Bagging the Anthem Idea
Call me a liar, reneger, chicken … I’ve decided to not pursue the show concept of Anthem Rock for my Thursday night Roundtrip radio program (WNRB-LP. 93.3 FM, Wausau). I just look at the lists of possibilities … you know, Baba O’Riley, Born to Run, We Are the Champions, etc. and I all I see is hits. Tons of commercial blockbusters. And, that’s just not what Roundtrip is all about. Sure, I like to mix it up and you’ll hear the occasional chart-topper from way-back, but I really revel in hitting the deeper cuts, more obscure offerings, oddities and things straight out of left field. So, as much as I love Baba O’Riley, I’m not going to play two hours of Baba-esque bombast. But, look for another Art Rock special or other theming ideas to come. Stay tuned for more.
Dino Corvino said:
So you are going to simply reject songs not based on if they were good or not, and both Baba O’Reily and Born to Run charted fairly poorly, but you are going to be obscure to just be obscure?
May 27th, 2008 at 7:35 am #
Tom Neal said:
Not that I won’t / don’t play those songs and other anthems … I’m just not pumped about doing a 2-hour anthem show. Want to try to change my mind?
May 27th, 2008 at 7:47 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I think that the emotional resonance of a GOOD anthem like Baba O’Reily is not dependant on the idea of a single.
For example, most Pearl Jam fans would tell you that PORCH is an anthem, but it was not a single.
I think that the idea of playing B Sides to play B sides is fascinating in a music as academia idea, but to reject something because it is too popular is the sort of exclusionism that you are trying to fight against, and falling voctim to it yourself.
It is like saying “I have a show about GOOD MUSIC, but I won’t play ‘Thriller’ because it is too popular.”
There is not any way a serious music person can deny the GOOD part of Thriller. It is nearly a perfect pop record, every second of it.
Playing that which is good, is playing that which is good.
A two hour set of epic anthems, would be emotionally amazing to your listener. The ability to find something powerful in each of those songs.
I mean “Wendy let me in I want to be your friend, I want to guard your dreams and visions”. That is the greatest lyric of all time, and it is in an anthem.
Sinatra singing My Way, he meant those words.
An anthem is not what is popular, it is song owned by the performer for reasons all their own.
Neil Diamond sings Song Sung Blue for his reasons.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:56 am #
Tom Neal said:
Good points all, DIno.
And you’re not far from changing my mind.
But, I do play “popular hits” frequently, from various time periods covering 50 years or so … my main concern is stringing 2 solid hours of such.
Face it: perception is reality. I heard a lot of “classic rock” retro radio this weekend celebrating Memorial Day and summer with lots of giant signature tunes. And it’s fun to hear them. But, I’m also interested in WNRB-LP’s mission to provide non-mainstream programming as an artistic alternative. So, for me, it might be anthem followed by B-side or deep cut or obscure antique to accomplish that vision.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:31 am #
Dino Corvino said:
For the most part, these anthemic works have stories associated with them. Maybe it would allow you to explain who Wendy is, or why the who chose the musical changes for Baba O’Reily, or how Pearl Jam closed with Porch for the first two years of national touring.
This can extend beyond rock, and you can look at Buddy Guy and his live relationship to something like Mustang Sally.
Hendrix passed on, but there is a chance that Voodoo Chile would have been his anthem.
Being Non Mainstream to be non mainstream loses the context of whatt you are doing. You are asking me the listener to embrace something, but not telling me why, or what the point of said embrace is.
I have listened to your show, and wish you would take it further. More blues doctor ish if you will. What is the story of this b side, did it mean something specific.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:03 am #
janeal said:
I think the problem lies with the definition of “anthem.”
Is it a celebratory rock tune one hears at the ballgame (Queen’s “We Will Rock You” is surely anthemic, but is that what you want?)
Is it The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love,” or is it more like, “Revolution”?
Is it “Layla”? or “Born to Run”?
May 27th, 2008 at 9:11 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I think that since it is Toms show, it is Toms definition of anthem. It seems that Tom has placed anthem firmly within some sort of commercial success rubric.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:17 am #
Tom Neal said:
I refer to “anthem” as a tune that is well known for somehow defining a generation in the way that some of the Sex Pistols numbers did, or the Airplane’s Somebody to Love did. Dino’s comment re: commercial success as a yardstick isn’t accurate for me. He’s right that numerous arguable anthems weren’t commercially successful. But, a lot of them gained non-commercial success (does that make sense?), not by selling tons of records, but by causing sizable waves in the collective psyche of their time.
Dino’s enthusiasm for the subject is encouraging me to maybe retrieve this idea from my scrap heap. But, I need to think about it some more. I wouldn’t want to just play a bunch of big hits … to Dino’s point, I’d have to place things in contexts, give background info, in a word: research.
Hey Dino, wanna do the show with me?
May 27th, 2008 at 9:38 am #
Dino Corvino said:
sure
May 27th, 2008 at 10:11 am #
Tom Neal said:
Okay, Dino, let’s start up a song list … along with research bits. We can do it here or offline/other channel; let me know.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:22 am #
Insert Name said:
These are no help I am sure, but just some things I have always defined/enjoyed as Rock anthems.
