33 1/3's series of album companions has been knocking my socks off for quite some time but this one tops the list. Written by different pop culture scholars and journalists, this somewhat high minded batch is comprised mostly of underrated mainstream gems such as "XO", "Doolittle", "Songs in the Key of Life", "Grace", "Meat is Murder", and "the Dreaming". Basically, 33 1/3's series affirms the marginally mainstream, underdog championing tastes of people like myself. But unlike the whiplash sanctimony of most indie rock commentary, 33 1/3 is critical, researched, and nearly-neutral.
So why in Barbara Streisand hell did they bother including one of the most loathsome albums of all time with it's arsenal of tin flutes, chest thumps, and round the clock rotation? I won't ruin the surprise but I will whole heartedly recommend the book and even go so far as to suggest it as a soothing balm to those who suffered in aural hell during Titanic's heyday. And no, it's not all snappy pay back.
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