The 33⅓ B-Sides: New Essays by 33⅓ Authors on Beloved and Underrated Albums

33⅓ Anthologies #3

by Will Stockton (contributor), D. Gilson (Contributor)

If given another chance to write for the series, which albums would 33 1/3 authors focus on the second time around? This anthology features compact essays from past 33 1/3 authors on albums that consume them, but about which they did not write. It explores often overlooked and underrated albums that may not have inspired their 33 1/3 books, but have played a large part in their own musical cultivation.

Questions central to the essays How has this album influenced your worldview? How does this album intersect with your other creative and critical pursuits? How does this album index a particular moment in cultural history? In your own personal history? Why is the album perhaps under-the-radar, or a buried treasure? Why can't you stop listening to it? Bringing together 33 1/3's rich array of writers, critics, and scholars, this collection probes our taste in albums, our longing for certain tunes, and our desire to hit repeat--all while creating an expansive "must-listen" list for readers in search of unexplored musical territories.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Essays, Anthologies

Unknown Binding

First published September 5, 2019

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

Authors of previous 33 1/3 books are invited back for brief essays on other albums about which they might have written. So in that sense, yeah, B-sides. But the editors (whose 33 1/3 I didn't read because I once saw Petra's Beyond Belief film, so have already had all the LOLs one life needs out of Christian rock) have also stipulated that the albums concerned should themselves be B-sides in some other sense, which mainly serves to occasion logical contortions by the contributors: I don't care how punk your crowd was, mate; Leonard Cohen's Songs of Love and Hate is in no sense a B-side. Nobody has the sense to do the obvious thing and write about an actual B-sides collection such as Pet Shop Boys' staggering Alternative, or Suede's Sci-Fi Lullabies which, despite its unforgivable omissions, remains one of their best. A few at least gesture convincingly by writing about oddments such as Christina Aguilera's Spanish album, or releases before or after an act's peak – though the piece about REM's debut EP, for all its undoubted love, can't help but be dominated by a) the writer's 'I was there!' over being into REM considerably before you and b) the writer's description of 1982 as a famously terrible year for music, which is a very strange thing to read when any UK pop fan in my circles just takes it as read that it was one of the best. Far too many pieces, though, are about acts' most obvious and canonical albums - Scritti's Cupid & Psyche '85, Cale's Paris 1919, even a couple that don't have years in the title. Not that the pieces are necessarily uninteresting; at this length, even something where a slim 33 1/3 volume might not appeal can offer a worthwhile glimpse of worlds entirely new to me. It's only the entirely avoidable error of that editorial straitjacket which makes them seem out of place for failing to fit a restriction that was never needed in the first place. Then too, there's a competition in which the most popular entry here will be expanded into a full 33 1/3 volume, which seems misconceived, because while there are definitely entries here which seem like pitches, some of the best are the ones which are perfect just the way they are: I loved the account of a new father coming to terms with Billy Idol's Cyberpunk, but I suspect that at book length it would be purgatorial, not least for the writer.

Inevitably, cycling through so many entries from people who often share a certain mindset can sometimes feel like exposure to an inhuman amount of American-style music criticism; one entry is mostly about the author apologising for once being snarky about Guided By Voices because he wanted the big boys at Pitchfork to think he was cool. Style-wise, the worst offender might be the piece on the Smashing Pumpkins' Adore, with its description of Mellon Collie and Gish as the band's "cornerstone outputs". Although there's a strong rival in the tediously predictable piece on a live album by the predictably tedious Band, who in any case have already had a 33 1/3, which is at least one more than they deserve. Honestly, it reads like an unnecessarily long and particularly cruel post to Facebook's Group Where We Pretend To Be Boomers. Even the generally likeable piece about the soundtrack to the Village People's Can't Stop The Music, whose general agenda of not being ashamed to like things sincerely I wholly support, is riddled with that maddening assumption that the American experience is universal. "The title track nails it. Think about the lyrics for a second, and don't pretend you don't know them." Except it's not one of the three Village People tracks which prospered in Britain, so I feel like Granny Weatherwax successfully not thinking of an elephant.

