5 ABOVE: Songs With "Heart" In The Title

5 Above picks five great things within a specific category. Look out below--these are five that rise above.

Well, it was just a couple of days ago that I used a 5 Above column to tie in with the Only Three Lads podcast, anticipating an imminent episode where O3L hosts Uncle Gregg and Brett Vargo (and a Third Lad to be named later) will each offer a list of favorite albums that ya gotta own on vinyl. The question intrigued me enough that I decided to provide my own Top Five list of vinyl imperatives in response.

Each episode of O3L poses a Top Five challenge along those lines, with answers usually limited to stuff from the O3L classic alternative era of 1974-1999. And I don't know if I wanna get in the habit of answering those weekly challenges here at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) HQ...but I don't know if don't wanna get in that habit either. You think you never know with me? Man, I never know with me.

Either way, after I wrote that previous 5 Above vinyl list, I finished listening to the most recent O3L, a two-part conversation with members of the Darling Buds, which found our assembled lads and ladette addressing the question of top five songs with the word "heart" in the title. And I found myself once again compelled to participate.

I spent the metric equivalent of no time at all coming up with this list. If I just looked at my iPod, I'd probably come up with a dozen more worthies. But the 5 Above placed paradoxically below are the five that occurred to me first.

HONORABLE MENTION 1: Not really, because it doesn't qualify. But mentioning "heart" makes me think of the band Heart, and thinking of the band Heart makes me think of that time when I was 17 in 1977, and a teen girl introduced me to Heart's "Kick It Out" while telling me about her ambition to pose for Playboy. That's...actually the whole story, but I padded it like a bra here.

HONORABLE MENTION 2: "Some Hearts" by Marshall Crenshaw. I don't even mind Carrie Underwood's version.

HONORABLE MENTION 3: "Heart And Soul" by the Monkees, the first single and best track from their uneven 1987 album Pool It! Sure, the album's iffy, but "Heart And Soul" is solid, its video was perfect, and it shoulda been a hit. Its path to chart success was impeded in part by T'Pau's contemporaneous smash record with the.same title, but the real blame lies with swinish programming mooks 'n' suits at MTV, who snubbed audience demand for the Monkees and instead suffocated the resurgent Monkeemania the network itself had helped to build just the year before. Bastards.

Now: Let's lay our hearts on the line.

5. LYRES WITH STIV BATORS: Here's A Heart

When I lived in Buffalo in the '80s, the Buff State radio station WBNY-FM hooked me on Boston's phenomenal fuzz combo Lyres and their Nuggets-worthy album On Fyre. I'd already been listening to Stiv Bators for a few years by then, commencing with his work fronting the Dead Boys while I was still in college in the '70s, his incredible power pop solo singles and album for Bomp Records after that, and his subsequent role as the lead singer of Lord of the New Church; I don't recall if I heard our Stiv's interim stint with the Wanderers before I heard the Lords or later on, after the fact. My Buffalo years had their ups, downs, and way-downs, but they did grant me opportunities to see separate club shows by Lyres and the Lords of the New Church, and I remain grateful for my good fortune.

I fell particularly hard for On Fyre, and often proclaimed (as a compliment) that Lyres didn't just want to be like the early Kinks, they wanted to BE the early Kinks. Cool goal! They succeeded in being Lyres, and that was fine by me.

Here's a heart crying out for love

Here's a heart that's been guilty of loving you too much

"Here's A Heart" was originally recorded by 1960s British popmeisters Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. I dig a lot of DDDBM&T (especially "Hold Tight"), but I don't even remember their "Here's A Heart." To me, the song belongs to Lyres and Stiv Bators, who combined forces for this 1988 single.

4. ACTION SWINGERS: No Heart And Soul

Listen: a band cool enough to twist the title of my favorite Sweet album Desolation Boulevard into their own Decimation Blvd merits immediate props in these quarters. I'd never heard of Action Swingers before plucking a used copy of that 1993 CD out of a record rack at a store in Lake George, NY some years after its release, but the punk urgency of "No Heart And Soul" got my attention, and it earned significant spinnage on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio.

