Firstly, thanks again to all of you (71 and counting) who have signed up for ‘Challenge 69’, it’s great to have an audience. My short term goal is to hit three figures which, with somewhat dubious maths, apparently earns you a label on Substack of, “hundreds of subscribers.” So if you know anybody else you think would enjoy the story then please pass on the link: https://challenge69.substack.com
I’m pleased my first chapter seems to have been well received, and while there might still be three weeks to go until ‘Track 2’s release date just remember, as Elizabeth Gaskell said, that anticipation is, “the soul of enjoyment.” (OK, admit I had to Google that.)
I have been giving thought to a couple of comments that it may be better to speed up the serialisation at some point, and while I’m sticking with monthly for the moment (allowing time to build readership) I promise this is a topic I’ll revisit later.
However, all that consideration of ‘time’ did remind me of one of my favourite of Stuart’s musical lists, “the best songs to soundtrack the end of the world,” which I decided would make for a nice uplifting post for a Friday!
Stuart’s choices are set out below, with a playlist, which adds up to over 20 minutes of doom-mongering (already enough for one side of an LP), but please add your comments below with any suggestions you’ve got for tracks that could be added to make up a whole apocalypse album’s worth (or maybe even a doomsday double)?
5 - ‘The End’ by The Doors
4 - ‘Don’t Know When but a Day is Gonna Come’ by Bright Eyes
3 - ‘Seven Minutes to Midnight’ by Wah Heat!
2 - ‘Eve of Destruction’ by Barry McGuire, and
1 - ‘Five Years’ by David Bowie
A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, by Bob Dylan. Though as so often with Bob Dylan, there are differing accounts (from Dylan and others) of what he actually meant by it - was it about nuclear apocalypse or not? But on the basis that the listeners can interpret the poetry how they like, then it seems it could qualify.
How about ‘waiting for the end of the world’ Elvis Costello
(when he was cool!)