After sorting through 597 submissions, the editors of the acclaimed 33 1/3 book series narrowed down the best submissions into their "shortlist" and announced that list over the weekend.

The shortlist includes 170 entries, or about 28% of the entries submitted. It is impossible to judge what proposals will make the best albums based on album titles alone (my three favorite volumes in the series are on The Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique, Guns and Roses' Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 and Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love – I like one of those albums) but there is a large handful of albums I'd love to read books on. The shortlist will be whittled down to a shorterlist of 20 to 25 pitches that become books.

My dream of writing the definitive account of Annie's Anniemal will have to be tabled for another time (and my Facebook friends can evaluate whether or not that is a good thing) but I could not be happier to run across this entry:

Leonard Cohen – Various Positions

That proposal was written by my very smart and very dear friend (and TIG colleague) Chris Estey. Consider this post a necessary, but no less sincere, congratulations to Chris and 169 of his peers.

The rest of books on the shortlist can be found here on the 33 1/3 blog. Which ones would you be interested in reading?