3. THE FLASHCUBES: Sold Your Heart

"Sold Your Heart" by Flashcubes guitarist Paul Armstrong was one of my many Cubic fave raves in the late '70s, a loud and angry rant about the ache of rejection. But it's also pop, catchy as an STD, its rage borne by hooks, its melody unashamed to proclaim its essential pissed-offedness. The track was one of the Flashcubes' demos, originally unreleased, repunched and reclaimed for public consumption on the 1997 collection Bright Lights.

It was also a staple of the Flashcubes' live sets in '79, and the definitive "Sold Your Heart" is preserved on Flashcubes On Fire, a 2022 CD release of an absolutely incendiary 'Cubes show recorded at The Firebarn in Syracuse on May 26, 1979. My liner notes for that album explain why I'm such a fan; the disc itself provides an insistent, high-volume CASE CLOSED! in that regard.

2. THE RAMONES: Poison Heart

It's a given that my list would include the Ramones. My initial pick was "Listen To My Heart" from the Ramones' 1976 debut album Ramones, but "Poison Heart" (from 1992's Mondo Bizarro) emerged unbidden as the best choice. Mondo Bizarro was the first Ramones album recorded after bassist, songwriter, and founding member Dee Dee Ramone abruptly split from the group, but Dee Dee continued to write and submit songs to his erstwhile brudders-in-arms. Dee Dee co-wrote "Poison Heart" with Daniel Ray, and it's one of the very best latter-day Ramones tracks: Moody, surly, seething with a restlessness it can neither deny nor identify, delivered at a pace that breaks no necks but still simmers with the pure poison of resentment. 

D-U-M-B? It turned out that accusation was incorrect. 

1. THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes 

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

And DAMN, I just thought of "Radio Heart" by Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band. But the list stands as is. Its heart, at least, is in the right place.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

If it's true that one book leads to another, my next book will be The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). Stay tuned. Your turn is coming.

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 about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

POP-A-LOOZA: The Bands That Would Be Kinks

Every week, the pop culture website Pop-A-Looza shares a post from my vast 'n' captivating Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) archives. This week's shared post is "The Bands That Would Be Kinks," a look back at the few times I heard someone's cover of a song by The Kinks before I heard the original version.

Man, I love The Kinks. On This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana& Carl, we refer to The Kinks as our house band. It's not that we play them on the show every week--there aren't any acts that get played on our show every week--but it's a reflection of a specific bond we feel with The Kinks' music, a bond I can't properly articulate. Dana and I would agree that our all-time favorite group is The Beatles, and The Ramones and The Flashcubes are right up there with the Fabs in my rockin' pop cosmology, with The Kinks and The Monkees maybe a half-notch off from that pinnacle (followed, of course, by literally dozens of other cherished acts). So, why this specific thing for The Kinks? My answer never changes: Because they're The Kinks. 



The Kinks remain the only act in TIRnRR's long and storied history to ever take over one of our shows in its entirety. In fact, we've done two all-Kinks shows, and I doubt any other act will ever be given that particular honor even once. When some of our listeners collaborated on a project to benefit our perpetually-marginal radio show, the resulting compilation album was toplined by their new cover of The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset." Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio features my grateful liner notes, and is available to purchase as a CD or as a digital download.



When my Dad passed away in 2012, I used the lyrics of The Kinks' Days" in my eulogy at his funeral. My Everlasting First reminiscence of how I became a Kinks fan may be this blog's all-time most-read piece. My Virtual Ticket Stub Gallery recollection of my first Kinks concert is a personal favorite, immersed in the teen experience and the reluctant understanding that it was time to at least try to grow up. Last year, I revamped that same Kinks concert retrospective to serve as the "Waterloo Sunset" chapter in my forthcoming book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). In my book, the "Waterloo Sunset" chapter will be followed immediately by a chapter on "You Really Got Me," providing a 1-2 punch of my favorite Kinks songs. There are many more.

