Nothing's wrong, really.  But sometimes, I do feel like I get smacked upside the head by how quickly the weekend passes.

I've been blogging, off and on, about how I'm trying to live my life like I've already won the lottery.  And this is something that I imagine would be very different if I were suddenly independently wealthy.

The weekend would no longer have that appearance of an oasis, beckoning at the end of each week.

Not that I wish my life away, focusing solely to get through the week to wallow in the weekend's embrace.  But I'm sure it's true for many, who look forward to having some time to unplug and recharge, shaking off the cares, worries and responsibilities of the work week.

And the truth is that, since a lot of what I do is really working for myself, I don't really have a "work week".  I'm working at something almost every day.  And while the nature of the work would change if I had untold millions, I would still be keeping plenty busy.

This weekend, I did manage to sneak in a few minutes peering into the ocean, and little it peer back at me.  Here's a shot from my not-so-smartphone, as I watched the sun on the water off the cliffs at Point Loma.  Expertly framed by part of the car window and side mirror, because I am that good of a photographer.

Not a great photo, but you get the idea.

I try to live my life, and not mark time until the weekend gets here.  I think that's a trap a lot of us fall into.  Just until the time's right.  Or I have enough money.  Or the house is clean.  Or I lose ten more pounds. 

Waiting to live isn't really living.

This all kind of ties in with a movie Lisa and I saw this weekend. 

The San Diego Film Festival was underway, and while we aren't rich or important enough to have had tickets, Lisa won a pair to a screening of one of the films.

It's called "Quartet", and it's Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut.  The movie stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly.  The story revolves around a British house for retired musicians.  Maggie Smith is a diva and the house's newest arrival, which her ex-husband, who also lives there, isn't too happy about.

The plot has these four former singing legends working together to sing as a quartet for an upcoming event, which is a major fundraiser to keep the house going. 

It's about relationships, and the baggage we all carry.  And the decision to keep living while you still can, regardless of what anyone else may think.  And even if you can't hit the high notes you used to be able to hit.

It was a terrific movie, and it's officially due in theater on January 4.   Here's a little featurette to give you a better idea of what it's all about.

If I had an opera playlist, I would have been listening to that today.  Rap would also work, as that makes a key but minor appearance in the movie.

But it'll have to be blues, as even though I'm not living for the weekend, I do really enjoy these days and am sorry to see them fly by so quickly.  My next project should be figuring out a way to get a little more weekend in my week.

Anyway, here's what shuffled out of my Rhythm and Blues and Blues playlist...

Miles Davis "Hand Jive"
John Lee Hooker "Boom Boom"
Muddy Waters "Hoochie Coochie Man'
Robert Johnson "Cross Road Blues'
Lloyd Price "Stagger Lee"
Aretha Franklin "Chain of Fools"
Jackie Wilson "Higher and Higher"
Mabel Scott "After Midnight'
B.B. King "How Blue Can You Get?"
Buddy Guy "Damn Right I've Got The Blues"

Hope you had a great weekend and that Monday is good to you!

Ken

I was sure today was going to be a day at the beach.  Literally.

That kind of helped get me through the week.  I kept thinking that if I just made it to Friday, I'd get up and go with Lisa to the beach.  We'd walk, not quite a workout, but better than sitting in front of the computer all day.

And, of course, I'd listen to the Beach Boys.  I'm in Southern California, and I think that might be a law.

But we wound up having tons to do today.  And after some recent news, I wasn't feeling too Beach Boy-ey.

You may (or may not) know that the Beach Boys got back together this year to celebrate their 50th anniversary.  They've been touring and they even released a new album, which has actually done pretty well.

Brian Wilson was excited about it, and had even said in an interview that there was more to come in 2013, including a more rock-and-roll kind of album.

Apparently, Mike Love didn't agree.

As this anniversary tour winds down, Love has announced that he'll be going on the road next year with the band he'd been touring with.  And not Brian Wilson, Al Jardine or David Marks.  Since Love owns the rights to the name, that touring group will be known as the Beach Boys.

