Books for Prep | |
by: Marc Woodworth  Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Save $10.00 when you spend $50.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Amazon.com. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout. Click to Display This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 782.421660922 EAN: 9780826417480 ISBN: 0826417485 Label: Continuum Manufacturer: Continuum Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 160 Publication Date: September 15, 2006 Publisher: Continuum Studio: Continuum Related Items:
Editorial Review: Product Description: Marc Woodworth's book covers the album's long and unorthodox period of writing, recording, sequencing, and editing. It includes interviews with members of the band, manager Pete Jamison, web-master and GBV historian Rich Turiel and Robert Griffin of Scat Records. At least sixty-five songs were recorded and considered for the album and five distinct concepts were rejected before the band hit upon the records final form. One late version, very nearly released, contained only a few of Bee Thousand's definitive songs. The rest were left out and nearly ended up in the boxes of cassette out-takes cluttering up Robert Pollard's basement. The story of Guided By Voices transformation from an occasional and revolving group of complete unknowns to indie-rock heroes is very much part of the story behind the making of "Bee Thousand". In addition to providing a central account of how the record was made, Woodworth devotes another substantial chapter to the album's lyrics. Robert Pollard's lyrics are described by critics, when they're described at all, as a brand of tossed-off surrealism, as if his verbal sensibility is somehow incidental to the songs themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want to offer a sustained discussion of Pollard's work as a writer of often sublime, beautiful, and very human lyrics. I won't miss the chance to consider the pleasures of the absurd in this context and, of course, the contributions to "Bee Thousand" of Tobin Sprout. The third key section of the book covers aesthetics. Woodworth considers the great appeal of the do-it-yourself nature of "Bee Thousand" and reflects on the larger importance of the strain of alternative rock for which this record is a touchstone. The focus is on "Bee Thousand", of course, but also includes discussion on the rise of a lo-fi aesthetic and its continuing influence. This chapter would also provide the context for an account of rock that exists because of passion, love, and compulsive need rather than formula, money, and marketing. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Woodworth's Bee Thousand starbuck couldn't be more wrong. Woodworth's book is a wonderful one because it avoids obvious trappings associated with rock music fandom as well as the temptation to present a dry, step by step history of the making of Bee Thousand. Instead, Woodworth opens the wide angle for a look at creative impulse, and how that's found a home in the person of Robert Pollard. And he does so with beautiful language, unusual commentary from other artists, and a careful scrutiny that ranges from intimate listening ... Read More Rating: - A great book for GBV fansA very informative book that makes you think about such great songs in a brand new way. The fact that Robert Pollard has not one, but two long essays in the book (one is by Bart J Hooper LLD or something similar, very obviously bob himself) makes this alone worth the price of entry. Add that to the great commentary by Tobin Sprout and a very competent author and you have a perfect celebration of the glory that is Bee Thousand and GBV. Rating:  - the stomp.....I guess, in short I would just say the best parts of this book are: The bits of interviews, say from Thrasher, Fennell, Tobin sprout, Demos...and of course thee best part of the book (in my opinion) is a play by play description of each song and kind of what went into creating this LP, via Bobby! Which really, just puts the purpose of the book into prespective. You know?,...you get the stories from the people involved, or anyone who was around them while it was going on & you have it, simple! There is ... Read More Rating: - are you amplified to read?I've read several of these 33 1/3 books, and this one is one of my favorites. Woodworth has stitched together lots of different bits and pieces for the book--listener testimonials, interviews with band members and people in Pollard's group of friends, short analyses of songs, etc. that bump up against each other and put each other in context by putting them in contrast. And much like the songs on Bee THousand, as you read/listen, you begin to realize that all the little disparate components are just parts ... Read More 
In association with Amazon.com | |