With era-defining leading roles in films like Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire, Andrew McCarthy cemented his status as heartthrob numero uno for many children of the 1980s. Since that time, however, McCarthy has traveled a varied path, both figuratively and literally.
Among the many real-life roles he’s played is award-winning travel writer for magazines like National Geographic Traveler. In his new memoir, The Longest Way Home, McCarthy revisits an epic trip of self-discovery that took him to some of the most dangerous and beautiful places on Earth. In today’s NOOK Blog guest author post, McCarthy offers his playlist for the open road. I have to admit, these are some pretty epic road trip tunes.
There’s nothing wrong that a hundred dollars in your pocket and a full tank of gas can’t cure. It’s one of the great American themes and the impetus for so much transformation, to say nothing of so much good rock ‘n roll. And so, as someone once said, “Whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul, I hit the road."
Few things in life demand a soundtrack as much as a road trip, and hailing from the great state of New Jersey, there is only one place my playlist can begin.
1-Born To Run, by Bruce Springsteen. The urgency, the youthful belief in escape, propelled by soaring orchestration beneath searing layers of guitars, and Clarence Clemmons galloping saxophone—it’s enough to convince you of the need to set out, no matter the direction, no matter the cost. Tramps like us…
2-Lose Yourself, by Eminem. Anger. Need. Opportunity. Once in a lifetime. One shot. Success is the only option. Failure is not. Turn it up!
3- Good Times, by Sam Cooke. Every journey needs a healthy heaping of soul. This one has me rolling down the window, swinging along, and pressing the pedal down hard. I ain’t felt this good since I don’t know when…
4- Martha, by Tom Waits. There are few certainties, one of them is that eventually you will find yourself deep on a dark and lonely road, late at night, with the needle pointing at “E.” It’s been so many years…
5-Play It As It Lays, by Patti Scialfa. And just when you thought the road would swallow you and yield up nothing but ghosts of the past, the dawn breaks and What’s done is done…
A free sample excerpt from this book is available on the product page now.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Andrew McCarthy” to download his revealing memoir.
