Celebrating the consumption of alcohol in a state with as much DWI tragedy as ours should be done with a tad of temperance. I crowdsourced some of these tunes, and I also tried to present tracks that both glorify getting sotted and those that dwell on the darker side of alcoholism. Stream this playlist in its entirety at: bit.ly/drinkdrankdrunk. Enjoy this mix—and the sauce—responsibly.
Aural Fixation
"Underneath the Bottle" • Lou Reed • The Blue MaskThis is Lou Reed at his charming, libertine best. He’s so bad that he’s gone past bad and back to sacrosanct.
Aural Fixation
"Summer Wine" • Nancy Sinatra with Lee Hazlewood • “Summer Wine”/“Sugar Town” 7-inch Strawberries, cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring—euphemism or not—sounds like a top-shelf recipe.
Aural Fixation
“La Bière”• Jacques Brel • Jacques BrelJacques Brel’s vox could make rubbing alcohol sound like Cristal.
Aural Fixation
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“Relief is Just a Swallow Away” • George Jones • Cup of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury YearsThe Possum inimitably delivers a paean to alcoholic anodyne.
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“Dim Lights, Thick Smoke” • Marty Stuart • Once Upon a Time Marty Stuart revisits one of his fave teenage tunes to sublime effect.
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“Jockey Full of Bourbon” • Tom Waits • Rain Dogs “Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass/ I’m on the lawn with someone else’s wife.”
Aural Fixation
“Baptize Me in Wine” • Screamin’ Jay Hawkins • Screamin’ the Blues “If wine’s gonna kill me, I don’t mind dyin’. …”
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“Drink!” • They Might Be Giants • Mink Car“Let’s drink, drink/ This town is so great/ Drink, drink, ‘cause it’s never too late. …”
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“Who Drank My Beer” • The Church Keys • Work With It!!!Obscure Goner Records act covers Dave Bartholomew’s indictment of beer moochers.
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“Whiskey” • Brown Hornet • Greatest Hits “Drinking whiskey in my closet …”
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“Drunk & Crazy” • Fang • Landshark/Where the Wild Things AreCali hardcore punk band shrieks about alcohol’s dampening effects on inhibitions.
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“Stinking Drunk” • Big Black • Atomizer “Like swimming, like sex, like a kick in the bag/ Like a fistfight/ Think it’s time I got stinking drunk. …”
Aural Fixation
“I Ain’t Drunk” • Lonnie “The Cat” • Rhythm Rockin’ Blues“But you’re so high. …”
Aural Fixation
“Quiet Whiskey” • Wynonie Harris • Good Rockin’ Blues“Whiskey, whiskey, on the shelf/ You were so quiet there by yourself/ Things were fine ‘til they took you down/ Opened you up and passed you around. …”
