The Love Monster Playlist

Like most human creatures, I love music. I love listening to music, I love thinking about music and I love (god help those around me) talking about music. I don't talk about it in an informed, critical way. I just go on and on about songs I love and bands I love and concerts I would like to go to and so on and so forth. Pure, heartfelt blathering. I won't do that here.

I hope. Stay with me.

When I was writing The Love Monster, I was also working full time. Each day, I would walk to work -- it is about a forty-minute walk -- and listen to music and e-mail myself writing ideas. (It is a wonder I wasn't struck down.) Many bits and pieces of songs found their way into the text or became themes for specific passages. Before I knew it, the alien was a Lou Reed fan. James Taylor was singing. Prince, the Sex Pistols, Warren Zevon appeared. They are all in there. And David Bowie. And The Kings. And Shaun Cassidy. And on and on.

So, for my own amusement, I started putting together a Love Monster Playlist. I have worked and worked on it. I love this thing. It's got it all: joy, pain, sunshine and rain. And I think it follows the arc of the book in a satisfying way.

I could work on it forever. But it is time to stop and set it free. I hope you enjoy it.

Love,
Missy


The Love Monster Playlist

Figment, Gordon Downie

Margaret Atwood, Rheostatics
Kicking Television, Wilco
The Faster I Breathe the Further I Go, P.J. Harvey
Set Out Running, Neko Case
Do You Believe in Magic, Shaun Cassidy
I Just Want to Be Your Everything by Andy Gibb
I Only Wanna Be With You, Bay City Rollers
Pretty Vacant, Sex Pistols
(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea, Elvis Costello
What’s the World Got In Store, Wilco
No Children, The Mountain Goats
This Jesus Must Die, Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack)
I Wanna Be Sedated, Ramones
Moonage Daydream, David Bowie
Werewolves of London, Warren Zevon
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, Warren Zevon
Working in the Coal Mine, Devo
Mother, The Police
There Stands the Glass, Van Morrison
Just Like Honey, The Jesus and Mary Chain
It’s Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World), The Ramones
Guitar, Prince
El Amor de Mi Vida, Warren Zevon
I’m In Love With My Car, Queen
Mr. Personality, Gillette
Ro Ro Rosey, Van Morrison
Lets Get It On, Marvin Gaye
Pecan Pie, Golden Smog
Property of Jesus, Bob Dylan
Blood of the Lamb, Billy Bragg/Wilco
Miner’s Refrain, Gillian Welch
Switchin’ to Glide, The Kings
Bluebird, Paul McCartney & Wings
Aliens (Christmas 1988), Rheostatics
Kicks, Lou Reed
This Flight Tonight, Nazareth
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), David Bowie
Walking Blues, Hindu Love Gods
Stir It Up, Bob Marley
Mother and Child Reunion, Paul Simon
The Lobby, Jane Siberry
Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
Everything is Broken, Bob Dylan
Bad Reputation, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
The Delivery Man, Elvis Costello and the Imposters
Sugar, Sugar, The Archies
Pharoahs, Neko Case
Chain of Fools, Aretha Franklin
I Shall be Released, The Band
Stepping Razor, Peter Tosh
Main Man, T.Rex
Changed the Locks, Lucinda Williams
Busload of Faith, Lou Reed
Its No Game (Part 1), David Bowie
Ooohhh Baby, Lou Reed
Get up offa that thing, James Brown
Sexy MF, Prince
Goodnight Ladies, Lou Reed
You Might Walk Away, Jesse Sykes
Thunder Road, Bonny “Prince” Billy / Tortoise
Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
Blossom, James Taylor
Ramble On, Led Zeppelin
Tom Sawyer, Rush
Closing Time, Leonard Cohen
Northern Sky, Nick Drake
Listen to the Lion, Van Morrison
God Only Knows, The Beach Boys
I got you (at the end of the century), Wilco
More Than A Feeling, Boston
Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In HeavenWhen You Smile), Van Morrison