I don't pretend to know what's going on here.  I know that it's hard to keep a band together, and that these guys have not seen eye to eye in a very long time.  But there's something about knowing that the real Beach Boys want to be a part of the Beach Boys, and won't be allowed to be, just doesn't sit right.

So, as I work on getting ready for the 2012 launch of my Christmas station, I thought I'd listen to some Halloween music.  After all, the Sounds of Halloween come before the Sounds of Christmas, right?

Here's about half an hour's worth of spooky(-ish) songs to get you in the mood for Halloween.

Or at least help you get through a scary workout!

Although, to be honest, I think most of my workouts are scary.

Anyway, here's what shuffled out of my Halloween playlist...

Danny Elfman and the Citizens of Halloween "This Is Halloween"
The Ventures "The Twilight Zone"
Screamin' Jay Hawkins "I Put A Spell On You"
Bobby "Boris" Pickett "Monster Mash"
Frank Sinatra "Witchcraft"
Dave Edmunds "The Creature From The Black Lagoon"
Levi Stubbs "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space"
The Outlaws "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky"
The Guess Who "Clap For The Wolfman"

I know, I know.  That last one is about Wolfman Jack, not the monster movie Wolfman.  But it's my list.

Ken

One of the things I love about music is the power it has to make you feel good.

Not all music, obviously.  Perhaps I should have stopped that sentence before the last word.  Music has the power to make you feel.

It can lift you up, or bring you down.  It can help you relive memories, transporting you to different times and places.  It can make you feel empowered, or angry.  Romantic or just kinda frisky.  And it can surprise you, sneaking up like a mosquito and draining you before you know what happened.

Or it can just annoy you, also not unlike a mosquito.  Until you turn to a different station. 

While we may not all agree on the songs, I think most can agree on the power of music.  Just beware of the mosquitoes.

I've been using music while I work, and while I work out, and it is definitely a mood-enhancer.  Even some of the more mundane tasks seem much more bearable.  Monday mornings still suck, but maybe not quite as much.

And I have to admit, the radio geek in me has enjoyed putting together the different playlists.

I've been listening to a lot of old stuff lately, and thought it might be nice to pump so new blood into my ears.  So I dragged my smartphone back in the 21st century and started building a new playlist of more recent songs, from the 2000's.

I know we refer to the 20th century decades by ten's, like the 90's, 80's, 70's, etc.  Is the first decade of the 21st century really the 00's?  Or is it, as I've heard some say, the Aught's?  My thinks it's the 00's, so I'll go with that for now.

Anyway, I'm still building this one, but I've got it up to about thirteen hours at the moment, and there's definitely a different feel to listening to music that's much more recent (than say the Rhythm and Blues and Blues playlist I have, which features Elmore James, Robert Johnson, etc.).

It was exhilarating to work out to this today, and to have it playing in the office while I worked.  I felt alive.  It was almost overwhelming, like I needed more oxygen (though that could have been, in part, from the workout).

I also felt cool and hip when my 21-year-old daughter came in my office and said, "Oh, I love that song."  Of course, using the words "cool" and "hip" demonstrates that I'm neither, but at least I felt like I was.

As always, these may not be your cup of grog.  You may love them, or they may just be a bunch of music mosquitoes you want to swat.  With that said, here's what shuffled out of my 00's Playlist...

Thrice "All That's Left"
Mark Knopfler "The Trawlerman's Song"
Jack Johnson "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"
Michelle Branch "Breathe"
Goo Goo Dolls "Here Is Gone"
Queens Of The Stone Age "The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret"
Matchbox Twenty "How Far We've Come"
Five For Fighting "100 Years"
Sheryl Crow "Soak Up The Sun"
The Donnas "Take It Off"

Hope you're feeling cool and hip, or at least alive!

Ken

P.S. - Hi Marvin!  It's all there - beware of mosquitoes, needing oxygen and Monday mornings)!

Today was just one of those days.

Nothing in particular went wrong, but nothing really went right, either.  Well, Lisa did manage to find me a 5th Avenue bar, which seem to have disappeared from the shelves of 7-11 and others that sell that kind of thing, so that was nice.

