This week’s playlist commences with Pluto The Dog, an archetypal canine both cosmic and comic who appears courtesy of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.
Many millennia ago - exactly how many nobody is yet sure - our ancestors began to domesticate the wolves that were drawn to their encampments. In When I Was A Boy I Watched the Wolves, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick celebrate the wildness that lies beneath both doggy and human skin.
In Palaeolithic times, dogs accompanied humans on hunting trips, and they still do. Show of Hands explain that if you have a Longdog - and are willing to risk jail - you can feed yourself very sustainably and for free.
Some people buy a dog to impress or to terrify. If you believe Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, his Alligator Eating Dog could certainly do both.
Ron Sexsmith just wants a rather large cuddly friend with a flask of brandy around its neck. He dreams of owning a St Bernard, but admits that it isn’t quite practical at the moment.
Meanwhile, Jake Thackray is being driven to thoughts of suicide by his very loving but over-enthusiastic dog Ulysses.
Perhaps it might be best for both if Ulysses moved to Planet Dog, as humorously described by Boothby Graffoe.
However, Norah Jones, forced to choose between boyfriend and dog, is more than happy with her Man Of The Hour - that’s the dog.
Wise advice from an old man stays with the protagonist of Heart’s Dog and Butterfly, and she’s able to pass it on too.
Blitzen Trapper’s Furr is a tale of being young and wild, of growing up and of settling down, yet still being aware of having a‘wild’ side.
Jane Silberry’s Everything Reminds Me Of My Dog is just a completely joyous love song to her pet.
In J’Aimerais Bien Etre Mon Chien, Frederik Mey admits that sometimes he wishes that he could be his dog, and live his life without pretence. But at least he has one skill which the dog might envy - the ability to open the fridge door.
Finally, here are Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers in defence of their faithful mutt as they play us out with You Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Around.
The Playlist
Pluto the Dog - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
When I Was A Boy I Watched the Wolves - Paul Kantner and Grace Slick
Longdog - Show of Hands
Alligator Eating Dog - Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown
St Bernard - Ron Sexsmith
Ulysses - Jake Thackray
Planet Dog - Boothby Graffoe
Man of the Hour - Norah Jones
Dog and Butterfly - Heart
Furr - Blitzen Trapper
Everything Reminds Me Of My Dog - Jane Silberry
J’Aimerais Bien Etre Mon Chien - Frederik Mey
You Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Around - Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers
During the week of 19 September 2015 the glorious Guardian Readers Recommend blog is going to be 10 years old. There will be an informal celebration of this during on Saturday 19 September, with a meeting up from lunchtime onwards in London, near the Guardian’s offices. For more details, and possible other meet-ups around this time, please email peter.kimpton@theguardian.com or keep an eye out on the Readers Recommend topics appearing here each Thursday.
Interested in compiling and writing about a list of songs from readers’ suggestions? Email peter.kimpton@theguardian.com.
