33 1/3: Achtung Baby

[If you shout...]

[I]33 1/3: Achtung Baby[/I]

I just saw that one of the new entries in the 33 1/3 books series, which focuses on "important" albums and such, is going to focus on Achtung Baby. This is surely an album worth studying, no? How could the book possibly fail?

Well, it better fail. I know the man who wrote the book, one Steven Catanzarite. While he's certainly a great deal less vacuous than other people with whom he's associated, I would still urge people not to get sucked in. Now, I realize that I'm being unfair by judging the book not even by its cover, but rather by what I inherently assume it'll be (bland and uninspired, namely) based on my knowledge of the man and his work in the academy; at the same time, I urge people to stay the fuzz away all the same. I know of what I speak. No good--NONE!--can possibly come of this.

The 'Fork has a brief summary in the news for the day. www.pitchforkmedia.com

PLEASE don't buy this book. I know how stupid a lot of U2 fans are about collecting everything, but would you really want to own a piece of shit not of, say, Bono's, but maybe one of the roadie's...? I hope not. But if you do, then by all means...please run right out and buy the equivalent when it's released in paper-form.

You've been warned, kids. Duly warned.

 

[lazarus]

Figures IYS was the first one to come across this news item...thought I would beat you to it!

I doubt I'll be able to steer away from this book, as I'm excited about seeing AB explored with some depth, and that The Joshua Tree was passed over in favor of this greater artistic achievement.. Bland doesn't bother me; it will be nice to see the album regarded from a more academic standpoint, and not your usual drooling fan's.

What you forgot to mention, IYS, is that this won't come out until 2007 at the earliest, possibly 2008. Of course, either way it will probably be out before U2's next album.

 

[Achtung_Bebe]

do you know him personally as well as through his other work? Why is he unfit to author this book?

just curious!

Perhaps I'll wait to read fan reviews once it's released, so as not to be a guinea pig

 

[catlhere]

Eh. I don't like to go too much into what an album "means" I think music means what you make of it, and that's why music is so important to us. Also, no The Joshua Tree being discussed=phail it was more important for U2 than AB will ever be.

AB="4Men Chopping down TJT"
therefore AB exists because of TJT. it's math, don't refute it!

 

[lazarus]

that depends on what you mean by important--The Joshua Tree was a culmination of everything U2 had been building up to throughout the 80's. Achtung Baby was totally transcending that mold and turning everyone's expectations upside down, breaking out into completely new territory.

I'd say that's more important.

 

[If you shout...]

do you know him personally as well as through his other work? Why is he unfit to author this book?

just curious!

Perhaps I'll wait to read fan reviews once it's released, so as not to be a guinea pig

Yeah, both personally and publication-wise. Like I said, he's really not even as bad as so many people within the academy. You would be genuinely shocked at just how low standards are--even within elevated circles of academia. It pains me. Deeply.