Songs/artists you used to like....

[Big Al]

...before they got overplayed on "classic rock" radio.

The "Led Zeppelin II" thread got me to thinking about this. I used to like this album, until "classic rock" radio played "Whole Lotta Love," "What Is....," "Ramble On" over and over and over and OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!!! Same with LedZep IV. And "Kashmir!" Would it kill these guys to play "The Rover?" Or "Celebration Day?" Or "The Crunge?"

"Dark Side of the Moon" is another one. The brilliance of this album was lost on me right around the 25,871,926th playing of "Time" and/or "Money" and/or "Breathe." Although to be fair, I can never get tired of "Us and Them."

I always hated Boston, and for the life of me cannot figure out why these guys are supposed to be so phenomenal (they sound like Queen without the flambouyance!). Yet not a day goes by that I don't hear some combination of any of those damn songs! Hell, I wish I could live off the residuals off of an oeuvre that consists of only TWO ALBUMS!!!

Anyone else wanna vent?

[GregK]

I can't listen to the Rolling Stones or the Beatles anymore, even though the music is great

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Picking a few nits:

But Led Zeppelin IV does not contain Kashmir, The Rover, Celebration Day, nor The Crunge. Or maybe that wasn't your point. I was thinking you were advocating for "lesser-played tracks from great albums". Maybe you were just pushing for "lesser-played tracks from over-played bands".

BTW, Boston does have more than two albums. Six, in fact, including a greatest hits set that has new material. But your intent is well-taken. The first album gets 90% of the Boston airplay. The other 10% is the track Don't Look Back from the second.

The thing that early 1970s FM radio did was create the "album-oriented" format, where it *wasn't* about playing the single. That's what MADE some bands who weren't AM single-friendly - like Led Zeppelin. Some of their most over-played tracks were NEVER issued as singles. But now they're being treated in the same way. No dj makes the choice as to what goes on the air, it's all done by central office. Watch WKRP In Cincinnati for the dramatized version of how automated playlisting came into radio.

For real present-day quality, try non-commercial radio like WFUV-FM, NYC online at http://www.wfuv.org/

That's where the original FM disc jockeys are now, people like: Vin Scelsa, Pete Fornatale, Dennis Elsas.

It's like a little WNEW reunion, and they have John Platt too, who was big in Chicago. Here's a blast from the past for those in the NYC area:

http://www.billdulmage.com/skeds/others/wnew-fm.html

If you can stand Jonathan Schwartz, he's on WNYC on the weekend and also on XM Satellite radio - which I've never investigated. His show is more jazz/standards with some folk/singer-songwriter thrown in.

Some people think satellite radio is the answer, but I suspect it's just a marginal improvement that will quickly deteriorate the same way that cable TV improved on antenna TV for a while before we started to get commercials and bottom-of-the-screen logos and previews.

For the REAL blast from the past, you can listen to some of the djs only (music cut out):

http://airchexx.com/ and other similar sites.

I just listened to a little snippet of Dennis Elsas from 1978 - amazingly, back-introducing Boston! No fewer than three tunes!!!! (Including some non-overplayed ones - this is when they were new) Plus the concert calendar announced Weather Report, Ahmad Jamal, Michal Urbaniak, Larry Coryell, Anthony Braxton, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, alongside Talking Heads, Blondie, Janis Ian, etc. The name of Anthony Braxton has been mentioned how many times on commercial radio in the past 25 years? Boy, even 1979 is miles away from what classic rock radio sounds like now.

And here's some recommended reading:

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/books/02/07/fm.neer/

Mike

[Jazzmoose]

I've never listened to "classic rock" radio unless it was on in a store or something. Probably for the very reason you describe, Al. It's just like "golden oldies" stations but with different material. After listening to KSAN back in the early to mid seventies, its like comparing Velveeta to real cheese. The only radio stations I can stand at this point are KCSM or other college stations. Real DJs playing whatever the f*ck they want to play. Just like it ought to be.

[GA Russell]

One of the advantages of liking an unpopular form of music like jazz is that I only hear the music when I want to. Thus, nothing gets beaten to death!

[Jim Alfredson]

Many times when Joe and I are driving home from a gig, we'll switch between three or four classic rock stations. Numerous times we have found either:

a) They play the same songs that we heard on our last drive home.

and/or

b) They play the same songs within a few minutes of each other. ("Hey, didn't we just hear "Another Brick in the Wall"?)

and/or

c) They play the same song at the exact same time as each other.

