[DrBenway]

I find very few reasons for optimism in our world of corporate-weeny controlled everything. But it appears that, to some degree at least, popular outrage has brought back a radio format that nurtured my love of music. Hey NYC Head-Fiers! Have you noticed that WCBS is BACK? What do you think?

Quoted below is my post to "What Are You Listening to Right Now" from about five minutes ago...


Be still, my freakin' heart. I am listening to this classic track ("No Time" - The Guess Who) on WCBS-FM, America's flagship oldies station. After two years in the wilderness, my station has returned. It turns out that, after all, Jack doesn't know Jack. Not in NYC, anyway.

O.K. The suits have decided that the classic 50s material no longer contributes to their bottom line. After all, the generation that brought us rock and soul is now past their purchasing-power peak. So CBS won't be giving me the Chuck Berry, the Little Richard, the Elvis, and the DooWop that I first heard on this station. Sad, but I can deal. Tonight, listening to this station, I have heard obscure soul, forgotten power pop, and bread-and-butter rock n roll.

O.K., now it's Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock n Roll."

All is well in my world.

 

[EyeAmEye]

I can't say I share your enthusiasm, because I've been hearing oldies all week at work, and with two days still to go, I've already heard enough.

Truth be told, though, it is a noticeable upgrade from the garbage on Z100 and Hot97, which WCBS has currently replaced in the office, so maybe it's good afterall. Lesser of two evils, glass half full, etc, no?

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EyeAmEye /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't say I share your enthusiasm, because I've been hearing oldies all week at work, and with two days still to go, I've already heard enough. Truth be told, though, it is a noticeable upgrade from the garbage on Z100 and Hot97, which WCBS has currently replaced in the office, so maybe it's good afterall. Lesser of two evils, glass half full, etc, no?

There is no question that WCBS has been boiled down to a commercial format. Which is very different from what it was in its heyday; at one time this was a station where you could hear real, hardcore DooWop, obscure Atlantic Soul, and the kind of Rockabilly that made Elvis's late career look like the sad reflection of his early work that it, in fact, was.

But I just heard a Sly and the Family Stone track. A few minutes ago, I heard the acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that was released on the Beatles Anthology series. Right now I'm listening to an alternate version of The Beatles "Octopus's Garden." It's after 1 AM, and I don't expect anything adventurous during prime time.

But this is so much better than the canned, untouched-by-human hands bull of Jack-FM, that I am just beside myself.