Sopranos creator David Chase has been making the rounds, talking about the series that changed television from it's descent in the 90's into cheaply shot sitcoms, reality shows and played out detective series rehashing worn-out tropes, to a mind-blowing five seasons of in-depth movie quality complexity about of all things, the New Jersey mafia. In Marc Maron's podcast this week, Chase explained why he picked the Journey song 'Don't Stop Believing' as the end of the series. It was down to ending it with a smash cut to a song. There were three choices, an Al Green song, something he couldn't quite remember and Journey. Chase says when he presented the HBO execs with that, putting Journey at the end of the list, there was a great deal of groaning and pooh poohing that it was too uncool for the
Sopranos. Which is why Chase picked it, knowing that it would be an eternal question. Why? and Why that song? Which his instincts were right about. To this day, nobody including Journey understands that part of it. Do we have more of the same to look forward to with the forthcoming 'Many Saints of Newark", the prequel to the Sopranos? I can't wait to see it. It's out October 1st. Bada Bing!