AMBFAD Book club

I've been meaning to post up on this excellent series of books for a while now, but i've barely had time to read them, let alone write any sort of review. The crux of the 33 1/3 series being put out by Continuum Publishing Group, is a little different than most of the music-based tomes out there and it makes for some fun reading.

Versus doing a full retrospective on a particular band or genre or time period, each volume focuses in on a singular album...one that the author finds monumental or inspirational. Just as each album is different from the other, so is the methodology each author (an interesting mix of various musicians, scholars, broadcasters, and writers) chooses to write about it. As illustrated from the handful i've read so far:

Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys

My first foray into the series, Dan LeRoy truly dissected this album forward and back. A truly comprehensive guide to one of the most underrated and amazing albums released in the last 20 years, it provides a framework to the environment surrounding the group at the time of it's recording and a meticulous look at the recording/production of the album itself. Made up from personal accounts from a myriad of folks involved in the creation of an album one-part hip-hop and one-part science experiment, it is a must for any fan of the record, genre and/or music itself.

Doolittle - The Pixies

Ben Sisario's provides a fantastic take on one of the most influential alt-rock albums of all time. Time-traveling between the past and present, the book provides both a historical perspective of the making of the album and a current view from various members of the band/production team on the eve of the massive reunion tour several years ago. Highlights for me included a car ride around Portland w/ Black Francis (AKA Frank Black), where he provides a track by track commentary as the CD plays in the car stereo.

Let It Be - The Replacements

I'm not a huge Decemberists fan, but Colin Meloy's book on one of my favorite albums by what is likely my favorite band, was a great surprise. Differing from the books above, Meloy chooses to focus on how said album acted as a catalyst for a kid growing up in Montana to expand his parameters and rise from a virtual wasteland to become an indie-rock luminary. Anyone who has had an album change their life will be able to identify and have a lot of fun w/ this one.

Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

Capturing the fervor around and creation of what could be arguably one of the best college radio/UK releases to see the light of day, Alex Green uses both personal anecdotes and a historical recount to tell the tale of a band who flirted w/ greatness before unraveling into musical footnote. Eloquently capturing the environment of the UK and the Madchester scene that gave birth to the Roses and a fusion of club and rock music serving as a soundtrack to a second British invasion. A great case for why this album was both personally important and relevant to a much larger contingent.

Those are the volumes i've actually read, but i've got Meat is Murder, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, The Who Sell Out, Double Nickles on the Dime, Led Zeppelin IV and The Velvet Underground and Nico in que. I'm going to take a stab at both reading and collecting them all...now totaling 49 different albums (w/ more due through 2007 and 2008), i've got a lot of ground to cover. I'm hitting the albums I find the most personally enjoyable/interesting first and then i'll fan out to the others. Luckily, most of the books come in at a digestible number of pages and can be devoured quickly if you have the time.

Want more info? Check out the 33 1/3 blog in the music links section off to the side. Enjoy!