Tonight we treat Diana's right!
Diana Diana- Hubble Bubble Faking
She's So Young- The Pursuit Of Happiness I'm An Adult Now EP
Constructive Summer- The Hold Steady Stay Positive
Someday- The Outlets I Remember
Heart- Ian North Neo
Truth Lies Low- The Drams Jubilee Dive
Every Word Means No- Let's Active Cypress / Afoot
Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis Version) Hedwig And The Angry Inch Soundtrack
^The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)- Greg Kihn Band Rockihnroll
I Couldn't Tell- Flyboys Flyboys
Everyone's A Winner- London Everyone's a Winner 45
My Boyfriend- Suburban Lawns Gidget Goes to Hell 7"
It's Where You Are- The Hitmakers America's Newest Hitmaker 7''
Sheet Music- Static Routines Rock & Roll Clones 45
*So It Goes- Nick Lowe So It Goes 45
*Trouble With Love- Any Trouble Wheels In Motion
*They Got Me Covered- Dirty Looks Dirty Looks
*Hit And Miss Judy- Wreckless Eric Big Smash
7:30- Pernice Brothers The World Won't End
I'm Hanging Around- Leyton Buzzards I'm Hanging Around 45
Last Of The American Girls- Green Day 21st Century Breakdown
>I Can't Let Go- The Hollies Greatest Hits
I'm Talking To You- Maps Boston Underground (1979-1982)
I Don't Fit In- The Beat The Beat
X Offender- Blondie DIY Blank Generation - The New York Scene (1975-78)
Already In Love- The Bees Already In Love 45
1x2x Devastated- DM3 Dig it the Most
^Power Pop Peak: #15 Billboard Hot 100 5/23/81
*SacroSet: London's Stiff Records
>Power Pop Prototype: 1966
So here's my problem with The Beatles- much in the way we violently reject our first overexposure to peach schnapps or blackberry brandy, I had so much Beatles music jammed down my throat at an early age that a lot of their songs are still aural ipecac for me. Starting in elementary school, "hip" teachers would bring in their scratchy records from home to play on crappy AV club mono record players. It reached a peak in the fifth grade at Chandler School in Duxbury, MA when I was forced to participate in a choral concert featuring "Here Comes The Sun" and other Beatles songs.
About this time I started having strong musical opinions of my own, but was often told that Kiss and AC/DC paled in comparison with the genuises that crafted "Octupus' Garden." What's worse is that kids my own age would say this! Steve Manning and Larry French from my neighborhood were huge Beatles fans and had no time for anything recorded after 1970. It got even worse when punk rock happened- there seemed to be clear consensus that there was no room for The Ramones in the same world that produced "Lovely Rita Meter Maid." I had a music teacher in college tell me that The Clash were rubbish but The Beatles were the apex of western culture. The ironic thing is, I bet some teacher of his told him The Beatles were crap next to Mozart- how soon they forget. I promised right then to never denigrate the music my kids listen to (though it's hard sometimes...Lil' Wayne? I mean come on!)
My Beatles issues have only grown over the years. There's a line in a Dictator's song called "Who Will Save Rock & Roll?" that pretty much sums it all up for me:
June 1st '67 somethin' died and went to heaven
I wish Sgt. Pepper never taught the band to play
In my mind "rock & roll" became "rock" with the Sgt. Pepper's album and by morphing into "art" ceased to be a rebellious force in our society. You can draw a straight line from there to Emerson, Lake & Palmer and "institutions" like The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It was ten years until punk rock came on the scene to set things right. I bet John Lennon would agree with me here judging from from some of his early post-Beatles recordings like "Gimme Some Truth," "Cold Turkey," "Working Class Hero," "How Do You Sleep," etc. In all honesty I have to admit that while I don't like a lot of Beatles music, it's really the "Beatles Establishment" of record execs, TV producers, rock writers, and DJ's combined with endless Baby Boomer nostalgia that turns my stomach. The band was simply pushing the boundaries with Sgt. Pepper's and if I'm going to hate them for that I'd have to feel the same way about The Clash and their mind blowing excursions into reggae, jazz, calypso, etc. on Sandanista! The fact is, music is a personal choice- we like what we like and that should be it. Only poseurs and critics look for a larger "artistic" or "cultural" merit. It's taken me years to realize this, but it's not WHAT you love that's important, it's the act of loving it. In other words, rock on L'il Wayne you hip hop Yoda you!
Anyway, the irony in all my Beatles angst is that the unthinkable happened on this week's show....
I was invited to a party at Allyson's this week so I went in to the station and pre-recorded my show on the Friday before. Everything went great- a cool Power Pop Peak from Greg Kihn, awesome SacroSet of Stiff Records! releases and a new feature called the Power Pop Prototype highlighting early examples of the genre starting with the awesome "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies. So, Jaime, the kids and I leave the party at about five minutes of ten, with me thinking the ride home will be the first time I've ever listened to myself. I tune in during the SacroSet and I'm enjoying Any Trouble when the song fades out and a recorded station ID plays. I realize right then that the Simian broadcast computer HAS HIJACKED THE SECOND HOUR OF MY SHOW!!!! The first song played is "Seasons In The Sun" and I'm thinking "wow, I just lost what few listeners I have." And the next song? You guessed it- one from The Beatles. And not just any song, but all 6+ minutes of "Hey Jude," totally mocking my Beatles ban. I felt so violated! Flooring it to get to the station and stop the madness, I barely register that Simon & Garfunkel's hugely lame "59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) is now playing, yet it is clear to me that this friggin' computer is trying to destroy me. The next song was some accordian heavy Tejano romp, which was a distinct improvement let me tell you. I re-established control over KSVY's version of Hal 9000 and can only hope that I will one day regain the trust of my listeners....
Click this link (or Right Click and "Save Target As") to listen to/download Hour 1 of tonight's show: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-06-13__20_59_57.mp3
and here is Hour 2: http://thmm.com/ksvy/showarchive/public/2009-06-13__21_59_57.mp3
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