Although my cat, Collette, doesn't speak or understand English, it would have been logical for me to say, "Collette, please move," when I was trying to pass her in the hallway. Inexplicably, though, I said, "Oom-pah-pah, Oom-pah-pah!"
I'm still not sure why I thought imitating the sound of a tuba would make Collette step out of the way.
Nine recommended tunes heard today:
'70s On 7
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
Alt R&B
Luna
Real Jazz Just Music
The Village
Watercolors Instrumental
Yacht Soul
Six intriguing selections heard today on five radio stations I haven't sampled before:
KBVR (Corvallis, OR)
KCWU (Ellensburg, WA)
WBJC (Baltimore, MD)
WSRN (Swarthmore, PA)
WUVT (Blacksburg, VA)
When you record a fair amount of radio, not everything you preserve will stand the test of time. One recording I have from over 20 years ago is labeled, "'Democracy Now'--General Wesley Clark rally."
When I unearthed that recordable CD, I remembered, "Oh, that's right. General Clark ran for president in 2004." Respect to him for running--but there's no urgent reason for me to listen to that edition of "Democracy Now" again.
Such is the temporary nature of radio.
I have to remember that I'm under no obligation to leave the radio on the same station I heard during a previous meal. Otherwise, I end up listening to a not terribly compelling program in which listeners call in and say, "I've got a Dagnabbit brand riding lawn mower for sale. Two of its tires are missing, and it takes nine attempts on average to start it. Aside from that, it works pretty well. I'm asking three thousand dollars for it, and I can be reached at (this phone number.)"
I've spent more breakfasts than I want to admit listening to that program. So far, I've justified it as an amusing study in human nature, but that excuse is wearing thin.
While working recently, the rhythmic chorus of Neil Diamond's "The Boat That I Row" came to mind early in the shift and stayed there for the duration. I'm surprised that didn't happen years earlier, as even on its best days, work carries the inevitable feeling of repetitive rowing with it.
Five recommended tunes heard today:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KWUR 90.3 FM
KPNT 105.7 FM
This morning, a fill-in radio talk show host read a listener's text on-air that asked, "When is (the show's regular host) coming back? The show is boring now."
The host responded gracefully, "Tough but fair. We take all kinds of feedback."
I'd like to think I'd have been equally diplomatic in that situation--but I wouldn't guarantee it.
Recently, a radio talk show host read a complaint from a listener, saying that the host allowed someone, most likely a caller, to "bloviate on topics he knows nothing about."
I joined in the host's chuckling when he asked the listener rhetorically, "Are you new to talk radio?"
If one thing is inevitable on talk radio, it's bloviating.
It doesn't happen that often, but it irks me just a little when radio personalities refer to their station's commercials as ads. It's not technically incorrect, but I've always thought of ads as a term for print media and commercials as a term for radio and TV.
Admittedly, I could just as easily have written this extremely minor complaint as one of my "A petty fixation" posts.
Whenever I got to choose the music for a radio shift, I liked to segue a familiar melody with an obscure, compatible one. Thus, I recommend playing almost any version of "The Girl From Ipanema" before "Robin's Egg Blue" by Hot Club Of St. Louis; the rhythmic similarity between both tunes makes it a sound pairing.
As a DJ on former smooth jazz station KNJZ, I was required to say every so often, "You're in the middle of another extended set of today's smooth jazz."
I understood the business logic behind summarizing the type of music we played and reinforcing the concept that listeners were going to hear a lot of it. I also thought, however, "Isn't this interrupting the musical flow by reminding listeners of this, using this exact phrasing, so frequently?"
While sweeping the floor recently, a clump of dust kept evading the broom. My reaction fell in an odd middle ground between anger and nonchalance. It was mild irritation masked with an improvised rhythm. To the tune of a made-up percussive beat, I sang to the dust under my breath, "Don't do that if I don't command it. Don't do that if I don't decree it."
This middle-of-the-road approach worked. The dust allowed itself to be swept up, thanks to my direct admonishment--and a made-up salsa rhythm to take the edge off.
On September 11, 2001 and the days following it, I grappled with how to split the difference between watching, reading, and listening to news coverage of that day's atrocities. At first, to grasp the severity of the attacks, it felt necessary to watch footage of them. After seeing the same or similar footage multiple times, however, I thought, "It's really best to turn my attention to radio and newspaper coverage now."
I still think that was the right call. When you see the horrifying footage of the attacks and their aftermath, it's too easy to be shocked and not absorb all of the information about them. Listening to radio coverage and reading articles forces one to process the information without the distressing visuals.
While reading an article yesterday about an Appalachian singer, my mind immediately called up John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads." That's a natural response, I think, to a song about West Virginia. I also started stomping my foot in time to this mental soundtrack. I didn't even realize it at first, and while writing this, the foot-stomping started again.
As much as I like "Take Me Home...," this foot-stomping is approaching Robert Klein's "I can't stop my leg" territory. I'm fine with that, though, as this Denver hit warrants it.