Oh! And there was "A GIRL AND A BOY: The Story So Far," a song cycle I did for TIRnRR in 2014. This was an attempt to create a storyline of the rise, fall, and aftermath of a relationship between a girl and a boy. The Kinks play an integral part in that storyline.

I'll be getting back to more Kinks coverage in future editions of Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do). My big ol' stack o' drafts includes essays about The Kinks' Greatest Hits LP and my 25 favorite Kinks tracks, and I'll probably write more about The Kinks after those, too. Because they're The Kinks. And they're the inspiration for "The Bands That Would Be Kinks," this week's Boppin' Pop-A-Looza.



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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 about our history here.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

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

Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 134 essays about 134 tracks, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).

THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Flashback: The First Edition Of THE MAGNIFICENT SIX

This Sunday, November 19th, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl returns to the concept of THE MAGNIFICENT SIX, as we devote the entirety of our three-hour show to the music of six Featured Acts. This edition of The Magnificent Six will be all about Circe Link, The Easybeats, The Spinners, The Jam, Cocktail Slippers, and The Clash, and we hope listeners will find an intoxicatin' 'n' irresistible mix of familiar great stuff stuff they already love and newly-introduced great stuff they'll love just as much in the future. You can join us Sunday from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at Spark 103.3 and 93.7 WSPJ-LP, and on the web at sparksyracuse.org





We've only done The Magnificent Six once before, way back on August 8th, 2013. That inaugural edition of The Magnificent Six starred The Pretenders, Michael Nesmith, The Bevis Frond, Lyres, Big Star, and Rachael Gordon. Part of my specific motivation then was to promote Rachael Gordon, whose music I was flipping out over at the time, and I was looking to lure more recruits to the Rachael Gordon Army. For M6 2017, I hope to introduce folks to more of the magic of Circe Link, whose pop tunes with Christian Nesmith deserve saturation airplay on every station across the globe.  We'll do our part Sunday.

Meanwhile, here's a look back at that first M6 from 2013.

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.

This week's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl cast its dim widdle spotlight on THE MAGNIFICENT SIX, a catchy title we concocted for a show devoted exclusively to the music of six Featured Acts: BIG STAR, MICHAEL NESMITH, THE BEVIS FROND, THE LYRES, THE PRETENDERS, and RACHAEL GORDON. While it's a safe bet that most of the TIRnRR Faithful are at least somewhat familiar with those first five acts, it's likely that fewer have heard Rachael Gordon, and that's a shame. Rachael Gordon's wonderful 2002 album The Coming Of Spring is the best album of the 2000s that no ones knows about, and it certainly wouldn't break our hearts if playing her stuff alongside these other pop greats inspires listeners to add some Rachael Gordon to their day. The Coming Of Spring is still available as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon; she also released an anthology (with little overlap) called Rock 'n' Roll Girl, which is a Japanese import (and priced accordingly), but really, really swell. Rachael's been concentrating more on classic country singing of late, and fans in the land Down Under can catch her at the Woodford Festival in Australia after Christmas. She says she's also thinking of doing another pop album; Dana & Carl approve that message, and it was a delight to play a few of her existing pop records alongside those of some other artists we love. I tell ya, this radio thing is just the best gig EVER.

NEXT WEEK: on August 18th, bring your hankies for the final scheduled edition of THE MEGHAN & CARL SHOW, as daddy and daughter match wits and record collections one last time before the nest empties. IN TWO WEEKS: on August 25th, bring your skinny ties for THE MANY MOODS OF DANA BONN, as Dana plays a few of his New Wave faves. IN THREE WEEKS: on September 1st, bring your Black Vinyl Records, as we feature the music of SHOES, and welcome author Mary Donnelly, who'll discuss her new book, Boys Don't Lie: A History Of Shoes. IN FOUR WEEKS: on September 8th, bring your own beer, as we let Guest Programmer Beth Woodell take over, and yeah, that's reason enough right there! And this is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like with THE MAGNIFICENT SIX on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl streams live every Sunday night from 9 to Midnight Eastern, exclusively at www.westcottradio.org.

