books, books, books

[Who Shot Sam?]

I think it's a pretty free-form series. Joe Pernice did one on the Smiths' Meat Is Murder, but it's more of a novel inspired by Meat Is Murder, rather than an analysis of the album. Haven't read it yet, but have been meaning to pick it up.

[BlueChair]

I see - so Armed Forces is part of a whole series on LPs. I thought it was an odd one-off. How many have you read? How many are there? They seem quite pricey (here, anyway) for the length. I will, needless to say, need to get my hands on Low and Unknown Pleasures at some point. Ain't come across one on any Dylan titles, which is an odd omission. Nor Van nor Joni.

I'm sure Dylan, Van, and Joni will come around before too long.. I think they leave it up to writers to pitch book ideas.

They're numbered in sequence of release.. by the time new fall releases of Music From Big Pink, Notorious Byrds Brothers, and a few others are out, there will be 32 in the series thus far.

Considering a paperback costs $14 US these days, I don't mind paying $9 for one of these, especially since they are great guides to some of the best albums ever made.

Here's the full list of 33 1/3 books, some of which have yet to be released:

http://www.continuumbooks.com/(xsf5fyah ... earch.aspx

[Otis Westinghouse]

Colin Meloy of the Decemberists does The Replacements' Let It Be. Did they really call an LP that?!?

[Who Shot Sam?]

Colin Meloy of the Decemberists does The Replacements' Let It Be. Did they really call an LP that?!?

Yep, the first of that series of three great albums they did. It was followed by Tim (my favorite) and Pleased To Meet Me.

[BlueChair]

Colin Meloy of the Decemberists does The Replacements' Let It Be. Did they really call an LP that?!?

What's funny is someone else went ahead and did The Beatles' Let It Be too

[BlueChair]

Here ya go, Otis. This is from the 33 1/3 blog (yep, there's a blog). You'll be glad to see that Dylan and Joni are on the way with Highway 61 Revisited and Court and Spark

Numerical order

People keep asking for a complete, numbered list of the series and I can't ever seem to find one. So this is as much for my own good as it is for yours.

1. Dusty in Memphis, by Warren Zanes
2. Forever Changes, by Andrew Hultkrans (anybody know what's happened to Arthur Lee?)
3. Harvest, by Sam Inglis
4. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, by Andy Miller
5. Meat is Murder, by Joe Pernice
6. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, by John Cavanagh
7. Abba Gold, by Elisabeth Vincentelli
8. Electric Ladyland, by John Perry
9. Unknown Pleasures, by Chris Ott
10. Sign 'O' the Times, by Michaelangelo Matos
11. The Velvet Underground and Nico, by Joe Harvard
12. Let It Be, by Steve Matteo
13. Live at the Apollo, by Douglas Wolk
14. Aqualung, by Allan Moore
15. OK Computer, by Dai Griffiths
16. Let It Be, by Colin Meloy
17. Led Zeppelin IV, by Erik Davis
18. Exile on Main St., by Bill Janovitz
19. Pet Sounds, by Jim Fusilli
20. Ramones, by Nicholas Rombes
21. Armed Forces, by Franklin Bruno
22. Murmur, by J. Niimi
23. Grace, by Daphne Brooks
24. Endtroducing..., by Eliot Wilder
25. Kick Out the Jams, by Don McLeese
26. Low, by Hugo Wilcken
27. Born in the USA, by Geoffrey Himes

And coming soon - although the numbers might change:

28. Music From Big Pink, by John Niven
29. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, by Kim Cooper
30. London Calling, by David L. Ulin
31. The Notorious Byrd Brothers, by Ric Menck

Publishing March or April next year:

32. Doolittle, by Ben Sisario
33. Paul's Boutique, by Dan LeRoy
34. There's a Riot Goin' On, by Miles Marshall Lewis
35. Stone Roses, by Alex Green
36. Daydream Nation, by Matthew Stearns
37. Court and Spark, by Sean Nelson

Publishing September next year:

38. Highway 61 Revisited, by Mark Polizzotti
39. Bee Thousand, by Marc Woodworth
40. In Utero, by Gillian Gaar
41. Night Owl, by Gerry Rafferty
42. The Who Sell Out, by John Dougan

I made one of those up.