Six Wednesday morning standouts:
KALX (Berkeley, CA)
KNTU-HD2 (Denton, TX)
WDSW (Philadelphia, MS)
WZRD (Chicago, IL)
Lately, I've been hearing my cell phone's default tropical melody ringtone subconsciously, even when the phone isn't ringing. I think I'm resigned to the fact that no matter how many phone numbers I block, there will always be another spammer trying to reach me.
This afternoon, a radio station identification breaker played, and then---nothing.
"That's odd," I thought. "The top-of-the-hour news isn't starting."
Then, looking at the clock, I saw that the top of the hour was still two minutes away.
After two minutes of silence, the news finally started. In the grand scheme of things, this wasn't a big deal. Two minutes of dead air feels like a long time, though, when it happens accidentally.
Whenever Casey Kasem said every week that "American Top 40" was "heard in the 50 states and around the world on great radio stations like...," I always wondered if he'd name the St. Louis station--KSLQ in the early years, or KHTR in later years--on which I heard the show.
I also liked hearing the names of international radio stations that carried the countdown. I especially remember Kasem mentioning Radyo Iloilo in the Philippines. I just looked it up, and that station now has a news/talk format. It's nice to know, though, that decades ago, people who lived so far away were enjoying the same music and musical trivia I was. Here's hoping they enjoyed hearing Kasem's acknowledgment of Radyo Iloilo as much as I liked hearing the nods to St. Louis affiliates.
Recently, an algorithm served up multiple online articles for me about forgotten and underrated sitcoms. When reading about one such sitcom, I was transported back to 1987. I only saw one episode of "Rags To Riches" when it aired originally. I didn't dislike it, but I hadn't thought about the show since that airing. I remembered it was about orphaned girls who lived with a benefactor and sang. All I remembered about the episode was the last line of the theme song, "We'll get through it, hand in hand in hand," and that the girls sang a cover of "Little Bitty Pretty One."
Now, those two musical extracts are cemented on a mental loop--and it's helping to blunt the edge of present day reality, in which the news is less than great, to put it mildly. I'm wary of AI and custom-tailored news, but there are times when I like that an algorithm knows what I need--even when I wasn't aware that I needed it.
While driving yesterday, I was surprised when a radio talk show host mentioned on-air that he sees 14 doctors. My reaction to that is the same for anyone in that situation: May you always get the health care you need, when you need it.
Last night, a Classical radio program host informed his listeners of some proper etiquette. He introduced a concert performance of a Strauss waltz by telling the audience, "You're not allowed to walk out, but you are allowed to get up and dance."
I complied with the invitation. At two pivotal moments during the piece, I got up from the kitchen table and waltzed my cat, Collette, around the room in two 10-second intervals. I figured that was as much dancing as she would tolerate without biting or scratching me--or at least fidgeting.
When the piece concluded, I told her, "Thank you for tolerating 20 seconds of waltzing."
I'd like to think that both of us showed proper etiquette, within reason.
Standout tunes heard today:
1st Wave Deep Cuts
'60s Gold
Alt 2K
Bakersfield Beat
Escape
Lo-Fi Sleep
Real Jazz Just Music
Watercolors
Today marks 12 years since I started this blog, and scanning the FM dial for compelling music is just as captivating to me as it was on September 1, 2014. Here are five standout tunes I heard this morning:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
KLOU 103.3 FM
I have fewer ideas for blog posts some days than others. When that happens, Pink Floyd's "On The Run" sometimes infiltrates my mind.
Even with a self-imposed deadline, a rhythm that indicates time slipping away can't help but motivate me to think of an idea and post it.
On sporadic Sundays, the Alan Parsons Project's "Don't Let It Show" enters my mind. It has nothing to do with the lyrics. No matter how many times I've heard the song, my brain hears the organ intro and thinks a hymn is beginning.
Even after decades of knowing otherwise, my mind still hears that intro and thinks, "This sounds fit for a church service." I haven't been to church in years, but there's still the association that Sunday equals church. I wonder if a church organist has ever played "Don't Let It Show" before or after Mass. In my view, "Don't Let It Show" works as a warm-up instrumental or as leaving-after-Mass-ends music.
Recently, I listened to a radio air check tape I recorded 40 years ago. It was a refreshing blast to hear various jazz and soft rock tunes played on a Friday in November 1986. Although I enjoyed being reminded of various songs I hadn't heard in a while, I kept thinking, "November 1986...That was during my first semester as a high school sophomore. So much had yet to happen in the world and in my life."
While I'd rather be an adult than the high school sophomore I was then, it was pleasant to think back to that Friday night decades ago. So much of my life was still ahead of me--and that night, I was just focused on hearing the best music I could find.
Decades later, I still seek out the best music and radio stations I can find--but with more wisdom, I think, than I had 40 years ago.
Friday morning standouts:
KMMS (Bozeman, MT)
KSBR (Mission Viejo, CA)
WPKN (Bridgeport, CT)
WSMC (Collegedale, TN)
This afternoon, a radio talk show host joked that "everything (played) on the banjo sounds like the theme from 'The Beverly Hillbillies.'"
