Before I launch into the meat of the review, know this: I am from Brooklyn. I am, in fact, from Sheepshead Bay and went fishing regularly with my father on the very boats mentioned in this piece. We used to buy our fish caught by the mates from the piers. For a brief period, I dreamed of being a mate, gutting and cleaning fish and throwing the rest to the gulls as they followed the boat's wake hoping for scraps. So do I enter into this with a sentimental involvement with the subject matter? Oh yeah!
I did not know Frank Sabatino, but I could have. And how well I know that accent. And how well I know the loud sound of those crappy little boat engines as they strained to pull the boats through the soupy, polluted waters of the bay heading out to the cleaner (read edible fish) Jamaica Bay and Long Island.
This vignette paints the somber hues of a fading way of life. And it does this nicely. But it suffers from the problem of wanting to say too much in too short a time. As a result, it is cut too quickly. The fast pace does not allow the richly layered sound effects to establish themselves. The final result sounds a bit rushed, the effects, a little too loud, the music, distracting.
Nevertheless, it is engaging listening and would easily find a home into many a magazine program.
Painfully honest poke inside the head of a kid, clearly soon to be an adult, with Tourettes. All the typical teenage stuff is there: angst, depression, insecurity masked with anger. But the noises and expletives make the difficulties somewhat harder to shrug off as merely "awkward years".
Awkward is what it must be for all involved in the production of this item, as Tourettes provokes particularly difficult situations in our society.
It's no different here except that, instead of tuning Josh out like you would on the street, you'll want to listen more to his vulnerability through the safe filter of your radio.
"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."
This is extraordinary, powerful radio. Presented without narration and interwoven with historical broadcasts, the main players in the struggle against apartheid unravel the story in their own words.
The only disadvantage of choosing to work without narration is these authoritative and moving voices remain anonymous to those not initimately familiar the details of recent South African history.
Regardless, this is a masterfully crafted piece of work.
This is what radio is all about: informative, amusing, entertaining, engaging listening. The reporter tells his tale with a dry humor that does not corrode his respect and love for the subject. Even the poor sound quality of his clips somehow adds to the color of the story.
As for the Germans having a sense of humor...hell...they're funnier than the Dutch.
Cute! An item about everbody's most dumped upon luncheon meat couldn't be otherwise. The presenter does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of the restaurant and you get a chuckle. In the Netherlands, where I live, it's called SMAC. Don't ask my why. For some reason, it does not elicit the same eye rolling response. An excellent "And finally..." piece for the end of your current affairs segment.
Honest, disturbing and unsentimental piece of audio that could easily be reworked to fit into any program on the difficulties facing American youth. A shame it's so short.
Good luck Katie.
Comment for
"Pop Vultures #5: The Foo Fighters & Chingy" (deleted)
Review of Pop Vultures #5: Will Dave Grohl ever truly defeat foo? (deleted)
Kate Sullivan managed to articulate all of my feelings about the "fighters of foo" within the first 2 minutes of the show! She describes singing as "vocal stylings". I get all of the oblique pop references! I'm sold! I want to be a friend of Kate’s.
On a calmer note, let me state that very, very rarely is youth culture presently so intelligently and entertainingly without appearing pompous. Leave this out of your evening cultural programming and save it for late Sunday mornings when the college crowd is nursing their hangovers with coffee and day old beer. Lester Bangs would approve.
Beware: the WWW contains powerful and important messages compiled and presented expertly and with great understanding of the subject matter. These are simultaneously the program's strengths and weaknesses.
The presenter moves energetically from subject to subject, without leaving a clear trail for the listener to follow, unless you're journeying along equipped with an understanding in the major (and minor) issues of development cooperation.
The WWW is useful in that it is internationally oriented, something sorely lacking in American public radio. And granted, there is a goldmine of information available, but it's not for everyone. I doubt it was intended to be. Savory, but for special tastes.
Comments by Jonathan Groubert
Comment for "Frank Sabatino, Fisherman"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on June 26, 2004 at 05:19 AM | Permalink
Review of Frank Sabatino, Fisherman
Before I launch into the meat of the review, know this: I am from Brooklyn. I am, in fact, from Sheepshead Bay and went fishing regularly with my father on the very boats mentioned in this piece. We used to buy our fish caught by the mates from the piers. For a brief period, I dreamed of being a mate, gutting and cleaning fish and throwing the rest to the gulls as they followed the boat's wake hoping for scraps. So do I enter into this with a sentimental involvement with the subject matter? Oh yeah!
