33⅓ Greatest Hits, Volume 1

33⅓ Anthologies #1

by David Barker (Editor)

The writings in this book are extracted from volumes 1 through 20 of our 33 1/3 series - short books about individual albums. In here you'll find a wide variety of authors, albums, and approaches to writing about those albums. So sit back, put on your headphones, cue up your favourite songs, and let our writers transport you to a time
Dusty Springfield headed south to Memphis to record a pop/soul classic;
The Kinks almost fell to pieces, and managed to make their best album while doing so;
Joy Division and their mad, brilliant producer created a debut record that still sounds painfully hip today;
James Brown mesmerized a sell-out crowd at the Apollo, in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis;
The Rolling Stones shacked up in the South of France and emerged with one of the best double-albums ever;
The Ramones distilled punk rock into its purest, most enduring essence...

33 1/3 Greatest Hits, Volume 1: it's like a compilation album, without the filler.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2006

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Hornby recommended several of the individual books, so I wanted to check out the series. I only read the pieces about albums I knew, but the ones I read I really enjoyed.

Library copy

[Burgoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Michael Sandels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all 33 1/3 books! Here’s a collection!!

If you’re like me, you’ll love the 33 1/3 books. I have purchased an embarrassing number of them. They are all in depth stories about great albums, usually rock. This is a fantastic collection of done of the best of, as it were. Check out the stories in this and Greatest Hits volume 2 and see which contains the most of your interests and get it! I’m such a sucker for this stuff. If you are too, then you’ve arrived at your Mecca, my friend.

[Andy Mascola · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology featuring excerpts extracted from the first twenty 33 1/3 books. Each book in the series features a writer documenting their feelings on one amazing album. Excerpts from Pet Sounds to OK Computer were included. I liked it.

[Susan]

Only read Nick Rombes chapter—The Ramones.
I appreciate his skill and style and passion, but the subject matter is beyond where I want or need to be.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Peter Holst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being somewhat of a music nerd, this book met my needs as casual reading in short spurts. Some of the album stories are a little silly, like the myth-building chapter on Stairway to Heaven (which should have been about Zoso, and could have had so many more interesting versions with behind-the-scenes info or actual music analysis, instead of the hippie mumbo jumbo they went with). Another silly attempt is the joy division read that felt like a high school diary - but perhaps that reflects on my opinion of joy division's musical following.
Most of the albums are analyzed in a more interesting way, reflecting on cultural import as well as recording methodologies. Good for any pop musicologist with a nod to underground currents.

[Nick McTaffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had its moments like the chapters on Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd, but, for the most part, this is an excuse for people to get paid without doing any research or having anything to do with anything pertaining to their subject. I guess I'm looking for factual accounts of my heros in the form of research with facts on the stuff that happened. The chapter on Rolling Stones was one of the best, as the writer seemed to know alot of details about what was going on with them then. I could care less about the writers lives, though. I just don't care what they are thinking or feeling unless they are Lester Bangs. I say read this if another more in depth bio is not available to you.

[Jon Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great way read the best of the 33 1/3 series and see which albums you'd like to read more about. Some albums you might love and be really curious about but the writer doesn't approach it in a way that jives with you. Or there could be albums that you're not too excited about but the author has a really refereshing take on the material. A great crash course on the cream of modern pop music.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gave a nice taste of the 33 1/3 series that devotes a novella sized text to one particular album. It seems like there's a lot of diverse takes throughout the series. But this compilation was hard because they were so truncated. Of course it was the only way to do it for a volume like this, but instead of reading this I'd suggest just diving in and picking up the texts that are on albums you like.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it would be different than this, just small chapters out of the books themselves. Not very satisfying, not sure if I will read any of the series now. I had no idea who the writers where and nothing is added to tell me who they are.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some selections were really interesting. Some were indulgent and dreadful. Some were about albums I've never even heard of (I skipped those.) All in all, I'll probably do more reading in this series. It is awfully British, though. "Freshen your drink, Gov'nor?"

[Joe Faust · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of chapters from different books in the 33 1/3 series is a mixed bag of work. There are pieces of unreadable pretentious tripe, fawning fanboy upchuckium, and insightful, well-thought out analyses.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this, it's just frustrating that I can't seem to find the actual 33 1/3 books! (I suppose I'll have to order them - apparently you can't find everything in NYC.)

[James Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the selections about albums I know (the making-of as well as the personal narratives), and made a point to check out the albums I don't know.