Well...Not quite. Granted, I might have thought so 40 years ago, but after years of listening to such artists as Bela Fleck, Tony Trischka, and Alison Brown, I'll admit that the banjo has more range than I realized initially.
I just caught the end of an underwriting mention on NPR today, so I'm not sure which sponsor thinks "AI should be optional," but I'm inclined to support them--whoever they are.
Gambling strikes me as too risky, so I've always avoided it. Inexplicably, though, despite never hearing it on the radio, "Go Down Gamblin'" by Blood, Sweat & Tears hasn't left my mind for the past week.
Now, I'm wondering. Did I read about a gambling-related amendment recently? Did an ad for a casino seep into my mind subconsciously? Did I overhear part of a sermon about refraining from placing bets?
What might my ears have picked up that I didn't realize?
Five standout tunes heard today:
Fresh Start
Backroads
Five recommended tunes heard today:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KSHE 94.7 FM
KLOU 103.3 FM
Saturday morning highlights:
The Elevator
B.B. King's Bluesville
Lo-Fi Sleep
Luna
Piano Instrumentals
SiriusXMU
Spectrum Discovery
Stevie's Coolest Songs
Today's standouts:
KAFM (Grand Junction, CO)
KCSM (San Mateo, CA)
WQED (Pittsburgh, PA)
WRUJ (Richmond, VT)
In retrospect, it amuses me how seriously I used to take radio station format changes. In 1985, I thought, "A new soft rock station is making its debut. I'd better listen to it often for at least the first week."
As I listened, I thought, "This is a pleasant selection of soft rock hits, but it's also a rather safe, predictable playlist. The DJs sound alright, but there's nothing particularly innovative or unique about what they're doing. This is a paint-by-numbers soft rock station in a city that already has multiple stations with this format."
I kept listening throughout the station's first two months, though, because it was new. Initial curiosity doesn't guarantee that an audience will stay with a station, but it often gets them to give the station a chance, however short-lived.
Wednesday morning standouts:
Feel Like Going Home
It escaped my notice for the longest time that Patty Griffin is the singer behind "One Big Love." When I think of Griffin's singer-songwriter material, I typically think of such tracks as "Rain," "Making Pies," or "The Wheel." Generally, her songs make the listener lean in and ingest the discomforting or heart-wrenching topics about which she sings.
Yesterday, I wrote about being reminded that Donna Summer sang "Love Is In Control." As with "...Control," I remembered the rhythm of "One Big Love" for years without recalling its lyrics. Given its fun, upbeat vibe, I was surprised to learn it was Griffin's song--and that I already own the CD that includes it.
It's amazing what you find when you delve into your own music collection thoroughly.
While listening to KLOU's August 21, 1982 rebroadcast of "American Top 40" yesterday, I exclaimed, "So, that's what that song is!"
I'd forgotten all about Donna Summer's "Love Is In Control." I remember hearing it on KMJM when it was a hit but not after that. Admittedly, I'd never paid much attention to its lyrics; after not hearing it for decades, I just remembered the rhythm of its fast chorus. I've been making up for lost time, though, by thinking of the song frequently since Sunday.
It's puzzling how only the rhythm of a song sometimes sticks with you over the years.
During Thursday night's power outage, the first three words of Crowded House's "It's Only Natural," played on a mental loop for me. I kept thinking, "Ice will melt," repeatedly.
That earworm stopped when I realized that I would lose hardly any perishable food. Ever since a three-day power outage 21 years ago, I've been careful not to get too far ahead on perishable food. During a storm in 2005, I lost 90% of the perishable food I'd just bought, and I resolved not to let that happen again.
"I thought, 'Ice will melt?' Ice cube trays can always be refilled," I reasoned Thursday, "and all I'm really losing while the electricity is out is two sticks of butter."
Recently, I heard an opinion expressed on AM radio that some amusement parks should be dinged for not having a running theme.
How important is that? When I went to Six Flags as a kid, I didn't think there needed to be any common thread among the attractions. I just thought, "I look forward to going on the Log Flume and the Scrambler and tasting the mustard-based potato salad at a particular restaurant."
As with most high school yearbooks, I'm not sure a theme matters all that much to most customers. Disney, for some reason, is an exception to that for people, but otherwise...
Yesterday, a radio talk show host said that when he retires, it will be a true retirement. He won't go on the radio again, even in a reduced capacity.
He clarified that he'll likely talk about what it was like to be in radio with people at a coffee shop, but he doesn't intend to broadcast again, He reasons that by then, he'll have said everything he intends to say.
His logic is understandable. Even when you enjoy broadcasting, it's a relief not to have to fill airtime. Here's hoping he has a relaxing time away from the microphone--whenever that turns out to be.
Yesterday, a radio personality made a sound case for being the narrator in a play, reasoning that "all you have to do is read, and you're paid handsomely for it."
If you never have to appear on stage while narrating, I'd contend it's even more appealing.
Spoken like someone who prefers the contradictory known-yet-anonymous aspect of radio fame...
