Cultural differences you don't normally think about - an open letter to the radio stations here.

[reynardo]

Many of my States-side friends will shudder at this, but I don't think "Muskrat Love" is that bad a song. (My apologies for the choice of clip - one takes what one can find). Twee, yes. Cutesy, yes. But then I've only heard it for the first time a couple of minutes ago, because I remembered a lot of the Devilbunnies people deriding it as being one of the worst songs ever.

I love hearing "Free Bird". They just don't play it on air in Australia. The only Lynyrd Skynyrd you will hear is "Sweet Home Alabama" - and we're damnned sick of it. You never hear "Dream On" by Aerosmith on the radio (although you'll hear "Walk this way", "Love in an Elevator" and "Janie's Got a Gun" over and over).

It means that when I listen to "Alice Cooper at Night" some evenings, I'm hearing songs that, while complete cliches for my American friends, are a delightful pleasure for myself. He played a tribute to Billy Thorpe when that good man died, and I realised how much of that particular repertoire had been missing from Australian radio - just a look at the YouTube list shows at least 6 songs apart from "Most People I Know", which again is all that gets played in Australia.

I appreciate that the "New Music" stations want to play what's just been released. I don't mind too much that the "Classic Hits" stations want to stay with what people know and feel comfortable with. But would it be too much trouble to expand the playlist a little? Recognise the breadth and depth of the available music in the various genres? And for Frith's sake, if you're going to play an hour of "Odd" music, look beyond the borders of this large but unpopulated island, and in between Shaddup your Face and TubThumping, put in a few less-played. Throw in Ernie, the Fastest Milkman in the West. I dare and double-dare you to find a copy of Mother Goose's great hit Baked Beans.

And just once in a while, not so that we get sick of it, but once or twice a year, I think you could probably play "Muskrat Love".

Comments

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

for Frith's sake

*grins at you for saying that* :D

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

I say it frequently. A good friend, sandypawozbun, has admitted to being in a work meeting and saying "Now, *seriousfluff* ..."

[shadow-5tails.livejournal.com]

Band members keep giving me odd looks when I come out with "Frith in a pond, just listen for a moment..."

And I'm not even a wabbit...

[mr-figgy.livejournal.com]

*hugs you, and says something about taking a ride in a Silver Machine (silvery metal bicycle with a bell that goes dingaling*

[waitingman.livejournal.com]

Baked Beans is available as a download from iTunes!!

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

I loved watching the clip again, though. I couldn't believe it was sitting there on YouTube.

[scascot.livejournal.com]

Just remember, Ned Beatty had the hardest part (http://homepage.mac.com/scascot/NedBeatty.mp3).

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

"Many of my States-side friends will shudder at this, but I don't think "Muskrat Love" is that bad a song."

You are *SUCH* a frithin' symp.

*rolls eyes and huffs*

[moxie_man]

Personally, I prefer the old parody played now and then on Dr. Demento, "Hamster Love"

Singer sings about different ways to prepare hamsters for a meal, complete with awful background noises.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Personally, I wish someone would consign Sweet Home Alabama to the fireist hell that exists, or not. Not only is it a banal song, it's offensive.

But word to the wordness about the limited range and high-rotate playlists on radio, even when they're covering "the best of the last three decades". With all those thousands upon thousands of tracks to choose from, you would think they could avoid playing the same few dozen over and over and over...

[hacked2death.livejournal.com]

If you have a digital box of some sort (free to air, or austar), check out Dig radio. The main station has some pretty cool older tunes, and it's ad/DJ free.