This is a cute piece, but it's a bit dull for the subject. While I like the topic, and I've met Tim Easton, the subject of the groupie in the piece...he's a great guy.
The writing is ok, but the narration is kind of sleepy when we think that groupies are sneaking fast paced kind of experience. We're confronted with a couple of contridictions here. We think of Groupies as young girls. Our is a mom. We think of groupies chasing mega rock stars. The stalked on in this piece is a mid range working muscian.
These elements should pull off a very clever and engaging piece. Well it is clever, but it's just not engaging. Some of the field recording is a bit off the mark. And the pacing is just kind of sleepy.
I wouldn't rule out this piece in the context of a news magazine, but I am not sure it could stand alone on a music station.
This host is amazing. The tone of her voice is comforting, yet authoritative. You know she lives the lifestyle as we say at AAA stations.
First the technical. This segment is not cut to a standard time or clock that stations can use. If you are a producer doing an hourly show of any format, please see the clocks that are posted here at PRX for what station need from you in order to consider your piece for air. Think of the clock as a container to pour your delicious content into.
Second, the communications. This piece, and a lot of other music hours poster at PRX, lack a list of music and timings and cues for stations to work with. It's essential.
Now the content. I really like the tunes in this piece. I'm a fan of music I haven't heard before. At AAA stations we look to shows like this focus in on specialty areas. It's very listenable. The individual songs flow well together to form a coherent hour of music.
I like this piece for Woman's History Month, but it doesn't quite fit well enough with our regular programming. Shows like this need to be relatable to our regular programming, and include enough of our core artists so that our listeners are "pre-engaged" to listen to the hour. A few unfamiliar artists are a great addition as long as the core folks are pre announced and mixed into the hour.
We look to folks outside our station to add something to our air that no one on our staff has the skills to do. For the most part, any AAA station can produce music shows for Women's history Month and a show like this lets us round our offerings.
We would also want to hear a bit more forward announcements of the tunes. Listeners are more likely to hang out to hear a well sold tune, especially if it is an unfamiliar tune.
All in all this is a very good show, with a bit more planning based on how listeners use radio and we'd consider airing it.
SXSW Don't know what the means? Look it up and air this piece in early March.
I was a bit worried about this piece when I began listening. Austin is the home of all music and the producer is a dang good Austin-centric expert in the region. I was worried this piece would lean too far and tip over into Texas/country/roots/blues/swing stuff to the exclusion of other music tastes.
It doesn't. It's as wide as the ocean and dang good weather you wear a 10 Gallon Stetson or Knit Cuppoline (If I spelled that right the NY Italians among us will know what kind of hat that is!) I love the pacing. I love the song choices-Rock, Alternative, Folk, Blues, even Latin Alt Rock!-it's all there. I love the writing.
I also love David Brown's voice on this piece. So comfortable, without numbers, and with music that many listeners will be hearing for the first time. There are some artists that might be unfamiliar to other AAA station listeners.
This is the beauty of this piece, it's so well done that it turns listeners on to new music and explains it in such a respectful and sound rich way.
Here's an example. My Partner was in the room while I was listening to this show. The piece by Eliza Gilderson (is that correct? PRODUCERS--please include a song list on all programs like this! Listeners will ask and we must be prepared!) caught his ear and he's already downstairs searching iTunes!
The breaks are there for stations to use properly.
There is a segment in this piece I wish was written a bit differently. The tour of KUT's performance studio is a bit too promotional for the station itself, bordering on self indulgent really. It doesn't relate to the music as it serves as a fundraising case statement the station. While seemingly innocuous, it would have been ok if it recognized that the stations this show is playing most likley does the same thing the producing station does. After all, many of the artists who have played KUT have played WTMD, WXPN, WFUV, WYEP..etc, etc.
Let's be honest. Patti isn't Pasta, she's not a universal taste. She's kind of like eating sushi for the first time. New, interesting, raw, scary, dangerous....make that Blowfish Sushi, the kind that kills you if it's not done right.
By the end of this show, you'll be a gobbling up Patti like a Lobster Tempura Roll with Salmon and Tuna Outer wrapping. The complexity and danger is replaced with beauty and respect. Things you dismissed before come alive, they dance on your head, they make you run to the record store to further explore the themes discussed by Patti, John Cale and others about this record.
And it's all because Rita Houston lends authenticity, empathy and expert knowledge in explaining how Patti was ahead of her time...and now we've just all caught up to her. Rita, if you know her, is ahead of her time too, but that's another story.
These kind of pieces Dance or Bore based on the producers ability to tell a story for an extended period of time. That means a LOT OF WORK and it pays off her. The depth of the interviews and actualities are perfectly recorded, pertinent to the story and the lead the listener into becoming involved with the music.
This piece from Joyride is particularly well crafted to engage listeners who would tune out Patti's harder edge. Heck, I but a classical station could air this without too many complaints....well, ok, that's pushing it, but News Stations should be airing it during Woman's History Month if you really need an excuse. This piece works anytime.
Boy, this is an interesting day. Today in our fair state we are seeing the demise of a student run College Radio Station at risk of going dark due to a change at an News and Information station. This piece would be perfect on the college station and not perfect on the News Station. Young folks will love this piece. Old folks will dismiss it. This piece, like the two stations who don't understand each other, have little in common, and don't see the value to the community the other provides, doesn't really bridge the gap effectively.
The producer could have made this piece relatable to both groups, but the defense of Metal Music is, well, defensive. It's not really too insightful, but it is wonderfully logical, passionate and heart felt.
College stations must air this piece.
I can't really recommend this to the News and Info stations out there, but I can endorse this to any college station and many AAA stations, when used in context.
There is a false ending around 5 mins into this piece that takes us directly into a song. A nice touch really, that ensures the integrity of the piece is matched by the music following it.
This is What We Want When We Say Different, But Airable!
I love this rap...and I'm an old white guy (not that I will admit that in public)!
This is a hip hop recap of 2005, and it's entertaining, enaging and fun. This morning I was listening to the 80s protest song Sun City. I want to draw some parallels, obtuse ones to be sure, but the passion is similar. There is a nice sense of seriousness about it, but not anger or despair.
The listing of events and commentary lines are wonderfully woven. Will kids relate? Maybe, but I do think they will listen and so will the old folks too because like the words!
I would like the producer to provide an intro and outro script. That would save PDs a bit of time in writing one themselves.
Stations could still use this even this late in the year. Go for it!
This is a great doc about a great artist. Clinton is rich in history and influence in American Culture. Even if a lot of folks can't name him, they have danced (horizontally as well as vertically)to his tunes. What a great subject to pull a full out hour of fun.
Well crafted, good story telling, great music selection (is there a bad P-Funk Song! I turned up the speakers and danced around the house listening to this piece.
Now, I have to be honest. The narration and word choice is very good. Not quite to the level of some of the other producers who do this sort of thing. It's bit to serious at times when it should be more friendly and funky. Sure there are some socially relevant topics here, but this is music baby. Upswing the end of a sentence, don't draw out the last syllable.
