Pop Rocks - Billy Dogma: Daydream Lullabies
By Dean Haspiel.

When I think of the kind of music that plays in a BILLY DOGMA comic, I imagine a lot of classic hip-hop, funk, and dancehall reggae scoring the hyper-kinetic scenes that transpire throughout the super-psychedelic narratives. But, when I think of the spirit of the series, and what is probably going through Billy Dogma's mind, especially when he thinks about his gal-pal Jane Legit, a whole new soundtrack plays. One that is more melancholic and serene.

I decided to take the first Billy Dogma collection DAYDREAM LULLABIES, and score the romantic themes that play throughout the pages of these stories. I didn't make a list that applied to any particular scene. Instead, I've created an album that could play along the topsy-turvy world of Billy Dogma's hometown Trip City, and more accurately, the radio station that's set to the dial on his Berzerk Gun!

SIDE ONE

1) THERE'S NO WAY, by Al Green-- Whenever Billy was about to go off and make things right, this is the song he would play to ease Jane's fears of losing him to the big bad world.

2) VOYAGE TO ATLANTIS, by The Isley Brothers-- Like a romantic siren from the seas, the brothers preach the power of love and tell it like it should be. Billy has heard this song many times when Jane was at work and the chips were down.

3) THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE, by Roberta Flack-- A moment of clarity, Billy Dogma never knew what hit him. And he's never been the same since he met Jane Legit.

4) INSENSATEZ, by Antonio Carlos Jobim-- When Billy's senses fog up and he needs to rope it in a few notches, this music helps him keep his feet from slipping.

5) I WANT TO GET NEXT TO YOU, by Rose Royce-- It's spring time and Jane is starting to wear those mini-skirts to the park again. This is the song that's filling Billy's ears.

6) TIME, by Sly & the Family Stone-- This is the music Billy hears and slurs when he's drunk and the world doesn't make any sense. This music reminds him that he's only flesh and blood.

7) I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD, by Johnny Hodges-- When Billy finds himself cornered and in trouble, fighting over ethics and rights, this is the music that plays on his long walks back home in the rain.

8) SINCE I FELL FOR YOU, by Dinah Washington-- This is the song that Jane hears when she justifies her love for Billy. Dinah's voice is made of raw passion and steel!

9) LOST AND LOOKIN', by Sam Cooke-- A desperate song, Billy has heard this many a night at 2am, searching for a clue only to find an empty shot glass.

SIDE TWO

1) NOTHING COMPARES 2 U, by Prince-- This live duet with Rosie Gaines perfectly demonstrates the give and take of Billy and Jane's yin and yang.

2) ADORE, by Prince-- Billy's ode to Jane. It tells the whole story.

3) DRINKING AGAIN, by Aretha Franklin-- A celebratory song, both Jane and Billy spin this tune whenever they're in the blue zone and the beefier chuckleheads are tossing cookies in the gutters.

4) IT AIN'T OVER 'TILL IT'S OVER, by Lenny Kravitz-- Whenever Billy is feeling nostalgic he plays this cut to remind him of a simpler way.

5) YOU SHOOK ME, by Led Zeppelin-- This music pays homage to Billy's physical relationship with Jane. He lets it out of the cage.

6) I'M THROUGH WITH LOVE, by Arthur Prysock-- This is the song Billy hears when he feels like he's losing Jane. He's fought the good fight and still winds up coughing up blood. These are the black and desperate sounds of the end.

7) I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, by Johnny Nash-- The perfect synthesis of cause and effect, Billy flies high when this song plays its perfect tribute to "what it is!"

Of course, this is only a sampling of the kind of music that ride the airwaves in Billy Dogma's world, but you get the idea.

Dean Haspiel is 32, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can visit BILLY DOGMA and contact Dino at http://keyhole.wraithspace.com/dean/

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