vesper
01-16-2008, 04:42 PM
...for the 33 1/3 series is really great. i bought it today and immediately started to read it when i got on the train. i'll post some more thoughts after i finish the book, but as of now (coming to the halfway point) it seems to succeed where most of the others in this series have failed - that is, it succeeds in striking a very strong balance between fandom and critique, and letting the anxieties that the album creates between those two positions animate the movement of the book (rather than imposing a rigorous historical/musicological system on the source material or just gushing over it). re-reading that sentence, i'm not sure i know how to say it any better. maybe what i mean is that he is clearly moved by the album; it isn't just some cultural artifact that he's squeezing for information but something that exacts a real influence over his thought process. word.