As you'll see below, we received quite a few proposals this time around. 597 by my count. (OK, by my computer's count - I can't actually go that high.) I haven't even started reading these yet, but it's tremendously exciting. A very big Thank You to everyone who sent in a proposal. Current thinking is that we'll put together a 'shortlist' of sorts, a few weeks from now, which will maybe consist of the 100 or so proposals that are still in the running. But of course this could all change as I start reading...
Make what you will of this list - a snapshot of the interests of contemporary music critics? Some cunning ploys to get a book published? Or is it just utterly random? Feel free to leave comments below, as well as ever so subtle anonymous hints that we should select your proposal :) My only comment at this stage is to note the relatively small number of proposals on albums by artists already covered in the series: I was really expecting a deluge of Dylan, Pink Floyd, Velvets, Smiths, Stones and Radiohead pitches. Instead, we get Slint, Ween, and Britney - hurrah!
Oh, and apologies if the alphabetization isn't perfect...
***
2 Live Crew – As Clean As They Wanna Be (Title now fixed - my bad!)
10CC – Sheet Music
AC/DC – Back in Black
AC/DC – Back in Black
AC/DC – For Those About To Rock
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Against Me! – Reinventing Axl Rose
Agnostic Front – Cause for Alarm
Aimee Mann – I’m With Stupid
Air – Moon Safari
Alejandro Escovedo – More Miles Than Money
Alexander “Skip” Spence – Oar
The All-American Rejects – All-American Rejects
Allman Brothers Band – At Fillmore East
Amy Grant – Lead Me On
Animal Collective – FEELS
Annie: Anniemal
Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphrodite’s Child – 666
Arcade Fire – Funeral
Arcade Fire – Funeral
Arcade Fire – The Neon Bible
Archers of Loaf – Vee Vee
Aretha Franklin – Amazing Grace
Arthur Russell – World of Echo
Arthur Russell – World of Echo
At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command
The B-52s – Wild Planet
The B-52s – B-52s
Bachman Turner Overdrive – Not Fragile
Bad Religion – Suffer
The Beach Boys – Smile
Beat Happening – Beat Happening
The Beatles – Beatles for Sale
The Beatles – The Beatles
The Beatles – The Beatles
Beck – Mutations
Beck – Odelay
Beck – Sea Change
Beck – Sea Change
The Bee Gees – Bee Gees 1st
The Bee Gees – Best of the Bee Gees, Volume 1
Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen
Ben Folds – Songs for Silverman
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal
Beulah – Yoko
Big Black – Atomizer
Big Country – The Crossing
Bill Fox – Transit Byzantium
Billy Bragg and Wilco – Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg – Workers Playtime
Black Oak Arkansas – The Definitive Rock Collection
Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell
Black Star – Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Black Uhuru – Showcase
Blue Oyster Cult – Secret Treaties
The Blues Project – Projections
Blur – 13
Bob Dylan – Saved
Bob Dylan – Self Portrait
Bob Dylan – Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind
Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet
Bright Eyes – Fevers and Mirrors
Britney Spears – Blackout
Britney Spears – Blackout
Britney Spears – Blackout
Broadcast – Haha Sound
Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It in People
Bruce Cockburn – Humans
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town
Camper Van Beethoven – Key Lime Pie
Camper Van Beethoven – Key Lime Pie
Carole King – Tapestry
The Cars – The Cars
The Cars – The Cars
Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman
The Chills – Submarine Bells
The Church – Priest = Aura
The Clash – Sandinista!
Cocteau Twins – Pink Opaque
Counting Crows – August and Everything After
The Cramps – Songs the Lord Taught Us
Crass – Christ the Album
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle Vol 1
Crowded House – Together Alone
The Cure - Pornography
Cyndi Lauper – She’s So Unusual
Cypress Hill – Black Sunday
Daft Punk – Discovery
Daft Punk – Homework
Dag Nasty – Can I Say
D’Angelo – Voodoo
Daniel Johnston – Yip/Jump Music
Danzig – Danzig
David Bowie – Diamond Dogs
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Thomas and Two Pale Boys – 18 Monkeys on a Dead Man’s Back
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate
De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead
De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead
Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Death Cab for Cutie – Plans
Deerhoof – Milk Man
Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue
The Deviants – Ptoof!