Six recommended tracks heard this morning:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
KCFV 89.5 FM
About 12 years ago, I visited an independent bookstore. I found the quiet atmosphere welcoming, and the store's tasteful selection of reading material in a small space impressed me. As I stepped up to pay for my purchase, I saw the wide selection of music magazines offered near the register. I thought, "I really hope this store succeeds. With this selection and friendly service, it deserves to make it."
Then, reality crept into my thoughts. "Not many people buy magazines these days," I thought. "Most likely, only a small fraction of this inventory will sell. As much as I'd like to believe that hordes of customers will stop in and pick up the latest issues of magazines specializing in folk music, music critics' reviews of new releases, and various instruments, that probably won't happen."
The optimism that the music magazines represented reminded me of the unexpectedly large selection of greeting cards I saw at a small pharmacy that opened around the same time as the bookstore. I thought, "People still send greeting cards in some cases but not as often as they used to, and this won't likely be the first place where they'll select them. Most of these cards will probably remain unsold."
Unfortunately, the bookstore and the pharmacy are no longer in business.
During an FM dial scan in 1997, I heard a DJ say, "Isn't that about obnoxious? But it's got to be done, in case the Russians are--No, forget it. Let's get a look at traffic..."
Presumably, the station had just run a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. I still wonder how the DJ would have completed his thought if he hadn't censored himself.
A '90s memory: I'd been asked to read a critic's review of a rock concert for our company's information-by-phone service. Ordinarily, I did voiceovers for events-around-town listings, business updates, and instructions for users on how to access various features. I'd never read a concert review for that service before. I read the review, I thought, with appropriate enthusiasm and gravity. It struck me as slightly odd, however, that the reviewer referred to the band's performance as "a Dionysian delight." I read it just as he'd phrased it while thinking, "That might be perfectly accurate, but Dionysian? Why not just say the performance was emotive, passionate, or refreshingly unstructured?"
"The artist's work is an amalgamation of gourds and seed pods," from an events-around-town promotion, was the most offbeat sentence I ever read while recording voiceovers. I never recorded a remotely comparable sentence during voiceover sessions again. Similarly, I never expected to refer to anything as Dionysian, and not surprisingly, that review was the only voiceover I recorded containing that word.
I'm going to surprise myself today by recommending a Dolly Parton solo track as part of a graceful segue. For years, I've thought that Parton's voice works best in the context of backing vocals on "Creepin' In" by Norah Jones or with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on their cover of Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush."
However, despite not hearing Parton's solo hit, "Here You Come Again," in many years, I've realized this week how well it could segue with Sheena Easton's "Morning Train" or Natalie Cole's "This Will Be." All three songs have compatible bounces suitable for oldies station segues.
Standout songs heard today:
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
The Big Easy
The Coffee House
North Americana
Piano Instrumentals
Real Jazz
The Village
Watercolors Instrumental
Seven recommended tunes heard today:
The Mix-Up
Memphis To Manchester
The Now Sound
Today, I decided, "Why limit the radio stations I sample for this blog to just American ones?" Hence, my first international edition of Online radio sampler highlights. These are seven standout tunes I've heard today:
CJRT-FM (Toronto, Canada)
Connemara Community Radio (Connemara, Ireland)
FIP (Paris, France)
Tilos Radio (Budapest, Hungary)
As I drove to my polling place this morning, a newspaper reporter said on the radio, "You can't be too cynical when it comes to politics."
That's generally true, unfortunately. A vote for someone is a leap of faith that the candidate is seeking office for noble reasons and aims to make people's lives better. That's why I always look forward to voting in every election. When my preferred candidates and propositions prevail, I'm proud of helping to make that happen.
As contradictory as it sounds, I'm an idealistic, jaded cynic. I'll continue to cast my ballot every chance I get.
In retrospect, I'm surprised that the DJs were allowed to control the thermostat in one particular studio. I was one of at least two DJs who liked the studio freezing cold, so in the later months of my employment there, I set the temperature to near David Letterman studio levels. While I still like a cool residence or office on a hot day, I've never set the thermostat anywhere near that low in my own home.
It's interesting how your definition of a comfortable temperature changes when you know you'll have to pay the electric bill.
Sunday morning standouts:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
KSHE 94.7 FM
KLOU 103.3 FM
Yesterday, a radio announcer admitted not knowing a particular R.E.M. song that another staffer referenced. His explanation: "I'm a hits kind of guy, and that's a deep cut."
Most of us, if we're honest, are in that same boat when it comes to certain artists and bands. Sometimes, surface level appeal is enough when a particular genre isn't one of your favorites. Also, there's only so much time, even for music fans like me, to hear all the music you want to hear. Inevitably, there will be artists whose familiarity to you doesn't extend past the hits--and that's understandable.
If I've learned one thing over the past several years, it's not to be late when feeding my cat, Collette. If I wait too long, she'll sing, "If I scratch you and I bite you, I'm more than just a little justified."
I didn't realize that Collette had internalized her own meaning of the Kacey Musgraves song, "Justified," but my feet have suffered the brunt of her wrath.
