My book project The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) remains in a relatively early stage of development. But it's still a thing, and it's still trying to move forward. I spoke with my agent this week, we renewed our mutual commitment, and we've agreed on what needs to be done next.
The immediate part of that "next" is already done. I've reviewed and updated the book proposal, and lemme tell ya, if I were a publisher, I'd buy the damned thing right now. I may be biased. The proposal was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to write, if only because its focus on marketing strays from my familiar wheelhouse of snarky hype and freewheelin' pounding on the table. But I did it, and I do think I did it well.
Which brings me to the next part of next: I need to finish the book.
That's not as intimidating a prospect as it may sound; in fact, I enjoy the writing, so it's not really intimidating at all. But it's time. I need to seriously address the task of completing this labor o' love.
And a lot of it is done already. Of the 155 individual song chapters, 117 are completed drafts, leaving only 38 more to finish. All of the supplemental material (Foreword, Afterword, Disclaimers, interludes, and bonus essays) is finished. Since my most recent public update on the book, I've polished off chapters discussing The Kingsmen, The Dandy Warhols, and Donna Summer, and the other day I was working on parts of the Neil Diamond, Pink Floyd, Amy Rigby, Bob Dylan, Ronettes, P. P. Arnold, Linda Ronstadt, Holly Golightly, Contours, and Mannix chapters. Here is the current working Table Of Contents, dedicated to the belief that an infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns:
FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made!)
A Fistful Of 45s
OVERTURE THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?
BADFINGER: Baby Blue
CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You
THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen
ELVIS PRESLEY: Heartbreak Hotel
WILLIE MAE "BIG MAMA" THORNTON: Hound Dog
PATTI SMITH: Gloria
LITTLE RICHARD: The Girl Can't Help It
NEIL DIAMOND: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour
THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
LOVE: 7 And 7 Is
TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not
LESLEY GORE: You Don't Own Me
THE SHANGRI-LAS: Leader Of The Pack
THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
AMY RIGBY: Dancing With Joey Ramone
PINK FLOYD: Wish You Were Here
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia
THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: I Fought The Law
MERLE HAGGARD: Mama Tried
THE TEMPTATIONS: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
ELTON JOHN: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/Everyday
JOHNNY NASH: I Can See Clearly Now
SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young
ALICE COOPER: School's Out
THE RARE BREED/THE OHIO EXPRESS: Beg, Borrow And Steal
OTIS REDDING: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect
THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)
PRINCE: When You Were Mine
THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me
THE ROLLING STONES: Get Off Of My Cloud
PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS: Just Like Me
BOB DYLAN: Like A Rolling Stone
THE KINGSMEN: Louie, Louie
BARON DAEMON AND THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist
NELSON RIDDLE: The Batman Theme
THE CREATION: Making Time
THE WHO: I Can't Explain
TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You
SHOES: Tomorrow Night
THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
MARY-CHAPIN CARPENTER: Never Had It So Good
JUDAS PRIEST: Heading Out To The Highway
THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Personality Crisis
THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It
THE EASYBEATS: Friday On My Mind
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
THE RONETTES: Be My Baby
KISS: Shout It Out Loud
THE LEFT BANKE: Walk Away, Renee
THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do!
THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL: Summer In The City
INTERLUDE The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
THE MARVELETTES: I'll Keep Holding On
GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS: O-o-h Child
THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
THE PANDORAS: It's About Time
P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
BIG STAR: September Gurls
SAMMY AMBROSE: This Diamond Ring
PAUL COLLINS: Walking Out On Love
LINDA RONSTADT: You're No Good
ENTR'ACTE THE BEATLES: Yesterday
THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Take Five
RAY CHARLES: Hit The Road Jack
THE MUFFS: Saying Goodbye
MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
THE JACKSON FIVE: I'll Be There
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
THE DANDY WARHOLS: We Used To Be Friends
THE BANGLES: Live
THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes
RICK JAMES: Super Freak (Part 1)
THE FLIRTATIONS: Nothing But A Heartache
THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS: American Girl
LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
THE BANDWAGON: Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache
DON HENLEY: The Boys Of Summer
BEN E. KING: Stand By Me
GENE PITNEY: Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa
RUFUS: Tell Me Something Good
THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne
THE TRAMMPS: Disco Inferno
HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES: Don't Leave Me This Way
GRANDMASTER AND MELLE MEL: White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE: White Rabbit
THE BYRDS: I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror
DEL SHANNON: Runaway
THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Gone, Gone, Gone
THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
SAM & DAVE: Soul Man
BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY: Piece Of My Heart
ARTHUR CONLEY: Sweet Soul Music
DONNA SUMMER: I Feel Love
T. REX: 20th Century Boy
THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb
AMERICA: Sister Golden Hair
THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset
THE KINKS: You Really Got Me
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Time Will Tell
THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me
FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There
INTERLUDE Old Time Rock 'n' Roll
THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
LULU: To Sir, With Love [Museum Outings Montage]
ABBA: Dancing Queen
EARTH, WIND & FIRE: Boogie Wonderland
THE CONTOURS: Do You Love Me
SWEET: Ballroom Blitz
BLONDIE: (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
WHAM!: Freedom
THE SUPREMES: You Keep Me Hangin' On
THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
JOAN ARMATRADING: Me Myself I
THE SELECTER: On My Radio
MANNIX: Highway Lines
THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
FIRST AID KIT: America
THE MC5: Kick Out The Jams
SOLOMON BURKE: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
CHEAP TRICK Surrender
THE STANDELLS: Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White
DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?
THE O'JAYS: Put Your Hands Together
THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
THE PRETENDERS: Back On The Chain Gang
EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do
STEVIE WONDER: I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
MARYKATE O'NEIL: I'm Ready For My Luck To Turn Around
EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
An Infinite Number
INTERLUDE Underrating The Beatles
ENCORE! THE BEATLES: Rain
ENCORE!! THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
Cruisin' Music
CODA THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop
AFTERWORD
Some of this WILL change. Bet on it. Some of the 38 unfinished chapters will be dropped, some of the finished chapters may also be dropped, and I will consider putting other songs in their place. And that's the other essential part of next: I need to finalize the Table of Contents, what's in and what's out. Previously, I've had the luxury of sketching in pencil. Now--next--I'm getting ready to switch to indelible ink.AFTERWORD
In the midst of 2020 repeatedly kicking people in the teeth (and all points south), the mundane delays in placing my book with a publisher don't rate even a token complaint. My faith in the project hasn't diminished. This is gonna be somethin' else, man. Meanwhile, I invite you to look at how the book begins, and I hope you'll be interested in reading more when it's finally available.
A book called The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). It lives. Now: back to work.
ABOUT THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (VOLUME 1):
Our favorite records don’t live in isolation. Each one has a story. Insisting that an infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made (as long as they take turns), Carl Cafarelli ties together threads connecting classic rock, soul, pop, punk, and bubblegum across decades of hits, misses, critics’ darlings, one-hit wonders, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and complete unknowns. The result reads like an irresistible mix tape in book form, compelling the reader to follow its flow from song to song and chapter to chapter as if it were a novel.
As an experienced pop historian and journalist, Cafarelli knows the importance of recording facts and figures accurately. But passion is of equal importance. We don’t crank the volume for fave rave sounds as academics; we listen as fans, as people living our complicated lives with music as not merely its soundtrack, but as its heartbeat. Records reflect our hopes, our disappointments, our successes, our mourning, our love, our bitterness, our fear, and our will to dance in spite of it all.
Why did The Monkees go from the top of the pops in 1967 to seeming has-been status in 1968? How did James Brown respond to the British Invasion? What minefields of racism, sexism, homophobia, ambition, frustration, depression, or loss were navigated by Little Richard, Dusty Springfield, The Go-Go's, Elvis, Sly and the Family Stone, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, and Material Issue's Jim Ellison? Were The Ramones as much a bubblegum band as they were a punk band? When does a group succeed or fail in its quixotic quest to be the next Beatles?
And why does listening to pop music sometimes make us want to cry?
Carl Cafarelli has written for Goldmine, DISCoveries, The Syracuse New Times, Feral House, Routledge, Visible Ink Press, AHOY Comics, and Rhino Records. Since 1998, he has been the co-host (with Dana Bonn) of the internationally-renowned weekly broadcast and internet radio show This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl, and he is the author of the daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do). The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) mixes history lessons, artist appreciation, and the ways in which the records we love can deeply affect our personal lives.
The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is unlike any other rock or pop book you’ve ever seen. Its infinite pleasures await.
The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is unlike any other rock or pop book you’ve ever seen. Its infinite pleasures await.
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Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio: CD or download
Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 155 essays about 155 tracks, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).
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