Pulp: This is Hardcore by Jane Savidge (33 1/3 Books)

 

Pulp: This is Hardcore by Jane Savidge (33 1/3 Books)

BOOK MUSIK No. 20 - David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (33 1/3) by Glenn Hendler

Book Musik 020 – David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs (33 1/3) by Glenn Hendler

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Book Musik

Tosh and Kimley discuss David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs by Glenn Hendler from the 33 1/3 series. Diamond Dogs is frequently considered one of Bowie’s best albums by critics and fans alike. It’s an album that was stitched together from the detritus of a failed 1984 project and his reading of William Burroughs’ Wild Boys which impelled Bowie to use the cut-up technique in his lyric writing. Bowie’s cryptic lyrics are ripe for the kind of OCD examination that the 33 1/3 series allows. And given our current virus-laden era of social distancing and big brother-like policies emanating from the powers that be worldwide, this feels like an album for our time.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Playlist inspired by Wendy Carlos

Spotify Wendy Carlos inspiration music

Apple Music Inspiration Wendy Carlos Music

And listen to the episode of Book Musik on Wendy Carlos: /book-musik-014-wendy-carloss-switched-on-bach-by-roshanak-kheshti

BOOK MUSIK No. 14 "Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach by Roshanak Kheshti (33 1/3)

Tosh and Kimley discuss Wendy Carlos’s Switched-On Bach by Roshanak Kheshti from the 33 1/3 series. Switched-On Bach, an album of Bach compositions played on a Moog synthesizer, is one of the bestselling classical recordings of all time. In the 1960s Carlos worked with Robert Moog to further the synthesizer’s capabilities and with the 1968 release of Switched-On Bach she pioneered an entirely new way of making music. She also wrote powerful scores to several films including Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. And she was one of the first public figures to come out as transgender. She’s groundbreaking in both her professional and private life and yet she’s maintained an air of mystery and intrigue that we find very compelling.

book-musik-014-wendy-carloss-switched-on-bach-by-roshanak-kheshti

BOOK MUSIK No. 10 - "Golden Hits of the Shangri-Las by Ada Wolin (33 1/3 Books)

Tosh and Kimley discuss Golden Hits of the Shangri-Las by Ada Wolin from the 33 1/3 series. The Shangri-Las were a teenage girl group of the 1960s with a reputation for coming from the mean streets of Queens, NY. Their world was bleak and things always ended badly in the melodrama of their biggest hits like “Leader of the Pack” and “Remember.” They had a huge influence on a diverse group of musicians from The NY Dolls and The Damned to Blondie and Alex Chilton. We venture down the path of their dark world.

Theme music: “Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts” by LG17

Serge Gainsbourg Display at Book Soup

Photo by Zoie Matthew

Many thanks to Zoie Matthew and the staff at Book Soup for putting up a display of books regarding Serge Gainsbourg.   Also note, that Book Soup has sign copies of "Gainsbourg" by Gilles Verlant for sale.  The world of Serge is a rich one, so do enjoy.  

www.booksoup.com

Jane & Serge. A Family Album. TASCHEN Books

It seems the world of Serge Gainsbourg is making a huge dent on the American and English speaking world at the moment.  There's TamTam Books' great biography "Gainabourg" by Gilles Verlant, the 33 1/3's wonderful book on Melody Nelson (read review down below) and now Taschen is putting out what I hope will be a great photo book.  Andrew Birkin, Jane's brother, took the images, so this promises to be something desired by us Serge fans.  Down below is text from the Taschen website, plus a link:

The highly public love affair of French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and British actress Jane Birkin captured the hearts and imaginations of a generation. The moment Jane and Serge met on a movie set in 1968, sparks flew. They would spend the next 12 years together, a passionate union that produced the controversial duet "Je t’aime... moi non plus" (whose explicit lyrics and orgasmic moans caused so much fuss that the Vatican declared it offensive) and, in 1971, the legendary album Melody Nelson as well as a daughter, Charlotte, who has become a successful actress in her own right. From the earliest days of Jane and Serge's romance until their split in 1980, Jane’s brother Andrew Birkin was a frequent presence in their lives; an avid photographer, he snapped thousands of candid family photos during those years. Birkin’s pictures—very few of which have ever been published—offer a rare view of daily life for the couple, bringing us back to a place and time we have long idolized. Though more than 30 years have passed since the two parted ways, and over two decades since Serge parted from this world, the passion for Jane and Serge has endured. This treasure trove is sure to fan the flames of its undying embers

