Detroit Playlist

Though this blog typically will follow, in this iPod era, a "Song of the Day" format, periodically I would like to throw in other fare, e.g. album reviews, best-of lists, and playlists. Playlists fascinate me - I almost want to enjoy them more than I do. I'm old enough to have been raised as basically an album type of guy, and when I sit down for a spell or workout, I almost always gravitate to listening to entire albums. Still, the idea of grouping often-disparate songs together linked by an often flimsy themes sometimes can make for some pretty fun listening, especially when some of the songs on the playlist would seldom be listened to by myself at any other time.

Today's playlist will be centered on the city of Detroit, Michigan. Now one could create a list (and perhaps I will after I write this) on artists/bands from the Detroit area. Great Motown songs alone could dominate this playlist. Artists as diverse as Madonna, Sonny Bono, Mitch Ryder, and the Stooges have come from in (or around) Detroit. Come to think of, it would make a pretty good playlist. However today's list will center on Detroit the city either with songs having Detroit in their name, or songs with Detroit locations in them, or even songs centered around historical events regarding Detroit. Enjoy:

Detroit Playlist
1) "Detroit Rock City" by KISS
2) "Motor City is Burning" by MC5
3) "Detroit 442" by Blondie
4) "8 Mile" by Eminem *
5) "Hotel Yorba" by The White Stripes **
6) "Panic in Detroit" by David Bowie
7) "Black Day in July" by Gordon Lightfoot ***
8) "Detroit City" by Tom Jones ****
9) "Detroit Breakdown" by The J.Geils Band
10) "Detroit Medley" by Bruce Springsteen *****

A few notes:
* - The 8-Mile Road refers to the M-102 which runs across northern Detroit
** - The Hotel Yorba is a hotel in southwest Detroit that apparently, according to Jack White, the White Stripes are banned for life
*** - Lightfoot's song refers to the July 23, 1967 Detroit riots
**** - "Detroit City" was a 1963 country single by Bobby Bare, but any chance I have to schmaltz up a playlist with an artist like Tom Jones, I'm gonna grab it (Jones actually does a nice job
***** - Long a favorite of Springsteen shows, I was delighted when the "Detroit Medley" (which includes some Mitch Ryder & the Detroit faves, such as "Devil With The Blue Dress", "Good Golly Miss Molly", "CC Rider", and "Jenny Jenny") was finally officially released on the wonderful Hammersmith, Odeon, London '75 live double disc