More often, though, it's just a case of 'well, I wouldn't have done it like that'. Melody Maker's Unknown Pleasures book remains the gold standard for anthologies about underappreciated albums, even if many of its entries have since joined the canon. Footnote acts I would have thought naturals for inclusion - the Devils, Lifter Puller, the Creatures - may or may not have their stories told elsewhere one day. And in the meantime, this collection has interested me in a couple of new acts, and will hopefully likewise introduce Kenickie to people for whom, astounding as it may seem, they weren't a core part of teenagerdom.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

33 1/3 was (is?) a series of books I never really got on board with – people I've never heard of talking about albums I've never heard; until the likes of, say, the Bjork one at least. If anything combined the selections it was a kind of "student listening" I never grew into, either when I was a student or afterwards. But I do love the series, for the "Twin Peaks soundtrack" one got me addicted to the sci-fi-kitsch of Jean-Jacques Perrey, and for that I will be forever grateful. Now, Perrey albums are just not "student listening" – you'd have to have a unique whimsy to attempt to culturally unpack anything with such a sense of humour and a Moog front and centre. It's just not compatible with the bedsit canon. But they may have found their way here, where a lot of returning authors from the franchise give us thoughts on a "B-side album" – a set of music that doesn't deserve a full book, but whether it hit a formative time, or marked a distinct watershed in a musician's or genre's existence, or just acted as a kind of ephemera, deserves a proper look.

And that's why I really liked this book. No, once more there is too much "student listening", but heck it made me want to look again at the second De La Soul set, it made me aware how unaware I was of Del Amitri, and so much more. I will confess to reading little of this, but why try and like the musicology when you know you don't like the music? (Although scanning some of the "who? What?" sections taught me at least one thing – that Modest Mouse overlapped with Alta Vista web searches.) That's not to say these people can't write, mind – for those with an adventurous taste, this is a minefield; it looks like common ground where you know what to expect, but you can tread on a right banger in wait just for you at any time. With 55 charges present, there's something for everyone here.

[Jay Gabler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over 50 authors of books in the 33⅓ series share brief essays on the ones that got away: albums they would like to write a book about. Some of these are unabashed guilty pleasures (Cyrus R.K. Patell writes about American Idiot...not the Green Day album, but the Broadway cast recording). Some of them are obvious landmarks that, yeah, probably should have books written about them (Shawn Taylor on De La Soul Is Dead: "black whimsy is about being playfully odd"). Some are deep cuts from well-known artists (Bruce Eaton recommends a 1974 Springsteen bootleg, arguing that "his sonic story can't be fully told without a 'recording of independent origin' to fill in a vital gap"), and quite a few of them are for true musicheads only, because I work full-time at a radio station and I have 100% never heard of Guy's Guy (1988) or Von Freeman's Doin' It Right Now (1972).

I reviewed The 33⅓ B-Sides for The Current.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of these records were new to me. Sadly, I've lost touch with new music over the past 30 some years. But I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to exploring music again in the not too distant future! I have often discovered the B-sides of albums had better music on it than the A-sides! I liked so the many essays by a variety of writers discussing their own B-sides. I don;t know that it's well researched, but it is very readable and it's interesting to read about how others view and judge their music. I'd recommend this book to music lovers. It would make great gift, as well.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Kojo Baffoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read a 33 1/3 book for ages and thought this one would be a good place to start but it wasn’t. This is not because of the quality of the writing. That was fine. I realised that, when reading books on music and/or musicians (which I enjoy doing regularly), I like to submerge myself in the music while reading. Because B-Sides is a collection of essays about a bunch of artists and their albums considered B-Sides by the writer, I couldn’t really do this. Plus, I actually don’t know the majority of bands/musicians covered or their music. I am going to try going back over it to listen to some of the albums.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this based on the title and summary. I’m a music lover and there’s nothing I enjoy more than finding recommendations for some obscure music to explore. But while this book might have eventually done that, I couldn’t sustain interest long enough to find out. I only read the first 2 chapters before giving up. It was very boring to me and seemed super circuitous to get to the point of each chapter/title, if there really was one. I don’t recommend this. Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for sharing the ARC.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like reading the 33 1/3 extended essays on albums that I love, so I was looking forward to this collection of shorter essays on "B-sides" (less well-known, less acclaimed albums that still hold a special place in the heart of these writers). Although I didn't know quite a few of these albums, they were still enjoyable to read - it's refreshing to see a person's passion about something, expressed without tearing others down or being cynical. I'm looking up a bunch of these to have a listen.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and well written book. It was an entertaining and engrossing excursus on music and it helped to discovered some underrated records.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley.

Like its parent series the 33 1/3 B-sides collection is a mixed bag of essays about albums across all genres, mainly focusing on personal connections to an album or a making of overview. I largely enjoyed these, learning more about albums I already love, and finding new albums to listen to. However some essays focused on albums that were just too unknown to me or were a little boring in writing style so it feels like one to dip in and out of. It also seemed like less than 20% of the 50+ essays were by women and this felt really noticeable and a real shame!

[Gabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

the essay collage style of this book works much better than the usual 33 1/3 formula of 80 pages of backstory followed by 15 pages of tepid technical analysis and a swift conclusion. very nice airport read

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, some of it was probably great. But I get the feeling the series has gone on for far too long now and has mostly lost its mojo. Those first few years they all felt so vital. Now there are too many sub-plots, back-alleys and side-projects.

[Nicole Zeckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most the essays in this collection are more personal than the other books in the series, and I personally love it for that. Reading brief little tales of what an album means to an individual is something I find fascinating.

[LimeCream · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and enjoyable book that has been well researched.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Cj Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading people’s commentary about music. I like being exposed to new music. But there just wasn’t enough I could relate to in here.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This will not be on the blog. A group 33 1/3 authors write about albums they like. It's ok but more something to dip into. Stick with the actual series

[Jimmy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got what I expected. Some hit and miss writing. And a lot of music listening

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as digital galley from NetGalley.

I love the concept of 33 1/3 (focusing on indivdual albums) so I gobbled up this eollection of smaller pieces on various albums that didn't warrent any entire book. The differing authors makes the collection feel a little disjointed and I found my interest waned depending on my interest in the album and/or artist. But overall a solid showing.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 33 1/3 B-Sides: New Essays by 33 1/3 Authors on Beloved and underrated Albums is a wonderful collection of sharp concise essays on some surprising albums. Edited by Will Stockton and D Gilson, this book would have been almost perfect if they had made themselves stick to the criteria they set for all of the other writers.

I'll get my biggest negative out of the way first. Stockton and Gilson wrote 2 introductions, one apiece, each serving as an introduction as well as each writer's contribution. Unfortunately, these two overly long, redundant, self-indulgent essays were almost enough to make me not want to keep reading. But once I started the legitimate essays there was no way I wasn't going to finish the book. The problem with the introductions is that they repeated, both within their respective essays and between the two of them, some of the same information. They beat the idea of a "b-side" to death, even to the point of stating things that simply aren't true. Album b-sides are nothing in principle like single b-sides. I like that they wanted to use a broad and loose understanding of what the term b-side could represent, but they could have co-written one short introduction that gave us that information, then put their respective essays in the appropriate sections. It would have kept the beginning of the book from getting bogged down in repetition and self-indulgence. And it would have required them to tighten up their writing about their album selections. Instead, their two introductions failed as good introductions and their discussions of their two albums are by far the weakest of the entire collection.

That seems like a big negative but it isn't when taken in context. The rest of the book shines. There is music that you will know and music that will be new to you. In that sense, this can serve to introduce readers to new (to them) music. More importantly, I think, is that even if we are reading about an album we don't know or just barely remember, the dynamic between that album and what it means to the writer will strike a note with most readers. We have all loved an album or song that it seemed like no one else "got." Or felt we discovered something new, or been helped through a period of life, or even given some insight on how to navigate life. These essays will remind you of those songs and albums, of those feelings of yesteryear or yesterday.

A couple of essayists revert back to their adolescent selves when remembering their choice. Instead of placing their beloved album as something in contrast to or different from what they had been listening to at the time, they put down the music of the period. If you read these people at their word, they believe that no one had a strong connection to the music they still, decades later, feel the need to bad mouth. It is like they are still teenagers trying, and failing miserably, to be cool. But even those essays, once you discount the lack of musical understanding, in spite of claiming such, are compelling for what they meant and, apparently, still mean. Lets face it, when remembering a record can make you spew disrespect for a list of songs and artists and, by extension, the listeners who might have been moved by them that record is special to you. Turns you into a juvenile, but meaningful nonetheless.

Highly recommended for lovers of music, for those who have strong connections with songs from their past, and those who like reading about and learning about music they might have missed.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are short essays each by a different author on a favorite album that wasn’t one that was popular with the masses, the “B sides.” The small book features 55 different musicians (counting the introductions.) If you enjoy music these essays will remind your favorite album and how it affected you.

Many, or at least the ones I read, seem to feature the author reminiscing back to their youth, when music first started taking hold, and the album they listened to over and over, that became a constant.

I didn’t read this entirely, just dabbled here and there with the artists I’m familiar with. I tried reading one or two of ones I don’t know and it didn’t do much for me. I love the concept of the series and will be looking for one of the full-length books dedicated to a favorite artist.


Thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.