You can tell a lot about a great group by looking at the acts that had impact on them. While some folks are dismissive of journalists who ask artists and performers to identify their influences, it's an important and relevant question. What sparked you? What made you? Who were the glowing North stars that lit your path to becoming who you are, who you want to be? You can tell lot about great bands by looking at the great records they decide to cover.
Everyone reading this already knows that my rockin' pop Trinity is the Beatles, the Ramones, and the Flashcubes. Tommy Allen, Paul Armstrong, Gary Frenay, and Arty Lenin. I adore the Flashcubes' original songs, and I worship the energy of their live shows. But before I knew any songs written by the Flashcubes, I was hooked instantly by their choice of covers. At my first Flashcubes show in January of 1978, their sets included bracing renditions of irresistible material by the Kinks, the Troggs, the Hollies, the Sex Pistols, and more. Hooked? That's underselling the enormity of the night for me. When the 'Cubes slammed their way through a cover of the Yardbirds' "Heart Full Of Soul," I felt as if THIS!! was what it was like to see the Beatles at The Cavern.
That is not an exaggeration. Not to me it ain't.
A few weeks ago, Dana proposed an idea for a fantastic edition of TIRnRR: Play the original versions of some songs that have been covered on official releases by either the Flashcubes or by Gary and Tommy's recent project the Half/Cubes. My reply to the idea can best be phrased Oh, HELL yeah!! We added a quartet of Flashcubes performances (two originals, two covers), two tracks from the Half/Cubes' sublime album Pop Treasures (covering Eric Carmen and Trashcan Sinatras), and we put a big ol' bow on it with sparkle*jets u.k.'s as-yet-unreleased cover of the Flashcubes' "Make Something Happen." Cubic roots. I'll stack this week's show up against any other three hours of radio on the whole friggin' planet. There is a cubic ton of great radio shows out there. I believe this can hold its own with the best of them.
Our pop passions are heartfelt and personal, as they should be. A reader disappointed with my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) left a two-star rating for the book on Amazon, taking issue with my focus on writing about my relationship with the tracks under discussion rather than sticking to objective pop history and analysis. Guilty as charged. I want to write about how music affects me, and then I hope others will find the universal element within my unique experiences.
(The critic was also appalled that I made repeated references to the Flashcubes. And to the Beatles. I can't apologize for being who I am, nor for seeking who I want to be. Influences. The Beatles, the Ramones, the Flashcubes. They got me this far. I'm staying the course, man.)
Influences are important. But as we celebrate the roots of the Flashcubes and the Half/Cubes, we're achin' to hear new original music from the Flashcubes, and also dying to hear more great artists try their able hands at covering the Flashcubes. Maybe 2025 will see efforts on both fronts. The goal is simple:
Make something happen.
For now: Cubic roots. A brighter light in my mind. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another 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, streaming at SPARK stream, and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio
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.
Carl's new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get Carl's previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.
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