Friday, September 30, 2011

Ch. 7 - 70s on 7

How awesome to start my day off with the Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger pouncing out "Brown Sugar." I love the 70s. Right now listening to "Life is a Rock" by Reunion. 1974. I always thought it was a Mountain Dew commercial or something like that. I've got to look up the lyrics since I can't understand diddly squat. Reminds me of Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire."

Oh god. I completely forgot that the late 70s brought us disco. How can they put disco on the same station as The Stones and the Who and even Foreigner. It's like 2 different decades. Apparently I like the early 70s the most. Guess it's closer to the 60s. Oh Donna Summer. I'm sorry. I've never been a disco fan, although I appreciate the sound. Plus, disco always brought dancing fun to the party. So I know most of the songs. I just couldn't sit in my room doing homework while listening to Saturday Night Fever.

I gotta say that this station does a great job of playing variety. Went from 1972 with Gallery singing a cutesy pop song to the horns of a 1978 Earth Wind & Fire song ("Got to Get You Into My Life").

The late 70s brought Foreigner and Journey; today's Classic Rock. It makes me think of a few different things. First, I think of the movie "Almost Famous.". The raw rock and the bell bottom jeans with the shiny long-sleeved shirts. This station also makes me think of Will Farrell playing the cowbell in those skits about that band. What was it? Blue Oyster Cult? I can't remember. But I laugh every time I hear a cowbell.

Listening to these decades stations, I hear the evolution from Motown to disco. Motown brought us great groups, beats and harmonies. Disco just brought the lead singers up front, made the beat faster and less subtle (much less subtle), and dressed everyone in high heels and lots of hair. What a show. But I think that if you would ask high school students today to sing along with the music, they would know more 60s Motown songs than 70s disco.

Even with the disco, I love this station and would listen again.




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Location:50th St,Boca Raton,United States

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Ch. 4 - 40s on 4

This Big Band Station made me feel like I was driving in an old movie. Remember that movie with Mel Gibson (when he was hot and acted normal), Jamie Lee Curtis and a young and adorable Elijah Wood. There was a scene from the 40s where Mel was driving in his car and listening to a Billie Holiday song. My radio sounded like that all day long, but sadly, I didn't hear any Billie Holiday today.

The 40s had a lot of horns and clarinets in their bands. And the vocalists all had pure voices, not like today's computer altered voices. A bunch of tenors. What a contrast from yesterday. The old sound quality of the recordings was kind of comforting. But, surprisingly to me, I continuously had to fight the urge to change the channel. It all started to sound similar and I think I got bored. It would be good for background music while I worked. Or good for a movie soundtrack. But to drive to? No.

There was a lot of Benny Goodman and quite a few Tommy Dorsey. My dad would have loved this station. Heard a nice version of "It's Only a Paper Moon" by the Nat King Cole Trio. How awesome that an African American man had his own band in the 40s. Although I'm sure I could read about how he never saw the residuals from the recording.

My favorite song of the day was Louis Prima and Keeley Smith doing "Jump Jive An' Wail.". I love that song anyway. I think Joe Jackson did it. But louis' voice was great. I think think it was the only song of the day that kind of rocked. Loved it. A close second was a really young Ella Fitzgerald singing "A Tisket, A Tasket.". Interesting that the recording muted the perfectly clear quality of Ella's voice. I love Ella!!

Would I listen to 40s on 4 again? Well, maybe for a little here and there. I would pause there to see if I recognized what was playing. But nothing long term.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

9/26/11

Location:Boca Raton,United States