I did not know Frank Sabatino, but I could have. And how well I know that accent. And how well I know the loud sound of those crappy little boat engines as they strained to pull the boats through the soupy, polluted waters of the bay heading out to the cleaner (read edible fish) Jamaica Bay and Long Island.
This vignette paints the somber hues of a fading way of life. And it does this nicely. But it suffers from the problem of wanting to say too much in too short a time. As a result, it is cut too quickly. The fast pace does not allow the richly layered sound effects to establish themselves. The final result sounds a bit rushed, the effects, a little too loud, the music, distracting.
Nevertheless, it is engaging listening and would easily find a home into many a magazine program.
Comment for "Josh's Diary, Part 1: Growing Up with Tourette's"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on May 07, 2004 at 06:39 AM | Permalink
Review of Josh in New York City: Growing Up with Tourette's
Painfully honest poke inside the head of a kid, clearly soon to be an adult, with Tourettes. All the typical teenage stuff is there: angst, depression, insecurity masked with anger. But the noises and expletives make the difficulties somewhat harder to shrug off as merely "awkward years".
Awkward is what it must be for all involved in the production of this item, as Tourettes provokes particularly difficult situations in our society.
It's no different here except that, instead of tuning Josh out like you would on the street, you'll want to listen more to his vulnerability through the safe filter of your radio.
Comment for "Part 1: The Birth of Apartheid (1944-1960)"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on May 07, 2004 at 12:54 AM | Permalink
Review of Part 1: The Birth of Apartheid (1944-1960)
"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."
This is extraordinary, powerful radio. Presented without narration and interwoven with historical broadcasts, the main players in the struggle against apartheid unravel the story in their own words.
The only disadvantage of choosing to work without narration is these authoritative and moving voices remain anonymous to those not initimately familiar the details of recent South African history.
Regardless, this is a masterfully crafted piece of work.
Comment for "The Most German Day Ever"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on March 26, 2004 at 05:21 AM | Permalink
Review of The Most German Day Ever
This is what radio is all about: informative, amusing, entertaining, engaging listening. The reporter tells his tale with a dry humor that does not corrode his respect and love for the subject. Even the poor sound quality of his clips somehow adds to the color of the story.
As for the Germans having a sense of humor...hell...they're funnier than the Dutch.
Comment for "Spam-o-Rama!"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on March 19, 2004 at 04:02 AM | Permalink
Review of Spam-o-Rama!
Cute! An item about everbody's most dumped upon luncheon meat couldn't be otherwise. The presenter does a good job of conveying the atmosphere of the restaurant and you get a chuckle. In the Netherlands, where I live, it's called SMAC. Don't ask my why. For some reason, it does not elicit the same eye rolling response. An excellent "And finally..." piece for the end of your current affairs segment.
Comment for "Katie Becomes a Mom"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on March 02, 2004 at 02:41 AM | Permalink
Review of Katie Becomes a Mom
Honest, disturbing and unsentimental piece of audio that could easily be reworked to fit into any program on the difficulties facing American youth. A shame it's so short.
Good luck Katie.
Comment for "Pop Vultures #5: The Foo Fighters & Chingy" (deleted)
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on March 01, 2004 at 11:15 AM
Review of Pop Vultures #5: Will Dave Grohl ever truly defeat foo? (deleted)
Kate Sullivan managed to articulate all of my feelings about the "fighters of foo" within the first 2 minutes of the show! She describes singing as "vocal stylings". I get all of the oblique pop references! I'm sold! I want to be a friend of Kate’s.
On a calmer note, let me state that very, very rarely is youth culture presently so intelligently and entertainingly without appearing pompous. Leave this out of your evening cultural programming and save it for late Sunday mornings when the college crowd is nursing their hangovers with coffee and day old beer. Lester Bangs would approve.
Comment for "The Global Condition"
Jonathan Groubert
Posted on March 01, 2004 at 10:50 AM | Permalink
Review of The Global Condition
Beware: the WWW contains powerful and important messages compiled and presented expertly and with great understanding of the subject matter. These are simultaneously the program's strengths and weaknesses.
The presenter moves energetically from subject to subject, without leaving a clear trail for the listener to follow, unless you're journeying along equipped with an understanding in the major (and minor) issues of development cooperation.
The WWW is useful in that it is internationally oriented, something sorely lacking in American public radio. And granted, there is a goldmine of information available, but it's not for everyone. I doubt it was intended to be. Savory, but for special tastes.