I must admit, I was a little late to the Mad Men party. I kept hearing raves about the show from people I trust, but I just don’t watch that much TV. Then I happened upon a Mad Men marathon on a rainy Sunday and watched 5 straight episodes – I was totally hooked. It’s like a moving photo. It’s beautiful and every line is perfectly composed. And the music is great too.
Turns out, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner is a true music fan — we hung out in the KCRW Music Library after the taping ended just to listen to more songs – and chooses many of the tunes used in the show himself.
His Guest DJ Project was so inspiring, it almost brought tears to my eyes sometimes. I’m a bit of a softy but he purposely focused his song choices on inspiring anthems about staying true to yourself — made by artists who followed that creed, from Big Star to Bing Crosby and, of course, Joni Mitchell.
It’s interesting that he happens to be in negotiations with AMC right now about the future of Mad Men that seems to reflect a lot of what he said in his DJ set.
Whether or not you watch the show, it’s worth hearing! Stream/download here
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Matthew Weiner’s Guest DJ Set Tracklist:
1. Bing Crosby – Brother, Can you spare a dime?
2. Jim Croce – New York’s not my home
3. Big Star – The Ballad of El Goodo
4. Joni Mitchell – Rainy night house
5. The Decemberists – Los Angeles, I’m Yours