Another theme disc this time; it's about radio, television, satellites, smoke signals, the telegraph and all the other ways people can talk to each other quickly. There's a lot of nostalgia in these tracks, with the Ramones and the studio group Reunion looking back at 50s and 60s rock fondly, the Blasters singing about lost love and people missing each other, and the Buggles looking at a world where new technologies displace the old.
And then you have the relentless optimism, with the Ska-Dows badmouthing the Soviet achievments in satellite production during their take on "Telstar" and Rose DuBats hoping the President will get her a boyfriend from Saturn; at the same time, the lead singe of the Bangles and Billy Bragg both look to the heavens and wish on a satellite.
Nothing really to add to that, just that it's a disc full of music that happily anticipates the future while celebrating the past and that I will never, ever be tired of hearing the lead singing of the Ska-Dows take a cheap shot at Sputnik.
Timothology: Strange Aeons Disc 05 / 48
Theme: Satellites, Radios and Comunications
Label phrase: "We will be forced to use the technology of yelling."
01) Satellite Radio / Steve Earle
02) This is Radio Clash / The Clash
03) Smoke Signals / The Outlaws
04) Don't Telephone, Don't Telegraph, Tell a Woman / Tex Williams
05) Mexican Radio / Wall of Voodoo
06) Donna Summer on the Radio / Steve Fisk
07) Television Generation / Kursaal Flyers
08) Hot Line (album version) / The Bomboras
09) Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) / Reunion
10) Sputnik (Satellite Girl) / Jerry Engler and the Four Ekkos
11) Satellite Rock / The Rebelaires
12) Border Radio / The Blasters
13) Satellite / The Hooters
14) A New England / Billy Bragg
15) Signals From Saturn / Rose DuBats
16) Wishing on Telstar / Susanna Hoffs
17) Satellite Baby / Skip Stanley
18) Radio Ga Ga / Queen
19) Satellite (Spinning Around) / Teresa Brewer
20) Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio? / The Ramones
21) Satellite No. 2 / Carl Mann
22) Telstar / The Ska-Dows
23) Big Mess / Devo
24) Rockin' Satellite / Ray Sawyer
25) Radio Head (True Stories version) / Tito Larriva
26) Video Killed the Radio Star / The Buggles
I figured out the theme of this disc pretty fast, and really enjoyed it. There's a lot of variety, especially considering the unified theme. Also, this was another very blended one--I knew a decent amount of the songs but a lot were new. I really liked Radio Clash near the top, Mexican Radio, Big Mess, Rock and Roll Radio (makes me think of Rock & Roll High School every time, though I don't think it's actually in that movie--man I gotta rewatch that ASAP)--a lot of the more familiar stuff really jumped out at me. And I was really fond of this particular Telstar.
ReplyDeleteI probably finished this disc and moved on to the next around mid-week, but I didn't get around to respond until today, which is why I've said way fewer interesting things than I'd have preferred to say.
Telstar (Surf) is my absolute favorite cover of my theme song, but I will always feel my heart soar when the lead singer of the Ska-Dows takes time out of his busy day to badmouth Sputnik.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember exactly any more (I didn't take notes while making the various discs) but I think I led off with the two tracks I did because one said "satellite radio" and the other said "radio" and then "satellite".
I could have used "Space Junk" by Devo, but went with "Big Mess" instead; IIRC it came down to a coin toss.
"It's wrong to wish on space hardware" is a sentiment I cannot agree with, but it's from a magnificent song so I'll let it slide.
Special thanks to Christian "MegaLemur" Kammerer for giving me a mix disc years ago with the 50s vocal pop songs about satellites.