Otherwise, though, I've just felt kind of...off.

I actually looked forward to my workout today.  Not for any endorphin rush or sense of accomplishment, but for the music therapy.

At first, I wasn't sure what I wanted to listen to. 

I felt a little like I was a teenager, and wanted to go in my room, close the door and play something loud because no one understands.

But I didn't just want something loud just for the point of being loud.  I wanted something that fit that criteria, but also didn't take itself too seriously.

So I picked Van Halen.

I'm not going to get into the argument about which incarnation of the band was better.  Since there were more albums with David Lee Roth than with Sammy Hagar, it's not really a fair fight.  Besides, I think those earlier albums had the better sense of humor, which was a little of what I was looking for.

I'm often grateful for music's ability to soothe the soul.  Even when it's just one of those days that I need a little extra TLC.

Anyway, here's what my device shuffled out of my Van Halen Playlist today...

"Runnin' With The Devil"
"Best Of Both Worlds"
"Everybody Wants Some!"
"Honeybabysweetiedoll"
"Panama"
"Hot For Teacher"
"Dancing In The Street"
"Beautiful Girls"
"Finish What Ya Started"
"Dance The Night Away"
"Summer Nights"

Hope you're having a day good enough to equal Van Halen and a 5th Avenue bar!

Ken

Potsie turns 63 on Tuesday.

I realize for many, that sentence doesn't mean anything.  But I grew up in the 1970's, and two of the biggest TV shows during that decade were "Happy Days" and its spin-off "Laverne and Shirley" - two shows that took place in the 1950's.

Anson Williams, who played Potsie on "Happy Days", wasn't the star of the show.   And those who care may argue about whether Ron Howard was the star, or if Henry Winkler became the star once the Fonz was a regular character.

For me, the star was the music.

I got my first real exposure to 1950's music through that show.  And also the movie "American Graffiti" (which I was really too young to understand, but I liked the music a lot).

Sure I listened to the radio, and bought my share of 45's, but I was introduced to Fats Domino, Bill Haley and so many more through that jukebox at Arnold's.

Nostalgia for the 50's became a big trend in the 70's.  In fact, it was so big that one of the biggest bands of the decade, the Bee Gees, were brought on to write a song for another 50's film - "Grease".

Of course, that's how it goes.  In the 80's, "The Big Chill" lead a wave of 60's nostalgia.  And the 90's even gave us the popular sitcom "That 70's Show".

Then we got 80's flashbacks, courtesy of movies like "The Wedding Singer" and "Hot Tub Time Machine" (among others).  Now, I guess it's time for the 90's to get their due.

There's plenty of material to work with.  There always is.  "Seinfeld", "Friends" and "The Simpsons" on TV.  Celine Dion and the Macarena. 

It's funny how these nostalgic waves can become as popular as the time period during which they occur.  I think this is especially true for those who weren't around the first time.

I remember getting a Beatles' 45 when I was three or four.  It was "Hey Jude", but I seem to recall that I really liked the flipside, "Revolution", at least as much if not more.  But honestly, my most vivid Beatle memories are from the 1980's, when their music was finally made available on the format of the future - compact discs!

And since I wasn't around during the 1950's, when I hear "Blueberry Hill", I can't help but think of Richie Cunningham.  Bill Haley makes me think of that jukebox at Arnold's. Buddy Holly and the Platters make me think of Wolfman Jack and "American Graffiti". And even though I know it was really by Danny and the Juniors, "Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay" first makes me think of Sha Na Na in "Grease'.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be,

Or is it?

It's supposed to make us think back to a happy time, even if our memory of it may be somewhat tempered by time.  I enjoy thinking about the 70's even though it's kind of thinking about the 50's.  And I'm guessing those who like to think about the 80's, remember listening to "The Big Chill" soundtrack.

And on and on.

So happy birthday, Potsie, wherever you are.  And in your honor, today's workout mix comes from my 1950's playlist.  One warning if you think it would be fun to listen to 50's tunes while on the treadmill or whatever your exercise preference is.  The songs are pretty short, so you're going to hear many more of them than if you were listening to Dire Straits.  Just sayin'.

