The 33 1/3 thread.... (the book series)

Just finished The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society. My least favorite of the books so far. It’s not poorly written but poorly edited. It almost feels like the middle of a far more interesting book or more likely the liner notes to the author’s dream box set of the album. It spends a good three quarters of the book referencing a non album track (almost leading the reader to believe it is some lost fantastic Kinks song - it isn’t according to the author) only to explain it in the end. It doesn’t provide context and assumes you know the history of the band (which I don’t). Far too much of it is spent going track by track (including a hodge podge of tracks from the “era” which he sets up with rules he freely breaks) which are uneven (one even goes into the type of musical analysis that @duke86fan feared would leave these books impenetrable). It’s all a shame, because it’s probably the most interesting album to be a subject of the five books I’ve read so far.

That being said, I have a desire to read Ray Davies autobiography after it. Does anyone else have any recommendations in regards to good books about the band? @HiFi Guy ??
 
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Lee Newman said:
up next will be interesting - the first “artsy” book and the first one for a band I know I’m not a fan of. What will I think? Will @Joe Mac still talk to me when I’m done?
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I always reserve that it’s each of our rights to disagree, sometimes vehemently, and still be able to have a pint together afterwards. I have no time for people who take robust argument personally! Also whilst I’d like you to share in my love for The Smiths you’re perfectly entitled to not do so!
 
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Lee Newman said:
Just finished The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society. My least favorite of the books so far. It’s not poorly written but poorly edited. It almost feels like the middle of a far more interesting book or more likely the liner notes to the author’s dream box set of the album. It spends a good three quarters of the book referencing a non album track (almost leading the reader to believe it is some lost fantastic Kinks song - it isn’t according to the author) only to explain it in the end. It doesn’t provide context and assumes you know the history of the band (which I don’t). Far too much of it is spent going track by track (including a hodge podge of tracks from the “era” which he sets up with rules he freely breaks) which are uneven (one even goes into the type of musical analysis that @duke86fan feared would leave these books impenetrable). It’s all a shame, because it’s probably the most interesting album to be a subject of the five books I’ve read so far.

That being said, I have a desire to read Ray Davies autobiography after it. Does anyone else have any recommendations in regards to good books about the band? @HiFi Guy ??
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I think if you read Ray’s book you’ve also then gotta read Dave’s book for balance. Man those brothers like to scrap!
 
It’s flat and has played well for the first half (on the second side right now), so I’ll probably not do anything about because it seems like a lot of effort.

I also surprisingly like the whole of the music so far. Rushholme Ruffians and Nowhere Fast stand out especially. Not very fond of That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore but that may just be that sonically it sounded inferior to the rest so far.

We’ll see what a month and a reportedly odd book do for me.
 
wmeugene said:
That is a little bit of its charm, its not as consistent as either their debut or The Queen is Dead.
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I can get down with that. I mean I’m a Rubber Soul guy after all. Hell, I’d rather listen to Rattle and Hum than any other U2 album. These transitional figuring things out albums are more interesting. Probably one of the reasons I’m so big on Neil Young and Bowie... they were/are always trying to figure it out.
 
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Lee Newman said:
I can get down with that. I mean I’m a Rubber Soul guy after all. Hell, I’d rather listen to Rattle and Hum than any other U2 album. These transitional figuring things out albums are more interesting. Probably one of the reasons I’m so big in Neil Young and Bowie... they were/are always trying to figure it out.
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The CD version(s) are even more uneven, they tried tacking on a few extra tracks from singles and b-sides. So you have this lopsided album....and then what is one of their "rock"iest and inarguably most famous song, "How Soon Is Now?" tacked on at the end. The lowing moos on the title track always make me laugh, they're so over the top.
 
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