All Over Manhattan

2. Shattered

NYC reference: Umm, duh. Pretty much the whole thing.

So, NYC fully absorbed me and Ben. And by fully absorbed we mean to say that we find it immensely difficult to walk and blog at the same time. How do you New Yorkers do it?

As a result, our countdown that was supposed to be finished on Friday was left hanging…like a dangling modifier, the lack of a #2 and #1 on the list left everything awkward and unclear and we apologize for leaving all you Internetizens lost in a sea of confusion.

But! It’s never too late! Here’s #2. Not much to say except listen to it, dance to it, groove to it, kidnap people to it, and imagine me and Ben walking walking walking around Manhattan to it.

3. “Honky Tonk Women”

NYC reference: “I laid a divorcee in New York City / I had to put up some kind of a fight”

I’m not sure there’s much we can add to what’s already been written about this song.

Yes, it’s dirty, slinky and irresistible. Yes, that riff-that’s-not-really-a-riff is one of the most substantial chunks of rock’n’roll guitar that’s ever been strummed. Yes, that cowbell intro was effortlessly cool long before cowbell was a prescription. So, just enjoy it. And while you enjoy it, consider the actual juke joint temptresses Mick sang about. Consider the honky tonk women—Jean Shephard, Kitty Wells, etc.—who were the original honky tonkers. Consider the lazy segue I’m using to introduce this short NPR piece about the women of early country music. [Warning: Annoying Real Player stream] But consider especially a line from said piece that perfectly describes the women Mick was singing about:

These were places to drink and dance—and not necessarily with your wife.

Consider that.

Blew my mind, indeed.

The End.

By Ben Miller, age 14.

4. Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

NYC reference: “The police in New York City / chased a boy right through the park / in a case of mistaken identity / they put a bullet through his heart”

Gritty urban R&B? Check. Billy Preston on clavicle? Check. Balls to the wall horn section? Check.

I hereby certify this song “Awesome Ready.”

Sidenote: When we announced our top-10-Stones-songs-that-reference-NYC list, our friend Jessika (who posts weekly on Facebook Top 10 songs lists with rotating themes, such as the charming “Top 10 songs about jail” and the uplifting “Top 10 songs about murder”) immediately stated:

If Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) isn’t on your list, we can’t be friends anymore.

So, Jessika, here it is. NOW YOU HAVE TO BE OUR FRIENDS FOREVER.

5. “Miss You”

NYC reference: “I’ve been walking in Central Park / Singing after dark / People think I’m crazy”

We’ve already exceeded our daily word limit for Rolling Stones love here, so I’ll keep this brief. “Miss You” is generally thought of as the Stones’ attempt to cash in on the disco sound but there’s disagreement—sometimes even between separate accounts from the same band member—over the true intention behind its disco trappings.

Personally, I don’t really care if it was a cheap throwaway or a shrewdly crafted pop exploration. If anyone could knock out a respectable disco cut it would be the Stones and this thing is danceable as hell. The version above is the extended 12” single, which kicks the danceability up a few levels with four extra minutes for solos and Mick Jagger “ooh ooh ooh”-ing. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that “Miss You“‘s electric piano smoothness comes from the great Ian McLagan of Faces.