Bad Bad Boy - Nazareth
Rock and Roll Woman - Buffalo Springfield
Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights) - Pat Travers
Rock ‘n Roller - Bay City Rollers
Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll - Blue Oyster Cult
I have a feeling that this is far from the obscurity that you seek.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:50 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I can start here…
Yesterday Girl by The Smithereens
Baba O’Reily by The Who
Detroit Rock City by KISS
Ring of Fire (as covered by) by Social Distortion
I want you to Want me by Cheap Trick
Blitzkreig Bop by The Ramones
London Calling by The Clash
Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis
May 27th, 2008 at 12:04 pm #
Insert Name said:
Now you have me thinking anthems.
Corduroy - Pearl Jam
Sub-Pop Rock City - Soundgarden
We Can Be Together - Jefferson Airplane
Song 2 - Blur
Land of 1000 Dances - Cannibal And The Headhunters
Clash City Rockers - The Clash
May 27th, 2008 at 12:13 pm #
Tom Neal said:
My Generation - The Who
For What It’s Worth - Buffalo Springfield
Rockin’ in the Free World - Neil Young
We Will Rock You - Queen
Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
We Are the Champions - Queen
Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) - Neil Young
Street Fighting Man - Rolling Stones
Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
Rock ‘n’ Roll Music - Chuck Berry
School Days - Chuck Berry
Won’t Get Fooled Again - The Who
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Kick Out the Jams - MC5
Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
American Pie - Don McLean
Ohio - CSNY
Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Revolution - The Beatles
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown
Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding
Imagine - John Lennon
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
Layla - Derek & the Dominos
Light My Fire - Doors
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On - Jerry Lee Lewis
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & Comets
You Really Got Me - Kinks
Sympathy For The Devil - Rolling Stones
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Summertime Blues - Eddie Cochran
Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
Let’s Go Crazy - Prince
Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone
Hey Jude - Beatles
What’s Goin’ On - Marvin Gaye
May 27th, 2008 at 2:03 pm #
Insert Name said:
See, now I am not as excited about most of that list. I could do without the Queen, Steppenwolf, and a few others that have been played to death. Although, I think background info as Dino suggested would probably keep me listening a little longer. I am sorry,but if I have to hear Born to Run I’m gone.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:50 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
He cut and pasted that list.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:52 pm #
Insert Name said:
So did I.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:04 pm #
Insert Name said:
Popular radio wrecked Rock a long time ago.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:09 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
I didn’t.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:15 am #
Tom Neal said:
Dino’s “I didn’t” … what, wreck rock or cut and paste?
Cut and pasted, yes (not a crime) … saved me a lot of time typing. But, it’s a pretty definitive list … not all-inclusive, of course. But, you have to start somewhere and then start chopping. Or substituting.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:50 am #
Insert Name said:
I have to weigh in one final time on this one. Since Dino is in a sling he can’t punch back. I think Tom is one hundred percent right when he says his cut and paste job is pretty comprehensive. That’s the problem, there are only so many great anthems, and they have been beaten into the ground. This doesn’t make them any less of a hit, just merely overplayed.
Personally, I never have the radio on in my car unless it’s NPR or talk radio. Although a little bit different situation than others, I can’t handle hearing the same thing over and over and then over again.
I think that when you start to venture away from mainstream it becomes a very personal issue. Tunes not considered mainstream are considered such because they are just that ‘not mainstream’. Not because they aren’t good, but perhaps just because are a little bit off the cutting edge. B-Sides and obscurity boil down to what the listener chooses to add to their personal definition of mainstream.
I think the brunt of the blow falls on the DJ. How does one accomplish to task of captivating an audience that may not be as well informed? Well the truth of the matter is it’s extremely difficult to do.
I think Tom is blessed with an opportunity to play his personal mainstream. Not everyone gets this chance. Most of us are stuck playing the top one hundred for years and years. If embracing the original mission statement is what it is all about, and a DJ has an opportunity and permission to do so, I say play the obscurity that has become your mainstream, and leave Born to Run to the radio pre-set play list it already resides on.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:59 am #
Tom Neal said:
Good insight, insert. Consider this: when I was a youngster, Top 40 radio was thing. You had 40 or so “hits” to listen to at any given time. Alternative (we called it underground) radio emerged in retaliation against this commercial establishment. All of a sudden, I was exposed to things I’d never heard or dreamed of before. it was ear- and eye-opening. I guess you could call it the counter-mainstream, or anti-mainstream or new-mainstream or whatever. But, it was based on variety, experimentation, personality, message and other atypical parameters. It was wide and exploratory. That’s my kind of radio. That’s why I do the kind of show I do. But, I in no way delude myself to imagine that there’s a bunch of me’s out there going, “Oh yeah, Tom, great choice!” What I’m trying to do is provide an alternative … people can take it or leave it. Ultimately, I’m probably irrelevant.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:11 am #
Dino Corvino said:
What a great radio idea. Whoever did the work to get that to Wausau, must have been a good guy or lady.
I bet everyone who gets to play the music they want really appreciates the hard work that person did.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:17 am #
Tom Neal said:
There is no room in the me generation for anything like appreciation.
May 28th, 2008 at 2:01 pm #
janeal said:
You covered a lot of mine:
Beatles… “Revolution” AND/OR “All You Need is Love”? More than, I think, “Hey Jude.”
I think you have to delete any songs that are played in sports arenas, so that kills the Queen, (I still love you, Freddy.) and sadly, Todd Rundgren’s “Bang on the Drum.”
For myself, I think “Omaha” by The Counting Crows is quite anthemic and a better song than their overplayed, “Mr. Jones.”
May 30th, 2008 at 5:31 am #