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June 13, 2010
20 Down, 32 To Go "Wowee Zowee" (52 Books, 52 Weeks)
One of the best things about Continuum's 33 1/3 series of books on seminal albums is the varied approach of its writers. Some have written novels, others encyclopedic addendums, but most have delved simply into the creation of these critically esteemed musical works.
Bryan Charles takes the latter approach, sharing an oral history about the genesis and recording of Pavement's Wowee Zowee album that is infused with his own personal fandom of the band. Charles paints a vivid picture of the band as it wrote and recorded the album through interviews with band members and the creatives who surrounded the production of the album, all the while sharing his own experiences with the album and as a Pavement fan.
Mixing the album's history with Charles' own works exceedingly well, and captures not only the essence of Pavement when they recorded Wowee Zowee, but also the indie rock culture of the time.
My next book is Wilson, by Daniel Clowes.
also at Largehearted Boy:
52 Books, 52 Weeks
Online "best of 2009" book lists
Online "best of 2008" book lists
Book Notes (authors create playlists for their book)
Note Books (musicians discuss literature)