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Digital Underground – Sex Packets
Dinosaur Jr. – You’re Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr. – You’re Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr. – You’re Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr. – You’re Living All Over Me
Dismemberment Plan – Emergency & I
Donovan – Gift From a Flower to a Garden
Donovan – Sunshine Superman
Doug Walker – Fear Together
Down – Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
Dr. Dre – The Chronic
The Dream Syndicate – Days of Wine and Roses
Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera
The Drones – Gala Mill
Duran Duran – Rio
Duran Duran – Rio
Duran Duran – Rio
Duran Duran – Rio
The Eagles – Greatest Hits
The Eagles – Greatest Hits
The Eagles – Hotel California
Earth – Earth 2
Earth – Phase 3: Thrones and Dominions
Eels – Electro-Shock Blues
ELO – Out of the Blue
Electric Prunes – Mass in F Minor
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley (1956)
Emmylou Harris – Pieces of the Sky
Ennio Morricone – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Brian Eno and David Byrne – My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun
Explosions in the Sky – The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
Fairport Convention – Liege and Lief
Fairport Convention – Liege and Lief
Faith No More – Angel Dust
Faith No More – Angel Dust
The Fall – Hex Enduction Hour
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
Fall Out Boy – From Under the Cork Tree
Fennesz – Endless Summer
The Fire Show – Saint the Fire Show
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters
Frank Zappa – We’re Only In It for the Money
Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
Fugazi – 13 Songs
Fugazi – In On the Kill Taker
Fugazi – In On the Kill Taker
Fugazi – The Argument
The Fugees – The Score
The Fugs – It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest
Galaxie 500 – Today
Gang of Four – Entertainment!
Gang of Four – Hard
Gang of Four – Solid Gold
Garth Brooks – (in…) The Life of Chris Gaines
Gary Numan and Tubeway Army – Replicas
Gary Numan and Tubeway Army – Replicas
Gary Numan – The Pleasure Principle
Gary Wilson – You Think You Really Know Me
Gene Clark – No Other
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
George Michael – Faith
George Michael – Older
Giant Sand – Chore of Enchantment
Gillian Welch – Time (The Revelator)
Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
Girl Talk – Night Ripper
Glasvegas – Glasvegas
Graham Parker and the Rumour – Squeezing Out Sparks
Grateful Dead – Anthem of the Sun
Grateful Dead – Anthem of the Sun
Grateful Dead – The Closing of Winterland
Grateful Dead – Europe ‘72
Green Day – Dookie
Green Day – Insomniac
The GZA – Liquid Swords
Half Japanese – Sing No Evil
Hall and Oates – Rock ‘n’ Soul Part One
Henry Cow – Western Culture
Herb Alpert – Whipped Cream and Other Delights
The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
Husker Du – Zen Arcade
Husker Du – Zen Arcade
Husker Du – Zen Arcade
Ice Cube – Death Certificate
Iggy and the Stooges – Raw Power
Iggy and the Stooges – Raw Power
Iggy Pop – TV Eye (1977 Live)
The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band – Wee Tam and the Big Huge
Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
J. Geils Band – Monkey Island
J Dilla – Donuts
J Dilla – Donuts
Jack Bruce – Harmony Row
The Jam – All Mod Cons
Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking
Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual
Jason and the Scorchers – Lost & Found
Jawbreaker – 24 Hour Revenge Therapy
Jawbreaker – Dear You
Jawbreaker – Dear You
Jay-Z – The Blueprint
Jefferson Airplane – Crown of Creation
Jefferson Starship – Blows Against the Empire
Jeffrey Lewis – 12 Crass Songs
Jellyfish – Spilt Milk
Jerry Lee Lewis – Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
Jethro Tull – Songs from the Wood
Jimmy Buffett – Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come
Jimmy Eat World – Clarity
Joanna Newsom – Ys
Joe Jackson – Night and Day
John Cale – Paris 1919
John Fahey – America
John Frusciante – Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt
John Frusciante – Shadows Collide with People
John Lennon – Live in New York City
John Mayer – Heavier Things
John Mayer – Room for Squares
John Phillips – John the Wolfking of L.A.
Johnny Cash – American Recordings
Johnny Cash – American Recordings
Jon Brion – Meaningless
Jon Carter – Live at the Social
Joni Mitchell – Hejira
Judee Sill – Heart Food
Kanye West – 808 & Heartbreak
Kanye West – The College Dropout
Kanye West – The College Dropout
Karen Dalton – In My Own Time
Kate and Anna McGarrigle – Kate and Anna McGarrigle
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
Kiss – Destroyer
Kiss – Kiss Alive!
