This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 909

In a year-end roundup of the best albums of 2017 for his Power Pop Plus column in Goldmine, our pal John M. Borack just named our recent CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 as 2017's Compilation Of The Year. Call us egotistical or call us Ishmael, but we're giddy about this. In nearly twenty years doing this show, plus several years doing similar little mutant programs even before that, we have never received that kind of compliment, that high level of flattery. 

And it means a lot.

I'm serious. Even as we prance and bluster and try to do sight gags on the radio every week, we crave signs of acceptance. We know what we're doing is right. We believe this really is The Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Friggin' Planet. But it's so nice, so damned gratifying to hear someone else validate that breathless belief. It means more than I can tell you.

You! You This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio fan, you! You should check out John's actual Power Pop Plus columns discussing his Top 25 Albums Of 2017 and his Top 40 Songs Of 2017 in their entirety. You should make a habit of always reading John's Power Pop Plus in its entirety. It's good for you! For the sake of posterity in the TIRnRR archives, here's what John wrote about our compilation CD:

Compilation of the Year – This is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio – Volume 4 (Kool Kat) – Journalistic integrity and conflicts of interest being what they are, I suppose I should alert you straightaway to the fact that your humble scribe appears on three tracks on TiRRR4 as your even humbler drummer. But hey, you know what? There are 26 other tracks on this fabulous comp that I don’t appear on, so screw it. It’s so good that I’d actually be doing more of a disservice if I didn’t talk about than I would if I did, so I will. I mean, I am. Or something.

Anyway, the veritable bounty of delightful tracks on TiRRR4 were curated by radio hosts Carl Cafarelli and Dana Bonn, who spin records and gab about ‘em every Sunday evening in Syracuse, NY (and online, too). Most all of it is either rare/hard to find or previously unreleased, and the disc is positively crawling with great tunes from accomplished titans of the power pop genre (Rubinoos, Smithereens, Paul Collins’ Beat), indie faves (the Gripweeds, Chris von Sneidern, Lisa Mychols, P. Hux), lesser-known-but-still-cool acts (Stepford Knives, The Rulers, Michael Oliver) and Cafarelli/Bonn fave raves (the Flashcubes, Ronnie Dark, 1.4.5.). Personal picks would be Ray Paul’s insistently rockin’ “I Need Your Love Tonight” (the best thing he’s ever done, to these ears), Pop Co-Op’s “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” (sounding like a long lost Walker Brothers track), the bubbly “I’m On Your Side” by Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, The Rulers’ “I Want My Ramones Records Back” (who wouldn’t?), Lisa Mychols’ “Almost Didn’t Happen” and The Legal Matters’ faithful take of Teenage Fanclub’s “Don’t Look Back.”

In the words of The Flamin' Groovies: Thanks, John! And this is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl, Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse on The Spark WSPJ-LP 103.3 and 93.7, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/

Spark Syracuse is supported by listeners like you. Tax-deductible donations are welcome at http://sparksyracuse.org/support/

You can follow Carl's daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) at 
https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/

Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes, Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here.

TIRnRR # 909: 2/4/18
[Selections from This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 listed in bold]

THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (Rhino, End Of The Century)
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RAY PAUL: I Need Your Love Tonight (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE RUTLES: Number One (Rhino, The Rutles)
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Thanks John (National, Rock Juice)
THE FALL: Victoria (Beggars Banquet, 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong)
THE TEMPTATIONS: Psychedelic Shack (Motown, Gold)
THE TOURISTS: So Good To Be Back Home Again (Camden, Greatest Hits)
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SPARKS: Tips For Teens (Rhino, Profile)
DIESEL PARK WEST: Turn! Turn! Turn! (EMI, God Only Knows)
THE GRIP WEEDS: Strange Bird (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE 101'ERS: Sweet Revenge (Ace, VA: Good Clean Fun)
THE KINKS: Death Of A Clown (Essential, Something Else)
WARREN MILLER: Everybody's Got A Baby But Me (BGO, VA: Imperial Rockabillies/Capitol Rockabilly Originals)
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MICHAEL OLIVER & THE SACRED BAND FEATURING DAVE MERRITT: You Won't Do (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE TEMPTATIONS: Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are) (Motown, Gold)
POP CO-OP: You Don't Love Me Anymore (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE BEATLES: Words Of Love (Capitol, Beatles VI)
IRENE PEÑA: Must've Been Good (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES: Shakin' All Over (Parlophone, The Best Of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates)
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THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Glad All Over (Hollywood, The History Of The Dave Clark Five)
THE WHO: The Good's Gone (MCA, My Generation)
POPDUDES: She Is Funny (In That Way) (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
WARREN ZEVON: Poor Poor Pitiful Me (Rhino, Genius)
PIPER: Drop By And Stay (American Beat, Piper/Can't Wait)
THE CRICKETS: I Fought The Law (MCA, VA: Rock Around The Clock)
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VEGAS WITH RANDOLPH FEATURING LANNIE FLOWERS: The Weekend's Coming (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
PARANOID LOVESICK: What Matters (Futureman, VA: Altered Sweet)
THE LEGAL MATTERS: Don't Look Back (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
DONOVAN: Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) (Castle, Fairy Tale)
THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise [4-track] (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
ORBIS MAX: What's It All About (single)
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THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
THE SPONGETONES: (Theme From) The Monkees [live at CBGB's] (unreleased)
THE MONKEES: Auntie's Municipal Court (Rhino, 50)
THE PRETENDERS: Back On The Chain Gang (Sire, The Singles)
MAURA & THE BRIGHT LIGHTS: Maybe Someday (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE HIT SQUAD: Best Of Me (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
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CIRCE LINK & CHRISTIAN NESMITH: I'm On Your Side (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
ALTERED IMAGES: Jeepster (Connoisseur Collection, The Best Of Altered Images)
RONNIE DARK: '70s Van (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
HELLO HELEN: Fall's Far Away (JAM, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 1)
CHRIS VON SNEIDERN: Insomniac Summer (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS: Period Exclamatory (JAM, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 1)
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MR. ENCRYPTO & THE CYPHERS: Home On The Radio (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me (JAM, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 2)
THE RULERS: I Want My Ramones Records Back  (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE B.A.R.: Katie's Shoes (JAM, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 2)
LISA MYCHOLS: Almost Didn't Happen (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE FIRE APES: Hey Kate (JAM, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 2)
THE SMITHEREENS: Got Me A Girl (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS: My Narcoleptic Sara (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3)
THE SLAPBACKS: Make Something Happen (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
MANNIX: Highway Lines (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3)
BOB HAFNER: Surf Creature (Ace, VA: The Birth Of Surf)