Influences, Nods, Parodies, and Tributes

The following is a list of those musical artists made reference to in some way by the Rheostatics, by lyrics, music, or whatever.

  1. AC/CD -- Desert Island Discs.
  2. Aerosmith -- Me and Stupid: "So I screamed and I yelled like the time that I first heard Aerosmith. Steve Tyler sang 'Dream On'..." My First Rock Concert: "Aerosmith and Goddo, they were okay."
  3. The Animals -- Me and Stupid: "... I showed him 'The House of the Rising Sun.'" Song by The Animals.
  4. The Band -- When Winter Comes: "But what about The Band?"
  5. The Beatles -- RDA (Rock Death America): "Someone said we sounded like the Replacements. But we'll never be the Beatles or Byrds." Beerbash: "All I want is over. Every little thing you bitched about came true." Same musical pattern as in "Dig a Pony." Feed Yourself: "Like a box of chocolates or a Beatles song..."
  6. Ludwig von Beethoven -- Desert Island Discs.
  7. The Birthday Party -- My First Rock Concert: "I saw the Birthday Party play with Nick Cave."
  8. The Byrds -- RDA (Rock Death America): "Someone said we sounded like the Replacements. But we'll never be the Beatles or Byrds."
  9. Nick Cave -- My First Rock Concert: "I saw the Birthday Party play with Nick Cave."
  10. Leonard Cohen -- Manhattan: "Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed too."
  11. The Doors -- Full Moon Over Russia: "Jim Morrison screams in Tolstoy's grave..." Lead singer of The Doors.
  12. ELO -- My First Rock Concert: "And we saw ELO, but they sucked."
  13. Foreigner -- This Is Nightlines.
  14. Gang of Four -- My First Rock Concert: "The Specials, Gang of Four, and all the New Wave..."
  15. Goddo -- My First Rock Concert: "Aerosmith and Goddo, they were okay."
  16. The Guess Who -- When Winter Comes: "What about the Guess Who?"
  17. Guns-n-Roses -- Fan Letter to Michael Jackson: The riff throughout, and the Axl Rose impression at the end by Martin.
  18. Sammy Hagar -- This Is Nightlines: "And his new fuckin' direction."
  19. The Inbreds -- Desert Island Discs.
  20. Jimmi Hendrix -- Cephallus Worm/Uncle Henry: Guitar lick attributed to Hendrix.
  21. Joe Jackson -- My First Rock Concert: "Joe Jackson saved my life..."
  22. Michael Jackson -- Fan Letter to Michael Jackson: The entire song.
  23. Grace Jones -- Desert Island Discs.
  24. Herbert von Karajan -- Desert Island Discs.
  25. Lenny Kravitz -- These Days Are Good for the C.C.Y.P.A.: "There's a Lenny in my Kravitz that must be removed."
  26. Jerry Lee Lewis -- Legal Age Life: "Listenin' to Jerry Lee or workin' in a bar."
  27. Gordon Lightfoot -- The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: Remake of his song.
  28. Martha and the Muffins -- Desert Island Discs.
  29. Meat Loaf -- My First Rock Concert: "But Meat Loaf was wicked, so we gave it up for the fat man."
  30. Paul McCartney -- Baby, I Love You: "You know you did, you know you did, you know you did" from his "Live and Let Die."
  31. Lewis Melville -- Sort of the second album, also scattered most everywhere across the catalog.
  32. Randy Newman -- Desert Island Discs.
  33. Ozzy Osbourne -- Power Ballad for Ozzy Osbourne: The entire song.
  34. Julia Pietrus -- Never Forget: "Julia, where you goin' with your chicken--Dale?"
  35. The Pixies -- Take Me In Your Hand: The ending melody seems to be based on "Dig for Fire."
  36. Pink Floyd -- Dope Fiends and Boozehounds: "They all go home and listen to The Dark Side of the Moon." Pink Floyd album.
  37. Elvis Presley -- RDA (Rock Death America): "I'm gonna get a van and drive it to Graceland... I'm gonna dig him up and lie in his grave." Who?: Ending emulates famous Elvis endings.
  38. The Ramones -- Me and Stupid: "That summer I heard the Ramones." My First Rock Concert: "When I saw the Ramones, it changed the way I saw the world." Desert Island Discs.
  39. Lou Reed -- No Matches, No Fire: "Lou Reed wouldn't tune." Manhattan: "Leonard Coen and Lou Reed too."
  40. The Replacements -- RDA (Rock Death America): "Someone said we sounded like the Replacements."
  41. The Rolling Stones -- Me and Stupid: "... throwing rocks to Rolling Stones."
  42. Rush -- My First Rock Concert: "Geddy, Alex, Neil..." Members of Rush.
  43. The Sex Pistols -- The Ballad of Wendell Clark Parts I and II: "God save the Queen--she made you a moron!" Lyric from "God Save the Queen."
  44. Jane Siberry -- One More Colour: Remake of her song.
  45. Lynyrd Skynyrd -- I Dig Music: He "Skynyrd riff" referred to in the notes.
  46. The Specials -- My First Rock Concert: "The Specials, Gang of Four, and all the New Wave..."
  47. Dave Spratt -- Feed Yourself: He has a song called "Feed Yourself" which also shares the line "Feed yourself, feed your children."
  48. Michael Stipe -- My First Rock Concert: "I even met Michael Stipe: He was distant, but he was nice."
  49. Van Halen -- The Ballad of Wendell Clark: "This suburb rocks with the Eddie Van Wailers."
  50. The Vital Sines -- The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos: "You can tape over the Vital Sines."
  51. Joe Walsh -- Take Me In Your Hand: music from "Life's Been Good To Me So Far."
  52. Andrew Lloyd Webber -- Four Little Songs: Guitar part beginning Song 1 is "The Phantom of the Opera" by Webber.
  53. Paul Weller -- My First Rock Concert: "I thought Paul Weller was Christ."
  54. XTC -- My First Rock Concert: "I saw XTC twice."
  55. Neil Young -- You Are a Treasure: "Living in castles a bit at a time..." is a borrowed lyric from his song "Harvest." Four Little Songs: "I had a dream I stood in Neil Young's kitchen."

Copyright (c) Jul 1996 - Feb 2008 by The USA Rheostatics Page