It Was the Third of June...

I have not finalized my list of 57 things to do at 57 but one item that is definite is to read one book in the 33 1/3 book series per month. That’s one item, not 12.

For those who are not aware of them, each 33 1/3 volume focuses exclusively on one iconic record album. Authors are given a wide latitude for their approach to the books. While the books are primarily about the artist and the music they created, you can’t help but to learn a bit about the authors, which makes sense: if somebody loves an album enough to write a book about it, there has to be some kind of personal connection, and I want to know what it is.

While I am still working my way through the 33 1/3 book that I picked for May (Annie Zaleski’s Rio (about the Duran Duran record) I think it’s appropriate that I announce today, the 3rd of June, that I’ll be re-reading Tara Murtha’s meditation on Bobbie Gentry’s southern gothic classic, Ode to Billy Joe. I’ve had an original copy of the title track 45 in my record collection forever and I share Murtha’s fascination with the song, the album, and the mystique of Bobbie Gentry, who hasn’t been seen in public for decades.

~217~