A 1981 album title track I haven't thought about in decades has been on my mind for the past week. The Allman Brothers Band's "Brothers Of The Road" obviously wasn't intended to be a hit. As the album's leadoff track, it essentially conveys, "Listeners, this band has been through a lot over the years, but we're back with this new song and this new album. We've had some challenges thrown our way, but we're not giving up."
That's a reasonable way to start an album, and it reminds me of the spirit Chicago exhibited in the song, "Alive Again."
Standout tunes heard today on six radio stations that haven't been featured in Online radio sampler highlights posts before:
KALA (Davenport, IA)
KNMC (Havre, MT)
KSCU (Santa Clara, CA)
WJCT-HD4 (Jacksonville, FL)
WSPJ (Syracuse, NY)
WTTH (Atlantic City, NJ)
In Sunday's SiriusXM highlights post, I considered writing this entry--just for a moment:
Happy Oldies
I chose to leave it out. This morning, however, I heard an AM talk station use KC & The Sunshine Band's "Boogie Shoes" as bumper music. As I listened, I thought, "After hearing 'Boogie Shoes,' which I would never seek out, any shame I have about including 'Play That Funky Music' as a highlight has vanished."
So be it. Not every song I recommend has to be cerebral. Sometimes, an ear-catching hook is enough.
To my surprise, an out-of-town radio station recently played "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers. Upon hearing it, I thought, "That's interesting. Aside from replays of 1972 'American Top 40' shows, I've never heard any radio station play that song. Granted, I'm largely indifferent to the tune and wasn't clamoring to hear it, but since this station plays that, they must play other forgotten songs that appeal to me more."
That's one benefit of a station with an expansive playlist. You won't love every song you hear, but if you listen long enough, you'll likely hear gems that have been largely lost to time.
Sunday morning standouts:
1st Wave
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
The Blend
Carolina Shag Radio
The Coffee House
Deep Tracks Just Music
Indie 1.0
Indie Sleep
Lo-Fi Cafe
Siriusly Sinatra
Smokey's Soul Town
Feel like hearing an LP, 45, or CD in Watchcat Collette's assigned sector? Watchcat and music coordinator Collette will play it for you--as long as it's a selection she also wants to hear:
Due to the limited number of characters permitted in a playlist's song title column, Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" became "Cast Your Fate To The Win" on one radio stations's website recently.
The loss of one letter changes the song title's implied attitude considerably. To me, "Cast Your Fate To Win" suggests, "Be prepared to cope with the loss of anonymity if you win the lottery."
Thursday morning highlights:
KDVS (Davis, CA)
KONA (Kailua-Kona, HI)
KOTO (Telluride, CO)
KRTU (San Antonio, TX)
WMST (Mount Sterling, KY)
WZLY (Wellesley, MA)
When I think of the classic Beatles album, "Rubber Soul," I usually think first of my three favorite songs from it that fall right in a row--"I'm Looking Through You," "In My Life," and "Wait." In recent years, however, I've gained more of an appreciation for "What Goes On." While Lennon & McCartney compositions were the group's default setting, "What Goes On" is a Lennon, McCartney & Starr-composed tune with Ringo Starr singing lead. Starr's influence gives the tune a lighthearted bounce despite the lyrics accusing a woman of telling lies. My favorite part of the song is during the last chorus, however, when Paul McCartney underscores the lyrics assertively on the bass, making me want to have that portion on a loop. I nearly always turn that final chorus up and think, "That's how you finish strong--and walk the line of being assertive without being aggressive."
When it was released in 1980, Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" impressed me by sounding both catchy and edgy for its time. It amuses me now to think that back then, it was relatively edgy and would only be heard regularly on St. Louis's two album rock stations, KSHE and KWK.
A few mornings ago, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" was played on three stations here, including one generally described as a hot adult contemporary station.
These days, so-called adult contemporary stations have room in their playlists for Pat Benatar, Prince, and even certain Aerosmith ballads. That would have been unthinkable in the '80s. Hearing "...Best Shot" so frequently decades later is a reminder that what was once edgy eventually becomes mainstream.
A radio announcer who accidentally gave the wrong time and said it was May instead of July admitted that he was in "a different temporal space today."
That's a classy, honest way of saying, "I goofed."
When most people see that the current temperature is 77 degrees, they probably think, "It's feeling kind of warm." When I see a temperature of 77, however, I immediately think or sometimes say, "The first voice in St. Louis, 77 WEW."
That slogan I used to say on the air is still a strangely entrenched habit with me 30 years later. I don't know if I expect the station's former studio to appear or a Nat King Cole song to start playing when the slogan comes to mind, but 77 will always be associated with that radio station for me.
Five recommended tunes heard this morning:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
KEZK 102.5 FM
This morning, an interviewer on a news/talk radio station asked his guest, "So, the moon is hollow. Have you given any more thought to that?"
Before switching stations, I thought, "That's a question I haven't heard anyone ask before. It's the middle of the night, though, so why not ask that if you think your guest has a reasonably thought out answer?"
