London A To Z (1962-1973)

Of the many Bob Stanley-overseen compilations over the years, London A to Z 1962-1973 might be one of the most joyfully random in spirit, if not the most. The London A to Z itself was, by default, the largest and most famous of a series of compact map books produced for cities in the UK from the 1930s onward. With that as a hook and a general time period in place, Stanley assembled a series of songs all specifically titled after a particular geographic location, tube station or building in the city, an asynchronous aural and geographic ramble across the decade plus’s styles and sounds, with a general folk/rock feel. Kicking off with an early John Barry number, “Cutty Sark,” late night jazz and on-the-verge-of-James-Bond thrills, it too flows like an easy stroll through the city (though geographically it hops all over the place – then again, that’s the joy of just sitting back and taking the trip this way). Among the many delights: Cilla Black’s salute to a departing landmark, “London Bridge,” the Tony Visconti-arranged “Kew Gardens” by Ralph McTell, and a young Marianne Faithfull covering Donovan’s “Sunny Goodge Street.”