Has anybody read any of these little mini books?

I finally broke down and picked up the Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis" books, but haven't read them yet.

If they turn out OK, there's at least a dozen more of this series I might want:

Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
Beatles - Let It Be
Replacements - Let It Be (written by Decemberists' Colin Meloy)
Led Zep - IV
E. Costello - Armed Forces (written by Franklin Bruno)
VU & Nico
REM - Murmur
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Stones - Exile on Main Street (written by Bill Janovitz)
Tull - Aqualung
Kinks - Village Green
Neil Young - Harvest
Love - Forever Changes
Smiths - Meat is Murder (written by Joe Pernice)
Television - Marquee Moon
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Abba - Gold
Prince - Sign O the Times
Radiohead - OKC
James Brown - Live at the Apollo
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Ramones - Ramones
De La Soul - 3 Ft. High
Jeff Buckley - Grace
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

I was tracking these a long time ago because there were a few I wanted to read, but they hadn't come out yet. Thanks for reminding me though.

I read Ott's "Unknown Pleasures"

it was pretty interesting. apparently some of them are really weird. some of them are really technical. and some are just like reviews/history, like Ott's.

I'd never heard of 'em until 3-4 months ago...I think it's a neat idea. The "Let It Be" one has been on my Amazon "want list" for awhile.

i've read the OK Computer, Let It Be (Beatles), Meat is Murder, and Unknown Pleasures titles. the OKC one is one of the best pieces of music analysis i've ever read. i'm looking forward to the Loveless and Endtroducing ones...

KPH

October bump:

I just bought 2 more o' these thingies and here's what they've now got listed as upcoming titles (the first 3 at least are already out):

Bruce - Born in the USA
MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
Bowie - Low
NMH - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Clash - London Calling
Band - Music from Big Pink
Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers
Pixies - Doolittle
SY - Daydream Nation
Sly & the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On
Stone Roses - Stone Roses
Joni - Court & Spark

Two of my Listmania Top Ten are on that list, so yeah, I might have to buy a few more.

I wish I could write one for the series. Along with the rest of the world, of course.

Wait, so what are these again? Analyses? Behind the scenes type ographies? Word spew?

I read somewhere that Big Star's- Third/Sister Lovers and Television's Marque Moon (among others) were scheduled for release but then cancelled.. anyone know if this is true?

Marquee Moon is listed on Amazon as being discontinued, but I suspect it never came out or they'd at least have a couple of used copies for sale. Del La Soul's Three Feet High... was listed as forthcoming in an old book but is missing in listing in the newer titles.


I think they're usually a combination of analyses and behind-the-scenes, with the level of spew depending on the author.

Of the 3 I've read, Dusty in Memphis was largely spew--it was primarily a dissertation on what "authenticity" means in relation to Southern music, using the album as a starting place. Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Bowie's Low were more straightforward tales of how the albums came about, with analysis of the music and its inspirations and influence.

I just picked up Zeppelin IV. What the hell, they're only 10 bucks. They shoulda made 'em jewel-case sized so you could file them right next to the CD.

Bump 2006.

Forthcoming books in the series, per the series editor's blog:

Autumn 2006:

Loveless, by Mike McGonigal
The Notorious Byrd Brothers, by Ric Menck
Court and Spark, by Sean Nelson
London Calling, by David Ulin
Daydream Nation, by Matthew Stearns
In Utero, by Gillian Gaar
Bee Thousand, by Marc Woodworth
The Who Sell Out, by John Dougan
Highway 61 Revisited, by Mark Polizzotti
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, by Shawn Taylor

Winter 2006:

Aja, by Don Breithaupt
69 Love Songs, by LD Beghtol
Use Your Illusion 1 and 2, by Eric Weisbard
Songs in the Key of Life, by Zeth Lundy

Spring 2007:

Pretty Hate Machine, by Daphne Carr
Double Nickels on the Dime, by Mike Fournier
Rid of Me, by Kate Schatz
Another Green World, by Geeta Dayal
Trout Mask Replica, by Kevin Courrier
Let's Talk About Love, by Carl Wilson

Summer/Autumn/Winter 2007:

If You're Feeling Sinister, by Scott Plagenhoef
Shoot Out the Lights, by Hayden Childs
Horses, by Phil Shaw
Pink Moon, by Amanda Petrusich
Achtung Baby, by Stephen Catanzarite
20 Jazz Funk Greats, by Drew Daniel
The Dreaming, by Ann Powers
Lucinda Williams, by Anders Smith Lindall
Marquee Moon, by Peter Blauner
Swordfishtrombones, by David Smay

Already out:

1. Dusty in Memphis, by Warren Zanes
2. Forever Changes, by Andrew Hultkrans
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
28. Music From Big Pink, by John Niven
29. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, by Kim Cooper
30. There's a Riot Goin' On, by Miles Marshall Lewis
31. Doolittle, by Ben Sisario
32. Paul's Boutique, by Dan LeRoy
33. The Stone Roses, by Alex Green

i appreciate these updates.

3 Feet High & Rising was canceled

Endtroducing.. is pretty cool it's one long interview with Mr Davis himself.

Paul's Boutique & Low were good too, but written more from a distance.

People's Instinctive Travels.... & Daydream Nation I have to read. A few others I'd like but those 2 are musts.

And there's a perverse part of me that would really wanna read 20 Jazz Funk Greats purely outta curosity.

Oh, and Let's Talk About Love, by Carl Wilson is about a Celine Dion album. The editor said it was one of the more interesting book pitches he'd ever received.

(Not the least because Carl Wilson evidently rose from the dead to write it.)

I read a bit of the Jeff Buckley one.

I have the Unkown Pleasures edition, but have yet to read it.

I just picked this up over the weekend. A quick browse has it indeed sounding really interesting. All about music taste and why some people love some artists (like Celine Dion) and others despise them and "what drives personal taste - and whether it's possible to change it."

whiney ever finish his public enemy book?

I believe it's slated for publication in early 2010.

I'm still kicking around what album I want to write a proposal for. Deadline is end of the month.

How can they not have Blue Lines yet?

costello music lol

Just got done reading the MBV "Loveless" book. Not terribly bowled over, though it did dispel some rumors and legends about the recording due to actual quotes from Shields, Bilinda, and an engineer or two. I think one of the endearing things about the book (and could be said about all the books in the series) is that the author is obviously a fan, but is trying to walk the tightrope of being a journalist, and not a fanboy. I actually had worries at the beginning when he was describing a concert experience...but it came 'round.

Pink Flag is next on the docket.