Continuum Books has come up with a rather interesting idea for a new way to look at classic rock albums. It's a series called 33 1/3 which has true music fans - many of whom are involved in the music business professionally in some way - examine an album in detail.
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.
The Velvet Underground and Nico has influenced the sound of more bands than any other album. And remarkably, it still sounds as fresh and challenging today as it did upon its release in 1967. In this book, Joe Harvard covers everything from Lou Reed's lyrical genius to John Cale's groundbreaking instrumentation, and from the creative input of Andy Warhol to the fine details of the recording process. With input from co-producer Norman Dolph and Velvets fan Jonathan Richman, Harvard documents the creation of a record which - in the eyes of many - has never been matched. Harvard goes through a brief look at the story of how the Velvet Underground was formed. He mixes in quotes from both interviews he personally handled in the past with information from previous books and articles. Joe then moves on to a look at the songs which comprise this legendary album. The final part of the book deals with the aftermath - a look at how history has treated The Velvet Underground and records like The Velvet Underground and Nico.
The book is a compelling look at a record that has stood the test of time. Like the others in this series, it strives to straddle the line between pop culture and art criticism. At 147 pages (and a smaller than usual book size) it's a very interesting, quick read and worth well worth your time.
Joe Harvard, former archaeologist, was co-founder and owner of legendary Fort Apache Studios, home of scores of seminal alternative LP's.

As head honcho until '93 Joe captained the studio through a golden age of recording that included releases by Buffalo Tom, Treat Her Right, the Blake Babies/Juliana Hatfield, Uncle Tupelo, Big Dipper, the Lemonheads, the Pixies, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mission of Burma, Morphine and tons of other great bands. His personal engineering and production work includes sessions with Tanya Donelly, the Breeders, the Connells, Syd Straw and Peter Halsapple, Dumptruck and Gwar. A promoter and host of succesful variety nights at Boston's Rat and Plough and Stars, he was also co-founder of Helldorado Productions, the 3-man team that brought rock bookings to the now-venerable Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge, MA, and more recently co-founder of World Tribal Soundz in NYC's East Village. Voted Boston's Best Producer, his guitar, lap steel and gtr. synth playing appears on numerous records including Dinosaur, Jr., Throwing Muses and the Pernice Brothers. As a webmaster and audio engineer on the NJ Coast Joe mans two types of board (key- and mixing) for Asbury Park's popular indie rock venue,the Saint. Creator of the Boston Rock Storybook (www.rockinboston.com), he recently used his considerable gift of gab to win the first annual Moth Story Slam NYC.
Other books in the series include looks at Meat Is Murder by the Smiths, Harvest by Neil Young, Sign O' The Times by Prince, Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd, Abba Gold by Abba, Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix, Let It Be by the Replacements, OK Computer by Radiohead, Live at the Apollo by James Brown, Let It Be by the Beatles, Aqualung by Jethro Tull, and Loveless by My Bloody Valentine.
Future releases include Grace by Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin, Kick Out The James by MC5, Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen, Sister Lovers by Big Star, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, Low by David Bowie, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, 3 Feet and Rising by De La Soul, Endtroducing by DJ Shadow, and London Calling by The Clash.