33⅓
33⅓ (Thirty-Three and a Third) is a series of books with each volume written about a single album.[1] The series title refers to the speed of a vinyl LP.[2]
History
Originally published by Continuum,[3] the series was founded by editor David Barker in 2003.[1] At the time, Continuum published books on philosophers; series editor Ally-Jane Grossan mentioned that Barker was "an obsessive music fan who thought, 'This is a really cool idea, why don't we apply this to albums'."[3] PopMatters wrote that the range consists of "obscure classics to more usual suspects by the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones".[1]
In 2010, Continuum was bought out by Bloomsbury Publishing, which continues to publish the series.[3] Barker was replaced by Grossan following his leave in January 2013.[2] In 2016, Daphne Brooks, Kevin Dettmarr, Amanda Petrusich, and Gayle Wald assumed co-editorial duties.
Two independent books have been spun off of the series; Carl Wilson's 2007 entry on Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love was expanded for a 2014 Bloomsbury reissue with material not specifically pertaining to the Dion album and retitled Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste. A rejected proposal from writer Brett Milano for an entry on Game Theory's 1987 album Lolita Nation was instead expanded on by Milano into a biography on the band's leader Scott Miller; That project, titled Don't All Thank Me At Once: The Lost Genius of Scott Miller was released by 125 Books in 2015. [4]
Published titles
As of September 2017[update], 125 books have been published.
[*] Intentionally mis-numbered
Forthcoming titles
- 2017
- Homogenic by Emily Mackay on the album by Björk (1997)
- The Raincoats, by Jenn Pelly, on the album by The Raincoats (1979)
2018
- 24 Hour Revenge Therapy by Ronen Givony on the album by Jawbreaker (1994)
- Boys for Pele by Amy Gentry on the album by Tori Amos (1996)
- In on the Kill Taker by Joe Gross on the album by Fugazi (1993)
- Okie from Muskogee by Rachel Rubin on the album by Merle Haggard (1969)
- Peepshow by Samantha Bennett on the album by Siouxsie and the Banshees (1988)
- Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version by Jarett Kobek on the album by Ol' Dirty Bastard (1995)
- Switched-On Bach by Roshanak Kheshti on the album by Wendy Carlos (1968)
- Tin Drum by Agata Pyzik on the album by Japan (1981)
- Transformer by Ezra Furman on the album by Lou Reed (1972)
2019
- The Holy Bible by David Evans on the album by Manic Street Preachers (1994)
- Jesus Freak by Will Stockton and D. Gilson on the album by DC Talk (1995)
- One Grain of Sand by Matthew Frye Jacobson on the album by Odetta (1963)
- Southern Accents by Michael Washburn on the album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1985)
- Southern Rock Opera by Rien Fertel on the album by Drive-By Truckers (2001)
- The Wild Tchoupitoulas by Bryan Wagner on the album by The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)
2020
- Diamond Dogs by Glen Hendler on the album by David Bowie (1974)
- Voodoo by Faith A. Pennick on the album by D'Angelo (2000)
References
- ^ a b c Yoder, Anne K. (3 April 2006). "Introduction and Interview with Series Editor David Barker". PopMatters. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^ a b Benfer, Amy (28 August 2014). "Review 33⅓ book series celebrates records -- and its 10th anniversary". LA Times. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^ a b c Brown, Harley (25 February 2015). "How the 33 1/3 Series, In Spite of Two Shrinking Industries, Continues to Thrive". Billboard. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^ Zaleski, Annie (January 1, 2016). "The lost pop genius of Scott Miller". Salon. Archived from the original on 2016-01-06.
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External links
- Official blog for the series
- TimesOnline on the book series.