Designed by M/M (Paris), the photo album comes in a clear plastic cover with the following goodies tucked inside:

• Text booklet featuring an introduction by Jane Birkin and Andrew Birkin’s memoir of Jane and Serge, illustrated by Birkin family childhood photos
• Softcover contact sheet booklet
• Fold-out poster
• 5 photo prints
• Sticker sheet
• Embroidered patch

The photographer:
Andrew Birkin is a writer and film director. He won the Royal Television Society's award for "The Lost Boys," his trilogy of films based on his biography of J. M. Barrie. Later he won a BAFTA award for "Sredni Vashtar" as well as an Oscar nomination, and in 1993 won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival for "The Cement Garden."

The editor:
Alison Castle received a BA in philosophy from Columbia University and an MA in photography and film from New York University (NYU/International Center of Photography masters program). She is the editor of titles on photography, film, and design, including Some Like it Hot, The Stanley Kubrick Archives, Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs, and Marc Newson: Works.

Jane & Serge. A Family Album. TASCHEN Books

33 1/3 "Histoire de Melody Nelson" by Darran Anderson

Darran Anderson's little study on one of the great albums that came out of Europe, "Histoire de Melody Nelson" is a superb study on Serge Gainsbourg and his masterpiece.   First of all I am touched that both titles ("Gainsbourg" by Gilles Verlant & Serge Gainsbourg's short novel "Evguenie Sokolov) that i published are in the bibliography.  So with the music and the books he's coming from a good place!

Anderson's book is very brief, but there's no wasted words.  He has a deep understanding of Gainsbourg's work, and not only does he talk about the Melody Nelson album, but it is also a brief biography on the great artist.   As in the Verlant biography, it is moving as well as terrifying to read about Gainsbourg's childhood running away from the Nazis.  Over time I have read tales dealing with the Occupation, but the Gainsbourg narration is one that really makes me emotionally aware how horrible those times were.  Almost unthinkable, yet it is these surroundings that probably inspired the greatness in Gainsbourg's songs and his very own iconic stance against authority.  

The book also captures the flavor of Gainsbourg's love for literature and how that inspired him as well.  Baudelaire, Jarry, Rimbaud, and the lasting influence of Boris Vian played a big role in how Gainsbourg looked at life and art.   Anderson is a wonderful writer, and his smart, intelligent take on Gainsbourg is right on the button.    Essential read for anyone who even has the slightest interest in the world of Serge, but also insightful in how bad things (occupation) can charge a shy figure into a warrior of sorts.   This book along with Gilles Verlant (The granddad of Serge bios), Sylvie Simmons' English bio and Gainsbourg's "Evguenie Sokolov"  we now have a great representation of the world of Gainsbourg in print.  

"Pet Sounds" by Jim Fusilli

A very nice book regarding a great album by the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds." Overall the 33 1/3 series is pretty straight forward except for Carl Wilson's "Let's Talk About Love (Celine Dion) and "Meat is Murder" by Joe Pernice, which is a work of fiction influenced by the Smiths album. The author Jim Fusilli pretty much goes track-to-track analysis but what gives this book a must-read for Beach Boys fans is the emotional attachment he feels for this album - and pretty much all of the early Beach Boy recordings.

The story of Brian Wilson is an extremely sad one. Abused as a child, and basically hanging by his nails to insanity, he produced the ultimate typical image of California sun culture. But behind the sun was the dark cloud that was always lurking on the side-lines - and one can hear the darkness in pretty much all of Wilson's work. I like to think of his work as super White blues!

The big plus is how Fusilli connects to the Beach Boys sound and their aesthetic of California life. He writes very movingly on his own childhood and seeing California as the promised land via the images produced by Brian Wilson and Company. A lot of the book deals with the music directly, but I find it more interesting when Fusilli writes about his emotional connection to the music. "Pet Sounds" is pretty great, but "Smile" was just around the corner...  Also author Haruki Murakami translated this book into Japanese, due to the fact that he's a major Beach Boys fan.

I strongly recommend that you watch the videos down below.  Its fascinating to hear how Brian Wilson construct the songs with the Wrecking Crew as well as with the other Boys...

"God Only Knows" (Tracking Session)  Very beautiful without the vocals.

"I'm Waiting for the Day"  (some images of the Wrecking Crew)

"That's Not Me" (Fascinating behind the scenes in how they recorded this track)

"I Know There's An Answer"  (background of the making of this song)

"Let's Go Away for Awhile"

"Don't Talk"

The making of "Sloop John B."