Klaus Nomi – Klaus Nomi
The Knack – Get the Knack
Korn – Korn
Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express
Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express
Laurie Anderson – Big Science
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Leon Russell – Carney
Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen – Various Positions
Lil’ Wayne – Da Drought 3
Lil’ Wayne – Da Drought 3
Little Feat – Sailin’ Shoes
Little Feat – Sailin’ Shoes
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Lou Reed – Berlin
Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music
Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music
Low – The Great Destroyer
Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Lungfish – Sound in Time
Madonna – Ray of Light
Main Source – Breaking Atoms
Manu Chao – Clandestino
Marianne Faithfull – Broken English
Mark Farina –United DJs of America Vol 9
Marlo Thomas and Friends – Free To Be You and Me
Marshall Crenshaw – Marshall Crenshaw
Mary Margaret O’Hara – Miss America
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell
The Meat Puppets – Meat Puppets II
The Mekons – Fear and Whiskey
The Mekons – Fear and Whiskey
The Melvins – Lysol
The Melvins – Bullhead
The Melvins – Houdini
Meshell Ndegeocello – Bitter
Metallica – Metallica
Metallica – Metallica
Metallica – Master of Puppets
Metallica – Master of Puppets
Metallica – Master of Puppets
The Meters – Rejuvenation
The Meters – The Meters
M.I.A. – Kala
Michael Jackson –Thriller
Michael W. Smith – Go West Young Man
Mick Ronson – Slaughter on 10th Avenue
The Microphones – The Glow Pt. 2
Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust
Mike Ness – Cheating at Solitaire
The Millennium – Begin
Mobb Deep – The Infamous
Moby Grape – Moby Grape
Moby – Play
Modern Lovers – Modern Lovers
Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Modest Mouse – The Lonesome Crowded West
Mogwai – Young Team
The Monkees – Head
The Monkees – Pisces Aquarius Capricorn and Jones Ltd
Morrissey – Ringleader of the Tormentors
Morrissey – Viva Hate
The Mother Hips – Back to the Grotto
Mothers of Invention – Freak Out!
Mott the Hoople – Mott
The Mountain Goats – All Hail West Texas
The Mountain Goats – Tallahassee
The Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree
The Mountain Goats – We Shall All Be Healed
Murder City Devils – Empty Bottles Broken Hearts
Naked City – Naked City
Namco – Katamari Fortissimo Damacy
The Nation of Ulysses – Plays Pretty for Baby
Neil Diamond – Hot August Night
Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night
The Nihilist Spasm Band – No Record
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies
New York Dolls – New York Dolls
New York Dolls – New York Dolls
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Tender Prey
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
NWA – Straight Outta Compton
The Oblivians – Soul Food
The O’Jays – Back Stabbers
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers
Olivia Tremor Control – Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle
Operation Ivy – Energy
Operation Ivy – Energy
Ottmar Liebert – The Scent of Light
Ozzy Osbourne – Tribute
Paul Simon – Graceland
Paul Westerberg – Stereo/Mono
Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted
Pearl Jam – Ten
Pearl Jam – Vitalogy
Pearl Jam – Vitalogy
Pearl Jam - Vs
The People’s Temple Choir – He’s Able
Pere Ubu – Dub Housing
The Persuasions – Chirpin’
Pet Shop Boys – Very
Peter Hammill – Over
Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
Phil Ochs – Rehearsals for Retirement
Phil Spector – Back to Mono (1958-69)
Phish – 03/01/2003
Phish – Junta
Phish – Rift
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Poe – Haunted
The Police - Synchronicity
Portishead – Dummy
The Postal Service – Give Up
The Postal Service – Give Up
The Postal Service – Give Up
Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
Primal Scream – Screamadelica
The Promise Ring – Nothing Feels Good
Public Image Limited – Metal Box
Public Image Limited – Metal Box
Pulp – Different Class
Pulp – Different Class
Pulp – This Is Hardcore
Pulp – This Is Hardcore
Pulp – This Is Hardcore
Pussy Galore – Exile on Main Street
Queen – Queen II
Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime
Quiet Riot – Quiet Riot II
Radiohead – Kid A
Radiohead – Kid A
Radiohead – Kid A
Rage Against the Macine – Evil Empire
Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
The Raincoats – The Raincoats
Randy Newman – Born Again
Randy Newman – Good Old Boys
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red House Painters – Songs for a Blue Guitar
REM – Automatic for the People
REM – Fables of the Reconstruction
REM – Monster
The Residents – Meet the Residents
The Residents – Commercial Album
Richard Buckner – The Hill
Richard Hell and the Voidoids – Blank Generation
Ride – Nowhere
Robert Calvert – Captain Lockheed
Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom
Robyn Hitchcock – I Often Dream of Trains
Rocket from the Crypt – Circa: Now
The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones – Some Girls
The Rolling Stones – Some Girls
Royal Trux – Cats and Dogs
Royal Trux – Cats and Dogs
Rudimentary Peni – Cacophony
Run D.M.C. – Raising Hell
Rush – 2112
Rush – Moving Pictures
Rush – Moving Pictures
Rush – Vapor Trails
Sandy Denny – Sandy
Say Anything - …is a Real Boy
Scott Walker – The Drift
Scott Walker – The Drift
The Screaming Trees – Dust
Sebadoh – Bakesale
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next
Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson
Severed Heads – Since the Accident
Shania Twain – Come On Over
The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun
Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun
Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun
Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun
Silver Jews – The Natural Bridge
Silver Jews – American Water
Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Gospel Train
Slapp Happy – Slapp Happy
Sleater-Kinney – One Beat
Slint – Spiderland
Slint – Spiderland
Slint – Spiderland
Slint – Spiderland
Slint – Spiderland
Slint – Spiderland
Slint – Spiderland
Sloan – Twice Removed
Sloan – Twice Removed
Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
The Smiths – The Smiths
Smog – Julius Caesar
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle
Songs Ohia – Magnolia Electric Co
Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger
Soundgarden – Superunknown
Sparklehorse – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
The Specials - Specials
Spoon – Kill the Moonlight
Steppenwolf – Live
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians
The Stooges – Fun House
The Strokes – Is This It
The Strokes – Is This It
Styx – Greatest Hits
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans
Suicide – Suicide
Super Furry Animals – Phantom Power
Supertramp – Crime of the Century
Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden
Talking Heads – Fear of Music
Talking Heads – Fear of Music
Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair
Television – Marquee Moon
Television – Marquee Moon
Thee Iran Contras – The Murderbirds
They Might Be Giants – Flood
They Might Be Giants – Flood
They Might Be Giants – Flood
They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
They Might Be Giants - No!
Tim Barry – Manchester
Tindersticks – The Second Tindersticks Album
Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything
Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits
Tom Waits – Mule Variations
Tool – Ænima
Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Townes Van Zandt – Townes Van Zandt
Tupac (Makaveli) – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind
U2 – Pop
U2 - Zooropa
Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne
Uncle Tupelo – March 16-20, 1992
Uncle Tupelo – March 16-20, 1992
Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants
Unrest – Imperial F.F.R.R.
USA for Africa – We Are the World
Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
Van Halen – MCMLXXXIV
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
Various Artists – American Primitive Vol 1
Various Artists – Artificial Intelligence
Various Artists – Dave Godin’s Deep Soul Treasures Vol 1
Various Artists – Let Them Eat Jellybeans
Various Artists – Maranatha! Music: The Everlastin’ Living Jesus Music Concert
Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music Vol 26
Various Artists – O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack
Various Artists – Pebbles, Vol 1
Various Artists – Pulp Fiction: Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists – Queer to the Core
Various Artists – Repo Man soundtrack
Various Artists – Reservoir Dogs soundtrack
Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever soundtrack
Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever soundtrack
Various Artists – Singles soundtrack
The Velvet Underground – Third Album
The Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
The Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
Warren Zevon – Warren Zevon
Waylon Jennings – Honky Tonk Heroes
The Wedding Present – Seamonsters
Ween – Chocolate and Cheese
Ween – Chocolate and Cheese
Ween – Chocolate and Cheese
Ween – The Mollusk
Ween – The Pod
The White Stripes – Elephant
The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
The Who – Quadrophenia
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
Wilco – Being There
Wilco – Forthcoming 2009 Album
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Willie Nelson – Stardust
Woody Guthrie – Dust Bowl Ballads
The Wrens – Meadowlands
Xiu Xiu – Fabulous Muscles
X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents
X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents
X – Live at the Whiskey a Go Go
X – Los Angeles
X – Los Angeles
X – More Fun in the New World
XTC – English Settlement
XTC – Skylarking
XTC – Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol 2)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
Yellow Magic Orchestra – Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yes – Close to the Edge
Yes – Fragile
Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Yoko Ono – Plastic Ono Band
Young Jeezy – Let’s Get It
Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth
The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle
The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle
***
258 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 258 of 258I'd like to preorder:
Serge Gainsbourg
Pere Ubu
Gang of Four's Entertainment
Devo
and Air
Thanks
"Together Alone" had an interesting creation, but it was such a wildly disappointing album--it's really their Let It Be, the sound of a truly great pop band disintegrating amidst fighting, depression, isolation (recording on Kare Kare beach like that) and too many drugs. While I suppose that would make for an interesting book story-wise, the song quality (or lack thereof) of TA kinda negates it.
