When I was a teenaged comic book fan in the mid '70s (as opposed to the middle-aged [and then some] comic book fan I am now), rival publishers DC Comics and Marvel Comics made the unprecedented move of collaborating on a couple of projects. The initial result was a joint adaptation of The Wizard Of Oz, but the main event was a special merger of their respective top superheroes in the 1976 tabloid one-shot Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man. As cool as it had always been to see DC heroes meeting other DC heroes or Marvel heroes meeting other Marvel heroes, there was a unique, giddy thrill in this novel notion of unrelated, unconnected, and competing superstars coming together in one adventure. Superman and Spider-Man. The best of both worlds.
Power pop heroes the Flashcubes and Shoes aren't rivals, but like the Man of Steel and the Wall-Crawler before them, they're not exactly from the same neighborhood, and they've never seemed likely to up, up and assemble. Yet here they are now, in this far future world of the 21st century, the buzz of Syracuse, New York uniting with the jangle of Zion, Illinois for a new single. The song itself is familiar; "Tomorrow Night" is an acknowledged classic of power pop, first released as a Shoes single in 1978 (the same year the Flashcubes released their debut single "Christi Girl"). The combined might of the 'Cubes and Shoes render a powerful new version that doesn't replace the original, but stands tall on its own merit. Magic.
(And yeah, I do think the 'Cubes and Shoes should reconvene for a new version of "Christi Girl," too, or maybe the Flashcubes' second single "Wait Till Next Week." Even the unlikely pairing of Superman and Spider-Man came back for a sequel. Nothing succeeds like MORE!!)
"Tomorrow Night" is the fourth new Flashcubes recording to surface within the past year, following ace covers of Pezband (with that group's Mimi Betinis), the Dwight Twilley Band, and the Posies. One suspects there may be more to come. One hopes so, anyway. For today, we have the wonder of a team-up we didn't expect. The Flashcubes and Shoes. Truth, justice, and the great responsibility that comes with the great power of music. To be continued? Look! Up in the sky!
'Nuff said. 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 airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO).
TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.
Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio: CD or download
http://sparksyracuse.org/support/
https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment