33 1/3 Greatest Hits, Volume One (33 1/3) - Softcover

It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom "Exile on Main Street" or "Electric Ladyland" are as significant and worthy of study as "The Catcher in the Rye" or "Middlemarch." And so we have Continuum's "33 1/3" books, a series of little paperbacks each dedicated to a seminal rock album, from James Brown's "Live at the Apollo" to the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds." The series, which now comprises 29 titles with more in the works, is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration. John Niven's "Music From Big Pink," based on the classic 1968 LP by the Band, takes things a step further: it's fiction. (Gary Kamiya The New York Times)

"These are for the insane collectors out there who appreciate fantastic design, well-executed thinking, and things that make your house look cool.... We love these." -Vice (Vice)

"Love it or hate it, Nick Hornby's High Fidelity at least snatched pop music away from pasty snob reviewers (cough) and made it accessible for anyone who's ever had a favorite song. This ongoing series of novellas and essays takes that idea and runs with it, as musicians, writers, and scholars give us their thoughts on a single album. But this isn't wheezy music criticism-every author's take is autobiographical and anecdotal. And the range of albums (everything from the Beatles' Let It Be to the Replacements', um, Let It Be) is eclectic enough that there should be something for everyone. (four stars)"
-Maxim


"Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't nearly enough."
-Rolling Stone

"For those of you who really like to know everything there is to know about an album, you'd do well to check out Continuum's "33 1/3" series of books. Each volume dedicates over 100 pages of thorough, in-depth analysis, history, and other observations to one album. The books are usually written by a renowned journalist, artist, or someone else otherwise qualified to write about such matters."
-Pitchfork


"At certain times in your life, a great record is more important than a good friend....You could write a book about the intense bonds that form between a listener and an album that comes along at just the right time. And now someone has-in fact, a half dozen people have (so far)....[E]ach has a distinct, almost militantly personal take on a beloved longplayer."
-Tracks Magazine


"A brilliant series....each one a work of real love."
-NME


"Passionate, obsessive, and smart."
-Nylon


"[A] consistently excellent series."
-Uncut (UK)


"Informed, fun and personal."
-Paste Magazine