Bill Haley and the Comets "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock"
Eddie Cochrance "C'mon Everybody"
Chuck Berry "Too Much Monkey Business'
The Diamonds "Little Darlin'"
Little Richard "Ready Teddy"
Johnny Horton "When It's Springtime In Alaska, It's Forty Below"
The Everly Brothers "Wake Up Little Suzie'
Danny and the Juniors "Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay"
Phil Phillips "Sea Of Love"
Chuck Berry "Rock And Roll Music"
Bobby Rydell "We Got Love"
Jimmie Rodgers "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine"
Elvis Presley "A Big Hunk O' Love"
The Coasters "Along Came Jones"

I’ve noticed this happens every year.

I’ve started seeing articles, blogs and posts, complaining about what some are now referring to as “Christmas Creep”.  This is supposed to mean that retailers are rushing the season, starting putting Christmas items out earlier and earlier every year.

I think of it more as a “Grinch Creep”.  It’s people who like to complain about Christmas music, lights, presents, etc.  And some are just people who like to complain.

I remember working in the receiving department of a large, box bookstore about twenty years ago.  In early August, customers would start asking about Christmas books.  This was not about books to give as gifts, possibly to someone overseas so it would take a long time to get there.  This was about books that were about Christmas – decorating, cooking, etc.

This was also not just one or two customers, but multiple customers asking daily when we would have our Christmas collections out.

I’m sure similar things happen at other retail stores. And while some Grinches like to complain about stores rushing the season, the truth is they’re simply trying to meet their customers’ demand.  Seriously, if no one bought this stuff in August or September, would stores continue to give it the shelf space?

In fact, I remember when I was in college (and even high school), that one of our local drug store chains always put out the first new batch of Bob’s Candy Canes on September 25.  And that would have been back in the early 1980’s.

It’s not just retail.

Remember the musical version of “Scrooge”?  Albert Finney starred.  It came out in 1970.  A few days after Halloween.

Oh, sure, at least that’s November, right?

Elvis Presley’s Christmas album was released on October 15.  And that was 1957.  People at that time were upset that Elvis would dare perform these sacred songs in his rock and roll style.  Irving Berlin himself tried to have the album banned from radio airplay. 

No one complained that it was only October. That could be because Frank Sinatra had released a Christmas album a month earlier.

So fifty-five years ago, no one complained that Frank Sinatra was rushing the season when his Christmas album hit store shelves in September.  Kind of seems silly to be annoyed at Wal-Mart for promoting their new Layaway deals or Target for having a couple rows of Christmas lights (just past the aisles of Halloween costumes).

As many of you know, I run an online Christmas radio station.  My interest in this is obviously not coincidental.

We go live each year on November 1.  Truth is, we’re usually on a week or so before that, just to make sure everything is working.

Most of our listeners tune in between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Of those, most actually listen the two weeks before Christmas.

That said, we do have listeners on November 1.  In fact, we’ve grown to the point where we usually have listeners in all fifty states, and in another 20-30 countries, within our first week. 

Like the bookstores, Bob’s Candy Canes and even Frank Sinatra, I’m not trying to rush the season.  I just love Christmas.  And if you aren’t ready for Christmas music the day after Halloween, that’s okay.  We’ll be on, ready for you whenever you are.

And unlike some stores, there’s no danger of our running out if you don’t show up early.  Just don’t let the Grinch Creeps get you!

Ken

P.S. – The bookstore I worked for no longer exists, so I didn’t see the point in mentioning it.  You probably know what a big box bookstore is like, and I doubt my experiences there were so very different from others. 

I have no financial interest in the movie “Scrooge”; that was just one particular Christmas movie that I know the release date for.  Other holiday movies have certainly been released later in the season, and others have been released before.

The Sounds of Christmas does play songs by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.  Sometimes, I even listen to them early.  I can’t right now, because my daughter borrowed the Sinatra Christmas album a few weeks ago.