The other thing I must suggest to the producer here in the review--so other folks producing these kinds of pieces can hear it too. Even if this is a series on your station, cut a version without reference to the piece being a part of a series. Make it a stand alone. WTMD has a 10 pm Friday slot that we showcase these kinds of shows. We pull them from a lot of sources so we can't use this piece with the reference to it being a part of series because we're not airing the series. Without that reference, I would have pressed a CD and gave it to my PD with strong recommendation.
How do you judge a review of a Band you don't particularly like?
Well, of course the job here to review the radio work, not the work being reviewed.
This review is just fine, though the opening is a bit jarring; expecting the listener to be a bit more familiar with the band than the narrator gives us...and there is no intro copy on the piece's page to give a way in to the review.
Otherwise this is top notch reviewing. Like most reviews, it's a few parts music and few parts commentary. The production and leveling is fine. It's a great review to air if your station is into this band. For the most part, the narrator is enthusiastic, credible and insightful. Bordering a little too much on the Fan side of the fence, but nothing gushy.
The reviewer does of course jab at belt line about how mainstream radio won't play the Gourds. That's never a good line to leave in a review...some commercial station somewhere is going to play them. Either cross town (as in this case) or on some station that streams like we do.
THIS IS WHY STORY CORPS IS THE BEST THING PUBLIC RADIO HAS DONE IN AGES!
I am crying tears of joy as I write this. I have never been more touched in two and a half minutes. EVERY STATION MUST AIR THIS PIECE ON VALENTINES DAY!
Do you see the caps people? That's how good this piece is. I want to shout it from the mountain tops!
This is an amazing piece because its honest, a key core value of pubic radio. It doesn't matter that these folks have a New York accent thicker than Jello because it's just as sweet.
Universal stories are what this project is all about and this couple's story about the circumstances of their love and marriage will touch every one in your audience. Please, Please, Please share it with America!
Even Audiences in the middle of desert will be engaged! This is a wonderful documentary.
Those of us in music formats know that Top 10 Lists are great audience grabbers and they work for news too.
What I like about this top 10 list structure is that it gives listeners a lot entry points. Few listeners spend an entire hour with you and those coming in during the middle of the program need a reset. They get 10 here and that's great.
Each segment is well constructed and produced. The pro and con sides are represented. There are some interesting factoids that surprise too. Like there is caffiene in the Lakes, but it's not a natural occurrence! A mystery is described. Mystery is the best audience grabber!
The GLRC is a well respected organization and this piece is shining example of their radio savvy. They include an NPR news cast hole. All hour long doc producers should do that. This allows either the cast or a locally produced short segment that might add value to the listener in other regions for the country. Bravo!
A couple of nits to pick, the opening music is a bit over dramatic, giving the piece an over the top darkness to the piece. Kind of like a Discovery Channel end of the world natural disaster special. No big deal, but listeners come to radio to uplifted and enlightened, even when they are hearing bad news and music can help define a serious but optimistic tone.
This show works in any of the 50 states, DC, PR, USVI etc...anywhere water is present! Air it!
Maybe I'm a cynic, but it seems to me that stringing a bunch of segments about Elvis together isn't really much a tribute. I was just left feeling kind of tawdry by this piece.
Here's why:
For the most part we hear a lot segments that alternate between the sincer and the exploitative. I just kind of felt that the piece did not treat the Elvis impersonators with dignity. Ok, maybe that's me. But I just felt like the piece exploited these folks obsession with Elvis.
The connective segments between the pieces are either missing or don't give us the perspective we need to honor these folks, we just end up looking at them and left to wonder why.
The tone of the piece is a bit understated. The music included is kind of chill and this adds to the introspective nature of the piece. The DJ like back announcing of the segments is kind of awkward.
The production is a bit uneven, though I do kind of like mixing the Elvis hip hop in, but it kind of makes me wonder about the other pieces. But the anger and cuss words at the end are bit over the top and quite frankly, a turn off. That ads to the over atmosphere of disrespect for the subject.
I've reviewed several of this producer's pieces. He is a competent interviewer, has a smooth wonderful delivery and, for the most part, constructs his interviews well.
But from there the producer falls into the traps and pitfalls of producing long form interviews for other stations to use. They are too long, ramble a bit and are phoner interviews with poor line quality.
This piece would be a great interview if it were edited to about 8 min, so it could be inserted into a news mag or other longer show. At nearly 40 mins, it's hard for stations to use.
On content, we hear about the artist's music, his deals, his desires. It's all fine and interesting stuff. While public radio is not normally the home of mainstream-ish country music, this interview is a nice glimpse into this part of the music scene.
This is a really nice piece. It's just a bit too long for the content.
I really like the voices, nothing like Australian accents to grab a listeners attention. And there is nothing like Ukulele music to add humor to your day.
But once we get past those two elements, where left with a pretty standard piece. We hear about open mic nights, bands keeping the spirit alive and bit of history. There's nothing wrong with that. But we've heard the story before about different instruments. So at 9 mins, I'm just left waiting for the piece to end.
I wouldn't tune away as a listener as the music segments are well spaced to keep attention. But it's not like I'm going to sit in the driveway to listen how the piece ends.
The production is nice, the leveling works to keep the music and voices balanced well. The narration is swift and engaging.
These "in their own words" pieces are tough to produce. The words have to sing, the music has to speak to us. Mary is a symphony all by herself as she tells us about her family, her music and herself.
There are threads of the typical like drinking and drugging, but told, and produced, in such a way that we don't feel like this is just another singer working out her demons. There's a person in there we want to know.
Now one would expect that the team from XPN would deliver perfection. And they do! This piece is crafted with care and produced to perfection.
It can be aired by music stations or news stations within another program. I would cover a poor news mag segment with this piece if Mary were in my town for a show.
Angst and Anger on Feb 14 is as American as Apple Pie!
This is a very cute piece about infidelity. The topic is, of course, basic. But the presentation is over the top fun. A great story that will keep your listeners tuned in for an additional quarter hour!
Ok, I could go on a bout the cultural meaning relationships and how this piece mimics or rebels against the Sex in the City. But who cares. Love should be heavy and light all at the same time and the writing of this piece is traditional...in that the ending of the story is "traditional."
This piece is too long to leave the listener interested in this pretty dull guy. Sometimes the quality of an artist's work and their abilty to tell an interesting story does not sync. Sorry. That's the bottom line on this piece. Lungfish is a pretty much a space case that I suspect will bore the heck out of anyone living in just three dimensions.
However, this is shining example of how a producer can make a very listenable piece. It is skillfully produced. The leveling and the pacing of the narration with the music are wonderful. There is just not much a producer can do speed up the subject's pacing or increase his coherency that doesn't include a narcotics conviction.
I can't say I could see this being aired in its current size on other statoins that are not fully vested in this artist. Reworked to about 3-5 mins and with some sort of hook. Several rounds of editing will make this a piece we would consider airing on our station.
This is a wonderful music-interview segment. It as a quiet atmosphere that might direct you to use it in a specific day part.
That is the pieces strength and its weakness. It's a bit too quiet for morning drive on a jazz station..and this where all the producers of these kinds of prieces should aim to be. Heck, if you're going spend a good part of a week putting this together...swing for the fences and produce for radio's most important day part.
While you don't find too much out about the artist that makes you go WOW, you do get some insights into HOW he makes music and I that makes this a great addition to any Jazz station's schedule.
