You know the mantra. Say it with me!
An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns.
That's the idea of my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). As I await the Spring 2023 publication of a different book, GREM! hasn't gotten any closer to finding a path to publication. But I continue to work on it. This week, I finished reviewing a previous completed draft, made some changes to the blueprint, and I have just begun another complete review of the draft.
Since completing the book's first draft over a year ago, I've been focused on tightening the narrative, and on making it a little bit shorter. But I've recently expanded the number of songs discussed in the book, raising it from 140 to 145 songs. 145 is the number. The number is 145. The number was chosen deliberately, both as a nod to the I-IV-V chord progression that is the building block of rock 'n' roll, and for the pun of what the idea of The Greatest Record Ever Made! boils down to: One 45. Or one record, regardless of format. One 45 at a time, each in its infinite turn.
I've been working on this book for a long time. Here's a reprise of the project's history: In 2016, I channeled my embrace of the infinite into a blog series, which commenced with a celebration of "Baby Blue" by Badfinger. I kicked around the notion of turning it into a book, and decided to follow through with that plan in 2018. Work on the book began in earnest in 2019, and hasn't stopped since. Through a series of little advances and larger setbacks (including the loss of my agent and, oh yeah, a worldwide pandemic), I've never stopped pursuing the dream of a GREM! book. It remains a dream at the moment, but the dream has license to continue for now.
The book's current draft is under 116,000 words, and it will probably shrink a tiny bit more in its current tweak. It's about three times the length of my first book, but that was always intended to be a much shorter work. GREM! feels about right to me at around 115,000 words.
And NOW! Here's my current Table of Contents:
FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made!)
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
MELANIE WITH THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS: Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)
PETULA CLARK: Downtown
NELSON RIDDLE: The Batman Theme
ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Soldier Of Love
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 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
BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/Everyday
ROBERTA FLACK: Killing Me Softly With His Song
JOHNNY NASH: I Can See Clearly Now
THE RARE BREED/THE OHIO EXPRESS: Beg, Borrow And Steal
ARTHUR CONLEY: Sweet Soul Music
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
THE MARVELETTES: I'll Keep Holding On
THE WHO: I Can't Explain
TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You
SHOES: Tomorrow Night
THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
TELEVISION: Elevation
THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb
SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
IKE AND TINA TURNER: River Deep Mountain High
THE RONETTES: Be My Baby
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
KISS: Shout It Out Loud
THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do!
INTERLUDE The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
THE PANDORAS: It's About Time
MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
LINDA RONSTADT: You're No Good
P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
THE DANDY WARHOLS: We Used To Be Friends
SAMMY AMBROSE: This Diamond Ring
BIG STAR: September Gurls
THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Take Five
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: All For Swinging You Around
THE BEATLES: Yesterday
THE BEATLES: Revolution
YOKO ONO: Kiss Kiss Kiss
DONNA SUMMER: I Feel Love
RUFUS: Tell Me Something Good
HEART: Kick It Out
PAUL COLLINS/THE BREAKAWAYS: Walking Out On Love
THE EASYBEATS: Friday On My Mind
THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS: Time Has Come Today
BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY: Piece Of My Heart
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
THE CARPENTERS: Only Yesterday
MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
THE 5TH DIMENSION: Medley: Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)
THE JACKSON FIVE: I'll Be There
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
THE BANGLES: Live
HEADGIRL/MÖTOR HEADGIRL SCHOOL: Please Don't Touch
MILLIE SMALL: My Boy Lollipop
THE FLIRTATIONS: Nothing But A Heartache
THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: I Woke Up In Love This Morning
SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young
DAVID RUFFIN: I Want You Back
LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
THE BANDWAGON: Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache
DON HENLEY: The Boys Of Summer
BEN E. KING: Stand By Me
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)
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror
DEL SHANNON: Runaway
THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
SAM AND DAVE: Soul Man
THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Time Will Tell
THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me
THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS: O-o-h Child
ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There
VERDELLE SMITH: Life Goes On
INTERLUDE Old Time Rock 'n' Roll
THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
JIVE FIVE WITH EUGENE PITT: What Time Is It?
LULU: To Sir, With Love [Museum Outings Montage]
FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
THE CONTOURS: Do You Love Me
THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
THE SUPREMES: You Keep Me Hangin' On
THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
THE SELECTER: On My Radio
TRACEY ULLMAN: They Don't Know
MANNIX: Highway Lines
THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
THE COASTERS: Yakety Yak
CHEAP TRICK: Surrender
TEGAN AND SARA: Walking With A Ghost
DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?
THE O'JAYS: Put Your Hands Together
THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
RITA MORENO, GEORGE CHAKIRIS, SHARKS & GIRLS: America
EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do
JOAN JETT: Bad Reputation
JOAN ARMATRADING: Me Myself I
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
THE BEATLES: Rain
THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
AFTERWORD
Repeating my now-familiar disclaimer in bold and all-caps: THIS IS NOT INTENDED AS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF THE BEST RECORDS EVER MADE! Jesus, no! The chapters in this book cover a number of popular and personal favorites, but it's nowhere near comprehensive, and it's not meant to be. It's a discussion and a celebration of pop's infinite promise--nothing more, nothing less.
I've removed the chapter numbers from the Table of Contents. The numbers led to some folks thinking the tracks were ranked, and they are not. Each song is on equal footing here. One 45 at a time.
This blueprint is now my preferred version of GREM! It cuts out a lot, but seems to flow better overall. It also leaves me with a number of building blocks left over for a Volume 2, but Volume 1 needs to move forward first. Even the infinite has gotta start somewhere.
Before I close here and get back to polishing this pipe dream, I want to repeat some basic supplemental material that's appeared here previously:
You can read the book's foreword, introduction, and first few chapters here. (These are earlier drafts, so some changes have been implemented since these were posted. Still gives you the gist of what I'm doing.)
Here are a few other sample chapters (also in earlier drafts):
I believe very, very strongly in this book. I think a few of you just might dig it, too. The work continues. Into the infinite!
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This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.
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