I was glad to hear KTRS play "W*O*L*D*" as bumper music this morning in memory of Harry Chapin. Chapin passed away on this day 45 years ago, and it was refreshing to hear announcer Carl and listeners on the text line praise Chapin's insightful singer-songwriter abilities. I wasn't surprised that Carl cited "Cat's In The Cradle," as it's Chapin's biggest hit and one of his best songs, but I was startled that he mentioned "Flowers Are Red" as a favorite song. Lyrically, "Flowers Are Red" is a clever reminder not to be too rigid in one's thinking, so I was pleased to hear it referenced unexpectedly.
Now, let's also give "Sunday Morning Sunshine" and "Tangled Up Puppet" their due.
Kudos to the reporter on the radio yesterday who follows a relative's advice to "never trust a man who says, 'Trust me.'"
The reporter's response when someone says that is correct, as well; whenever he hears that, he thinks, "What was my other option?"
You know it's a long, challenging month at work when the earworm in your mind paraphrases Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Karn Evil 9" as "Welcome back, my friends, to the month that never ends..."
Summer is often our workplace's most difficult season, and July is typically the most difficult month. I know it'll end eventually--but it doesn't feel that way, at the moment.
Tonight, I gave up on listening to an AM station when a loud hum on the radio blocked the station's frequency.
Yes, that happened, and yes, it's not a sentence many people under age 55 say these days.
This morning, I thought about how much work I'd done throughout the long, draining night and how long the rest of the week and month feel. While contemplating this, the circus music opening of Three Dog Night's "The Show Must Go On" ran through my mind.
That goofy carnival-like theme is still there now. I'm glad my mind, at least, feels subconsciously whimsical even when I don't.
Talk about having to be on my game this weekend. Between Friday night and Sunday morning, I'm scheduled to work 22 hours in a 34-hour span. Financially, this is a plus, and fortunately, the first big chunk of working hours is already over. By Sunday morning, however, I expect I'll be delirious. I've been keeping things in perspective, though, with a mental soundtrack of "People Make The World Go Round" by The Stylistics.
So far, this has been an effective tactic. We'll see how I feel Sunday morning, however.
Many reviewers regard season six as the worst or one of the worst seasons of "Saturday Night Live." While listening to the "Not Ready For Season 6" podcast recently, I thought, "The show wasn't great that season, but the theme song SNL used that season isn't bad. It's sunny, bouncy, and saxophone-driven, setting the audience up for the comedy to follow."
It's a shame such a well-composed theme has to be tied to a season in which laughs were mostly few and far between.
Five standout selections heard today:
KUNV (Las Vegas, NV)
KWAX (Eugene, OR)
KXCI (Tucson, AZ)
WKYN (Mount Sterling, KY)
WSCA (Portsmouth, NH)
For a smooth jazz station seeking two compatibly bouncy tunes, I recommend pairing Kenny G's "The Shuffle" with Tom Grant's "Eye Of The Hurricane." I played "The Shuffle" many times on KNJZ, but surprisingly, I have yet to hear "...Hurricane" on any station or stream. This pairing offers a graceful way of gliding from an upbeat saxophone instrumental into rhythmically compatible vocals.
During my FM dial scan 29 years ago, one radio station after another was testing the Emergency Broadcast System. Despite encountering that repetitive tone on station after station, I still managed to hear some music along the way. Among the highlights:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCFV 89.5 FM
WFUN 95.5 FM
KFAV 99.9 FM
KEZK 102.5 FM
"Now, there's a tape I haven't played in a while," I thought recently. "I should get out the Walkman and listen to it."
I looked upward after thinking that, half-expecting a neon sign to start flashing above me that said, "FOSSIL ALERT! 55 YEARS OLD!"
Well...I'm fine with being a 55-year-old fossil. The Walkman still works, and I got to hear my cassette.
This afternoon, the host of a pet advice radio show tactfully tried to discourage people from buying costumes for their pets. He said it's best to save your money instead of spending it on something your dog will just tear apart.
I would add, "...and something that will compromise your dog's dignity." In my view, pets aren't meant to wear bonnets, ties, vests, or any other human clothing. They're pets, not dolls.
It was refreshing to watch the Boston Pops Orchestra's July 4, 1978 concert this morning. As I watched, I kept thinking, "In 1978, the powers that be didn't feel the need to have a celebrity host or pop stars singing with the orchestra. The Boston Pops just put on an enjoyable light Classical concert with an off-screen announcer, and the audience responded enthusiastically." Offenbach's "Overture to Orpheus In Hades," Copland's 'Hoedown' from "Rodeo," and "Pop Goes The Weasel," among other selections, received particularly boisterous cheers. About the only musical concession the orchestra made to then-recent times was performing Walter Murphy's "A Fifth Of Beethoven." Conductor Arthur Fiedler was restrained, as well, only introducing pieces occasionally and keeping his remarks brief.
Current conductor Keith Lockhart has done a fine job for decades with the annual July 4 concerts, and Craig Ferguson and Lockhart's 2009 impromptu "lords of the dance" commercial break interlude during the orchestra's performance of "Shipping Up To Boston" is the most amusing thing I've seen during any Boston Pops performance.
