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old_tim's review against another edition
4.0
It’s hard to get a handle on the 33 1/3 series. Its rather free form structure means that you never know what to expect from any particular title. The approaches range from detailed studio notes to memoir to more abstract critique. In my own experience, I’ve found that my relationship to the music itself bears little relation to my enjoyment of a particular title.
The Greatest Hits is a way around this problem. Volume 1 contains selections from each of the first 20 books in the series. (For a full list, consult the publisher’s website.) While the first 20 titles do skew a tad towards the classic rock canon, there are appearances by The Smiths, James Brown, Prince, ABBA, & Radiohead.
I enjoyed having samples of each of these titles. In some cases, I plan on reading the entire volume, while in others I know that a particular author’s approach simply isn’t for me. As with a buffet, the parts you prefer may be different from mine, but there’s sure to be something here to fill your belly.
The Greatest Hits is a way around this problem. Volume 1 contains selections from each of the first 20 books in the series. (For a full list, consult the publisher’s website.) While the first 20 titles do skew a tad towards the classic rock canon, there are appearances by The Smiths, James Brown, Prince, ABBA, & Radiohead.
I enjoyed having samples of each of these titles. In some cases, I plan on reading the entire volume, while in others I know that a particular author’s approach simply isn’t for me. As with a buffet, the parts you prefer may be different from mine, but there’s sure to be something here to fill your belly.
lizziekam's review against another edition
2.0
Am I interested in what Colin Meloy thinks about the Replacements? Hmmm.
Back in the days when music lovers purchased "records," the first listenings were accompanied by obsessive reading of the liner notes and analysis and interpretation of the cover art. I wanted to know everything there was to know about my favorite bands and their music, and this fed a certain sense of identity for me, that I knew the obscure and arcane about the obscure and alternative bands I loved.
Now that my music comes as a digital download, and maybe as a function of age, I have lost this old desire to thoroughly immerse myself in music ephemera. However, I was intrigued by the 33 1/3 series, surely as a way to access that desire of my youth, but it is not exactly easy to find the actual monographs in my local library system. This volume collects excerpts from highlights of the series, so it seemed like a good way to get a taste. But I was disappointed to discover that (a) the albums chosen were not my favorites from the series, and (b) the excerpts chosen to represent the albums I did like were not about what I wanted. To wit: I love Prince, but did not require a close reading of the Sign O' The Times record. Neil Young's Harvest is MY FAVORITE ALBUM and yet it seems the reviewer actually sort of hates it. Exile on Main Street is my absolute favorite Stones album, but the excerpt here is mostly about the cover art. It would be deeply interesting had I had the actual album cover as I read it, but alas, the Exile in my collection is a digital download. Honestly, my favorite was actually Colin Meloy's piece on Let It Be.
Thus, if I come across the monographs, I may pick them up and read and chapter or two, but it seems that this is a ship that has sailed for me. I am content to listen and enjoy and not obsess.
Back in the days when music lovers purchased "records," the first listenings were accompanied by obsessive reading of the liner notes and analysis and interpretation of the cover art. I wanted to know everything there was to know about my favorite bands and their music, and this fed a certain sense of identity for me, that I knew the obscure and arcane about the obscure and alternative bands I loved.
Now that my music comes as a digital download, and maybe as a function of age, I have lost this old desire to thoroughly immerse myself in music ephemera. However, I was intrigued by the 33 1/3 series, surely as a way to access that desire of my youth, but it is not exactly easy to find the actual monographs in my local library system. This volume collects excerpts from highlights of the series, so it seemed like a good way to get a taste. But I was disappointed to discover that (a) the albums chosen were not my favorites from the series, and (b) the excerpts chosen to represent the albums I did like were not about what I wanted. To wit: I love Prince, but did not require a close reading of the Sign O' The Times record. Neil Young's Harvest is MY FAVORITE ALBUM and yet it seems the reviewer actually sort of hates it. Exile on Main Street is my absolute favorite Stones album, but the excerpt here is mostly about the cover art. It would be deeply interesting had I had the actual album cover as I read it, but alas, the Exile in my collection is a digital download. Honestly, my favorite was actually Colin Meloy's piece on Let It Be.
Thus, if I come across the monographs, I may pick them up and read and chapter or two, but it seems that this is a ship that has sailed for me. I am content to listen and enjoy and not obsess.
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