music friday: going into the city

I'm up to the last chapter of Robert Christgau's memoir, Going Into the City, and I'll write about it once I finish. Someone (I think his publisher) created a Spotify playlist to accompany the book, and I'll look at that list here, with a few comments. I won't connect the songs to their mentions in the book ... you'll have to read it yourself for that info.

• John Prine, "Donald and Lydia". A teacher in the mid-70s once told me my writing reminded him of John Prine.
• South Pacific Ensemble, "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame". When I was a kid, my parents had the soundtrack album to the movie version. The picture of Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor on the cover fascinated me ... OK, it was Mitzi in her two-piece bathing suit.
• Doris Day, "Secret Love". From Calamity Jane. Lots of subtext here.
• Bill Doggett, "Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)".
• The Channels, "The Closer You Are". I used to say that you couldn't trust anyone who didn't love doo-wop.
• The Three Friends, "Blanche".
• Chuck Berry, "Rock and Roll Music". He headlined my first rock concert.
• Charlie Parker, "The Song Is You".
• The Miracles, "You've Really Got a Hold on Me". Cheating a bit ... the video is from their appearance in The T.A.M.I. Show.
• Marcie Blane, "Bobby's Girl".
• The Exciters, "Tell Him".
• The Newbeats, "Bread and Butter".
• Dobie Gray, "The 'In' Crowd".
• The Lovin' Spoonful, "Darling Be Home Soon".
• The Rolling Stones, "Goin' Home". The last seven tracks could be a soundtrack of my pre-teen life.
• Mungo Jerry, "In the Summertime".
• John Lennon, "Oh Yoko!".
• New York Dolls, "Human Being". They had no bigger champion than Xgau.
• Al Green, "Let's Get Married". Speaks for the memoir as well as any song.
• Bonnie Raitt, "Good Enough". Xgau may be the only person who loves Home Plate more than I do. YouTube seems to agree with everyone else ... the video is from a live show, the original was nowhere to be found in my quick look. Good version, in any event.
• Ramones, "We're a Happy Family". The city in the book's title is New York, after all.
• Television, "See No Evil". The city in the book's title is New York, after all.
• The Clash, "Janie Jones". Cheating again. This is live, 1977, because they were so great in concert I couldn't help myself.
• Funky 4+1, "That's the Joint". Xgau called this the best single of the 1980s. Video chosen because I think the picture is of the 12" we had at our house at the time.
• T.S. Monk, "Bon Bon Vie". He named this the second-best single of the 80s.
• Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, "Looking for the Perfect Beat". He named this the eighth-best single of the 80s. For homework, find out what he named #3-7.

Comments

[Tomas]

That 80s list of his is something. The man is always surprising to me. Can't wait to read the book.

[Steven Rubio]

The title of the last chapter is "Bon Bon Vie".