I am not aware of any kind of official release schedule for Bob’s Candy Canes.  You can find out more about them HERE.  They do not pay for any advertising on my station.  Nevertheless, they are my personal favorite, which would make them the unpaid Official Candy Cane of the Sounds of Christmas.

For those new to this blog, well, first and foremost, welcome to my blog!  I've been writing about trying to live my life as though I'd already won the lottery.  After that initial wave of consumerism, and probably travel, a lot of it really would be attitude.

And one thing I'm trying to do is focus more on actual "experiences" rather than just the tangibles.  Now, if I really had untold millions, those experiences might be a little grander than what I can do right now, but I really don't think that would become the pattern.  There might be the occasional one, but most would be things I could do right now.

I'd go to the beach more, that's for sure.  I'm lucky enough to live close to the Pacific, close enough that, on a clear day, I can look out my kitchen window and see a thin line of ocean on the horizon.

Or I can hop in the car and in about half an hour, depending on traffic, have a view like this.

There's something about the ocean that just soothes my soul.  And I'm pretty sure, even if I had an insane amount of money, my soul would still, upon occasion, need soothing.

Of course, with that kind of money, I would probably find somewhere to live so I always had that view, but for now, I can achieve a very similar effect by just taking the time to go there.  Oh, and gas.

I can also achieve that by going to visit my son at college.  Don't hate me, or him, for this, but here's the view from his dorm.

Awful, isn't it?  Here's the view from MY dorm a million years ago.

Yeah, my view was of another dorm.  Looks like they cleaned up the splotches from paint balloons.  I understand sometimes, people in one dorm would throw those at the other dorm, creating art.  University officials frowned on that, and I certainly don't endorse that kind of behavior.

So, my son has a better view and I'd go to the beach more.  I think that was the point.

I'd also go to more concerts. I love music, and there's something truly amazing about going to see a favorite singer or band perform live.  This wouldn't be free, but it would be a better use of money, rather than spending it on one more thing I'd need to find space for.  Do I really need another chunk of brick-a-brac?  I know the answer that is "no" right now.  I can only imagine that it would be  an even more resounding "no" after a huge windfall.

I used to go to concerts often.  And the memories of those are so much more precious than anything I'd put on a shelf or stand in a corner (waiting to be covered in clothes).

My first real concert was the Kinks back in the early '80's.  And I can still vividly remember how cool it was to sing "La-la-la-la-Lola" with Ray Davies and thousands of my closest friends.  I remember how I was nearly brought to tears when I finally got to see Paul McCartney, and was blown away by all the lighters that came out, as we all sang "Let It Be".

By the way, if you listen closely, that version of "Let It Be" was recorded and showed up on his live album "Tripping The Live Fantastic".  So I got to be on one of Sir Paul's albums!  Uncredited, of course, but still pretty cool!

I never got to see Elvis or Frank Sinatra, but I did get to see Ray Charles once.  And I've seen B. B. King.  And the Who.  And the Stones.  And Bruce Springsteen.  I've been to lots of shows, from ABC to ZZ Top. 

These aren't really my ticket stubs, but I thought the image was pretty neat.

Along with the great memories of the show, I love the anticipation leading up to the concert.  I hope they play this.  I hope they play that.  I love the excitement of getting to see them live and in person, even if I'm in nosebleed seats.  I love leaping to my feet when they play that one song that I've been waiting for.

Then we all sit down when they play that slow, new song that no one knows, yet.

At least, that's how it used to be.  Now it's more like this.

But I look forward to going to more shows, and taking along my smartphone with the concert lighter app.

And with all that in mind, today's playlist is a Live set I made, consisting of all concert performances.  I believe this is my biggest total playlist to date, which makes sense since it covers all artists and genres.  This is what got me through my last workout (and it's long not just because the songs are all live, but also because I kept listening all the way home)...

Yes "Roundabout"
Billy Squier "Everybody Wants You"
Traffic "Dear Mr. Fantasy"
The Black Crowes "Remedy"
Billy Joel "Baby Grand"
Jimmy Buffett "Fins"
The Hollies "On A Carousel"
Chuck Berry "Johnny B. Goode"
The Rolling Stones "Sympathy For The Devil"
Asia "Heat Of The Moment"

What a week!