On the other hand, I always thought the first album would be a natch for 33 1/3--throwing away a comfy career with Split Enz, risking it all to start over in the U.S. and then triumph with (an admittedly irritating) hit single. But they turned that proposal down last time when I submitted it, so clearly I know nothing.
What no "Ocean Rain" from Echo and the Bunnymen? Sheesh!
McCrank's Jukebox
there for sure needs to be some hip hop...but X, Pere Ubu, Television the Specials and Shuggie Otis look really good.
"I disagree with the people who are saying that the records need to have "great stories" behind them... These books are about music, and sound; recording techniques and historical context."
Surely the 'recording techniques and historical context' ARE the story behind the album? If it was literally just about the music, then why have a book at all? The albums pretty much have the music covered...
Whoever submitted the proposal for Katamari Fortissimo Damacy is my hero. I'd buy that just on principal.
A great number of the wish-lists compiled here so far are comprised mainly of critics' darlings. I'd like to read about something else; there's so much music out there that is simply ignored, or forgotten. Most of the truly new and interesting things on this list aren't going to come from the tired old stomping grounds of indie rock, punk, and classic rock.
With that in mind, here's my list:
Amy Grant - Lead Me On
Aphrodite's Child - 666
Bee Gees - Bee Gees 1st
Electric Prunes - Mass in A Minor
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
The Meters - The Meters
Michael W. Smith - Go West Young Man
The O'Jays - Back Stabbers
The People's Temple Choir - He's Able
Ride - Nowhere
Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair
USA For Africa - We Are The World
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
I do think that this batch of proposals will be weighted heavily towards established names - well-known writers and musicians that will bring the series more renown. The economic climate will probably make it hard for them to take chances on risky authors and books (like many I tipped above).
"1 - Importance of the artist
2 - Influence of the record
3 - Freshness - why write about an artist/album that has been written about to death? Surely it is better to choose someone who has not been the subject of in depth critical analysis - unless you can bring a very, very new angle to the table."
one can argue that more recent albums have just as much influence and haven't been adequately analyzed as well; your list included mostly older albums.
There isn't enough decent writing about Arcade Fire. Plenty written, not much of it good or new. Which is a shame, because they're interesting folks, I can't imagine any book about them not being worth buying.
So, no-one's interested in reading 'The Velvet Underground'? I would. An often (officially) ignored period of the band but a fascinating one: Cale out, Reed flourishes, Yule in, the long slow death of the band when Sesnick ups the commercial ante and exit Lou. I know a few thousand VU fans like me wanna read that.
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I is an album that needs way more press than it has. Lyrically it's a must for anyone in their mid 20s and has no idea what to do with their life. Musically it's an amazing blend of pop, punk, "math rock", dance and pure craziness. Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase get it written
Surprised to see only one Animal Collective proposal on the list. That new album rips.
I would pick out 20 from this long list, which would be turned into 33 1/3 books:
1. Woody Guthie - Dust Bowl Ballads
2. The White Stripes - Elephant
3. Suicide - Suicide
4. Severed Head - Since The Accident
5. Portishead - Dummy
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
7. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
8. Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Leonard Cohen
9. Karen Dalton - In My Own Time
10. Johnny Cash - American Recording
11. Joanna Newsom - Ys
12. Iggy Pop and The Stooges - Raw Power
13. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
14. Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley 1956
15. The Drones - Gala Mill
16. Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
17. The Cramps - Songs The Lord Taught Us
18. Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Time
19. Aphex Twin - Selected Amient Work 85-92
20. AC/DC - Highway To Hell
I've held off on weighing in, but the proposals that I really hope are good enough to get deals are "Astral Weeks" "Y's" "Remain in Light" "Graceland" "The Glow pt. 2" "Exile in Guyville" "The Blueprint" "Discovery" "Darkness on the Edge of Town" "Kid A" "Let it Bleed" and, the closest I'll come to plugging my own--any of the R.E.M. books.
