THE GOOD RATS
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Bottom Line, NYC
March 5, 1980
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Disc 1
Introduction
New York Survivor
Julie
School Days
Cherry River
Hollywood Ending
Taking It To Detroit
Does It Make You Feel Good
Icy Cold
Tasty
Rock And Roll Point Of View
On My Way To School
Injun Joe
Audience
[Track 15]
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Disc 2
[Encore 1 intro]
Just Found Me A Lady > Could Be Tonight
Local Zero Pt. 1
Local Zero Pt. 2
[Encore 2 intro]
Mr. Mechanic
Victory In Space
[DJs Outro]ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
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Peppi Marchello - voc
Mickey Marchello - guitar (right)
Lenny Kotke - bass, voc
John ÒThe CatÓ Gatto - guitar (left)
Joe Franco - drums
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Scott Muni, Pam Merly - intros
Richard Neer - play-by-play
Vin Scelsa - station id
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Broadcast on WNEW-FM, NYC 102.7
Wed 5 Mar 1980
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Thirty years (!) since I found myself scrambling to find a blank tape to tape this live broadcast off the air. Usually IÕd grab the next closest thingÑoften one of my step-dadÕs no-name brand tapes that had been used to record a company staff meeting or contained some motivational program for employees (goodbye, high end!). IÕd slap some Scotch tape over the tabs and hope IÕd be set in time for WNEW-FMÕs broadcast to begin.
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If you were living in the New York metro area in the late 70s and cared about your rock radio consisting of real personalities who offered something else beside the usual commercial radio fare, there was only one place on the dial: 102.7, WNEW-FM. This was the place that had pioneered album-oriented rock on the New York airwaves. I listened to these people. They were hugely important to me and their voices supplied the soundtrack to my suburban rock and roll sanctuary, introducing me to music I still listen to today.
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WNEWÕs live broadcasts were a treasure trove of all kinds of musicÑfrom rock mainstays, to folk, blues, to stuff that was bubbling along the edges of the commercial music spectrum, like Jack Bruce & Friends, Judas Priest (in 1979), or Brand X. These were just some of the shows that had me riveted to my radio in my teenage years. Which brings us to this little gem of a broadcast.
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If you were living in the New York metro area in the late 70sÐearly 80s, and you were playing in a band, or liked your rock music with some edge and individuality, you also knew of the Good Rats. This legendary New York band played with the best of them, on all of New YorkÕs big stages . They could play like m*****f******s, put on a great show, and probably made every headliner they opened for play that much harder.
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I saw the Good Rats only once, opening for Rush at Nassau Coliseum, but they left a solid impression on me. I recall John Gatto ripping a scorching guitar solo while somewhere up in the standsÑthanks to the newly introduced wireless systems. In the end, they probably looked too odd for the general public to ever embrace them. They were neither a metal bandÑthough they could rock as hard as fellow NY rockers, Twisted Sister, who went to greater fame after winding up with the Good RatsÕ drummer, Joe FrancoÑnor were they folkies or hippies, despite their extensive beards. For better or for worse, they did not shy away from political commentary and offered a pretty sophisticated product with a decidedly blue-collar work ethic. Basically, they fell between all the cracks. In spite of it all, they are still at itÑoccasionally even with the ÒclassicÓ line-up.
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You can find out more about the history of the band, or buy their fine product, at these sites:
http://www.goodrats.com/
http://www.roctober.com/roctober/goodrats.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Rats
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Rats/dp/B000002R3Q
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Lineage:
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Recording: FM > Yamaha TC-520 > C90 (Normal Bias)
Playback: Sony WM-D6C > Behringer Denoiser > BlueTube Preamp > Bellari BP562 Tube Exciter
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Support the band, buy their stuff, see their showÑbut neither sell nor buy this recording!
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