The excellent 33 1/3 series, which was mentioned on this blog long ago, recently published a volume devoted to 69 Love Songs by the Magnetic Fields, which I guess is my favorite album. I picked up a copy of this little book (written by L.D. Beghtol, who designed and contributed to the album itself), and was generally pleased by its quality. However, I was somewhat nonplussed by the author's curt dismissal of the song "Sweet-Lovin' Man": "My least favorite song on the album," he writes. To be honest, I was shocked, shocked by this—because there are times when I firmly believe that "Sweet-Lovin' Man" is the best song ever, cowbell and all. (The only thing it really needs is, yes, more cowbell.)

Incidentally, looking at the titles of the books in this series, which cover every band from the Smiths to Neutral Milk Hotel, fills me with a strange sort of jealousy. I know for a fact that I could write a helluva book about, say, Very by the Pet Shop Boys. Maybe I should talk to my agent about this...