331/3 Presents Some Girls (Continuum)

Cyrus R.K. Patell

33 1/3 Presents Some Girls

Published by Continuum

Dec 20, 2011 Web Exclusive By Kyle Lemmon

The back of 33 1/3's book on The Rolling Stones' Some Girls states that its author, Cyrus R.K. Patell, is Associate Dean of Humanities at NYU Abu Dhabi and an English professor at NYU in New York. He is also completing a literary history of multicultural Amerian literature since 1968 for NYU Press. Patell's got all that pedigree, yet his sloppy entry on The Rolling Stones' 14th British and 16th American studio album album is riddled with factual errors and even a few typos. Basically, it's a huge letdown for fans of the classic band. Some Girls deserves better. The above-average 1978 album was highly inspired by New York iconography and you get a little information about that. What we do get is muddled.

Some Girls (the album) infused the sounds of New York City as well as the images. Punk and disco were huge influences for Mick Jagger at the time. Considering this history, Some Girls (the book) should make for an engaging story. That's just not the case here. Patell’s pretentious and meadering book makes you think he wasn’t sure how to fill 150 pages.

This book starts with a boring personal anecdote about a high school teacher without linking it up with the album’s overarching through-line. (Many 33 1/3 books do this.) He then feeds us historical details that any fan that picks up this book will already be familiar with. Also, Patell recycles a lot of Keith Richard's biography, Life.

One saving grace is the chapter entitled “Aftermath," which touches on a few of the controversies Some Girls stirred. Before long, though, Patell goes on another tangent and I lost interest. There are many books on The Stones. Whatever you do, don't pick this one up. (www.patell.org)

Author rating: 2/10

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Average reader rating: 4/10