‘Route 66,’ Via Nat King Cole, Then the Strypes say the New York Times

Val Haller, a music-obsessed baby boomer and the founder of the Web site Valslist.com, matches tracks from her generation to those of her 20-something sons’ generation.

This week we’ve invited one of our avid Music Match readers, Alan Chaprack, to submit a guest post. Mr. Chaprack has left a comment on my column every week since we started it last September. He has argued with me, agreed with me and everything in between, although more arguing than agreeing. He loves to let me know which artists he would have paired.

I’m pleased that Mr. Chaprack acknowledged it was harder than he thought to find not only a good song that readers will know, but also a clever cover and high quality video for each. But he met the challenge.

He settled on “Route 66” by Nat King Cole (original, although written by Bobby Troup) and a cover by the Strypes, a young Irish rock ‘n’ roll band. “This has to be the first honest-to-God car song,” he wrote. “Released in 1946, its beat reflected the ease with which people drove from here to there. The Strypes’ version is as 21st century as it gets.” He sees influences of the Stones as well as the punk sound of the Strypes’ countrymen, Stiff Little Fingers. “The song’s been recorded by more than 50 artists,” he wrote, “and I think that having the original matched with what’s more than likely the newest version works out well.”

So do I. Thank you, Alan.

Val Haller