And floating in the ether, as ever, is Loveless, by Mike McGonigal.

http://33third.blogspot.com/2005/08/num ... order.html

[Otis Westinghouse]

I made one of those up.

Gerry Rafferty, I take it.

I like the way there are very obvious choices for some artists, and much less so for others, e.g. the wonderful Murmur over Out Of Time, Automatic or Green. Have you bought any CDs yet so that you could get the CD of the book, as it were, Blue?

[BlueChair]

The only ones I've read so far are Village Green Preservation Society and Harvest, both of which I knew and loved on disc before reading the books. The ones I'm compelled to read next are all of albums I own (Exile On Main Street or Pet Sounds perhaps?), but I suppose at some point I may want to dabble in something I haven't heard of.

[Otis Westinghouse]

That's how I picture you, excitedly picking up the book of a CD you've always wanted, rushing home, and playing the CD over and over as you read.

[Boy With A Problem]

Books I've read over the past couple of months -

You Ain't Got Nothing Coming by Jimmy Lerner - One of my major goals in life has always been to avoid jail/prison...so far so good - no overnight stays anyway. Jimmy Lerner wasn't as fortunate; he killed a guy in Vegas. Not so unusual except that he's 48 and has spent most of his adult life working in the office of an insurance company. The killing is mostly justifiable, but he ends up spending several years in the Nevada big house. Not as riveting as Belly of the Beast[/b, but still a fascinating read.

Public Enemies (this will not go bold face, no matter what I try) by Bryan Burroughs - This one is all about the Midwestern crime wave in the Midwest during the early to mid 1930's and how it defined the FBI. I've been interested in this stuff since I was a kid and I've been waiting for a book like this for years. The real story of Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde and the Barker Gang. Great stuff.

Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn - This is a father and son story;a kind of memoir. Nick Flynn's father abandons him when he's two and comes back into his life years later when Flynn is working at a homeless shelter in Boston. Gritty, real, depressing and extremely well written. Super short chapters and almost arty at times.

I, Fatty by Jerry Stahl - Jerry Stahl is the guy who wrote Permanent Midnight and here he's writing the Fatty Arbuckle story as if it's an autobiography. I picked this one up because I heard him promoting it on Fresh Air. He had me from the first page. Though this is non-fiction almost all of what happens is true. One of the main themes is how little things have changed in America since 1921. I now need to check out some of Arbuckle's pictures and pick up the Mabel Normand biography.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Interesting list! Wish I could find the time/open eyes to read as much as that... One day I will become the reader I used to be again, I promise.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Harold Pinter wins the Nobel Prize for Literature (story below from the NY Times). Well-deserved IMHO. I saw a great production of his play, "The Homecoming" in London a few years ago, featuring the incomparable Ian Holm. Not sure I'd agree with the NYT reporter that "The Homecoming" is especially enigmatic. Dark to be sure, but not enigmatic...

British Playwright Wins Nobel Prize for Literature

By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

Harold Pinter, the British playwright known for enigmatic plays such as "The Birthday Party" and "The Homecoming" and a well-known peace activist, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature today.

Mr. Pinter, 75, has also acted, directed, written poetry and written for film, including the screenplay for "The French Lieutenant's Woman," during his long career. He is a prominent anti-war activist in Britain, writing frequently in British newspapers about his opposition to the United States-led invasion of Iraq.

Mr. Pinter was treated for cancer of the esophagus in 2002 and has announced that he has retired from writing to focus on working for peace.

Mr. Pinter's trademark style is full of tense silences and spare dialogue, and he is among a handful of writers whose name has inspired an adjective: "Pinteresque." His plays, which have been labeled as absurdist, are deeply psychological. His characters speak to each other, but have difficulty truly communicating, and are often unable to finish sentences or express their desires.