Rap is, well, kind of like punk was so long ago. Adults who fancy themselves cool appreciate it and defend it, hip kids left both styles as they jump the shark. And then there are the ones who come the table late, parrot those who have come before them and ultimately have become a clich? of themselves as well as the genre.
That's this interview, or at least how this old man sees it.
The heavily, think Justin and Brittany, accented artist being interviewed reels off his criminal past almost like a grocery list of requirement to earn street cred with the rap community. I ate a whole bag of em and em-s. There is a redeeming story at the end, but it comes after so far down the list of derivative culture and, well, the music sounds like just about every other rapper.
That aside, I will tell you the interviewer (who is the one we're really concerned with here), is really good. Detached by interested. Nice Voice. Well paced. Moves the interview along and keeps it from going down roads they shouldn't. This guy has a good long run in public radio and I hope he pursues it and has the opportunities afforded him in our industry.
If your station has programming produced by young folks for young folks, then this should be a part of that program. Hip Hop shows too. Maybe not so much for news shows.
Ok, let's be honest. No one knows the Butchies..at least outside of Durham. But this piece lets the band speak for itself and is really well produced. I really appreciate the effort put forth here.
The interviewer handled the production well by doing post interview nation. Of course, she could be more polished and a few more practice sessions might have yielded a bit better delivery. But the subject is a great interview and the questions produced a semi interesting interview.
I'm an old gay dude so I am a bit jaded on pieces like this. The band (yeah yeah you get it) is a bit butch and gay all at the same time. Shocking! This piece could have dove deeper into the band's personal motivation and stays pretty much on the surface. But what the heck, most interviewers three times the youth range here don't interview any better.
I hope that stations in the region gave this piece a whirl. It's worth providing airtime to this group for them to get feedback and exposure.
This is cute piece about a cute second or two in American Musical history and the effect it had on its subject.
Oh heck, this is one guy going off on his dull little town that is mentioned in the song City of New Orleans. It's really very nice
A bit whiney in parts, but very nice. Actually, the whining helps the piece a bit by making you wonder why one of the world's most recognizable songs couldn't help the small town it mentions out of the economic doldrums.
The narrator loves his town, that's clear. It's respectful even as he goes relates townsfolk behavior that he seems a bit embarrassed by. Oh well, listeners relate to that...we all have a little bit of blush when it comes to our hometown.
This piece most likely works well for news stations. Even though the subject seems to be music, it's more about economics and societal ills.
The production is top notch, though I would have preferred some music under it. Air this in any show where the subject fits!
This is a great set of short, easy to plug in funder spots that are sure to be effective. They contain so many little nuggets that marry the fund raising modes study with great production.
If you are an NPR News and classical station, these will save your staff time during your next drive.
First off, there is humor! Funder spots should be fun, but within the values of our listeners and these fit the bill! I'm a Nip/Tuck fan and the one about the surgeon who start an operation without classical music is just prize! The married couple who quibble over the pronounciation of a word is great.
These are all easily tagged with your information and run between 30 and a min.
Go for gang. We need more folks sharing spots that are produced for all stations to use!
You know, most people who listen to public radio make a hell of a lot more than those of us who work in public radio.
This piece is a bit too basic for our listeners. They cover only the basic end of year stuff, of course pushing charity contributions. I hope the next set in this feature is more meaty.
Also, this is produced by an organization called Public Radio World Wide. There is a pitch at the end for their website that includes a list "our favorite charities that will benefit.." Um..the only charity folks should be contributing to is the station they hear this piece on. There is no plea for the station!
Is there anything more universal in appeal than a Sam Cooke song?
What a wonderful blend of interview segments and music. This piece totally de-stressed my day. I decided to listen to this piece as a bit of a diversion from the work day...you know those days...Hurry up, Hurry up and Wait Wait....well this piece told me.
Told me so much about someone I have known all my life but never had taken the time to get to know. WOW. This is called the definition of Compelling Content. Joyride Media knows how to create magical public radio moments. We should be happy to have such a production house with access and content AND the public radio values system firmly intact to create these wonderful stories.
Essentially taking us on the journey of Sam's life, this piece is expertly produced. We learn about his gospel roots and the transition to popular music and the subsequent integration into a sound that defined music for much of a generation. Early on, we are treated to an example of a single song that details this transition. Public radio listeners are going to eat this up like cake and ice cream.
The interviews, both with historians and participants, are credible and nicley placed. Full cuts of songs are integrated in a really wonderful way.
This is NOT a doowop show. Nor is it an oldies show, nor is it exclusively a music biography. It has a lot to say about the socio-economic state of our country during Sam's rising. You can't really say it's aimed specifically at African Americans either. It's universal, just as his music.
I might proffer that the narration, while confident and well paced, is a bit out of sync in the energy of the interviews and songs. This is nit picking, and is not a reason to not to air this piece.
Here is our challenge as programmers. Hour long specials are wonderful, but many listeners don't have an hour to relax and soak this format in. How do we schedule and promote this show, and others like it, so that we can encourage as many listeners as possible to make time for it in their busy lives? I'm sure we all have our opinions...now test them out by scheduling this program and promoting the hell out of it.
1. WTMD aired this piece as part of our Friday Night Special Series.
2. I AM FROM NEW JERSEY..I GREW UP ON BRUCE. I weep openly during Thunder Road.
Ok ok ok. Over the top. But this is one hell of a documentary interweaving the story of the Born To Run (The most important album ever written) with its music. Interviews, narration, music all mixed together in the proper proportions to entertain and enthrall listeners for the full hour.
You see, music is about remembering certain times of your life. Millions of people, myself among them, can tell you the moment Born To Run changed their lives. This show gives us the opportunity to understand how this record was created and changed Bruce and the E Street Band's lives. These people are in your audience and they deserve to hear this piece. Every aspect is covered, the technical, the emotional, the personal, the public.
The production and mixing of this hour is superb. Music levels under the interviews are exquisitely placed, leveled. They move the story and add to the energy of the story. Without this level of production the piece would be much flatter. Music punctuates the story with exclamation points, question marks and you can even feel the semi-colons with the use of music in this piece.
YOU MUST AIR THIS PIECE no matter if you are music station, a news station...hell classical music stations should be airing this show! Through Bruce and like Bruce, it tells us the stories of our lives as captured on this record. This documentary moves me just as much as climax of Jungleland..."cause tonight we got style..."
This is no VH-1 documentary masquerading as public radio. It revolutionizes the way popular music documentaries are told on public radio. It's respectful, uplifting, intelligent, self deprecating, exacting.
The 30 Anniversary release of Born to Run has just happened. So you got a couple, three weeks, to get this on the air.
This is a great piece. It had better be....it was used in NPR's Day To Day.
The story gives us a very accessible look at rap music. Don't you hate all those hypocrites that yammer on about how much they hate rap and can then recite all the verses from Sugar Hill Gang's Rappers Delight or Blondie's rapture from the 80s? This piece deft side steps that contradiction while engaging the listener.
In effect, you want to listen to something that you might otherwise dismiss. This is the art of what we do!
This producer knows how use adjectives like collection of artist's brushes to paint a picture in the listeners mind. Wow! This is respectful of its subjects and that really aids the piece because, let's face it, most public radio listeners don't give rap a chance.