It's really ridiculous. Once in a great while we'll hear something (usually on the station out of Lansing, WMMQ) that we've either never heard before or haven't heard in a long time. But very very rarely.

[kh1958]

I used to (back when their albums were coming out) like the Rolling Stones, the Doors, the Who, and Led Zeppelin.

Now I can't really bear to listen to any of them, the main reason being that I can't stand hearing their lead singers.

On the other hand, I still like the voices of John Lennon, George Harrison, and Jack Bruce, so the Beatles and Cream still provide listening pleasure.

[kh1958]

Many times when Joe and I are driving home from a gig, we'll switch between three or four classic rock stations.  Numerous times we have found either:

a) They play the same songs that we heard on our last drive home.

and/or

b) They play the same songs within a few minutes of each other. ("Hey, didn't we just hear "Another Brick in the Wall"?)

and/or

c) They play the same song at the exact same time as each other.

It's really ridiculous.  Once in a great while we'll hear something (usually on the station out of Lansing, WMMQ) that we've either never heard before or haven't heard in a long time.  But very very rarely.

←

An ipod and a cassette adaptor have revolutionized long car drives for me. They are now a pleasure.

[Sundog]

I can't listen to the Rolling Stones or the Beatles anymore, even though the music is great

←

I know what your saying. I very rarely listen them on my own accord any more. That said, I was driving home late on Saturday night and heard "Sway" on the radio from the album Sticky Fingers. When I got home a popped on Sticky Fingers and gave it a listen. Still sounds pretty good to these ears. It's cool when a station deviates ever so slightly from the typical classic rock staples. Reminds you of how good those albums were front to back.

[BFrank]

Got tired of the Stones WAY back. Every party I every went to played them until I couldn't take it any more. 'Sticky Fingers' is still good (I think).

The Beatles got to me because I had a roommate (who's still my best friend) who was a Beatle fanatic/collector. I just had to listen to (and about) them too much.

[Big Al]

I can't listen to the Rolling Stones or the Beatles anymore, even though the music is great

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I know what your saying. I very rarely listen them on my own accord any more. That said, I was driving home late on Saturday night and heard "Sway" on the radio from the album Sticky Fingers. When I got home a popped on Sticky Fingers and gave it a listen. Still sounds pretty good to these ears. It's cool when a station deviates ever so slightly from the typical classic rock staples. Reminds you of how good those albums were front to back.

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I remember hearing "Moonlight Mile" on the radio sometime back and thinking/doing the exact thing.

[Jazz Kat]

None. I go through all sorts of fases, but I basically haven't liked anything once and now I don't. Excluding "Tubby the Tuba," of course.

[PHILLYQ]

Outside of their early material, which is excellent but seems to get no airplay, I can't listen to the Who at all. If I live another 48 years and never hear another cut from Who's Next it might still irk me. My wife likes to watch CSI(Who Are You?), and the classic rock stations seem to only have that one disc by the Who. Memo to radio stations: Have you ever heard Live at Leeds, Happy Jack, Pictures of Lily, etc. Rant over.

[scottb]

Many times when Joe and I are driving home from a gig, we'll switch between three or four classic rock stations. Numerous times we have found either:

a) They play the same songs that we heard on our last drive home.

and/or

b) They play the same songs within a few minutes of each other. ("Hey, didn't we just hear "Another Brick in the Wall"?)

and/or

c) They play the same song at the exact same time as each other.

It's really ridiculous. Once in a great while we'll hear something (usually on the station out of Lansing, WMMQ) that we've either never heard before or haven't heard in a long time. But very very rarely.

When I first moved to Shreveport, LA, one of the first days there while driving home from school, I heard The Boys Are Back In Town. I thought to myself "Cool, hadn't heard that in a while, not a bad classic rock station." Then for the next four years I heard The Boys Are Back In Town at least twice a week on my way home if I was listenening to the radio.

[GregK]

Memo to radio stations: Have you ever heard Live at Leeds, Happy Jack, Pictures of Lily, etc. Rant over.

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Quadrophenia, Who by #s, etc

[chris olivarez]

Agreed with all of the above. Every band here has been played to death. I'm trying not to think of other "artists"(and I do use the term loosely)who have also been seriously overexposed and who don't have a fraction of the talent of the artists who have been mentoned on this thread.