The question, courtesy of Heather: “If you were fleeing nuclear holocaust/a second term with G.W. Bush and could only take one mix tape with 12 songs on it and one book, which 12 songs and which book would they be?”
An impossible question. Here was my list at that moment (in no particular order, and has since endured a thousand revisions):
- My Funny Valentine - by Chet Baker
- The Girl from Ipanema - as performed by Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto
- I Wish - by Stevie Wonder
- Whiter Shade of Pale - by Procol Harum
- Papa was a Rollin’ Stone - by The Temptations
- Time - by Tom Waits
- Way to Blue - by Nick Drake
- In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning - by Frank Sinatra
- From a Motel 6 - by Yo La Tengo
- My Curse - by The Afghan Whigs
- Man out of Time - by Elvis Costello
- 3 Gymnopédics - by Erik Satie
Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Where’s the James Brown? The Thelonious Monk? The Hüsker Dü? The Sonic Youth? The Bach? The female artists? The Blues? Anything from the last five years? And on, and on, and on… Well, these are songs that I could listen to over and over, and not get sick of. They’re uplifting and somber, beautiful, serious and inconsequential. Most importantly, however, they mean something to me. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
As for J.D. Salinger’s lofty place as the sole book: I couldn’t pick a “favorite book”, so after agonizing on it for a bit, I went with the one I’ve read (and enjoyed) the most times. That’s gotta mean something, I suppose. For example, perhaps I may one day become overwhelmed by a flood of sociopathical tendencies and decide, “What the heck!” and try to assassinate the President with a potato gun.
Then again, considering that I’m a red-blooded Canuck, perhaps I’ll just sit in a broken papasan chair and mutter to myself about how much I hate them goddamn Texans (kidding)… and feel guilty about it.
Curious as to Heather’s list, or any of the other responses? Check ‘em out, and them come on back and share your lists with me.
