{{{33 1/3 is a new series of short books about critically acclaimed and much-loved albums of the last 40 years. Focusing on one album rather than an artist's entire output, the books dispense with the standard biographical background that fans know already, and cut to the heart of the music on each album. The authors provide fresh, original perspectives - often through their access to and relationships with the key figures involved in the recording of these albums.
By turns obsessive, passionate, creative, and informed, the books in this series demonstrate many different ways of writing about music. (A task which can be, as Elvis Costello famously observed, as tricky as dancing about architecture.) What binds this series together, and what brings it to life, is that all of the authors - musicians, scholars, and writers - are deeply in love with the album they have chosen.

Sign O' the Times by Michaelangelo Matos is available:
-in the US and Canada after February 2004
-in the UK and rest of world after April 2004

http://www.continuumbooks...?bid=12374}}}

[Thanks to Katarina for sending this in... -Ben]

Sign O' The Times 2 vinyl set is a master piece...awesome sound quality... the cds have poor sound

I read about this in Details. Looks like a great series.

programmer said:

Good to know - I also still got the vinyl (actually, my "breaking point" - all the records before I have on vinyl, all the ones afterwards on CD...)

Gee, how much I hope on digitally remastered CDs of the old record - maybe if P and Warners are flirting again...

Anyway, that book must be an interesting read, with all the stories around the Camille records - firing of The Revolution - etc. happening at that time...

And - name me one artist of 2003/2004 that had an equally diverse and musically cool album that was also a commercial success (I know, OutKast, but who else??...)

That's cool... 86 recordings...

But, I think all the albums were funky...

They're STILL touting this around???

Wasnt this 'news' early last summer?

Still waiting...

Nana, shut up and blow me, or at the very least let me know YOU.

That book looks totally geekalicious, and I've got a raging hard-on for it.

Seems like a worthy book to buy.

Interesting sidenote: the author was born and raised in Minneapolis.

theblueangel said:

Blue, u know how I love it when u get all Biblical on my ass!

programmer said:

What?

Krid said:

Get the japanese pressing. It is as good as it gets for sound quality.

I love albms of 94-95 but I got to admit. SOTT was probably Prince´s best album. Genius work, good lyrics, good musicianship, demo-like sounds and a timeless cover

ben said:

That quote is NOT by Elvis Costello, but by John Cage!

Sounds good. I've pre-ordered my copy!

programmer said:

My sign of the times has great sound quality, its from the same original tape as the vinyl. How can the cd version be poor when it is from the same tape?
I remember the same discussions back in 85. Some ppl really believed that vinyl was better quality then CD. Its 2004 now, i thought that discussion was done.

Krid said:

This was my breaking point too as SOTT was my very 1st CD. Boyfriend gave it to me for my birthday but I could only play it at his house cause I didn't even have a CD player.
This is my all time fave Prince album. So glad it was 16 songs long. Amazing how you learn to love the songs that you pass and just tolerate getting from one fave song to the next. hard to beleive i ever didn't like 'beautiful night' or 'cross' or 'slow love'. Well, actually 'slow love' is my least fave, seems like it wants to compete with 'int'l lover' or 'do me baby' which it SO can't. Difficult indeed to find an album of EIGHT songs where you love, not just like, at least 90% of it.