It's also nice, however, to remember a time when people just appreciated a full concert for the music itself and the fireworks--and that was enough.
Seven of the best songs I've heard today:
Sweet Inspiration
Beyon' Cray
Dangerous Curves
Today's standout tunes:
KHEN (Salida, CO)
KKJZ (Long Beach, CA)
KRNN (Juneau, AK)
WNJR (Washington, PA)
WOMR (Provincetown, MA)
WOOL (Bellows Falls, VT)
WYXR (Memphis, TN)
I know I'm not the only person who has heard "Trouble Me" by 10,000 Maniacs. There's a good chance, however, that I was the only one singing along softly with it as it played over a grocery store's speakers today.
I'd add "Trouble Me" to the list of songs I've heard in grocery stores that I wasn't expecting. Jesse Colin Young's "Song For Juli," "Since You Asked" by Judy Collins, and Fleetwood Mac's "Sunny Side Of Heaven" have been some of the other biggest surprises.
I'd like to think that whoever programmed "Trouble Me" is a gentle soul. You'd have to be to choose a softly sung, sensitively written non-hit track with lyrics about helping people in need while you're still relatively young and strong. "Trouble Me" was the first song I heard by 10,000 Maniacs, and back in 1989, I thought, "If this is typical of Natalie Merchant and company's efforts, this group must have a respectable following among introverts and kind people."
I'd never have guessed that I'd hear "Trouble Me" 37 years later while grocery shopping, but apparently, at least one other kind soul in the world hears what I hear in it.
I'm not sure what triggered Richard Marx's 1987 hit, "Don't Mean Nothing," to lodge itself in my mind tonight. Soft rock stations played it frequently when it was a hit, but I don't hear it often today. I'm not sure if I'm responding to the lyrics subconsciously about thinking in bottom line terms and not trusting anyone too easily. Most likely, I'm just trying to stay alert by thinking of the tune's assertive rhythm.
Dr. E., who administers botox injections in my vocal cords, told me recently that he'd spoken with a singer from the band The 11th Commandment. He said that according to that singer, the 11th commandment is, "Thou shalt rock out."
I replied, "Considering that the actual 10 commandments are matters of common decency or common sense, it's refreshing to have one commandment that promotes self-expression."
I did a double take after hearing a radio talk show host say recently, "Getting away from the topics of cheerleading and peaches..."
I suppose that's not unusual on a talk show, however. With so much time to fill, hosts can easily drift from carpet cleaning to increased grocery prices to what it was like attending a baseball game. Talk show topics are often derived from what's going on in the hosts' lives, after all, so you can't expect all topics to be related.
Twice in recent days, I've had the unpleasant experience of realizing that two cassettes are in precarious condition. As the tape in one of them started wobbling recently, I thought, "Why is this happening? This is a type IV metal bias cassette, which was the highest quality cassette one could buy--in 1991, just a mere 35 years ago." Then, on a different tape recorder, it took forever to rewind a different cassette just so I could hear one song. Eventually, I had to rewind the cogs by hand to get back to the song's intro. I thought in jest, "Why is this tape so sluggish in its rewinding? This album was just released on cassette in 1993. Granted, that was 33 years ago, but it's more recent than 1991. Oh, well. It'll take about three days to rewind the tape if I ever want to hear this song again, but the sound quality has held up, at least."
Not surprisingly, no one has accused me of recency bias lately.
At a radio station where I worked, a person formerly connected with the station entered the studio and asked if the DJ on the air after me would run one of his commercials.
The DJ replied, "OK."
The visitor said dejectedly, "Well, if you don't want to run it, then...," and left the studio.
The DJ and I looked at each other, perplexed.
The DJ asked me, "Did I say I didn't want to run the commercial?"
I replied, "I'm not sure why (the visitor) reacted that way, either. Maybe he expected you to do cartwheels or backflips."
You'd think saying, "OK," would be an affirmative way of agreeing to run a commercial.
Since reading this afternoon about David Clayton-Thomas's passing, I've thought about how well his vocals sell various Blood, Sweat & Tears songs. These are my favorites, three of which were big hits in 1969:
Today's recommended selections:
KBLU (Logan, UT)
KRVM (Eugene, OR)
WAJH (Birmingham, AL)
WHDD (Sharon, CT)
WMWV (Conway, NH)
While listening to Downy Mildew's "Left Foot Down" yesterday, I had an epiphany. I don't know how I didn't think of it earlier, but "Left Foot Down" would flow well into "Anywhere" by Ratboys. The songs have compatible lyrics about pursuing someone rather insistently, set to catchy, uptempo rhythms.
One could argue that both sets of lyrics aren't far removed from stalking, but I'm choosing to overlook that and just enjoy the tunes.
Although it doesn't affect the sound of the record, I was puzzled to see that the cover of my LP containing two Mendelssohn symphonies looked more worn and scuffed than I remembered.