The piece does need to be edited for use in your local programming. The Day To Day intro is attached. Producers should edit this kind of stuff out and provide written intros and outros stations to localize this piece. Also, if you have or don't have restrictions placed on subsequent airings of your piece if it appeared in a national program, you should let us know. I might decide not to use this in a local magazine show if I am not a Day to Day station.
Graduation is supposed to be the optimistic time of our lives and this piece decides to skewer not only graduation but the way public radio creates overly emotionally pieces about life's transitions.
It's a bit expository, talking about the elements needed to emotionally connect with the listeners. Of course, this never happens for two reasons, the point of the piece is to be a bit of satire, and the subject isn't really telling her story from the heart. She acting, perhaps reality based, but still contrived.
People listen to the radio to feel better about themselves, to be entertained. And most importantly, not to be lonely or be made fun of themselves.
This piece seems to aspire to This American Life irony, but falls short. It's really just a bit snide...and snide doesn't help a radio station biuld TSL.
It is well produced and technically good. There are few leveling issues, but nothing that would prevent me from airing it if I were interested in putting a little cynicism on the air.
If you're going to use this piece, do it this week. It's a timely news segment recorded at the front end of a developing story. It's also a two way with a journalist and host. There is not a whole lot of context here, though at 13 mins, there could have been a whole lot more information built in. While basic, this is a good solid day of story piece.
The host ID's the producing station at the front of the show so you might want to contact the station to see abou editing that out and while still crediting the station. However, as a two-way, listeners on other stations would find a two way with a host they have never heard of a bit jaring.
The author/journalist's list of writing credits at the start and end of the piece reveals a bit too much about the author. If you're really listening, you could dismiss him as a whining gotcha journalist if you're so inclined. Sometimes, less is more and that is the case with IDing this guy.
The station's website is where the real answers kick in. I've been personally interested in this story ...remember, I run a music statoin with a lot of CDs going in and out of our computers....and it was great to find a comprehensive list of the CDs with the bug-a-boo on it.
We’re all devastated by the tragedy suffered in New Orleans. We all want to help. And that is the amazing thing about radio…we can help and we can react quickly. Speed is our strength and time is our enemy. In this piece we see a bit of both.
Essentially a laser drop show to encourage contributions to help survivors (can we make it a rule not to call them Victims?) It’s sincere, concerned and conveys a sense of urgency. The music is historical, recordings that I have to be impressed by the ability to get them all in one place. I am sure when this show was first aired, it captured the emotional state of many folks and succeeded in creating action to support the relief efforts.
But time is not on this piece’s side. It’s a few months later, the situation in New Orleans evolved and we’re confronted with a different set of circumstances. The call for contributions is not as urgent, and the sincerity of this piece now comes off a bit over the top. The historical nature of the recordings now seem a bit confined…after all, New Orleans music is a wide and long list. This piece now seems like n the producer pulling out their own deep, and significant, collection, rather than a concerted effort to bring all of New Orleans music to life.
So I think this piece has passed it’s life span, but could be recreated into a more evergreen show about the early days of New Orleans Jazz, Dixie Land and Blues. The production values of the show are great, no surprise, WXXI is a leading station in the system.
This is a half hour interview with a semi known singer songwriter on a cell phone. It's hard to listen to and stay involved with because the questions asked are not particularly interesting, the subject rambles and the cell phone cuts in and out.
A check of the artists web site show a lot of care, but ultimately this is a regional coffee shop and bar artist making this interview pretty esoteric. The interview starts out with a status report on the artists New Orleans home and quickly turns into an unfocused whine about his life in general. The interview quickly gets away from the host and it isn't recaptured in the editing phase.
I've reviewed several interviews in this series and they all share common threads. The interviewer is a comfortable companion for the audience and earnestly wants to succeed. But the interviews are generally done on cell phones and the subject drives the story...and they generally aren't in a story telling mood.
This is a nice review piece. XPN is a brilliant shop and this is a brilliant review of a significant contribution to American Musical History.
This review of the box set is very positive and, well, I hate to say it, just a little too on the promotional side. I'm always a fan of short pieces and this one is the perfect length for anyone to use in any programming situation, but perhaps it could be a bit deeper an point out a bit more about Jelly Roll Morton's life. After all, it's 8 disks! Perhaps there should a couple of parts to this?
The host is a recognized expert in his field and one of the best radio voices you can have on your air.
Comments by Steve Yasko
Comment for "Help, My Mom's a Groupie!" (deleted)
Steve Yasko
Posted on February 26, 2006 at 03:51 PM
Review of Help, My Mom's a Groupie! (deleted)
Groupies are supposed to be exciting.
This is a cute piece, but it's a bit dull for the subject. While I like the topic, and I've met Tim Easton, the subject of the groupie in the piece...he's a great guy.
The writing is ok, but the narration is kind of sleepy when we think that groupies are sneaking fast paced kind of experience. We're confronted with a couple of contridictions here. We think of Groupies as young girls. Our is a mom. We think of groupies chasing mega rock stars. The stalked on in this piece is a mid range working muscian.
These elements should pull off a very clever and engaging piece. Well it is clever, but it's just not engaging. Some of the field recording is a bit off the mark. And the pacing is just kind of sleepy.
I wouldn't rule out this piece in the context of a news magazine, but I am not sure it could stand alone on a music station.
Comment for "She Grooves Radio Hour"
Steve Yasko
Posted on February 26, 2006 at 11:09 AM | Permalink
Review of She Grooves Radio Hour
Fun and Funky, But Not an Audience Builder.
This host is amazing. The tone of her voice is comforting, yet authoritative. You know she lives the lifestyle as we say at AAA stations.
First the technical. This segment is not cut to a standard time or clock that stations can use. If you are a producer doing an hourly show of any format, please see the clocks that are posted here at PRX for what station need from you in order to consider your piece for air. Think of the clock as a container to pour your delicious content into.
Second, the communications. This piece, and a lot of other music hours poster at PRX, lack a list of music and timings and cues for stations to work with. It's essential.
Now the content. I really like the tunes in this piece. I'm a fan of music I haven't heard before. At AAA stations we look to shows like this focus in on specialty areas. It's very listenable. The individual songs flow well together to form a coherent hour of music.
I like this piece for Woman's History Month, but it doesn't quite fit well enough with our regular programming. Shows like this need to be relatable to our regular programming, and include enough of our core artists so that our listeners are "pre-engaged" to listen to the hour. A few unfamiliar artists are a great addition as long as the core folks are pre announced and mixed into the hour.
We look to folks outside our station to add something to our air that no one on our staff has the skills to do. For the most part, any AAA station can produce music shows for Women's history Month and a show like this lets us round our offerings.
We would also want to hear a bit more forward announcements of the tunes. Listeners are more likely to hang out to hear a well sold tune, especially if it is an unfamiliar tune.
All in all this is a very good show, with a bit more planning based on how listeners use radio and we'd consider airing it.
Comment for "Sounds Like Texas"
Steve Yasko
Posted on February 25, 2006 at 04:41 AM | Permalink
Review of Sounds Like Texas
SXSW Don't know what the means? Look it up and air this piece in early March.
