 (fourteen years ago) link
are you sure you can't make yr DVD multi region somehow? Wattstax would reward any such efforts grandly
― the crucible of easily debunked e-mail fwds (stevie), Saturday, 17 July 2010 13:18 (fourteen years ago) link
the only one I've read is the Forever Changes one...that was really good!!
― The Uncanny X-Men feat. Jah Wobble & Keith Levene (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 17 July 2010 19:17 (fourteen years ago) link
have read two of these in the past couple days - the 'another green world' one is fantastic, i recommend. props 2 geeta if she still reads ILX! the bowie 'low' one is ok, something a touch dissatisfying about it that i can't quite put my finger on.
― Bucks Fizz in spoonerism controversy (haitch), Friday, 20 August 2010 09:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Any idea when the next call for submissions will be?
― Christine Green Leafy Dragon Indigo, Friday, 20 August 2010 12:19 (fourteen years ago) link
the last 2 rounds were in early '07 and early '09, so if they're doing it on any kind of steady schedule there might be another in a few months, although I have no idea if that's actually the case.
― richie goingham (some dude), Friday, 20 August 2010 13:33 (fourteen years ago) link
Have read three over the last week, including Whiney's "Nation Of Millions" one, which was excellent and really made me want to school myself better in all its sources and antecedents. Even though I grew up through the ascendance of hip-hop, my daily life, and my access to non-chart music, was so constrained that outside of "Rapper's Delight," Run-DMC's "Walk This Way" and the Beasties, it all pretty much passed me by. Currently reading Franklin Bruno's "Armed Forces."
― Shock and Awe High School (Phil D.), Monday, 30 August 2010 19:27 (fourteen years ago) link
thanks Phil!
― hold me, thrill me, kiss me, lil b (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 30 August 2010 19:28 (fourteen years ago) link
and Sam P and Doran... wow!
― hold me, thrill me, kiss me, lil b (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 30 August 2010 19:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Did the Tori one threatened/promised many years ago ever surface?
― piscesx, Monday, 30 August 2010 20:05 (fourteen years ago) link