In awarding the $1.3 million prize, the Swedish Academy said Mr. Pinter "uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms." The citation added, "Pinter restored theater to its basic elements: an enclosed space and unpredictable dialogue, where people are at the mercy of each other and pretense crumbles."

Influenced by James Joyce and Samuel Beckett - who became a friend -- Mr. Pinter wrote plays, particularly those during the 1960's, that veer unexpectedly from comedy to examinations of fear and evil. In his early plays, menace lurked just beneath the comedic surface of things - a style that became known as the "comedy of menace."

Mr. Pinter was born in London in 1930 to working class Jewish parents and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Central School for Speech and Drama. As a teenager, he twice refused national military service, and was fined. After devoting time to poetry and acting, his first play, "The Room", was performed at at Bristol University in 1957.

His second play, "The Birthday Party", was generally demeaned by critics, with the exception of Harold Hobson, who was among the most influential theater critics in Britain at the time. Despite Mr. Hobson's praise, the play closed after about a week. When Mr. Pinter achieved commercial success with "The Caretaker" in 1960, "The Birthday Party" enjoyed a second, successful run.

The drama takes place in a run-down boarding house near the seaside that has only one resident, a man named Stanley. Later, two men, Goldberg and McCann, arrive at the house and appear intent on possessing Stanley's persona.

In the 1970's, Mr. Pinter became outspoken on political issues, especially about human rights violations. In 1985, he and the American playwright Arthur Miller traveled to Turkey. During remarks at a party at the American embassy, Mr. Pinter said he had spoken to Turks who had been the victims of torture by the Turkish government, including having their genitals electrically shocked. Although the party was held in his honor, he was asked to leave the embassy.

In recent years, Mr. Pinter criticized the NATO bombing of Kosovo and the American-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Was chuffed to see this. I fell in love with Pinter as a student and read my way through his complete works. then I went to see a few of them. Utterly absorbing and tremendously original. Saw a good production of The Birthday Party here earlier in the year. It was debuted in this very town all those years ago. Good on 'im. Good interview by Mark Lawson on that 7.20 Radio 4 ciulture prog (Front Row?). Full version on BBC website. Interestingly, he talks how his legendary pauses are shorter for him than for everyone else, so when he performs in his own plays, he rattles through differently to others.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Good interview by Mark Lawson on that 7.20 Radio 4 ciulture prog (Front Row?). Full version on BBC website. Interestingly, he talks how his legendary pauses are shorter for him than for everyone else, so when he performs in his own plays, he rattles through differently to others.

Thanks for the tip Otis. Will try to check that out later.

[alexv]

Have been on a major "collected letters" kick over the last couple of months, and I want to recommend three in particular:

Selected Letters of Lord Byron: Had read a lot about, but not much by, the man, but got the letters, and was laughing my romantic ass off from start to finish. Unbelievably enjoyable stuff. The letters he wrote to his future, mathematically-inclined, wife (his "princess of paralellograms") during their odd courtship are priceless. Liked it so much that I went off and read Don Juan (also great). This is one writer who has been done a misservice by the myths created after his death. He was the first Rock Star, by the way, which probably explains the myths.

Collected Letters of Philip Larkin: Not a very nice man (as opposed to the Lord), but also incredibly funny and generous in his letters. This is a huge book, but a page turner from start to finish. Impressive to see how this perpetual bachelor, who was thought of in life as prim and ascetic, ended up managing to carry on long-standing affairs with THREE women at the same time, all the while keeping his own apartment. Impressive.

Selected letters of Marcel Proust: I thought this would be a yawner, but alas it was not to be. I think the letters are better (well, easier to get through, than the novel). You read them and you see how truly odd this man was, but he, like Byron, comes accross as heroic in the face of extraordinary psychological and physical problems. Also beautifully written.