Tuesday was National Cheeseburger Day!  I know, I know.  Every day should be National Cheeseburger Day.

We celebrated at Chili's.  It was a tough choice, as I consider myself something of a cheeseburger aficionado.  In fact, over at Pinterest, I have a board dedicated to Awesome Burgers I Have Known. 

Nothing against Chili's.  Good burgers.  Good tea.   Really good fries.  And almost always good service (at least, that's been my experience at our local restaurant, your mileage may vary).

And as with so many other times of year, this holiday was followed immediately by another - International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Traditionally, that's a big event around our house.  We enjoy regaling one another with Pirate jokes all day long.  If you're unfamiliar with this festive occasion, you can click the picture above to go to the OFFICIAL Talk Like A Pirate Day website.  No, really.  It's a thing.

What's a pirate's favorite letter?  P.  It's like an ARRRR, but it be missin' a leg.

That one's my favorite.

Anyway, with both of these grand holidays following one another, it seems only fitting that today's playlist should come from Jimmy Buffett.

If you could read the print on that tiny record on the left, you'd see it was Jimmy Buffett's song "A Pirate Looks At Forty".  And of course, on the right is propaganda from one of his restaurants, which is, obviously, named for his song.

So here's my Jimmy Buffett playlist, in salute to these two fine holidays!

"Peanut Butter Conspiracy"
"Makin' Music For Money"
"Cliches"
"Cheeseburger In paradise"
"Come Monday"
"Son Of A Son Of A Sailor"
"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitude"
"Why Don't We Get Drunk"
"Volcano"

Ken

I thought this was pretty cool, and meant to post it yesterday, but the day just got away from me.

Anyway, the British publication NME (New Musical Express) turned 60 this year.  Back in March, they started an online poll, asking their readers to name the Ultimate Musical Icon on the last 60 years.

Over the course of the next six months, over 160,000 votes were cast. Now since this is a British publication, Amy Winehouse and Liam Gallagher were big vote-getters, as was Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys.

But the winner was John Lennon!

I thought this was great, since many times this kind of things turns out to be a popularity contest between the latest flavors of the month.  Nothing against Carly Rae Jepsen, but an Icon should be someone who has withstood the test of time.  So I found it somewhat gratifying that this wasn't marred by online fan clubs for the likes of One Direction.

So, congrats, John.  Even if you're embarrassed by this.

Since I'm a big Beatles fan, it doesn't take much to push me to listen to them, either as a group or as solo artists.  Yesterday's workout mix was from my John Lennon playlist...

"Working Class Hero"
"New York City"
"Instant Karma (We All Shine On)"
"I Saw Her Standing There" (live with Elton John)
"Gimme Some Truth"
"Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)"
"Here We Go Again"
"Stand By Me"
"Nobody Told Me"
"Grow Old With Me"

Ken

I miss R.E.M.

It’s not just that they amicably called it quits earlier this year.  That made me a little sad, but I respect their decision.  They certainly aren’t the first band I loved that broke up, and they won’t be the last.

But what I miss most is hearing them on the radio.

In the 1980’s, when R.E.M. burst on the scene, it seemed like they were almost always on the radio.  Maybe that was because I lived much closer to Athens, Georgia back then.  Though they had four gold albums, and two platinum, just in that decade alone (plus two top ten hits).

Their albums sales since 1990 have been even better.  In fact, with one exception (2004’s “Around The Sun”), every album made the top ten in the U.S.  Seven of them made the top five, and that includes their last studio album, “Collapse Into Now” (2011)!

It used to be one of those Catch-22 deals – make a splash on the sales charts, you get on the radio; make a splash on the radio, you sell records.  But despite continued sales success, for some reason, radio abandoned them with the turning of the new century.  Airplay was no longer the secret to getting sales, and sales was no longer the secret to getting airplay.

As most singers and bands discover, the phrase “The secret is…” has no answer.  What worked before doesn’t usually work again.  And whatever secrets radio says will work are just lies.

Unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon tale.  Once-popular bands often find it difficult to get their music on the radio after a while, even if they still sell lots of albums.