I was a bit worried about this piece when I began listening. Austin is the home of all music and the producer is a dang good Austin-centric expert in the region. I was worried this piece would lean too far and tip over into Texas/country/roots/blues/swing stuff to the exclusion of other music tastes.
It doesn't. It's as wide as the ocean and dang good weather you wear a 10 Gallon Stetson or Knit Cuppoline (If I spelled that right the NY Italians among us will know what kind of hat that is!) I love the pacing. I love the song choices-Rock, Alternative, Folk, Blues, even Latin Alt Rock!-it's all there. I love the writing.
I also love David Brown's voice on this piece. So comfortable, without numbers, and with music that many listeners will be hearing for the first time. There are some artists that might be unfamiliar to other AAA station listeners.
This is the beauty of this piece, it's so well done that it turns listeners on to new music and explains it in such a respectful and sound rich way.
Here's an example. My Partner was in the room while I was listening to this show. The piece by Eliza Gilderson (is that correct? PRODUCERS--please include a song list on all programs like this! Listeners will ask and we must be prepared!) caught his ear and he's already downstairs searching iTunes!
The breaks are there for stations to use properly.
There is a segment in this piece I wish was written a bit differently. The tour of KUT's performance studio is a bit too promotional for the station itself, bordering on self indulgent really. It doesn't relate to the music as it serves as a fundraising case statement the station. While seemingly innocuous, it would have been ok if it recognized that the stations this show is playing most likley does the same thing the producing station does. After all, many of the artists who have played KUT have played WTMD, WXPN, WFUV, WYEP..etc, etc.
I'll be pushing this on my PD for us to air!
Comment for "Patti Smith: Horses 30th Anniversary"
Steve Yasko
Posted on February 25, 2006 at 03:55 AM | Permalink
Review of Patti Smith: Horses 30th Anniversary
We Aired This Show. You Should Too!
Let's be honest. Patti isn't Pasta, she's not a universal taste. She's kind of like eating sushi for the first time. New, interesting, raw, scary, dangerous....make that Blowfish Sushi, the kind that kills you if it's not done right.
By the end of this show, you'll be a gobbling up Patti like a Lobster Tempura Roll with Salmon and Tuna Outer wrapping. The complexity and danger is replaced with beauty and respect. Things you dismissed before come alive, they dance on your head, they make you run to the record store to further explore the themes discussed by Patti, John Cale and others about this record.
And it's all because Rita Houston lends authenticity, empathy and expert knowledge in explaining how Patti was ahead of her time...and now we've just all caught up to her. Rita, if you know her, is ahead of her time too, but that's another story.
These kind of pieces Dance or Bore based on the producers ability to tell a story for an extended period of time. That means a LOT OF WORK and it pays off her. The depth of the interviews and actualities are perfectly recorded, pertinent to the story and the lead the listener into becoming involved with the music.
This piece from Joyride is particularly well crafted to engage listeners who would tune out Patti's harder edge. Heck, I but a classical station could air this without too many complaints....well, ok, that's pushing it, but News Stations should be airing it during Woman's History Month if you really need an excuse. This piece works anytime.
Comment for "Mind Your Metal"
Steve Yasko
Posted on February 24, 2006 at 02:07 PM | Permalink
Review of Mind Your Metal
A great defense of Heavy Metal.
Boy, this is an interesting day. Today in our fair state we are seeing the demise of a student run College Radio Station at risk of going dark due to a change at an News and Information station. This piece would be perfect on the college station and not perfect on the News Station. Young folks will love this piece. Old folks will dismiss it. This piece, like the two stations who don't understand each other, have little in common, and don't see the value to the community the other provides, doesn't really bridge the gap effectively.
The producer could have made this piece relatable to both groups, but the defense of Metal Music is, well, defensive. It's not really too insightful, but it is wonderfully logical, passionate and heart felt.
College stations must air this piece.
I can't really recommend this to the News and Info stations out there, but I can endorse this to any college station and many AAA stations, when used in context.
There is a false ending around 5 mins into this piece that takes us directly into a song. A nice touch really, that ensures the integrity of the piece is matched by the music following it.
Comment for "2005 W(rap)-Up with Napoleon Maddox"
Steve Yasko
Posted on February 24, 2006 at 01:48 PM | Permalink
Review of 2005 W(rap)-Up with Napoleon Maddox
This is What We Want When We Say Different, But Airable!
I love this rap...and I'm an old white guy (not that I will admit that in public)!
This is a hip hop recap of 2005, and it's entertaining, enaging and fun. This morning I was listening to the 80s protest song Sun City. I want to draw some parallels, obtuse ones to be sure, but the passion is similar. There is a nice sense of seriousness about it, but not anger or despair.
The listing of events and commentary lines are wonderfully woven. Will kids relate? Maybe, but I do think they will listen and so will the old folks too because like the words!
I would like the producer to provide an intro and outro script. That would save PDs a bit of time in writing one themselves.
Stations could still use this even this late in the year. Go for it!
Comment for "George Clinton Interview"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 29, 2006 at 03:35 PM | Permalink
Review of The Magazine Articles
Funk me Baby...Late at Night!
This is a great doc about a great artist. Clinton is rich in history and influence in American Culture. Even if a lot of folks can't name him, they have danced (horizontally as well as vertically)to his tunes. What a great subject to pull a full out hour of fun.
Well crafted, good story telling, great music selection (is there a bad P-Funk Song! I turned up the speakers and danced around the house listening to this piece.
Now, I have to be honest. The narration and word choice is very good. Not quite to the level of some of the other producers who do this sort of thing. It's bit to serious at times when it should be more friendly and funky. Sure there are some socially relevant topics here, but this is music baby. Upswing the end of a sentence, don't draw out the last syllable.
The other thing I must suggest to the producer here in the review--so other folks producing these kinds of pieces can hear it too. Even if this is a series on your station, cut a version without reference to the piece being a part of a series. Make it a stand alone. WTMD has a 10 pm Friday slot that we showcase these kinds of shows. We pull them from a lot of sources so we can't use this piece with the reference to it being a part of series because we're not airing the series. Without that reference, I would have pressed a CD and gave it to my PD with strong recommendation.
Comment for "New Music Review: The Gourds' "Heavy Ornamentals""
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 29, 2006 at 03:05 PM | Permalink
Review of New Music Review: The Gourds' "Heavy Ornamentals"
How do you judge a review of a Band you don't particularly like?
Well, of course the job here to review the radio work, not the work being reviewed.
This review is just fine, though the opening is a bit jarring; expecting the listener to be a bit more familiar with the band than the narrator gives us...and there is no intro copy on the piece's page to give a way in to the review.
Otherwise this is top notch reviewing. Like most reviews, it's a few parts music and few parts commentary. The production and leveling is fine. It's a great review to air if your station is into this band. For the most part, the narrator is enthusiastic, credible and insightful. Bordering a little too much on the Fan side of the fence, but nothing gushy.
The reviewer does of course jab at belt line about how mainstream radio won't play the Gourds. That's never a good line to leave in a review...some commercial station somewhere is going to play them. Either cross town (as in this case) or on some station that streams like we do.
