These Albums Merit An Entire Book Written About Them! Name Your Picks.

First and foremost - Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk at Cubist Castle

 

With the upcoming tour and deluxe album coming out - can we soon expect a book on the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers?

 

YES! That would be awesome.

 

Any LP with a lot of different styles of song:

Strawbs, Bursting at the Seams
Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom

Any LP with some varied songs within a style:

Genesis, Foxtrot

Any LP with a strong list of songs mostly of one style:

Chameleons, Strange Times

 

Well, that almost certainly has to be more enjoyable than listening to it.

(I'm sorry, I know. But that was just too good an opportunity to pass up!)

 

I've read unknown pleasures and people's instinctive travels and the paths of rhythm from 33 1/3 series. Suprised to prefer the latter. Is there a book about Bowie's berlin trilogy i don't know about? If there isn't, there should be.

 

there's a 33 1/3 book on low. it contains a couple factual errors and more speculation on Bowie's personal life than I'd like, myself, but it's probably in the upper echelon of the series.

you're not alone in your assessment of the unknown pleasures installment. I haven't read the tribe called quest volume, but it's highly contentious--as is most music journalism principally focused on the journalist and not the subject. (that approach is not my thing, which is why I haven't read it.)

 

For what it's worth, the reason the 33 1/3 series vary so much in quality is that they are chosen via open submission. If any of you want to give it a shot, they start accepting proposals in June.

http://333sound.com/how-to-submit/

And, since we're on the subject, I thought it was interesting that the most recent entry in the series is about the Super Mario Bros. video game soundtrack.

 

Dave Marsh wrote a whole book about one song--"Louie Louie"

 

Queen - Queen II
Pink Floyd - Animals
King Crimson - Red
Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
Miles Davis - On the Corner

 

The journey back to their roots of folk, blues for the Grateful Dead on Workingman's Dead and American Beauty after the psychedelic acid test forays would make interesting reading.

Some songs from Eat A Peach and Brothers and Sisters album , post Duane and Berry deaths and the making of them would be interesting.

How the Band transformed from a barnstorming Bar Band and Dylan's Rock Era band mates into their rustic Americanna music on Big Pink and The (brown album) Band albums is intriguing enough for a book, heh?

 

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear
Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Prince - Crystal Ball
Rolling Stones - Exile in Main St.
The Who - Lifehouse

 

The Quintet: Massey Hall Concert
Neil Young: Tonight's the Night
The Ramones: End of the Century
NWA: Straight Outta Compton

 

I've long thought that this album:

warrants a full-fledged annotated edition. Just identifying and explaining all the cultural and political references in the lyrics, sourcing the samples and exploring what extra-musical meaning is being piggy-backed in on them, and untangling all the self-reflexive material (e.g. allusions to previous songs , the band's personae and the prior press coverage thereof) would fill an entire book, and that's without any critical or musical analysis of one of the greatest albums ever made.

 

Excuse me as I wipe the drool off the floor. Make this happen!!!!!

 

Didn't Charles Manson actually record and release an album (from prison--or, at least it was released after he began serving time). The story of that album would make a fascinating book (would likely touch on the Beach Boys, among others we know and love). But such a book should be published only if royalties go to charity or families of helter skelter victims

 

Saint Dominic's Flashback - Peter Wrench

Cheaply produced - intended more as an e-book - some feel it is not so great (see here) but to me it is a great companion to a favourite album of mine. The ultimate liner notes.

Kindle edition preview here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saint-Dominics-Flashback-Morrisons-Classic/dp/1781768609/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

 

So-called "Son of Sam" laws prevent criminals like Manson from profiting from their crimes. I don't know if there could be some arrangement by which a criminal could donate all proceeds of a book or album. My guess is Manson's victims are either dead or so over his crazy ass they want nothing to do with such a project.

 

Wasn't suggesting Manson write the book himself. More a Truman Capote-In Cold Blood type arrangement, only royalties (or a good portion) go to charity--if families of victims are disinterested.

 

Gen might not care but its an excellent read offering a lot of insight and background.

 

The Long Run would be my pick. It's a weak album, but I suspect has an incredible backstory, of the Eagles breaking up as they were on the verge of establishing their dominance over a new decade.

 

as long as I'm working 33 1/3 duty here, the following have had volumes in the series devoted to them:

(I know you had a much more involved topical arc to your suggestion, PW--I'm only cataloging.)​

Prince's crystal ball is addressed briefly in the sign o' the times book--another one which concentrates more on the journalist's personal story than the album itself. the tusk book also suffers from this approach, probably even more so.

I would strongly recommend Charles Granata's excellent wouldn't it be nice: Brian Wilson and the making of the beach boys' pet sounds over the 33 1/3 volume, which is acceptably-written but very basic, and which repeats a few disproven myths as fact--especially when it mentions smile.

I realize I'm coming down a bit hard on the series in this thread, so I'm happy to say I found John Cavanagh's piper at the gates of dawn volume to be superb. it's notably in-depth and maintains an even balance between the band's story and the story of the record itself. also, Cavanagh treats Syd appropriately as bandleader and songwriter without mythologizing, which is really welcome.

 

Electric Ladyland deserved one and got one from John Perry (guitarist with The Only Ones):

 

I've avoided this one because I've heard the author makes frequent comments on how he personally would improve the album's material (!) and because it supposedly lacks any information on the recording process (in which I'd be very interested). did you like it? especially being as a big Hendrix fan as you, Jim--did you learn anything new from it?

 

I never got round to buying a copy, so I can't comment on the text.
A fellow fan sent me this little piece about the phasing techniques:
http://hendrix.guide.pagesperso-orange.fr/ladyland.htm

Check this out too:


...and all the little "Behind The Scenes" videos on YouTube - for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AeWMHW0aWM&index=11&list=PLh3MAsL9i7w-X1ou3DcL9EtI-8wHmWnEf

Not really any technical details in all those though.