Every single studio album by U2 has gone platinum.  Platinum denotes one millions sales.

Yet, for some reason, radio turned their back on them around six or seven years ago.  Their last big radio hit was “Vertigo”, and that may have had more to do with its inclusion in iPod ads.  Sting did something similar with “Desert Rose” in 2000, forging a deal with the folks at Jaguar.

Is it that radio just has no respect for those who came before?  Paul McCartney. Bruce Springsteen.  The Rolling Stones.  They all keep releasing music, and the best they seem to get might be a curiosity play once or twice when the new material comes out.

Classic rock stations do still embrace most of these artists, so you’ll still hear some of their earlier hits in that format.

Except, it seems, for R.E.M.

I know in some cases, radio plays a song or artists so much that the people that work in the industry just get sick of it.  If you think your station plays a lot of the same songs over and over, imagine how the people who work there feel.

That’s one of the reasons for one hit wonders.  It isn’t that the artist can only come up with one decent song.  It’s that radio bludgeons it to the point that even they can’t take it any more.

Daniel Powter had a huge hit in 2005 with a song called “Bad Day”.  There was a lot of promotion behind it.  I remember seeing the video for it on a Spirit Airline flight long before it became a staple of some of my local stations.

That song went triple platinum.  It was on top of the airplay charts for an entire year!

He’s had nine singles since then.  Radio hasn’t given many of them much of a chance.

Neil Diamond had his first album debut at number one in 2008.  His last big hit on the radio was in the early 1980’s.  When was the last time you heard someone on the radio play something new from Neil?  Or even one of his older, HUGE hits?

I don’t know what the secret is.  These artists continue to sell albums.  And they tour to capacity crowds.  If you don’t get tickets to a Springsteen show the first hour they go on sale, you aren’t going.  And that’s also true for U2.  And Paul McCartney.  And Neil Diamond.

But I keep coming back to R.E.M.

Maybe because I feel like I was there at the beginning, when their debut EP “Chronic Town” came into my local record store at the beginning of my senior year in high school.  And while they weren’t quite local boys, they were regional, at least.  Athens, Georgia wasn’t that far from where I grew up in Raleigh, NC. 

But they couldn’t have just been a local story, if they sold so many albums, and had so many big hits.  Southern hospitality will only get you so far.

I think they’re just one more band that seems to be falling through the cracks.

Thomas Paine once said, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”  I’d like to substitute radio for government in that quote.  Radio seems to be in such a hurry to find the next big thing, that it quickly casts aside all else.

Last week, there were new releases from the Dave Matthews Band, the Pet Shop Boys and ZZ Top.  The week before – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Melissa Etheridge, Mark Knopfler and Dave Stewart.  And the week before that – Bruce Hornsby, Alvin Lee and Saga.  The Osmonds even released a new album.

While the Osmonds might fall into a slightly different category, the point is that so few of these ever get much notice.  But they’re still out there, making new music despite radio’s stupid response.

I suppose a reunion is possible, even though they say no right now.  I mean, the Eagles did get back together, and those guys hate each other.  But for now, there’s no more new R.E.M. music to come.  And radio seems to be erasing them across the board, even from the classic rock airwaves.

I’m not sure what more I could do, even if I won a ridiculously enormous lottery, to keep their music going.  Other than jotting down my thoughts here, and hoping I’m not the only one with terrific memories of this band.

My workout mix yesterday was from my REM Playlist.  You may or may not know all these, but hopefully they bring back great memories (for those of you old enough to have great memories of R.E.M.).

“Driver 8”
“Orange Crush”
“Electrolite”
“Toys In Attic”
“Laughing”
“It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
“Living Well Is The Best Revenge”
“Finest Worksong”
“Stand”
“Pretty Persuasion”

From their final studio album “Collapse Into Now” I’ll leave you with one of my favorites.  And they’re not just talking about the lottery.

Every day is  yours to win.

Ken

P.S. - Hi Marvin!  It's all there - "The secret is..." (but I don't know what it is), Thomas Paine and Southern Hospitality!