The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (33 1/3 Series)

33 1/3 is a series of short books about a wide variety of albums, by artists ranging from James Brown to the Beastie Boys. Launched in September 2003, the series now contains over 50 titles and is acclaimed and loved by fans, musicians and scholars alike.

"It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom Exile on Main Street or Electric Ladyland are as significant and worthy of study as The Catcher in the Rye or Middlemarch. The series... is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration." The New York Times Book Review

"Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough." Rolling Stone

"One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet." Bookslut

"These are for the insane collectors out there who appreciate fantastic design, well-executed thinking, and things that make your house look cool. Each volume in this series takes a seminal album and breaks it down in startling minutiae. We love these. We are huge nerds." Vice

"A brilliant series... each one a word of real love." NME

"Passionate, obsessive, and smart." Nylon

"Religious tracts for the rock 'n' roll faithful." Uncut

"We... aren't naive enough to think that we're your only source for reading about music (but if we had our way... watch out). For those of you who really like to know everything there is to know about an album, you'd do well to check out Continuum's 33 1/3 series of books." Pitchfork

Janovitz (singer, guitarist, songwriter) uses personal accounts and interviews to explore the historical and social context in which this seminal rock album by the Rolling Stones was created. He then examines the technical and creative aspects of each individual recording, from song writing to final editing. A brief bibliography is included. No index.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Thirty-Three and a Third is a series of short books about critically acclaimedand much-loved albums of the past 40 years. Over 50,000 copies have been sold Passionate, obsessive, and smart. Nylon an inspired new series of short books about beloved works of vinyl. DetailsDescriptionTracing the creation of Exile on Main St. from the original songwriting done while touring America through the final editing in Los Angeles, Bill Janovitz explains how an album recorded by a British band in a villa on the French Riviera is pure American rock & roll. Looking at each song individually, Janovitz unveils the innovative recording techniques, personal struggles, and rock & roll mythmaking that culminated in this pivotal album.ExcerptExile is exactly what rock & roll should sound like: a bunch of musicians playing a bunch of great songs in a room together, playing off of each other, musical communion, sounds bleeding into each other, snare drum rattling away even while not being hit, amps humming, bottles falling, feet shuffling, ghostly voices mumbling on and off-mike, whoops of excitement, shouts of encouragement, performances without a net, masks off, urgency. It is the kind of record that goes beyond the songs themselves to create a monolithic sense of atmosphere. It conveys a sense of time and place and spirit, yet it is timeless. Its influence is still heard today. Keith Richards has said, tongue in cheek, the record was the first grunge record. >

Thirty-Three and a Third is a series of short books about critically acclaimed