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Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop” is ten and a half minutes of genuinely terrifying industrial noise, a sort of aural equivalent of “Eraserhead”. Like David Lynch’s film, it conveys a chilling, bleak, monochrome dystopia, full of blood-curdling shrieks and clangs although I seem to remember that the movie offered the odd moment of respite, an occasional touch of bizarre and malformed hope. whereas “Frankie Teardrop” offers none at all.

If you haven’t heard it and still wish to, set an evening aside, make sure you’re not alone in the room (experiencing the song through headphones, incidentally, will almost certainly result in hospitalisation) and take the following day off work.

Says Nick Hornby in his book.

This rest of the selection pales into insignificance…
(Although Aimee Mann I like a lot, Paul Westerberg was new for me, Teenage Fanclub is Byrd-esque enough to transport me back 4 decades and “First I look at the purse” is almost as good as the Contours’ version on “John Lennon’s Jukebox)


11. I’ve Had It – Aimee Mann – Whatever
12. Born For Me – Paul Westerberg – Nick Hornby/31 Songs
13. Frankie Teardrop – Suicide – Suicide
14. Ain’t That Enough – Teenage Fanclub – Nick Hornby/31 Songs
15. First I Look At The Purse – J. Geils Band – Live Full House