For the last decade or so
Bloomsbury Publishing has been releasing a series of small books on music albums, under the heading
33 1/3. There have been 86 releases so far, ranging from massively popular albums like Bruce Springsteen's
Born in the USA and
ABBA's Greatest Hits to more esoteric and quietly influential records such as REM's
Murmur and
Spiderland by Slint. Even weirdo heroes of the avant-garde, such as
Captain Beefheart have earned themselves recognition under the 33 1/3 banner.
(personal image)
Most of the books cost around 13 dollars and weigh in around 180 pages, each with a different author. While I can't speak for every issue, I have purchased quite a few up to this point and I have found the writing and insights to be worthwhile in each case. There is no specific format to which the author is restricted, which helps keep the series from becoming redundant. In some cases a track-by-track analysis of the record is provided, as with Wilson Neate's book on
Pink Flag. Other editions are more "vocal", in the sense that a broad collection of interviews is used to illustrate the history of a record, as in Nick Attfield's take on
You're Living All Over Me.
A key aspect of the 33 1/3 series is the usage of social media to attract and maintain a fan-base. By maintaining a humble blogger website as their homepage and
encouraging the submission of proposals by readers, there is a connection being made with the readership in a way that large publishing giants cannot relate. There blog is regularly updated with mentions of press coverage as well as upcoming releases in the series.
If you are a music fan, I suggest you check out the
complete list of 33 1/3 titles and see if one of your favourite records has been covered.
Amazon.ca stocks almost every one available, and it should only take two to get free shipping.
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