[mood swung]

doesn't anybody here read comic books or harlequin romances?

finished the latest Harry Potter. an absolute chore from start to finish, all same ole same ole. now reading a book about 60 Minutes, the name of which I do not recall, but it's not much better than Harry. There's an unread Carl Hiaasen mocking me on the coffee table.

also re-reading No Sleep Til Canvey Island at soccer practices. Never enough Lowe.

[Jackson Monk]

Passion is a Fashion -The Real Story of The Clash
By Pat Gilbert

I'm halfway through and it's excellent!

[Otis Westinghouse]

now reading a book about 60 Minutes, the name of which I do not recall

The Story of an Hour? How can you read a book and not know its title?

[mood swung]

what can I say? it's a gift.

[miss buenos aires]

Am trying to read an Isabel Allende book in the original Spanish, but every time I sit down to read, I end up grabbing Zadie Smith's On Beauty instead. Which, by the way, is excellent, and makes me want to read Howard's End again. Any other Zadie Smith fans?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Reading in Spanish must be a real chore unless you've been working hard on it. I'd give it a few months, personally. I loved White Teeth. Zippy and fresh, the kind of book that made me drop my pathetically entrenched habits as the world's slowest reader and read it in 2 days. have but haven't read Autograph Man, which was generally slated, or at least received lukewarmly. Am interested in reading On Beauty.

How's BA, MBA? One book you MUST read there is El Tunel by Ernesto Sabato. I was recommended this early on in Madrid as a simple enough and short enough book to read, and a classic of the 60s that everyone in Spain was reading. Like a more psychological Borges, if that's not a hopelessly crap description. Nice to read something set there. Maria Iribarne.

[idle hands]

Am trying to read an Isabel Allende book in the original Spanish, but every time I sit down to read, I end up grabbing Zadie Smith's On Beauty instead. Which, by the way, is excellent, and makes me want to read Howard's End again. Any other Zadie Smith fans?

I tried to read Isabel Allende once, and always put the book down, couldn't get past the first ten pages. It was her Realismo Magico phase, and I felt it was a little bit to much Garcia Marquez, and never quite liked her afterwards. It's strange how little respect she gets here in her on country.
Anyway, if you're in Bs Aires, I would highly recommend Rodrigo Fresán, try Historia Argentina, La velocidad de las cosas, Mantra or his latest one Jardines de Kensington, which is about J.M.Barrie/Victorian-Swinging Sixties London/Kinks, etc.

And yes, El Tunel is a must. Also Ricardo Piglia

[selfmademug]

While we're on the topic of South American lit, I wonder what natives/locals/habituees think/thought of Vargas Llosa's THE REAL LIFE OF ALEJANDRO MAYTA? I loved that book and always mean to go back to it, but I always feel measured in my trust of it, given my near-total ignorance as to the complexity of the politics (before and after he himself became a candidate).

A book I trust more, for some reason, is Marquez's THE GENERAL IN HIS LABYRINTH. But I loved both books.

Thoughts?

[alexv]

SMM, I recommend Love in the Time of Cholera by Marquez, which is an immensely enjoyable book, with a good english translation. Llosa's Who Killed Palomino Moreno is a good book also, but no in the same class.

Let me recommend a Cuban writer who settled in England a long time ago and now writes in both languages: Guillermo Cabrera Infante. He wrote a book in 1979 which is available in English as "Infante's Inferno" (the original spanish title gives you a flavor for the book's playfulness, which the translation does not: "la Habana de un Infante Disfunto"): it's Habana in the pre-Castro 50s told from the point of view of a punning, communist, intellectual, movie mad hipster. A lot of fun.

[invisible Pole]

Iberoamerican Literature, as it was commonly referred to in Poland, was hugely popular in my country back in the 70's and 80's.
Unsurpisingly, I'm a big fan of One Hundred Years of Solitude, which - as far as I can recall - was a truly magical reading experience for a 17-year-old. It's on top of my list of "books to be read once again".

I would also strongly recommend "Pantaleon y las visitadoras" (English title: Captain Pantoja and the Special Service) by Mario Vargas Llosa, and Julio Cortazar's "Rayuela" (Eng: Hopscotch).