Comment for "StoryCorps: Philip and Judi Frabosilo"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 28, 2006 at 04:37 AM | Permalink
Review of StoryCorps: Philip and Judi Frabosilo
THIS IS WHY STORY CORPS IS THE BEST THING PUBLIC RADIO HAS DONE IN AGES!
I am crying tears of joy as I write this. I have never been more touched in two and a half minutes. EVERY STATION MUST AIR THIS PIECE ON VALENTINES DAY!
Do you see the caps people? That's how good this piece is. I want to shout it from the mountain tops!
This is an amazing piece because its honest, a key core value of pubic radio. It doesn't matter that these folks have a New York accent thicker than Jello because it's just as sweet.
Universal stories are what this project is all about and this couple's story about the circumstances of their love and marriage will touch every one in your audience. Please, Please, Please share it with America!
Comment for "Ten Threats to the Great Lakes Documentary"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 28, 2006 at 04:26 AM | Permalink
Review of Ten Threats to the Great Lakes Documentary
Countdowns work for news too!
Even Audiences in the middle of desert will be engaged! This is a wonderful documentary.
Those of us in music formats know that Top 10 Lists are great audience grabbers and they work for news too.
What I like about this top 10 list structure is that it gives listeners a lot entry points. Few listeners spend an entire hour with you and those coming in during the middle of the program need a reset. They get 10 here and that's great.
Each segment is well constructed and produced. The pro and con sides are represented. There are some interesting factoids that surprise too. Like there is caffiene in the Lakes, but it's not a natural occurrence! A mystery is described. Mystery is the best audience grabber!
The GLRC is a well respected organization and this piece is shining example of their radio savvy. They include an NPR news cast hole. All hour long doc producers should do that. This allows either the cast or a locally produced short segment that might add value to the listener in other regions for the country. Bravo!
A couple of nits to pick, the opening music is a bit over dramatic, giving the piece an over the top darkness to the piece. Kind of like a Discovery Channel end of the world natural disaster special. No big deal, but listeners come to radio to uplifted and enlightened, even when they are hearing bad news and music can help define a serious but optimistic tone.
This show works in any of the 50 states, DC, PR, USVI etc...anywhere water is present! Air it!
Comment for "The Plan- Elvis"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 23, 2006 at 06:32 AM | Permalink
Review of The Plan- Elvis
Aren't we over Elvis yet?
Maybe I'm a cynic, but it seems to me that stringing a bunch of segments about Elvis together isn't really much a tribute. I was just left feeling kind of tawdry by this piece.
Here's why:
For the most part we hear a lot segments that alternate between the sincer and the exploitative. I just kind of felt that the piece did not treat the Elvis impersonators with dignity. Ok, maybe that's me. But I just felt like the piece exploited these folks obsession with Elvis.
The connective segments between the pieces are either missing or don't give us the perspective we need to honor these folks, we just end up looking at them and left to wonder why.
The tone of the piece is a bit understated. The music included is kind of chill and this adds to the introspective nature of the piece. The DJ like back announcing of the segments is kind of awkward.
The production is a bit uneven, though I do kind of like mixing the Elvis hip hop in, but it kind of makes me wonder about the other pieces. But the anger and cuss words at the end are bit over the top and quite frankly, a turn off. That ads to the over atmosphere of disrespect for the subject.
Comment for "Interview with Shooter Jennings"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 23, 2006 at 05:37 AM | Permalink
Review of Interview with Shooter Jennings
I've reviewed several of this producer's pieces. He is a competent interviewer, has a smooth wonderful delivery and, for the most part, constructs his interviews well.
But from there the producer falls into the traps and pitfalls of producing long form interviews for other stations to use. They are too long, ramble a bit and are phoner interviews with poor line quality.
This piece would be a great interview if it were edited to about 8 min, so it could be inserted into a news mag or other longer show. At nearly 40 mins, it's hard for stations to use.
On content, we hear about the artist's music, his deals, his desires. It's all fine and interesting stuff. While public radio is not normally the home of mainstream-ish country music, this interview is a nice glimpse into this part of the music scene.
Comment for "Adventures in M.U.K. - The Melbourne Ukulele Kollective"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 23, 2006 at 05:20 AM | Permalink
Review of Adventures in M.U.K. - The Melbourne Ukulele Kollective
This is a really nice piece. It's just a bit too long for the content.
I really like the voices, nothing like Australian accents to grab a listeners attention. And there is nothing like Ukulele music to add humor to your day.
But once we get past those two elements, where left with a pretty standard piece. We hear about open mic nights, bands keeping the spirit alive and bit of history. There's nothing wrong with that. But we've heard the story before about different instruments. So at 9 mins, I'm just left waiting for the piece to end.
I wouldn't tune away as a listener as the music segments are well spaced to keep attention. But it's not like I'm going to sit in the driveway to listen how the piece ends.
The production is nice, the leveling works to keep the music and voices balanced well. The narration is swift and engaging.
Comment for "Women Making Music: Mary Gauthier"
Steve Yasko
Posted on January 23, 2006 at 05:11 AM | Permalink
Review of Women Making Music: Mary Gauthier
Absolutely wonderful!
These "in their own words" pieces are tough to produce. The words have to sing, the music has to speak to us. Mary is a symphony all by herself as she tells us about her family, her music and herself.
There are threads of the typical like drinking and drugging, but told, and produced, in such a way that we don't feel like this is just another singer working out her demons. There's a person in there we want to know.
Now one would expect that the team from XPN would deliver perfection. And they do! This piece is crafted with care and produced to perfection.
It can be aired by music stations or news stations within another program. I would cover a poor news mag segment with this piece if Mary were in my town for a show.
Great Job...now do yours and air this piece!
Comment for "Dear Harold"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 31, 2005 at 12:50 PM | Permalink
Review of Dear Harold
Angst and Anger on Feb 14 is as American as Apple Pie!
This is a very cute piece about infidelity. The topic is, of course, basic. But the presentation is over the top fun. A great story that will keep your listeners tuned in for an additional quarter hour!
Ok, I could go on a bout the cultural meaning relationships and how this piece mimics or rebels against the Sex in the City. But who cares. Love should be heavy and light all at the same time and the writing of this piece is traditional...in that the ending of the story is "traditional."
But give it a go.
Comment for "The Lungfish Radio Project"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 31, 2005 at 12:39 PM | Permalink
Review of The Lungfish Radio Project
Making a dull artist interesting is a tough job.
This piece is too long to leave the listener interested in this pretty dull guy. Sometimes the quality of an artist's work and their abilty to tell an interesting story does not sync. Sorry. That's the bottom line on this piece. Lungfish is a pretty much a space case that I suspect will bore the heck out of anyone living in just three dimensions.
However, this is shining example of how a producer can make a very listenable piece. It is skillfully produced. The leveling and the pacing of the narration with the music are wonderful. There is just not much a producer can do speed up the subject's pacing or increase his coherency that doesn't include a narcotics conviction.
I can't say I could see this being aired in its current size on other statoins that are not fully vested in this artist. Reworked to about 3-5 mins and with some sort of hook. Several rounds of editing will make this a piece we would consider airing on our station.
Comment for "Joe Lovano"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 31, 2005 at 12:14 PM | Permalink
Review of Joe Lovano
This is a wonderful music-interview segment. It as a quiet atmosphere that might direct you to use it in a specific day part.
