Work In Progress Update: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE

An infinite number of records can be THE Greatest Record Ever Made, as long as they take turns.

Awright. On the one hand, I should apologize for yammerin' on and on about my proposed book The Greatest Record Ever Made. On the other hand, I'm really jazzed about it, so my giddy enthusiasm is an inevitable byproduct. Bear with me! I hope the end result will be a book you'll want to buy, read, and buy again 'n' again to give as gifts to the discerning rockin' pop fans in your life. I also hope an as-yet-unknown publisher will deem it sufficiently not terrible to wanna sink some money into it.

I've gotten quite a bit done since announcing the project just last Wednesday. As I write today's update, I'm ten entries shy of a complete first draft, including two tracks that I just added to the Table Of Contents this week; I've switched the previously-announced Buddy Holly entry to a Bonus Track, and added a Prologue and Epilogue, too. I've rearranged the order of some entries for better flow, added more Interludes and Bonus Tracks, and swapped out two of the original entries: "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies replaces "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore, and the closing instrumental is now "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" by The T-Bones instead of "Walk--Don't Run" by The Ventures. I may still change more entries, and I betcha I'll make further tweaks to the order, but here's where it all stands as of now:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made)
PROLOGUE: A Fistful Of 45s

1. BADFINGER: Baby Blue

2. CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land
3. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You
4. THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen
5. PATTI SMITH: Gloria
6. WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour
INTERLUDE: The Very Best Of The Hollies
7. THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
8. THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
BONUS TRACK: Discovering Buddy Holly
9. MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
10. GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia
11. THE RARE BREED: Beg, Borrow And Steal
12. CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
13. ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect 
INTERLUDE: A Girl I Knew Somewhere
14. THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)
15. KISS: Shout It Out Loud
16. SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
17. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
18. TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not
19. THE LEFT BANKE: Walk Away, Renee
20. BIG STAR: September Gurls
21. THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
22. THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
INTERLUDE: The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
23. THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
24. JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
25. GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
INTERLUDE: Old Time Rock & Roll
26. THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
27. THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It?
28. THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
29. THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
INTERLUDE: The Baron And His Buddies
30. BARON DAEMON & THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist
31. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
INTERLUDE: I Dream Of Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, Tommy (and occasionally Marky, Richie, CJ, and/or new recruits)
32. THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
33. LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
34. THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
35. COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
INTERLUDE: God Save The Kinks
36. THE KINKS: You Really Got Me
37. THE WHO: I Can't Explain
38. FREDDIE & THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
39. THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
INTERLUDE: Meet The Flashcubes
40. THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
41. MANNIX: Highway Lines
42. THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes
43. THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
44. P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
INTERLUDE: Brian Wilson, Herman's Hermits, And The Pet Sounds Of The Soul
45. THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
46. THE SELECTER: On My Radio
47. THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
48. EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
49. THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
LAST CALL: An Infinite Number
INTERLUDE: Underrating The Beatles
50. THE BEATLES: Rain
CLOSING TIME! THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
EPILOGUE: Cruisin' Music
AFTERWORD    

The Interludes and Bonus Tracks are meant to enhance the book's overall experience; I'll scale them back if I decide they're more distraction than enhancement. For now, I like them where they are. I may also scratch "Interludes" and call 'em all Bonus Tracks.

As noted previously, this is not and could never be a list of all the best candidates for acclaim as The Greatest Record Ever Made; it's a collection of essays celebrating a big stack of individual records, each of which I love without reservation. Some of the essays tell the record's story in facts and history, while many are more concerned with what the record meant to me in my life. Yep, it's a bunch of personal essays disguised as pop journalism, touching on a variety of subjects: growing up, gurls, race relations, gay rights, women's rights, buying beer, falls from grace, loss of loved ones, absent friends, draft resistance, punk, soul, bubblegum, teen idols, live concerts, club shows, depression, suicide, falling in love, dying young, marriage, fatherhood, responsibilities, pessimism, optimism, girl groups, inspirations, being five years old, being 17 years old, being 59 years old, movies, radio radio radio, a TV vampire, LPs, 45s, CDs, and The Beatles. For all that, it's still ultimately about the records. It's all pop music. And it's a lot of holler for your jukebox dollar.

Many of these were written as stand-alone pieces, so I'm working toward getting them to play well together in collected form. I still have to finish writing the Hollies, Translator, Jive Five, Sly and the Family Stone, Led Zeppelin, Cocktail Slippers, Flashcubes, Mannix, P. P. Arnold, and Beach Boys song entries. Then the editing fun begins.

And it is fun. I've come to enjoy this process of craft and revision more now than at any previous time in my so-called writing career. If this project happens, it will become my first book. I have at least two more books in mind to write after that. It's not quite an infinite number, but it's a start.

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Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes, Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here. A digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) is also available from Futureman Records.