This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.
In 2018, I began writing a multi-part reminiscence about the various rock 'n' roll magazines that influenced me when I was a mere lad and a beardless youth. He Buys Every Rock 'n' Roll Book On The Magazine Stands produced a total of three pieces to date, beginning with a two-fer about Circus and Rolling Stone, barreling into the all-important Phonograph Record Magazine, and celebrating my discovery of power pop in Bomp! The proposed fourth chapter would be about CREEM, and theoretical follow-ups would discuss Trouser Press, Goldmine, maybe Rock Scene, and perhaps a few others. Alas, the CREEM piece remains stalled at the end of its first full paragraph:
"Rock 'n' roll was supposed to be about rebellion!
The above quote has always bugged me. It is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard anyone say about this music I love. Rock 'n' roll was never supposed to be 'about' rebellion. It was a de facto act of rebellion, sure, a loud 'n' proud celebration of dancing, partying, and having sex--and having it often--combined with an inherent disregard for racial boundaries and polite, stuffy decorum. If you wanna say that makes it about rebellion, then we just disagree on our terms. But c'mon, man; 'Johnny B. Goode' is not Das Kapital, 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' for damned sure ain't Steal This Book, and 'Rumble' is a freakin' instrumental. It doesn't even have any words! How can it be about rebellion? How can it be about anything...?!"I still intend to pick it up from there one of these days. In the mean time, today's fake TIRnRR playlist is built with musical acts I read about before ever knowing their music. We discover music in so many ways; radio is the best way (when radio is doing its job), but print media also turned me on to so much good stuff. I remain grateful for all I learned from Phonograph Record Magazine, Bomp!, Trouser Press, and more. Read all about it. And turn it up.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--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/
Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 165 essays about 165 songs, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of songs can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here.
