| 27th February 2007 11:42 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
anyone familiar with the "33 1/3" book series? They do a book based on a classic rock album (Let It Be, Exile etc). Its a track by track look at how the song was recorded and who played on what. Each book is authored by a different rock musician. Each musician is asked to pick an album.
the Exile one is written by Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom (one of my old favorite bands - whatever happend to them, btw?)
sounds pretty cool. Anyone have it? |
| 27th February 2007 06:50 PM |
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| fireontheplatter |
no i don't have it, but it sounds pretty cool.
i have a book sort of similuar to this i will let you know the title later...i got to go dig it up out of the shrine |
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| Nasty Habits |
Hey, Sway - the 33 1/3 books aren't actually all by musicians - some are by rock writers, bloggers, journalists, and other oddball characters. The Janovitz book is a pretty good persuasive argument on what makes Exile the classic it is, and the way he talks about how its mythic proportions and presentations fueled his own desires to be in a rock band is compelling. I did not read a lot of new information about the Exile sessions per se, but spending 130 pages with an agreeable fellow who thinks that Exile is the best album ever is not a bad way to kill a couple of hours. It is certainly sincere.
The series is actually pretty interesting - books about records from James Brown's Live at the Apollo to Radiohead, DJ Shadow and beyond, and the methodologies vary greatly. Some books are very historical, interviewing the musicians, establishing career context, etc. Some are analytical and academic along the Greil Marcus school of 'look at all the external bullshit I can show I know' rock-out-with-your-degree-out. Some are personal exercises with the album playing a central role in a memoir or a fictional context.
Of the ones I've read the James Brown is by far the best, because Douglas Wolk is a really good writer and he finds a great rhythm for talking about Live at the Apollo and how it fits into its time and into James Brown's career. You better find great rhythm if you're going to write about James Brown. He also keeps the academic and personal babble to a minimum, while maintaining that sweet cryptic hyperbolic bubble that makes good rock critiquin' squeak. The book on the Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society was also a decent read.
[Edited by Nasty Habits] |
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| glencar |
Douglas Wolk writes for Blender. I haven't heard about this EOMS book but I will check it out. |
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| Saint Sway |
ven Schlijper from Kindamusic.net is working on an article on the 33 1/3 series. Here is the except of his interview with Bill about writing his book on the Stones Exile on Main St.
(I love his answer to Question #2!!)
1) How did you get into touch with the publishers of the 33 1/3 series? Did you approach them, did they seek you on purpose for just any title, or this one in specific?
I learned about the series via press articles and I found out my friend, Joe Pernice was doing one. I contacted Joe’s manager, another friend of mine, and she gave me the editor’s contact information. I made a pitch to him (David Barker).
2)- A) How did you go about choosing which album to work on?
I wanted to write about my favorite record, which I think is the greatest rock & roll record of all time. I was afraid it was a too-obvious choice, but they went for it. I also found out later that it is not the favorite Stones record of many people, or not as many as I had originally thought.
- B) Why this record in specific and not another one? Was there any discussion or choice for you as to which one to pick?
See above. It was a slam-dunk choice for me. I lay out the case of why I think this record captures the essence of what makes rock & roll great, in terms of music primarily, but also in terms of image and peripheral pop culture.
- C) Like: why is 'Exile' chosen over 'Sticky Fingers' for example, or 'Let It Bleed'? Personal choice, the canon of greatest records ever made coming into play?
I think the records from 1968 starting with Beggar’s Banquet, and running through Exile, is one of the greatest string of recordings of any artist or band. But for me, the sheer scope of Exile, the double album as a whole, as well as all the high points contained within, make it the peak of the Stones’ career. It captures almost everything important about the band, as well as rock & roll as a genre up to that point in the history of the music. No doubt, the band continued to make very good records through the 70s, perhaps not as consistently good until 1978’s Some Girls. And important variations of rock & roll peeked out as the music continued to evolve. But really, it was almost as if everything else, including punk rock, seems in hindsight just slight variations of some of the things the Stones explored on Exile. There is not really enormous leaps from Exile to, say, London Calling, I think.
- D) Why The Rolling Stones? Was there a special reason?
They are my favorite band, and have been since I was a little kid.
3 How did you go about writing the book:
- A) Did you plan to write the book as a complete, researched biography on the single album? There's a fair amount of personal touch in this book, was that an intention from the start?
Yes, it was my intention to try to convey why I personally feel this is the greatest rock & roll record. The whole silly exercise of making such a sweeping qualitative measurement of a piece of work is by its very essence a personal point of view. But P.O.V. seems to be an important angle of the 33 1/3 series in general, so I felt free to take it from that track. I did not intend on merely researching the making of the record or lay out yet another biography of any of the particular principal musicians or players. That has sort of been done. Rather, I wanted to tell you why this record means so much to me as a musician.
- B) Why did you choose to leave out the mixed reviews on the record at the time of release?
I did not leave out the fact that there were mixed reviews. In fact, I spent a pretty good section of the book pointing that out. And I quote significantly at least one of them – Lenny Kaye’s Rolling Stone Magazine review at the time of the release. I feel it is important to point such things out and to compare how looking at a record in its various contexts can change perspective.
- C) Did you seek input from bandmembers themselves, producers, management or any endorsement at all from the artists?
Not too much. I interviewed a couple of sidemen like Al Perkins and Bobby Whitlock. And I interviewed John Van Hamersveld, who designed the sleeve. I felt like it would take too much time and energy to even make an attempt to contact the Stones. And there is a wealth of quotations from them, interviews about the record, that already exist. I did want to draw more attention to the contributions of side musicians to the record specifically and to the Stones in general. It might seem lazy that I did not try to get in touch with the band, but it really was not the point of the book. Again, it was my own reaction as a listener in various stages of my life. But I did try to compare my feelings about the record and its mythology to the reality as expressed in other books and publications by various players involved in the making of the record.
All of that said, I would love to talk to any of the Stones about anything, really, but especially this record. I am not used to interviewing people and do not really enjoy it. As for endorsement, no, I did not seek it, but I guess it would be nice to have. It is beside the point.
- D) How much of your work was being handled by or guided or controlled the publishers/editor?
Not much. I asked the editor, David Barker, for feedback often. But he was very laid back about it. He was, however, very helpful to me, as this was my first book on any subject. He made suggestions of how I could cut the length down a little bit and also helped me focus on some of the more interesting points I made.
- E) How did the fact you're a musician yourself influence your writing and your look on the record?
It is more or less the driving force of the book and the main subtext. I try to trace my development from being just a really young fan, through my development as a musician in my teens, to being in a professional band through my 20s, right to now, as my music has become less of a business again and more of a passion. I tried to use my expertise having recorded for over 20 years, to explain some of the processes in making Exile and comparing it to other methods and new technologies.
4) What were your hopes for the published book? Will it be about good sales, about appreciation from the artists, from the fans, from the music media at large? And were your expectations and hopes met in the end?
I think my expectations were exceeded. They were rather modest: to connect with lovers of this record, of the Stones, of the 33 1/3 series, and of my music and share a love of this record with all of them. No expectations for sales figures.
5) Do you have anything specific or interesting (unique selling points) things to add, feel free to do so!
Not really. Thanks for the interest. |
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| glencar |
In Blender's Battle of the Bands, he opted for Prince over the Stones. |
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| Saint Sway |
quote:
glencar wrote:
In Blender's Battle of the Bands, he opted for Prince over the Stones.
Douglas Wolk not Bill Janovitz.
thats why Janovitz plays kick ass rock in Buffalo Tom, while Wolk writes fluff for Blender |
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| glencar |
Oops! |
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