You've had to wait, but we know you won't complain ... because this week we're talkin' bout one of the greatest garage tunes ever - "No Reason to Complain" by The Alarm Clocks. A song of no-'count teenage alienation, and man, it swings! Not many noticed, though - until Tim Warren brought it to the people on Back From the Grave, and then The Lyres covered the tune in '86 and it's cool and Cramps-y. 3 out of 5 is The Woggles from 1990, which sounds great but the vocals might register a complaint or two. in '93 Gaul's Thee Gloomies authored a wonderfully snotty version with tons of reverb. And in 2017, Winnipeg's The Exploits made it weird again with neurotic vocals and organ. Moon over Parma tonight!!

You've had to wait, but we know you won't complain ... because this week we're talkin' bout one of the greatest garage tunes ever - "No Reason to Complain" by The Alarm Clocks. A song of no-'count teenage alienation, and man, it swings! Not many noticed, though - until Tim Warren brought it to the people on Back From the Grave, and then The Lyres covered the tune in '86 and it's cool and Cramps-y. 3 out of 5 is The Woggles from 1990, which sounds great but the vocals might register a complaint or two. in '93 Gaul's Thee Gloomies authored a wonderfully snotty version with tons of reverb. And in 2017, Winnipeg's The Exploits made it weird again with neurotic vocals and organ. Moon over Parma tonight!!

No Reason To Complain

The usual format is this: we pick a song from the 1950s or 1960s (genres range from garage, R&amp;B, Girl Groups, Motown and Doo-Wop), and discuss three versions of that song, or sometimes we just play a song we haven’t heard before and react to it. We’ve covered classics like “Little Bit o’ Soul” and “Psychotic Reaction” to rarities like “Jump and Dance” by the Carnaby, and “Ringo I Love You” by Bonnie Jo Mason (aka Cher). Our aim is to discuss what makes these songs interesting, ineffable, or even intolerable. We place special emphasis on the “moments” in these songs where, perhaps, a new interpretation will emerge from. A close look at song structure is also present in our discussions. If that sounds academic, maybe it is a little bit, but we like to keep the analysis in the spirit of the songs we speak of – which means we drink some spirits (for Erik, it’s bourbon, for Weldon, it’s Stambecco) – and that means by the third song, things can get a little wild. Basically, we talk about rock!

Music

Music Commentary

Music History

The usual format is this: we pick a song from the 1950s or 1960s (genres range from garage, R&B, Girl Groups, Motown and Doo-Wop), and discuss three versions of that song, or sometimes we just play a song we haven’t heard before and react to it. We’ve covered classics like “Little Bit o’ Soul” and “Psychotic Reaction” to rarities like “Jump and Dance” by the Carnaby, and “Ringo I Love You” by Bonnie Jo Mason (aka Cher). Our aim is to discuss what makes these songs interesting, ineffable, or even intolerable. We place special emphasis on the “moments” in these songs where, perhaps, a new interpretation will emerge from. A close look at song structure is also present in our discussions. If that sounds academic, maybe it is a little bit, but we like to keep the analysis in the spirit of the songs we speak of – which means we drink some spirits (for Erik, it’s bourbon, for Weldon, it’s Stambecco) – and that means by the third song, things can get a little wild. Basically, we talk about rock!

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No Reason To Complain

No Reason To Complain

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