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Book Report: Continuum’s 33 1/3rd series · by Sach O
Wake up! Take the pillow from your head and put a book in it!
I don’t read much published music journalism seeing as I already spend a fair share of my waking hours dealing with our community of internet miscreants, but I did enjoy these cool 33 1/3 pocketbooks I received for Christmas so I figured I’d give the publisher some good pub. For those who haven’t heard, the 33 1/3 series is comprised of short paperbacks each picking apart and commenting on a specific “classic” album. Every author is given free reign to go about doing this as he pleases which makes for varied reading ranging from feature-length interviews to historical analysis to more scholarly breakdowns of lyrics and compositional techniques. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to learn more about the great music of the past and most of the titles I’ve read were both informative and entertaining. If I have one beef with the series though, it’d have to be the lack of Hip Hop related titles (The Beastie Boys and DJ Shadow barely count guys). Lord knows there’s a market for 120 page dissertations on Long Live the Kane, Cuban Linx, The Chronic, De La Soul is Dead or even a recent achievement such as Madvillainy. Better yet, the internet is full of people willing to write those essays! (Ahem.) Shoot me a line Continuum: grab a piece of that rap market before Hip Hop publishing goes the way of…umm… Hip Hop.
EDIT: Apparently there’s a title on A Tribe Called Quest’s seminal debut in works for 2007. This makes me very happy.
Paul’s Boutiqe by Dan Leroy
Easily my favorite book in the series as of yet, Dan Leroy’s take on the Beasties’ classic sophomore effort is an exhaustively researched piece on how three New York stoners made an LA classic. Divided between hilarious “Behind the Music” style recollections and a more formal look at the album’s individual tracks; the book manages to convey the energy and uncertainty surrounding the group at a time when most of the world had written them off as one hit wonders. Shedding light on everything from their evolving sense of style, their mysterious producer Matt Dyke and even the situation surrounding their label’s mishandling of the album release, Leroy makes Paul’s Boutique seem fresh and vital: no small feet considering it’s one of the most studied Hip Hop LP’s on the internet. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Hip Hop or the “alternative” culture that would explode shortly after the album’s release with the rise of Nirvana and grunge.
There’s a Riot Goin’ on by Miles Marshall Lewis
Admittedly, I didn’t “get” this album before reading Lewis’ take on it. The muddy production and general weirdness just struck me as a failed experiment in post-hippie depression and try as I might, very few songs hit me with the immediacy of Sly’s earlier work. While Lewis’ book didn’t exactly convert me into a true believer, it at least helped me appreciate the political, social and personal situations surrounding the album and his post-modern reappraisal of Sly’s work in light of Hip Hop makes a convincing argument for its place among the decade’s best albums. Born well after the Riot’s release, Lewis offers a revisionist take on the death of the counterculture, somewhat lacking in the immediacy an elder author would have provided. What he lacks in first hand experience however, he makes up for his perspective, demonstrating how Sly Stone’s druggy, depressive, beatboxed music became a template for Prince, Hip hop and rebellion in general. The track by track analysis and his transcription of the barely audible lyrics are worth the book’s price alone and are useful tools for anyone willing to undertake funk’s most challenging and misunderstood album.
The Stone Roses by Alex Green
The Stone Roses’ debut is one of those albums that I’ve loved from day one but never took the time to read or even think about. Ian Brown’s lyrics sounded cool but the swirly psychedelic vibe didn’t let on that there was any substance behind the flash, leaving me content to let the music drift by without much thought. While Green killed this innocence in one fell swoop (that lyric’s about the Paris Riots?!?), I’m better off for it as his song-by-song breakdown reveals much about the band’s writing process as well as the cultural shift that was happening in Britain at the end of the 80’s. Even when the links are tenuous (She Bangs the drums probably isn’t about Thatcherism), the information is valuable, particularly for those of us who aren’t as hip to British culture as we are to stuff happening on this side of the pond.
by Erik Davis
Easily the weirdest of the four books I received, Erik Davis’ take on Led Zeppelin’s unpronounceable fourth album ignores the hippie nostalgia surrounding FM radio’s most played platter in favor of a look at the mysticism and occult legends surrounding Plant and Page’s masterpiece. While I was initially disappointed by Davis’ choice to indulge in Zep folklore rather than cut through it, he still manages to find interesting interpretations of songs that honestly should have been put to rest years ago. Not recommended for realists with no interest in Crowley, but a fairly interesting if self-indulgent look at every white teenager’s rock Gods.
Comments for "Book Report: Continuum’s 33 1/3rd series"
maybe your Tribe edit means you’ve already seen this, but continuum’s taking proposals through mid-febuary:
http://33third.blogspot.com/2007/01/time-of-season.html
[pitches33@yahoo.com is the address]
— hastings Jan 22, 02:21 PM
DJ Shadow and the Beastie Boys. Wow. I suppose the next two 33 1/3 books will be about “Derelicts of Dialect” and “The Slim Shady LP.” #1 in the series should have been “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” and #2 should have been BDP’s “Sex and Violence.” Ridiculous.
— DJ Flash Jan 24, 05:38 AM
Although to clarify I’m not slagging on the above albums like they’re whack, just questioning the organization in general. Perhaps Miilkbone and Icy Blu would have been better examples, but I don’t know the names of their debut albums off the top of my head. :P
— DJ Flash Jan 24, 06:22 AM
^well they ARE a rock based series in general. Endtroducing and Paul’s Boutique have clout in that market.
Which isn’t to say that I don’t think the series couldn’t benefit from more rap coverage as I stated above. I understand where they’re coming from and because I like their stuff, I hope they do well and expand.
— Sach Jan 24, 11:10 AM
Haven’t read the M.M. Lewis so I dunno if he refers to this, but you should look for Greil Marcus’ essay on the Riot album, published in “Mystery Train”
— Jay Smooth Jan 25, 01:43 AM
Thanks for this tip. I hadn’t heard about the series but I’m definetely intrigued.
As for the lack of hip-hop albums in the series, you’re probably already familiar with the excellent Rakim Told Me?
— Perttu Jan 31, 08:16 AM
Yup. Rakim told me is a must read, particularly the BDP, De La Soul and Ultramagnetic chapters.
— Sach Jan 31, 11:22 AM
They’re publishing “Enter The Wu-Tang” now.
— Aaron Jul 23, 02:05 PM
Yeah, they passed up my brilliant analysis of Cuban Linx for it. Hopefully it’s a good read.
— Sach Jul 24, 01:26 AM