I thought, "How can this be? I just bought this album in--um, well, 1986--a 'mere' 40 years ago. Actually, that's only recent geologically speaking."
I find it amusing and refreshingly honest that there's a radio retirement planning program called "Keep What's Yours."
It would amuse me even more if the show used "I Me Mine" by The Beatles as its theme song.
Today's standouts:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
KCFV 89.5 FM
KWUR 90.3 FM
Today's standout tunes:
'60s/'70s R&B Hits
Country Coffee House
Luna
Real Jazz Just Music
SiriusXM Love
Watercolors
Yacht Rock Deep Cuts
Recently, I listened to Porcupine's self-titled CD, which I hadn't heard in a while. As I listened, I thought, "There's a pleasant consistency to these tracks--appealing smooth jazz with easy-to-digest keyboard parts, sunny saxophone, and a good undercurrent of bass. I wonder why I've never heard this group's music on the radio."
I knew the answer, though. When your music is consistent but consumed largely as background accompaniment, it's easy for it to get lost in the shuffle of similar-sounding artists.
Such is the challenge smooth jazz and new age artists face.
The electricity has gone out five times today. The first four times, the power outages only lasted, at most, about as long as Chopin's "Minute Waltz." The fifth power outage, however, lasted over 20 minutes.
It's interesting to ride out a power outage with "Minute Waltz" playing on a back-of-the-mind mental loop 20 times. Who knew that such a fast piece could have such a calming effect?
These are six of the more interesting tunes I've heard today:
KBZR (Baker City, OR)
KVSF (Santa Fe, NM)
WSUM (Madison, WI)
WTIP (Grand Marais, MN)
I graduated from college over 30 years ago, so it's not surprising that most of the music department instructors during my time there have retired. It's nice to see that a few of them still teach there, though.
I know that the passage of time is inevitable, but I'll take all the links to my years there that I can get.
While listening to Sammy Nestico's "Dark Orchid" yesterday, I wondered if the tune had ever underscored a chase scene in a TV drama or movie. It should, as that instrumental conveys a tense, suspenseful vibe while falling somewhere between a Chuck Mangione track and the Isaac Hayes classic, "Theme From 'Shaft.'"
An AM radio caller said this morning, "Of the Three Stooges, my favorite is..."
...And, that was my cue to change stations. Although it has been about 45 years since I last saw anything they did, I'm certain their comedy isn't for me. I know they had a long career and people still watch them today. The appeal of their humor just eludes me, though. Even as a 10-year-old, I thought, "This is a form of entertainment? Really?"
No law requires every form of humor has to be cerebral, but...
Although it was a relatively big hit in 1978, I've almost never heard Atlanta Rhythm Section's "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight" on the radio. Until today, about the only part of the song I'd remembered was the title being sung in the chorus. After looking up the lyrics, they're a lot darker than I realized. I'm choosing to ignore that, however, and focus on the bounce in the rhythm that reminds me of one of the band's best earlier songs, "Angel."
Five of the better songs I've heard this morning:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
KCFV 89.5 FM
Six standout tunes heard today:
KDLR (Devils Lake, ND)
KMHD (Portland, OR)
KRML (Carmel, CA)
WDIF (Marion, OH)
WFHB (Bloomington, IN)
WJVX (Chicago, IL)
This morning's noteworthy tunes:
'40s Junction
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
Carolina Shag Radio
Chucho's Cuba & Beyond
Lo-Fi Sleep
North Americana
Watercolors
Yacht Country
Since the passing of actor Anthony Stewart Head, I'm sure I'm not the only "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" fan who has had his performance of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" in mind. After watching the episode in which he sings it again, I realized that he belts the tune more forcefully than I remember. Head proves that a strong voice and an acoustic guitar are all one needs to make Pete Townshend's lyrics in "...Eyes" sink in.
I knew I was in a sour mood a couple of weeks ago when I woke up and sang, "Things had better go my way," to the tune of Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way?"
Props to the Community Radio St. Louis DJ last night for an update you wouldn't typically hear on a stodgy, by-the-book commercial station. After back announcing a music set last night, she mentioned that a moth was flying around the studio and distracting her. While playing her last song of the night, she broke in to let everyone know that the moth had left the studio safely.
Credit for humanity there.
Six standout tunes heard today:
KDRP (Dripping Springs, TX)
KUWL (Laramie, WY)
WITT (Indianapolis, IN)
I was always pleased when I learned that an ensemble in which I played was going to play a piece I'd already played with another orchestra. The best example of this was Franz Schubert's eighth symphony, "Unfinished." During one rehearsal, I was playing it with fierce confidence, going to town as if I'd played it several hundred times by memory. When the conductor stopped the orchestra to go over a particular passage, he looked over at me and said, "Very good!" The seriousness with which I replied, "Thank you," elicited a few giggles from the first violinists.
It didn't bug me at the time, but later, I thought, "I wonder if I was approaching a 'Be Not Afraid' level, instrumentally."
This morning's recommended gems:
WSIE 88.7 FM
KCLC 89.1 FM
WARH 106.5 FM
K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2