That is the pieces strength and its weakness. It's a bit too quiet for morning drive on a jazz station..and this where all the producers of these kinds of prieces should aim to be. Heck, if you're going spend a good part of a week putting this together...swing for the fences and produce for radio's most important day part.
While you don't find too much out about the artist that makes you go WOW, you do get some insights into HOW he makes music and I that makes this a great addition to any Jazz station's schedule.
Comment for "J-Money Interview"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 31, 2005 at 12:07 PM | Permalink
Review of J-Money Interview
This is a pretty darn good interview!
Rap is, well, kind of like punk was so long ago. Adults who fancy themselves cool appreciate it and defend it, hip kids left both styles as they jump the shark. And then there are the ones who come the table late, parrot those who have come before them and ultimately have become a clich? of themselves as well as the genre.
That's this interview, or at least how this old man sees it.
The heavily, think Justin and Brittany, accented artist being interviewed reels off his criminal past almost like a grocery list of requirement to earn street cred with the rap community. I ate a whole bag of em and em-s. There is a redeeming story at the end, but it comes after so far down the list of derivative culture and, well, the music sounds like just about every other rapper.
That aside, I will tell you the interviewer (who is the one we're really concerned with here), is really good. Detached by interested. Nice Voice. Well paced. Moves the interview along and keeps it from going down roads they shouldn't. This guy has a good long run in public radio and I hope he pursues it and has the opportunities afforded him in our industry.
If your station has programming produced by young folks for young folks, then this should be a part of that program. Hip Hop shows too. Maybe not so much for news shows.
Comment for "Local Durham Bands: The Butchies"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 27, 2005 at 04:21 PM | Permalink
Review of Local Durham Bands: The Butchies
Thank God Young People Are Getting Into Radio!
Ok, let's be honest. No one knows the Butchies..at least outside of Durham. But this piece lets the band speak for itself and is really well produced. I really appreciate the effort put forth here.
The interviewer handled the production well by doing post interview nation. Of course, she could be more polished and a few more practice sessions might have yielded a bit better delivery. But the subject is a great interview and the questions produced a semi interesting interview.
I'm an old gay dude so I am a bit jaded on pieces like this. The band (yeah yeah you get it) is a bit butch and gay all at the same time. Shocking! This piece could have dove deeper into the band's personal motivation and stays pretty much on the surface. But what the heck, most interviewers three times the youth range here don't interview any better.
I hope that stations in the region gave this piece a whirl. It's worth providing airtime to this group for them to get feedback and exposure.
Comment for "Arlo visits Kankakee"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 27, 2005 at 04:07 PM | Permalink
Review of Arlo visits Kankakee
This is cute piece about a cute second or two in American Musical history and the effect it had on its subject.
Oh heck, this is one guy going off on his dull little town that is mentioned in the song City of New Orleans. It's really very nice
A bit whiney in parts, but very nice. Actually, the whining helps the piece a bit by making you wonder why one of the world's most recognizable songs couldn't help the small town it mentions out of the economic doldrums.
The narrator loves his town, that's clear. It's respectful even as he goes relates townsfolk behavior that he seems a bit embarrassed by. Oh well, listeners relate to that...we all have a little bit of blush when it comes to our hometown.
This piece most likely works well for news stations. Even though the subject seems to be music, it's more about economics and societal ills.
The production is top notch, though I would have preferred some music under it. Air this in any show where the subject fits!
Comment for "Fundraising Funnies II"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 27, 2005 at 03:50 PM | Permalink
Review of Fundraising Funnies II
YOUR FUND DRIVE HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR YOU!
This is a great set of short, easy to plug in funder spots that are sure to be effective. They contain so many little nuggets that marry the fund raising modes study with great production.
If you are an NPR News and classical station, these will save your staff time during your next drive.
First off, there is humor! Funder spots should be fun, but within the values of our listeners and these fit the bill! I'm a Nip/Tuck fan and the one about the surgeon who start an operation without classical music is just prize! The married couple who quibble over the pronounciation of a word is great.
These are all easily tagged with your information and run between 30 and a min.
Go for gang. We need more folks sharing spots that are produced for all stations to use!
Comment for "Tax Tips--Year-End 2005 - Part 1 of 5 - Do Not Air After Midnight December 31 (Includes special web host support for local Public Radio!)"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 26, 2005 at 05:04 AM | Permalink
Review of Tax Tips--Year-End 2005 - Part 1 of 5 - Air Between December 26-31 ONLY
You know, most people who listen to public radio make a hell of a lot more than those of us who work in public radio.
This piece is a bit too basic for our listeners. They cover only the basic end of year stuff, of course pushing charity contributions. I hope the next set in this feature is more meaty.
Also, this is produced by an organization called Public Radio World Wide. There is a pitch at the end for their website that includes a list "our favorite charities that will benefit.." Um..the only charity folks should be contributing to is the station they hear this piece on. There is no plea for the station!
Comment for "Sam Cooke: Bring it on Home to Me"
Steve Yasko
Posted on December 06, 2005 at 08:41 AM | Permalink
Review of Sam Cooke: Bring it on Home to Me
Is there anything more universal in appeal than a Sam Cooke song?
What a wonderful blend of interview segments and music. This piece totally de-stressed my day. I decided to listen to this piece as a bit of a diversion from the work day...you know those days...Hurry up, Hurry up and Wait Wait....well this piece told me.
Told me so much about someone I have known all my life but never had taken the time to get to know. WOW. This is called the definition of Compelling Content. Joyride Media knows how to create magical public radio moments. We should be happy to have such a production house with access and content AND the public radio values system firmly intact to create these wonderful stories.
Essentially taking us on the journey of Sam's life, this piece is expertly produced. We learn about his gospel roots and the transition to popular music and the subsequent integration into a sound that defined music for much of a generation. Early on, we are treated to an example of a single song that details this transition. Public radio listeners are going to eat this up like cake and ice cream.
The interviews, both with historians and participants, are credible and nicley placed. Full cuts of songs are integrated in a really wonderful way.
This is NOT a doowop show. Nor is it an oldies show, nor is it exclusively a music biography. It has a lot to say about the socio-economic state of our country during Sam's rising. You can't really say it's aimed specifically at African Americans either. It's universal, just as his music.
I might proffer that the narration, while confident and well paced, is a bit out of sync in the energy of the interviews and songs. This is nit picking, and is not a reason to not to air this piece.
Here is our challenge as programmers. Hour long specials are wonderful, but many listeners don't have an hour to relax and soak this format in. How do we schedule and promote this show, and others like it, so that we can encourage as many listeners as possible to make time for it in their busy lives? I'm sure we all have our opinions...now test them out by scheduling this program and promoting the hell out of it.
Comment for "Bruce Springsteen: The Story of Born to Run"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 26, 2005 at 04:22 AM | Permalink
Review of Bruce Springsteen: The Story of Born to Run
OK OK OK. Two disclaimers.
1. WTMD aired this piece as part of our Friday Night Special Series.
2. I AM FROM NEW JERSEY..I GREW UP ON BRUCE. I weep openly during Thunder Road.
Ok ok ok. Over the top. But this is one hell of a documentary interweaving the story of the Born To Run (The most important album ever written) with its music. Interviews, narration, music all mixed together in the proper proportions to entertain and enthrall listeners for the full hour.
