Can you believe it – Crossover has been out for a year?! For the book birthday of the third title in my Kings of Chaos Motorcycle Club Series, I thought it would be a great time to revisit the story and provide a bitching soundtrack. Yeah. Bitching. So let’s get to it!
***Spoiler alert! If you haven’t read Crossover, there are major spoilers below. Read ahead at your own risk!***
Chapter 1: Will & Kayla’s wedding scene – the story spells this one out pretty clearly. The intro to “Love Song” by Tesla is a nice little acoustic buildup. The fact that my own wife actually walked down the aisle to this only makes it even better.
Chapter 6: Will meets the New Kings – the disrespect from this group shines through immediately, signaling to Will that he’s found a new group to deal with. “Enemy” by Days of the New sums up this new acquaintanceship.
Chapter 7 & 8: Will receives a phone call from an unknown number – Will is reunited with the Old Kings when they call unexpectedly and need a ride home. “I Hate Everything About You” by 3 Days Grace fits the tense reunion quite well.
Chapter 12: Jaws’s return to Rough River Falls – when Jaws returns to Rough River Falls from the Air Force, not all is well. Regardless, Will and Miller are happy to see him, albeit concerned for his mental state. “Welcome Home” by Coheed & Cambria is a nice touch.
Chapter 13: Will holding on the phone to speak with Bill Williams about potential criminal activity – this is another song that is directly laid out in the story. As Will waits patiently on the phone to be connected to Mr. Williams, “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd rings through the receiver. Unfortunately, Will doesn’t get the original, kick-ass version, but is forced to listen to a jazz interpretation. However, it just wouldn’t be right to exclude the original from the soundtrack.
Chapter 13: arrest of Bill Williams – Will and Miller act on their suspicion and arrest Bill Williams for embezzling town funds. “Money” by Velvet Revolver would be killer in the background of this scene. No offense to Pink Floyd, but Velvet Revolver fits the tone of the playlist a lot better.
Chapter 15: altercation with the kid – Will is forced to defend himself against his former neighbor’s son. Tasing a juvenile wasn’t what Will had in mind, but that’s what things came to. “Ride the Lightning” by Metallica might seem a little mean-spirited, but don’t act like it doesn’t fit the scene.
Chapter 18: first overnight at the garage working on the derby car – Will and Miller decide to hang out with the Kings during the derby car build to keep an eye on Jaws and make sure the Old Kings stay out of trouble. “Bad Company” by Five Finger Death Punch is the only option here. I am a massive fan of the band Bad Company, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the original version of this song, but for the tone of the scene and this playlist, I’d have to go with the more recent cover version.
Chapter 23: overnight cleaning at the garage – when the Old Kings spend an all-nighter cleaning up a mess they didn’t make, they need a little boost to keep up their energy. “All Night Long” by Buckcherry fills that need and is a perfect choice for the next song.
Chapter 23: setting New Kings car on fire – the Okd Kings can’t take disrespect lying down, so they have no choice but to retaliate. What better way to do that than by setting a car on fire? “Light it Up” by Rev Theory suits this scene perfectly.
Chapter 24: the night of the demo derby finally arrives – the Kings were selected to drive on the first night of the event, which would be a Saturday. Throw in the obvious conflict with the New Kings, and “Saturday Night’s Alright” gives an ideal background song. No offense to Elton John, but I’ll have to go with the Nickleback version for this soundtrack. You can use the version with an accompaniment from Kid Rock if you insist, but I don’t.
Chapter 25: demo derby – the time finally comes to kick off the big show down. The octane fills the air, and tensions run high. There’s not a better song for this scene than “Fire it Up” by Black Label Society.
Chapter 27: charity ride (Will’s identity crisis) – Will dons the Kings patch one more time for the charity ride to support his friend, Jaws. Every time he tries to separate himself from the club, something happens to pull him right back in, even while being an officer of the law. “Be Yourself” by Audioslave illustrates that internal struggle that Will faces.
Chapter 27: face off between Will and Mack – just as things reach a boiling point between the Old Kings, New Kings, and Will, another familiar face shows up and he has something on his mind for Will. A face-off and scuffle ensue. “You’re Going Down” by Sick Puppies sums up this interaction, all the way around.
Chapter 28: Old Kings patching over New Kings – this isn’t the outcome Will and Miller expected, but it’s the result they got. The two factions of Kings “Come Together” at the close of the book. More so by force than by desire, though. The Beatles are timeless, but to keep the soundtrack consistent, I’m going with the Godsmack cover of this song.
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And there it is. 15 bitching songs as promised and a bonus track for good measure. Is this what you imagined in your ear canals as you read the book, or did you have a different soundtrack playing? After seeing the unofficial playlist, did I miss anything that you think should have been included? Let me know below, and maybe I’ll update my list!
CK Fiction 