My personal wishlist:
Arcade Fire – Funeral
At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command
Beck – Odelay
Carole King – Tapestry (!!!)
Counting Crows – August and Everything After
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (all these latest three really deserve a seminal book)
Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera
Eels – Electro-Shock Blues
Joanna Newsom – Ys (too soon, but indeed deserving)
Johnny Cash – American Recordings
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Massive Attack – Blue Lines
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
Pearl Jam - any of those...
Portishead – Dummy (!!!)
The Postal Service – Give Up (!!!!!)
Radiohead – Kid A (!!!!!!!!!!)
Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
REM – Automatic for the People
Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun
Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and/or Siamese Dream
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
and it's nice to see Blackout got 3 nominations! It's indeed a great album, don't snub it.
but... Glasvegas and Vampire Weekend - seriously!? blah. and forget about Slint, they're a band for critics only.
oh man nation of ulysses would be such a great addition. awesome band that were crazy influential on punk and hardcore that broke up way to soon.
dan,
you are not alone. in fact, the cats and dogs proposal was collaborative. so, there are at three of us. please contact us as it would be good to connect with a royal trux devotee:
theredthreads@yahoo.com
dan,
good to know you are out there. the cats and dogs proposal submitted was collaborative. so there are at least three of us. please contact us at:
theredthreads@yahoo.com
it would be good to connect with a kindred fan.
"Let Them Eat Jellybeans" would make a hell of a read. That was a crucial album to own when one was getting into punk rock in the early 80's, and now most of the bands on that compilation are legends.
It's interesting to look back at the longlist from Feb 2007. One anomaly that jumped out at me is that NINE proposals were submitted then for Weezer, and none this time. Odd!
While there are several interesting and intriguing offerings on this list, my vote goes to Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town.
I know I'm showing my age when I say that the books in the series that mean the most to me are those I grew up with, like Aqualung and Court and Spark, but I'm a hipster even if I'm an old hipster, and I love most of the books in the series I've read, even when the albums didn't shape me.
I know the person who proposed Herb Alpert's "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" and I've read the proposal, and it sounds like a great addition to the series to me, plus I think the writer would do a tremendous job on it.
Others I would totally buy:
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Randy Newman - Good Old Boys
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
Television - Marquee Moon
They Might Be Giants - Flood
Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything
Keep up the good work! Love the series.
Yes! Say Anything.
That record is amazing.
Good to see Clarity and 2 Jawbreaker records too
And nothing feels good
But seriously Say Anything
"It's interesting to look back at the longlist from Feb 2007. One anomaly that jumped out at me is that NINE proposals were submitted then for Weezer, and none this time. Odd!"
Didn't Pitchfork's Jessica Suarez get a nod to write a book on "Pinkerton"? Or am I imagining that. If that's right, i remember most or all of the Weezer proposals were for that album. Beyond that, the Blue Album is okay, and everything else is of questionable quality. Many Weezer fans agree. This is probably why there were no proposals.
Frankly, I think maybe someone needs to break off and make a seperate series of books based on the same idea - but dealing with rhythm and blues, soul and hip hop. It is distressing to see how this series has turned into a white boy indie rock love fest. Reading comments, you would think the music world revolves around tinny Steve Albini style recordings of some idiot in a garage who can't sing or play guitar well but has 'indie cred.'
Jesus. There's a huge world of music made in the English speaking world that has nothing to do with that aesthetic. It's not a bold statement to say that over half of great American music was created by black artists.
Hell, Chuck Berry essentially created rock and roll, did you forget that?
I would buy LOTS of copies of these. And distribute them...
Earth – Earth II
John Fahey – America
Residents – Commercial Album
Scott Walker - The Drift
Yoko Ono - Plastic Ono Band
some great potentials. my favorites:
Stooges- fun House
Jimmy Eat World- Clarity
Portishead- dummy
Soundgarden- superunknown
David Bowie- ziggy Stardust
Wilco
You got have 33 1/3 books on Johnny Cash – American Recordings, Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Tender Prey, The White Stripes – Elephant. It just would not be right without them.
Thanks David
I want to read "Whipped Cream and Other Delights." Apart from the music, that album cover alone ... well, shall I say meant a great deal to a generation of young men?
gang of four's Hard album??? This needs to be written. Please? Who agrees?
