The 33 1/3 thread.... (the book series)

Lee Newman said:
From a band @Joe Mac loves and I (thought I) hated to a band I love and Joe hates:
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I'm 2 behind you, though I've read the Pet Sounds and Southern Rock Opera ones already.

Through the first 4, I'd say Dusty In Memphis was my favorite book. While it is my favorite album of the bunch so far, this one has only been a so-so read.
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I very much enjoyed the Floyd book. It was a cool way to do the normal history and track analysis. It was all interwoven into one cohesive piece covering the scene and recording of the album as well.
 
wmeugene said:
I'm 2 behind you, though I've read the Pet Sounds and Southern Rock Opera ones already.

Through the first 4, I'd say Dusty In Memphis was my favorite book. While it is my favorite album of the bunch so far, this one has only been a so-so read.
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Yeah that are Harvest are definitely my least favorite so far. Will be curious to see what you think of the Smiths book.
 
re: diamond dogs -- 'low' goes more into the making of the album itself (including things like bowie being petty and slightly dickish with songwriting credits, or eno getting stopped at airports because of the suitcase synth he carted around etc.) focusing on dogs' lyrics is natural but limited in scope given how orwell's estate hobbled the original idea.

re: murder ballads, i'm just starting this one and enjoying it so far; the stuff about kylie and pj harvey was new to me
 
yukbon said:
re: diamond dogs -- 'low' goes more into the making of the album itself (including things like bowie being petty and slightly dickish with songwriting credits, or eno getting stopped at airports because of the suitcase synth he carted around etc.) focusing on dogs' lyrics is natural but limited in scope given how orwell's estate hobbled the original idea.

re: murder ballads, i'm just starting this one and enjoying it so far; the stuff about kylie and pj harvey was new to me
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I enjoyed Low much more. I find the books that delve into the recording process always to be more interesting. Bitches Brew is next.
 
I thought Dusty in Memphis was the worst one. Very little about the music, mostly just rambling about the "myth of the south" which — to a guy who grew up in the rural South — thinks is very silly. But there are some good parts, like the story about the record industry moguls trampling through the Louisiana swamp trying to sign Professor Longhair.
 
keylime_5 said:
Anyone read the Tago Mago or There's a Riot Goin On books yet? I'm thinking about getting those 2 next.
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I read Tago Mago years ago but nothing really stuck with me. I didn't hate it and I remember finishing it. I think only about half was on Tago Mago itself, the first half was an overview of the German music scene and Can's artistic growth up to Damo joining and recording the album
 
That doesn't sound bad, as I'm gonna do Tago Mago and then read Another Green World and Low which were very influenced by Can and Kraftwerk and the German Krautrock scene of the 70s, so that background might be just what I'm looking for. The 50th anniversary of Tago Mago is coming up in February too.
 
keylime_5 said:
I thought Dusty in Memphis was the worst one. Very little about the music, mostly just rambling about the "myth of the south" which — to a guy who grew up in the rural South — thinks is very silly. But there are some good parts, like the story about the record industry moguls trampling through the Louisiana swamp trying to sign Professor Longhair.
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As a fellow Southerner, I did enjoy this book and thought it was a nice tangent, but related, from Dusty in Memphis - which to some extent is built on the idea of a "myth of the south." It was better than the Harvest/Village Green ones (I liked Harvest more than Village Green), which were a little dry recitations of opinions about the songs.

I do think the one about Southern Rock Opera did a better job handling the disparate influences of the "myth of the south"
 
It'd be one thing if the lyrics or music on Dusty in Memphis had anything to do with the South. The backing band was from Memphis and that was it, she didnt even record the vocals in Memphis she did them in NYC. It was definitely a big misleading tangent of a book to me.
 
I enjoyed Harvest and Village Green ones, they do talk a lot about the process of recording those albums and the events leading up to and after, which is pretty standard for most of these 33 1/3 books (especially the later ones).

FYI Music from Big Pink is great if anyone was wondering about that one. It's a novella that gives a good picture about what the scene was like up in the West Saugerties at that time. Big artist commune with a lot of drugs and parties and nature.
 
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