TIRnRR # 686:  8/11/13

BIG STAR:  "In The Street" (Big Beat, VA:  Thank You, Friends)

--

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Break My Heart" (Sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Tattooed Love Boys" (Sire, Pretenders)

MICHAEL NESMITH:  "I Am Not That" (Pacific Arts, ...tropical campfire's...)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "I Can't Get Into Your Scene" (Rubric, Bevis Through The Looking Glass)

THE LYRES [with STIV BATORS]:  "Here's A Heart" (Matador, A Promise Is A Promise)

BIG STAR:  "Thirteen [alternate mix, 1972]" (Omnivore, Nothing Can Hurt Me)

--

THE LYRES:  "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" (Matador, On Fyre)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "He'd Be A Diamond" (Rubric, New River Head)

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Drop By And Stay" (Sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Cuban Slide" (Sire, Pretenders)

MICHAEL NESMITH:  "Light" (Rhino, The Newer Stuff)

BIG STAR:  "The India Song [live]" (Rhino, Keep An Eye On The Sky)

--

MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND:  "Nine Times Blue/Little Red Rider" (Pacific Arts, Complete)

BIG STAR:  "Way Out West [alternate mix, 1972]" (Omnivore, Nothing Can Hurt Me)

THE LYRES:  "You Won't Be Sad Anymore" (Matador, Lyres Lyres)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Time The Avenger" (Sire, Learning To Crawl)

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Man's Best Friend" (Wizzard In Vinyl, Rock And Roll Girl)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "Star Burn Out" (Flydaddy, North Circular)

--

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Fun At Your House" (Sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Message Of Love" (Sire, Pretenders II)

MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND:  "Some Of Shelly's Blues" (Rhino, The Older Stuff)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "And Now She's Mine [demo]" (Rubric, London Stone)

THE LYRES:  "But If You're Happy" (Taang!, Happy Now)

BIG STAR:  "Thank You Friends" (Rykodisc, Third/Sister Lovers)

--

MICHAEL NESMITH:  "Rising In Love" (Pacific Arts, ...tropical campfire's...)

BIG STAR:  "My Life Is Right" (Ardent, # 1 Record/Radio City)

RACHAEL GORDON:  "You Got It" (Sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Middle Of The Road" (Sire, Learning To Crawl)

THE LYRES:  "Don't Give It Up Now" (Matador, On Fyre)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "Now You Know" (Rubric, Bevis Through The Looking Glass)

--

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Rock And Roll Girl" (Wizzard In Vinyl, Rock 'n' Roll Girl)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Kid" (Sire, Pretenders)

MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND:  "Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care)" (Rhino, The Older Stuff)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "Son Of Many Mothers" (Rubric, New River Head)

THE LYRES:  "Buried Alive" (Matador, AHS 1005)

BIG STAR:  "She's A Mover" (Rykodisc, Live)

--

THE LYRES:  "I'll Try Anyway" (Matador, On Fyre)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "More To This Than That" (Woronzow, The Leaving Of London)

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Dresden Station" (Sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Day After Day" (Sire, Pretenders II)

MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND:  "Silver Moon" (Rhino, The Older Stuff)

BIG STAR:  "I'm In Love With A Girl" (Rhino, Keep An Eye On The Sky)

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Ariel" (sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "This One" (Woronzow, White Numbers)

MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND:  "Joanne" (Rhino, The Older Stuff)

THE PRETENDERS:  "Talk Of The Town" (Sire, Singles)

THE LYRES:  "Help You Ann" (Matador, On Fyre)

THE BEVIS FROND:  "Beautiful To Me" (Woronzow, White Numbers)

RACHAEL GORDON:  "Where Are You Tonight" (Sounds Of Subterrania, The Coming Of Spring)

BIG STAR:  "September Gurls" (Big Beat, VA:  Thank You, Friends)

MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND:  "1st National Dance" (Camden International, Magnetic South/Loose Salute)

THE BANDS THAT WOULD BE KINKS! Vicarious Introductions To Various Songs By The Kinks

While I was driving home from work the other day, my iPod shuffled its way to "I Need You" by The Kinks. "I Need You" was the lesser-known third entry of the early Kinks' triumvirate of powerhouse riffs, following the big 1964 hits "You Really Got Me" and "All Day And All Of The Night." Unlike those first two, "I Need You" wasn't a hit; it was, in fact, merely the B-side of the '65 single "Set Me Free." Though more obscure than its big brudders, "I Need You" nearly equals the hypnotic ferocity of its predecessors.



