33 1/3 Books

[BadGuyZero]

There really isn't a set format to the series. Some of them are very academic while some are sort of love letters to the album. It's definitely not a if-you-like-one-you'll-like-'em-all type of series. I've had pretty bad luck with it. The handful that I've attempted to read have been very scholarly [the one about Radiohead's OK Computer deserves a gold medal for being the most academic piece written about music I've ever read] that it's put me off of taking a chance with any other titles in the series. I was expecting the literary equivalent of those "Classic Albums" DVDs. Something that delves into what inspired the songs and concepts that made up the record with dashes of technical details thrown in for good measure.

[johnnynovato]

Thanks to this thread for inspiring me to pick up the Use Your Illusion entry. I am enjoying Eric Weisbard's track-by-track discussion of which songs feature what he calls "Deep Downer," his term for the times the band decided it was a good idea to have an extra Axl voice in the background doing a low-pitched scary voice.

[John Junk]

I just finished the Bee Thousand one and I really enjoyed it. The only thing I was not crazy about was the "Ode To Dayton" but the bandmembers' memories of the sessions were fun, and the analysis was interesting. I actually really enjoyed the section where the collage artist related his artwork to GBV's music.

The only other one I've read is The Notorious Byrd Brothers which was a little underwhelming. There was a fair amount about the author's relationship with the album and The Byrds in general, which I really didn't care about at all.

[JonFromMaplewood]

Just read the Paul's Boutique book. Very entertaining. Yauch may have been a monk who felt strongly about the Tibetan freedom movement, but before that, he was apparently "pissing in the shrimp at Beefsteak Charlie's" on a dare from Russell Simmons.

[masterofsparks]

The one about the Ramones debut is abysmal.

I think the Kick Out the Jams book is my favorite.