''Stranger Than Fiction'' is an album by various performers, most of whom are professional writers and amateur singers, released in 1998 on
Kathi Kamen Goldmark's "Don't Quit Your
Day Job
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any oth ...
" Records. This album is an offshoot of the
Rock Bottom Remainders, aka the
Wrockers ("writer" + "rocker").
The artists on ''Stranger Than Fiction'' include not only many of the Remainders, such as bestselling authors
Stephen King,
Amy Tan
Amy Ruth Tan (born on February 19, 1952) is an American author known for the novel '' The Joy Luck Club,'' which was adapted into a film of the same name, as well as other novels, short story collections, and children's books.
Tan has written ...
and
Dave Barry, but also rock critics
Dave Marsh,
Ben Fong-Torres and
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus (born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics.
Biography
Marcus wa ...
, film critic
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...
and such literary heavyweights as
Norman Mailer and
Maya Angelou.
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician.
Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...
contributed liner notes and a variety of famous musicians played on the tracks, including Zevon,
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of
the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...
, and
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was bes ...
.
Proceeds from this project were contributed to a variety of charities promoting literature and literacy.
Track listing
Disc 1
Disc 2
"Rainy Day Bookstores" is a parody of Bob Dylan's song "
Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35".
References
{{reflist
External links
Album page at "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records website
1998 compilation albums
Amy Tan