Herr Machine

One of the great joys of reading Love Goes to Buildings on Fire by Will Hermes lies in being reminded of music I haven’t heard in years and didn’t properly appreciate in the first place. Such is the case with Manu Dibango’s completely infectious chart hit Soul Makossa, one of those numbers that absolutely compels the listener to move. 

There are various playlists floating around Spotify for this book, including one by Hermes himself. I have a lot of memories invested in this period of music, particularly the punk stuff. It was a time and a place that will never be repeated, and the book is my chance to revisit my glory days in New York at the end of 1976.