But my introduction to the headbanging splendor of "I Need You" did not come via The Kinks. I first heard the song when The Flashcubes included it in their live sets in 1978. Love at first power chord!

It occurred to me that there were several Kinks songs which I discovered vicariously. Among my all-time favorite rock 'n' roll acts, The Kinks are the only one where my initial exposure to a number of their classic songs came when somebody else covered 'em. That's certainly not true of any songs by The Flashcubes, The Ramones, or The Monkees. The only Beatles songs I remember first hearing second-hand were Anne Murray's "You Won't See Me" and Rain's "Helter Skelter" (from the TV mini-series about Charles Manson). I knew Cliff Richard's "Blue Turns To Grey" before I knew The Rolling Stones' original. I heard Syracuse chanteuse Nanci Hammond's rendition of "In My Room" long before I even realized it was a Beach Boys song (which was odd, because we had the Surfer Girl LP in the family collection when I was a kid, but I didn't notice it). Hell, it wasn't until the 90s that I discovered The Hollies wrote and recorded the original "Have You Ever Loved Somebody," which had been one of my Fave Raves by The Searchers. See, I never learn...!

The Kinks were a different story, and I don't know why. Ultimately, I'm grateful for whatever twisting path brought me to Muswell Hill's finest. I did become a Kinks fan before I heard any of these Kinks covers, but these well-respected men and women helped to enhance the journey.

THE FLASHCUBES



As noted, Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse The Flashcubes introduced me to The Kinks' "I Need You." It wasn't the only Kinks song I heard the 'Cubes do, but I knew "You Really Got Me," "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" and "This Man He Weeps Tonight" well before I heard The Flashcubes cover them live. (Among other songs the 'Cubes taught me were Big Star's "September Gurls," The Jam's "In The City," Eddie & the Hot Rods' "Do Anything You Wanna Do," The New York Dolls' "Personality Crisis," Chris Spedding's "Boogie City" and "Hey Miss Betty," April Wine's "Tonight Is A Wonderful Time," and Eddie Cochran's "Somethin' Else." I love The Flashcubes.) After hearing the 'Cubes perform "I Need You," I really wanted to hear The Kinks! However, The Kinks' Kinkdom LP was outta print at the time, and a used copy at Desert Shore Records in Syracuse was stickered with a higher price than this po' college student could afford. Finally snagged it on a budget compilation in the mid '80s.

HOLLY GOLIGHTLY



By far the most recent example on this list. When my nephew Tim co-hosted This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio a few years back, his playlist included Holly Golightly's covers of two Ray Davies songs, "Tell Me Now So I'll Know" and "Time Will Tell," both from her 2003 album Truly She Is None Other. I wasn't immediately familiar with either song--The Kinks' version of "Time Will Tell" was an unreleased demo track at the time--but they got my attention. Holly Golightly's magnificent rendition of "Time Will Tell" is one of but three Kinks covers out there that I prefer to the original version. 

HERMAN'S HERMITS



I'm pretty sure I heard Herman's Hermits' hit cover of "Dandy" well before I heard The Kinks' original. It may have been close, though; I don't remember "Dandy" on the radio at all, not even on oldies shows, so I may not have heard it until I bought a used copy of the Hermits' "Dandy" single in the late '70s.

LYRES



I once wrote in Goldmine that the great Boston group Lyres didn't want to be like the early Kinks, they wanted to be the early Kinks. I meant it as a compliment, and Lyres' On Fyre remains one of my very favorite albums of the '80s. On Fyre includes a cover of The Kinks' "Tired Of Waiting For You," and I certainly knew that one already. But I didn't know "Love Me Till The Sun Shines," a Dave Davies song, and Lyres' version just floored me. Another one of the three Kinks covers I prefer to the original.

