A Tale of Two Jumpin Jack Flashes
Ok- stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Five teenage boys from different corners of the country pack up and move to the big city to follow their rock n roll dreams. So what do they do? Well first, they literally write a song called “Move to the City.” Now what?
Let’s start with a tale of two “Jumpin Jack Flashes.” In 1986, two bands, Guns n Roses and The Replacements, were on parallel paths to make rock n roll history. (Sorry ‘Mats fans, this will not be the last time the two groups cross paths.) On the one hand you have GNR (a bunch of Californians nee Hoosiers), who deliver a sleek version gleaming with LA studio sheen. On the other hand, you have The Mats, too indifferent to actually follow their dreams to LA, and too bored to actually rehearse.
GnR’s ’86 cover of “Flash” points at the various pressures already pulling at the band early in their career. For all their desire to be The Stooges or The Misfits, GnR couldn’t shake their classic rock influences; their version of “Jack” is a note for note cover- turned up to 11. Even as early as 1986, this cover hints at the east with which GnR would soon step into classic rock-dom.