A Fan’s Notes

Nic Harcourt admits to pinching himself on occasion. Now in his seventh year as host of “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” weekdays on Santa Monica-based KCRW-FM (89.9), Harcourt, 47, has made a living and a reputation as a taste-maker from his obsessive passion for pop music. Harcourt did a stint as a factory worker near his native Birmingham, England, before making his way to the U.S. and a series of DJ gigs in which he displayed a flair for prescient programming choices and wide-ranging enthusiasms. The Topanga resident’s catholic tastes get free rein in “Music Lust: Recommended Listening for Every Mood, Moment and Reason,” newly published by Sasquatch Books, in which Harcourt lists essential recordings for the discerning listener in dozens of categories, including fertile pastures such as naughty girls, nice girls, cowboy crooners, brother-sister acts, Hammond organ artists, band names pertaining to food and more.

Along with blues, punk and reggae, your book lists imaginative categories such as records by TV actors. Is there no line between irony and music appreciation these days?

David Hasselhoff [of the ‘80s TV series “Knight Rider”] is a huge singing star in Germany. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard his records. They’re kind of sappy. In England, David Soul [of the ‘70s TV series “Starsky & Hutch”] was huge. That song [“Don’t Give Up on Us, Baby”] was No. 1 in England for weeks. What is it about these guys? They achieve fame in one arena, and all of a sudden they’re like, “Now I’m a singer as well.” That whole thing with the [1968] William Shatner record [“The Transformed Man”]. He came out with another one as I was writing the book, so we had to update a little bit.

Are rock fans ready to pore over the best recordings of the Rat Pack?

They were giants. [They had] style and attitude. Sinatra was an amazing actor. Dean Martin did some straight movies where he was amazing. Sammy [Davis Jr.] was the greatest all-around entertainer with his dancing. For that 10-year period they were like gods. They owned Vegas. The women wanted them, and the guys wanted to be them. If that’s not rock star stuff, what is?

Your section on best pop recordings of the second half of the 20th century lists Miles Davis in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s--heavier than the Beatles, the Stones or Elvis. Miles was big on turn-of-the-millennium lists as well.

Certain artists have made statements that are perhaps not as clear at the moment as later on. It takes a while for people to catch up. Miles’ work inspired generations of musicians. He was challenging the status quo, and he kept doing it. Dylan did it for a while, but Dylan hit that wall that a lot of artists hit. Miles Davis didn’t seem to do that. He was always pushing boundaries.

You don’t claim to be an expert, just a music lover. What makes your choices trustworthy?

It comes down to being a fan. It’s that sense of discovery or excitement, if you’re still open to it. How do you respond? When you hear something, does it make you want to sing along? Does it make you want to head-bang? Does it make you think about the lyrics? Hearing “Dreamer” by Supertramp when I was 16 on the radio in England and going, “That’s amazing!” I remember being on the school bus. And it did become a hit a year later.

You’ve been a DJ for 15 years and counting and a music fan for even longer. Is there an age ceiling for pop lovers?

It always amazed me that commercial radio basically wrote off the older generation. I think the media does in general. It’s like, 18 through 34. That’s the demographic. I was listening to punk rock when I was 20. Why would I still not be interested in something new, something challenging? If you’ve always had that sense of discovery, I don’t think it goes away. At KCRW we have a big age group relating to the same music, people in their 20s and people in their 50s. The audience is more an attitude than a demographic.

As a career fan, what is “good taste” or “bad taste” in pop-rock?

It’s easier to say what’s bad taste. Bad taste for me is usually lyrical content. Misogynist lyrics don’t do it for me. Racist lyrics don’t do it for me. Apart from that, everything is up for grabs. There is music I like personally that I perhaps wouldn’t play on the radio show. I’m a big AC/DC fan. I don’t play AC/DC on “Morning Becomes Eclectic.” But if I’m driving down the highway and I’ve got “Highway to Hell” on the stereo, it’s perfect.