THE PRETENDERS



Yeah, The Pretenders' "Stop Your Sobbing" is the third of the three Kinks covers I prefer to the original. Whatta record! The Pretenders also introduced me to another obscure Kinks song, "I Go To Sleep" (also covered by Peggy Lee), but "Stop Your Sobbing" was the kingpin.

THE RECORDS



The Records' 1979 eponymous debut album originally came with a 7" EP of covers. Of the four EP songs, the only original I knew beforehand was The Rolling Stones' "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby (Standing In The Shadows)." I don't think I knew Spirit's "1984." I definitely did not know Blue Ash's power pop classic "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her)." Nor did I know The Kinks' wonderful "See My Friends," which is now one of my many favorite Kinks tracks, but which was introduced to me via a cover by The Records. Thanks, lads!

VAN HALEN



Nope. Just kidding.

And once again: why do I love The Kinks? Because they're The Kinks. And God save The Kinks.



You can support this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon: Fund me, baby! 

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.

THE EVERLASTING FIRST: Quick Takes For L [music edition]

Continuing a look back at my first exposure to a number of rock 'n' roll acts and superheroes (or other denizens of print or periodical publication), some of which were passing fancies, and some of which I went on to kinda like. They say you never forget your first time; that may be true, but it's the subsequent visits--the second time, the fourth time, the twentieth time, the hundredth time--that define our relationships with the things we cherish. Ultimately, the first meeting is less important than what comes after that. But every love story still needs to begin with that first kiss.

THE LONG RYDERS



I first heard The Long Ryders on WBNY-FM in Buffalo in the mid '80s. BNY jumped on the Ryders' "Looking For Lewis And Clark," and I rode right along. When the group did a much-criticized (by dunderheads) commercial for Miller beer, singing "Miller's made the American way!," I put together a Long Ryders wall display at my record store, proclaiming the group's music as Made The American Way! "Looking For Lewis And Clark" came from their State Of Our Union album, which also contained a great song called "Lights Of Downtown." I subsequently snagged their Native Sons album, and fell hard for its closing track, "Run Dusty Run." Ultimately, my favorite Long Ryders song was the awesome "10-5-60," which I didn't discover until PolyGram issued a Long Ryders anthology CD in the '90s.

MARY LOU LORD



December 28th, 1998: the very first episode of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. I'd never even heard of Mary Lou Lord, but Dana played "Lights Are Changing" on our debut show, and I was smitten. She played a disastrous Syracuse date in 1999, but we had a chance to meet her and chat for a while. She was a new mom at the time, and my daughter was just shy of four years old, so we spent a bit of time comparing notes; the experience led me to say later on that if someone had told me years ago I'd spend an evening in conversation with a major label recording artist, and that we'd spend most of the time talking about our kids...well, I'd have been skeptical of that claim, I guess. Mary Lou Lord is one of the defining artists of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's long and storied history, and I'm grateful we had that chance to connect. Oh, and her version of Nick Saloman's "Aim Low" is The Greatest Record Ever Made.

LYRES



I originally intended to cover Lyres as a main feature in The Everlasting First, but then I realized I didn't really have all that much to say about them. As with The Long Ryders, my first taste of Lyres music came via WBNY. "I Really Want You Right Now" was my first Lyres track, followed in short order by "Don't Give It Up Now" and "Help You, Ann," all on BNY. Well, I was convinced! I picked up Lyres' first album, On Fyre, and saw 'em play a terrific show at Buffalo's Tralfamadore Cafe. On Fyre remains one of my favorite albums of the '80s, and it's been a staple on TIRnRR, although in recent years the song "You Won't Be Sad Anymore" (from the second album, Lyres Lyres) has become my go-to Lyres track. Oh! And "Here's A Heart" with Stiv Bators, from the third album, A Promise Is A Promise. Plus Lyres' transcendent cover of The Scavengers' obscure garage gem "But If You're Happy." And...and...and...!



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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.