Gang of Four - Hard, was actually a fundamental turning point for me. Upon release I was so devastated by what a sell-out crapfest one of my favorite bands had issued, that I swore off any faint hope that the remnants of the Punk/New Wave scene could deliver anything of value. My next trip to the record store was purposefully to venture into a new musical dialog, and (never having owned a Jazz or Classical recording) I bought Michael Tilson Thomas & BSO's DG release of Stravinsky's - "The Rite of Spring" and Lester Young's - "Pres and Teddy and Oscar". Ultimately the jazz bug held, leading me to work for a jazz and blues label 4 years later. In this way the album "Hard" was absolutely FUNDAMENTAL to increasing my appetite for great music. However, I laughed when I saw it on the list, particularly since "Entertainment" was, and remains, a great rock record. I don't have a horse in this race, except as a consumer who owns every 33 1/3 book, with the arrival yesterday of #61: Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace Of Sin.
"Hard" could not be a more inappropriate name for that record. it's a faceplant of an attempt to reconcile gill/king's new found coke addiction with marxism using only a drum machine.
As the author of the 2 Live Crew proposal, I can confirm that it was for "As Clean As They Wanna Be" and titled as such, although there's a heavy quantity of "Nasty" mixed in. Presumably, the "Live" in this post was just an innocent typo that comes from inputting a few hundred album and artist titles.
I'd totally buy a book about Prefab Sprout's "Steve McQueen".
PERE UBU with DUB HOUSING OR MODERN DANCE will be terrific.
Ha -- thanks for the 2 Live Crew correction. I wasn't annoyed at all by the typo, just figured I'd clarify in light of a couple confused comments.
Oh absolutely Talking Heads! Kinda surprised there isn't one already... Also stoked on Violent Femmes and The Strokes. Stroked!
amazing to see a proposal on Agnostic Front, would be interesting read a book about the "Cause for Alarm" period
Fall Out Boy!
That might be an excellent book
As might Say Anything
(same anonymous)
I wish I could read all the proposals. Not all the books, for sure (because I'm sure at least a handful of them came from very bad writers) but I'm so curious about how everyone made their pick. Some commenters in this thread have said they had trouble choosing their album. I didn't even have to think about mine. I just saw a call for proposals and started working on one. I knew what I had to write. I'm curious what angles people went with. But then again, I'm as interested in other people's lives as I am in books.
Earth 2 - I know a ton of people would pick that one up.
Great idea. Super influential album.
Personal picks:
Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
and I would kill a man with my bare hands for Pussy Galore's Exile On Main Street.
I really hope Devo's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo assignment goes to Terre Thaemlitz.
Would love love love to read books on joanna newsom, cyndi lauper, liz phair, erykah badu, lauryn hill, and b52s!
Am surprised that there's no siouxsie on here though, maybe next time.
Say Anything ...is a real boy! It's important that book be made.
Please publish a book on Let's Dance! This album (and the whole mid 80's Bowie) deserves to be vindicated.
It's "As Nasty as they Wanna Be."
"As Clean as they Wanna Be" is the clean version of the album.
Stereolab "Emperor Tomato Ketchup
I missed the proposal boat this time around. Do you gave any idea when (or, indeed, if) you'll be looking for new proposals?
Stooges- Fun House
Husker Du- Zen Arcade
The Fall- Hex Enduction Hour
Dinosaur Jr- You're Living All Over Me
I think that the Britney Spears album should really be left off the list, mainly because she hasn't really done anything major in the past ten years to change the her genre of music that she is in.
However, I am very disappointed at the fact there is only one album by Bruce Springsteen on this entire list and also you choose the wrong album to do originally for the series, while Born In The USA is a good album, it isn't his biggest hit and while Darkness is a great album, it isn't comparable to the three preceding albums. To your list please add the following albums: Greetings from Asbury Park By Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run By Bruce Springsteen.
Yes indeed
INVENTION -- WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY
which would i would think cover the first two as well, Cali in the mid 60s, Beefheart involvement, Tom Wilson and Dylan, The Beatles' hearing The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet then making Sgt Peppers....an underappreciated and seminal, pivotal LP...
That graceland book seriously needs to happen. Honestly, someone could pretty easily do books on Rhythm of the Saints, Graceland, or Hearts and Bones.
Tori Amos - Boys For Pele
Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
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