The Incomprehensible Size and Heaviness of the Playlist For Sonic Reducer

August 2021 to July 2024. That’s how long it has taken me to write the first draft of my fourth book — which was largely unexpected.

The fact that it is about — very loosely speaking — rock music is even more so.

The playlist for the book contains over 750 songs. The soon-to-be available playlist is in chronological order of the book. The book, however, has no chronology — if that makes sense. Chronology only shows up in one chapter, The Sun Goes Down.

The book is heavy. It is heavy in every imaginable definition of the word. If you didn’t get blasted away by some of the music, you’re not human. If your heart didn’t get even the slightest tug of sweet-sadness, you’re not human.

If your eyes didn’t well up a bit by the end, I am not sure if this book was for you.

I am sharing a sample of the music that encapsulates — perhaps only cryptically — its breadth and depth in the book. Some of the songs have stories, often connected to a friend or family member in my life.

Here is a snapshot of what to expect in terms of the largest playlist ever compiled for a rock music book. Hope it gets to you curious as to how it’s all tied together — and what are the other 700 or so songs??

Love Me Do(1963), The Beatles

Hier Encore(1964), Charles Aznavour

It’s 5 O Clock(1970), Aphrodite’s Child

Collage(1970), James Gang

Eire(1971), Thin Lizzy

Come My Way(1973), Buffalo

Love Alive(1977), Heart

Overkill(1979), Motorhead

Let Go The Line(1979), Max Webster

Master of Puppets(1986), Metallica

Here Comes Sickness(1988), Mudhoney

Dr. Vine(1989), The Big F

Stop(1990), Jane’s Addiction

Pill Shovel(1991), Monster Magnet

Home(1992), The God Machine

Phototropic(1995), Kyuss

Let It Burn(1998), Nebula

Nebula Mask(1999), Solarized

Dirty Women(Black Sabbath cover, 1999) The Hellacopters

Heavy Medication(1999), Chrome Locust

We Are 138(Misfits cover, 2001), Milligram

Honest Joe(2003), Throttlerod

Ammonia(2008), Ufomammut

For The Lost Souls(2010), Samsara Blues Experiment

Mashallah(2012), Heart

Your Card The Sun(2014), Emma Ruth Rundle

The Falconist(2015), High On Fire

Pale Moon(2016), Asteroid

Falling Gods(2020), Karkara

Tale of the Mountain(2021), Electric Yawn

Dawn of Man(2021), Domkraft

1000 Years(2022), Ruby The Hatchet

Night Train(2023), DeWolff

Head Honcho(2024), High Desert Queen

Let’s Go(2024), Psychlona

The last song of the playlist is Release by Pearl Jam. Even though it was released in 1991, it must sit here. You will know why after you read the book…

Release(1991), Pearl Jam