As you reach a certain age (Eclectic Playlist Series, 2.08)

Even within as curious and compelling a genre as Northern Soul, "You Don't Mean It" is a curiosity. Its origins are couched in contradictions andmysteries; the recording itself, meanwhile, exudes such jittery energy as to sound warped and partially mistaken. The fact that it can lead us seamlessly into the acoustic stompiness of Carlene Carter's Rockpile-fueled heyday tells us something about the profundity of what those Motown folks were up to way back when (Northern Soul was founded upon nothing as much as an unmitigated worship of Motown castoffs). As for the segue from Traffic into New Order, what that illustrates, clearly, is the aesthetic and emotional necessity of eclectic listening. And yes: "October in the sky" I missed by a few days, but the last song this epitomizes the bittersweet joys of autumn, and on my Northern, soulful calendar it's still fall, so drink it in and thanks for stopping by.

See http://fingertipsmusic.com/?p=17659 for more info and a track listing.