The Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs: “It was a publicity stunt and it worked”

Back in 1999, the idea of writing 69 love songs didn’t seem such a monumental task. Last performed in the UK in 2001, when Peter Gabriel joined the band for the record’s cornerstone heartbreaker “The Book Of Love” at the Lyric Hammersmith, 69 Love Songs has evolved over the past quarter-century. “Falling between gaps, genres and categories seems to be more or less the whole idea of 69 Love Songs. With a song for every romantic occasion from first blush to final howl – and all the domestic murder, cannibalism and dog-based innuendo to be found in between – 69 Love Songs has become an inexhaustible compendium of comforts for those who’ve loved, lost and lamented. It’s become a very different song.”The 69 Love Songs material appears to still connect with newer generations, despite Merritt’s concern that some bits might struggle to pass a modern sensitivity reading.