Ka is a wheel

“A long tale, like a tall Tower, must be built a stone at a time.” – Stephen King

So I’m a Tower Junkie. The fun little mixes below are the result of an ongoing music project I’ve been working on since my last read-through of the Dark Tower series. The intent is not to make a soundtrack, but to tell the story, try to capture some of its soul in song.

Starting with the songs mentioned or referenced in the text of the series, I added others that seemed to apply, or move the story along. It’s funny. Been a while since my last journey with Roland and the ka-tet of 19, but when listening to these mixes, I can recall the sequence of events in detail.

It’s been fun, searching for versions with the perfect fit, embodying the characters (villains and all). While listening to The Upsetters trippy version of “Knock Three Times”, imagine a mischievous Walter, sitting at a campfire with Roland. And the mental image of Little Richard as Crimson King at the Tower cracks me the funk up every single time.

Then there’s the joyful accidents: the line, “There’s nothing left alive but a pair of glassy eyes” in the Stooges’ song “Gimme Danger”…or finding that the translation for “El Hervir Rojo” is loosely “as red as a lobster”. Calexico fits the tone so well. They’re an obvious choice for the score (heads up Ron Howard).

This project has been sitting dormant in my Music folder since before moving back to Lake Charles from Atlanta. I recently dusted it off, made a couple of changes, and decided to post for feedback, fun, or song suggestions.

Titles below in bold are those referenced within the series, though some of my choices in version were different from King’s.

“May it do ya fine”

1) Iggy and the Stooges – Gimme Danger
2) Calexico – Humano
3) Marty Robbins – Big Iron
4) Calexico – Glowing Heart of the World
5) The Upsetters – Knock Three Times
6) Calexico – Inch By Inch
7) Fats Waller – Dem Dry Bones

1) Calexico – El Hervir Rojo
2) The Breeders – S.O.S.
3) Paul Simon – Paranoia Blues
4) Velvet Underground – I’m Waiting for the Man
5) Little Richard – Good Golly, Miss Molly
6) Velvet Underground – Heroin
7) No Age – Fever Dreaming
8) Calexico – Train of Thought

1) Delta Spirit – John Henry
2) Fred Karlin – Chase (from Westworld OST)
3) Robyn Hitchcock – I Often Dream of Trains
4) Calexico – Ritual Road Map
5) Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Dorsey – The Skeleton in the Closet
6) Rodney Crowell – Wandering Boy
7) ZZ Top – Velcro Fly
8) Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – Bellerin’ Plain
9) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Train Long-Suffering
10) Jesse Ed Davis – Red Dirt Boogie, Brother

1) Dave Van Ronk – Careless Love
2) Calexico – Gypsy’s Curse
3) CCR – Tombstone Shadow
4) Jimmy Wakely – The Call of the Canyon
5) Pete Seeger – Farewell (Fare Thee Well)
6) Fats Waller – Oh Dem Golden Slippers

1) Crispian St. Peters – The Pied Piper
2) Dick Gaughan – Waist Deep in the Big Muddy
3) Magnificent Seven Theme
4) This Bike is a Pipe Bomb – We Shall Not Be Moved
5) Henry Burr – M-O-T-H-E-R (A Word That Means the World to Me)
6) The Cramps – Green Door
7) Bob Dylan – Oxford Town
8) Rev. Gary Davis – Hesitation Blues

1) The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City
2) Elton John – Someone Saved My Life Tonight
3) Frank Black and the Catholics – The Black Rider
4) Steve Earle – Jericho Road
5) Martha Reeves & the Vandellas – Nowhere to Run
6) Calexico – Transistorites
7) Lou Reed – White Light/White Heat
8) Calexico – Reverse Ranch
9) Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
10) Phil Ochs – I Ain’t Marchin’ Anymore
11) Procol Harum – Wreck of the Hesperus
12) Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
13) Bono – A Dying Sailor to His Shipmates
14) Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Amazing Grace

1) Calexico – Muleta
2) Al Haig – Mighty Like a Rose
3) Steve Earle – Red is the Color
4) Neil Young – Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World
5) Townes Van Zandt – The Spider Song
6) Richard Greene & Jack Shit – Shenandoah
7) Etta Baker – John Henry
8) Little Richard – Keep A Knockin’
9) King Crimson – Red
10) Leonard Cohen – Tower of Song
11) Wilson Pickett (ft Duane Allman) – Hey Jude