Literary Mixtape | Revival

As an alternative for a review, synopsis, or anything of the like, I decided to create a soundtrack for the book. Please note that quite a bit of this is intended to be playful and irreverent. I’m rarely serious and this post is no exception.

Except this is a serious book with serious themes. It’s not that vampires and zombies aren’t serious, because they are (threatening to drain you of your blood and eat you), but religion is something else entirely.

Religion is the theological equivalent of a quick-buck insurance scam, where you pay in your premium year after year, and then, when you need the benefits you paid for so—pardon the pun—so religiously, you discover the company that took your money does not, in fact, exist.

The novel centers around Jamie, who is introduced as a child, and follows him for five or so decades, as his life intertwines with that of Charles Jacobs. As Jamie grows up, he becomes a guitarist and embraces the rock and roll lifestyle – and various addictions – there is no event more profound than when Jamie meets Charles. The consequences for both are staggering. The novel, well written and brief by King standards, explores the many meanings of revival. It’s worth the read and definitely one of his better novels.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating…

This was a difficult mixtape to create, if only because I had to walk a fine line between being creative and just using all of the songs King himself references (and it’s an extensive list). So, as the name implies, the result is a mix. Some I added (like Son of a Preacher Man and Fire) and others King quoted in the novel (like Cherry, Cherry and Wild Thing).

Enjoy responsibly.

01. Son of a Preacher Man / Tom Goss
02. I Want to Hold Your Hand / The Beatles
03. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright / Bob Dylan
04. Cherry, Cherry / Neil Diamond
05. Green River / Creedence Clearwater Revival
06. Who’ll Stop the Rain / Creedence Clearwater Revival
07. Brown Eyed Girl / Van Morrison
08. Wild Thing / Jimi Hendrix
09. Baby Blue / Badfinger
10. Hang on Sloopy / The McCoys
11. I’ll Be Seeing You / Billie Holliday
13. Fire / Barns Courtney

It’s hard to compete with a novel where the main character is a musician. Do you attach songs to novels? I often can’t help it…