You see, music is about remembering certain times of your life. Millions of people, myself among them, can tell you the moment Born To Run changed their lives. This show gives us the opportunity to understand how this record was created and changed Bruce and the E Street Band's lives. These people are in your audience and they deserve to hear this piece. Every aspect is covered, the technical, the emotional, the personal, the public.
The production and mixing of this hour is superb. Music levels under the interviews are exquisitely placed, leveled. They move the story and add to the energy of the story. Without this level of production the piece would be much flatter. Music punctuates the story with exclamation points, question marks and you can even feel the semi-colons with the use of music in this piece.
YOU MUST AIR THIS PIECE no matter if you are music station, a news station...hell classical music stations should be airing this show! Through Bruce and like Bruce, it tells us the stories of our lives as captured on this record. This documentary moves me just as much as climax of Jungleland..."cause tonight we got style..."
This is no VH-1 documentary masquerading as public radio. It revolutionizes the way popular music documentaries are told on public radio. It's respectful, uplifting, intelligent, self deprecating, exacting.
The 30 Anniversary release of Born to Run has just happened. So you got a couple, three weeks, to get this on the air.
Comment for "The Third Unheard: Connecticut's Hip-Hop History"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 26, 2005 at 03:54 AM | Permalink
Review of The Third Unheard: Connecticut's Hip-Hop History
This is a great piece. It had better be....it was used in NPR's Day To Day.
The story gives us a very accessible look at rap music. Don't you hate all those hypocrites that yammer on about how much they hate rap and can then recite all the verses from Sugar Hill Gang's Rappers Delight or Blondie's rapture from the 80s? This piece deft side steps that contradiction while engaging the listener.
In effect, you want to listen to something that you might otherwise dismiss. This is the art of what we do!
This producer knows how use adjectives like collection of artist's brushes to paint a picture in the listeners mind. Wow! This is respectful of its subjects and that really aids the piece because, let's face it, most public radio listeners don't give rap a chance.
The piece does need to be edited for use in your local programming. The Day To Day intro is attached. Producers should edit this kind of stuff out and provide written intros and outros stations to localize this piece. Also, if you have or don't have restrictions placed on subsequent airings of your piece if it appeared in a national program, you should let us know. I might decide not to use this in a local magazine show if I am not a Day to Day station.
Comment for "Graduation Story"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 26, 2005 at 03:37 AM | Permalink
Review of Graduation Story
Graduation is supposed to be the optimistic time of our lives and this piece decides to skewer not only graduation but the way public radio creates overly emotionally pieces about life's transitions.
It's a bit expository, talking about the elements needed to emotionally connect with the listeners. Of course, this never happens for two reasons, the point of the piece is to be a bit of satire, and the subject isn't really telling her story from the heart. She acting, perhaps reality based, but still contrived.
People listen to the radio to feel better about themselves, to be entertained. And most importantly, not to be lonely or be made fun of themselves.
This piece seems to aspire to This American Life irony, but falls short. It's really just a bit snide...and snide doesn't help a radio station biuld TSL.
It is well produced and technically good. There are few leveling issues, but nothing that would prevent me from airing it if I were interested in putting a little cynicism on the air.
Comment for "Controversy Over Sony's "root kit" CDs"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 25, 2005 at 12:44 PM | Permalink
Review of Controversy Over Sony's "root kit" CDs
If you're going to use this piece, do it this week. It's a timely news segment recorded at the front end of a developing story. It's also a two way with a journalist and host. There is not a whole lot of context here, though at 13 mins, there could have been a whole lot more information built in. While basic, this is a good solid day of story piece.
The host ID's the producing station at the front of the show so you might want to contact the station to see abou editing that out and while still crediting the station. However, as a two-way, listeners on other stations would find a two way with a host they have never heard of a bit jaring.
The author/journalist's list of writing credits at the start and end of the piece reveals a bit too much about the author. If you're really listening, you could dismiss him as a whining gotcha journalist if you're so inclined. Sometimes, less is more and that is the case with IDing this guy.
The station's website is where the real answers kick in. I've been personally interested in this story ...remember, I run a music statoin with a lot of CDs going in and out of our computers....and it was great to find a comprehensive list of the CDs with the bug-a-boo on it.
Comment for "Missing New Orleans: Popular Music Remembers a City"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 25, 2005 at 03:31 AM | Permalink
Review of Missing New Orleans: Popular Music Remembers a City
We’re all devastated by the tragedy suffered in New Orleans. We all want to help. And that is the amazing thing about radio…we can help and we can react quickly. Speed is our strength and time is our enemy. In this piece we see a bit of both.
Essentially a laser drop show to encourage contributions to help survivors (can we make it a rule not to call them Victims?) It’s sincere, concerned and conveys a sense of urgency. The music is historical, recordings that I have to be impressed by the ability to get them all in one place. I am sure when this show was first aired, it captured the emotional state of many folks and succeeded in creating action to support the relief efforts.
But time is not on this piece’s side. It’s a few months later, the situation in New Orleans evolved and we’re confronted with a different set of circumstances. The call for contributions is not as urgent, and the sincerity of this piece now comes off a bit over the top. The historical nature of the recordings now seem a bit confined…after all, New Orleans music is a wide and long list. This piece now seems like n the producer pulling out their own deep, and significant, collection, rather than a concerted effort to bring all of New Orleans music to life.
So I think this piece has passed it’s life span, but could be recreated into a more evergreen show about the early days of New Orleans Jazz, Dixie Land and Blues. The production values of the show are great, no surprise, WXXI is a leading station in the system.
Comment for "Interview with Grayson Capps"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 25, 2005 at 02:56 AM | Permalink
Review of Interview with Grayson Capps
This is a half hour interview with a semi known singer songwriter on a cell phone. It's hard to listen to and stay involved with because the questions asked are not particularly interesting, the subject rambles and the cell phone cuts in and out.
A check of the artists web site show a lot of care, but ultimately this is a regional coffee shop and bar artist making this interview pretty esoteric. The interview starts out with a status report on the artists New Orleans home and quickly turns into an unfocused whine about his life in general. The interview quickly gets away from the host and it isn't recaptured in the editing phase.
I've reviewed several interviews in this series and they all share common threads. The interviewer is a comfortable companion for the audience and earnestly wants to succeed. But the interviews are generally done on cell phones and the subject drives the story...and they generally aren't in a story telling mood.
Comment for "Blues File: Jelly Roll Morton Complete Library of Congress Recordings"
Steve Yasko
Posted on November 24, 2005 at 06:18 AM | Permalink
Review of Blues File: Jelly Roll Morton Complete Library of Congress Recordings
This is a nice review piece. XPN is a brilliant shop and this is a brilliant review of a significant contribution to American Musical History.
This review of the box set is very positive and, well, I hate to say it, just a little too on the promotional side. I'm always a fan of short pieces and this one is the perfect length for anyone to use in any programming situation, but perhaps it could be a bit deeper an point out a bit more about Jelly Roll Morton's life. After all, it's 8 disks! Perhaps there should a couple of parts to this?
The host is a recognized expert in his field and one of the best radio voices you can have on your air.