In Pittsburgh's radio wars, WRRK (96.9 FM) has traditionally played second fiddle to WDVE in the "rock" category. While both have tweaked their formats over the years, it's pretty safe to say that RRK has traditionally played nothing but "classic rock" -- some 60's, but mostly 70's.
DVE, on the other hand, adds some 80's into the mix, as well as a bit of current -- primarily the less edgy stuff that gets played on sister station "The X." Overall, I'd say DVE plays around 85% "classic rock," with the remaining 15% being either current or stuff from the 90's (with a heavy emphasis on Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc.)
For the past few weeks, RRK has been promising an exciting new format, and yesterday they unveiled it. They're calling it "Rock Without the Rules." Here's the Post-Gazette article explaining what that means.
For those of you who don't want to bother reading the article, the basic gist is that RRK will now be digging deeper into the classic rock archives. Which is good. I'll stand right up and prove myself unhip by saying that while there's stuff I've enjoyed throughout the 90's and the new millenium, I'm a classic rock guy. My favorites are still pretty much as they always were -- Beatles, Neil Young, Stones, etc.
That said, though, "classic rock" radio has worn my patience thin even for some of my favorite music. I turn the dial when "Southern Man" comes on, for instance. Great song, but I've heard it enough for this lifetime. And if I feel that way about one of my favorites, you can imagine how sick I am of classic rock's lesser lights, such as Boston and Foghat and, well, pretty much anything from my high school years.
There's plenty of great music by the "classic" rock artists that never gets heard on radio these days. So I'll admit it, I liked the concept for the new RRK.
Julie and I spent about an hour and 15 minutes in the car last night. Here's a sampling of some of the "deep cuts" we heard:
- Van Halen -- "I'll Wait"
- The Kinks -- "Lola"
- Heart -- "Magic Man"
- Fleetwood Mac -- "Gypsy"
- AC/DC -- "You Shook Me All Night Long" AND "Hell's Bells"
- Chicago -- "25 or 6 to 4"
- Eagles -- "Already Gone" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling"
- The Who -- "Another Tricky Day"
There was more, of course, but tell me -- what out of that lists could even remotely be considered a "deep cut?" Maybe -- MAYBE -- you could consider "Another Tricky Day" to be a bit off the beaten path, but that's it.
Radio's dead, man. I'd be curious to hear from anybody who has satellite radio.
Yeh...sounds similar to what the classic rock stations are trying to do down here lately too...PROMOTE that they are going deep into the vaults...but in reality still playing the same stuff (funny, almost exactly the same stuff you listed, we heard on the way home from the airport the other night!)
I've heard of a new format making its way across country from Seattle they are calling 'Jack' which sounds similar, but will be a total mish-mash of classic rock, MTV-era tunes, and some '90s, mixed in with jazz, newage, world music. Sounds like trying to program like satelitte...which is a word that I can never spell correctly.
Posted by: Joe | January 06, 2005 at 09:18 AM
We have the same frigging problem out here in Arizona, even among the stations that haven't been swallowed by Clear Channel.
An old friend of mine from high school DJ's for the local "classic rock" station here in Tucson - a station that once took it upon itself to proclaim ZZ Top as the city's official "house band". Every time I see him he asks me if I've been listening and I always tell him the same thing: I can't bear to listen to the same damn thing day in and day out. At any rate, it's all become what I like to call "Groundhog Day Radio".
However, I have recently stumbled across an interesting station that's based here in AZ and boasts a commercial-free format with a rather eclectic mix of tunes both old and new. While they do occasionally spin tunes that have been worn the f#$& out on mainstream radio, they also pull relatively obscure stuff out of nowhere and solicit suggestions from listeners on what to add/remove from the play list.
Here's the url if you're curious: http://www.kcdx.com
Take care,
Dave
Posted by: Dave | January 06, 2005 at 09:30 AM
Whoa -- I just took the advice of "Dave" above, and checked out kcdx. Right now, they're playing Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Get Down," and in the past half hour they've played The Knack "Good Girls Don't," a Talking Heads album track, and ELO song that I've never heard, and Jet (the band, not the McCartney song.)
Love it.
I should've mentioned in today's entry that I do enjoy and appreciate WYEP (www.wyep.org), but dammit I wish they'd play something with an electric guitar from time to time. There's only so much Indigo Girls and I can take. And I LIKE Indigo Girls.
Posted by: Bob | January 06, 2005 at 09:46 AM
When they were taking their time promoting the "new" format, RRK mixed things up by playing some Duran Duran, INXS, U2 and other 80's new wave. I thought finally there might be a station that I can stand to listen to without having to change the channel constantly. I should have known better...stupid Julie.
Alas, I shall continue to drive home from work desperately trying to find a decent song but ending up hitting the "seek" button for the entire 40 minute drive. Or just popping in a CD. Sad :-(
Posted by: Julie | January 06, 2005 at 10:01 AM
You should be glad you have classic rock, man. In New York there's only one station and I am starved.
I never thought I'd say it, but I'd kill for some Fog Hat or Boston.
I like the idea of the "deeper cuts"...DVE always claimed they play them, but continued to play the typical sludge.
Anyway...what's my point? Revel in your classic rock...if for no other reason than for those that don't have it!
Cheers,
The Schnupp
Posted by: Pete | January 06, 2005 at 12:54 PM
This is the primary reason I never turn my car radio past WDUQ, and when I get home, I fire up iTunes and either one of my custom playlists (this week it's The Cure) or listen to one of a hojillion internet broadcasts.
Someone needs to find a way to cover the planet with wifi, and then hand out capable iPods to everyone. Boom, terrestrial radio's dead, because now everyone can listen to Groove Salad wherever they happen to go.
Posted by: pointy stick | January 07, 2005 at 07:42 AM
The two people I know who have satelite are loving it so far. Says coworker, "There is one station that plays deep cuts and they are DEEP. They get some really obscure stuff on there." Says my father, "I'll never have to listen to DUQ again!" As an added note, coworker has XM, father has Sirius.
I turn off WYEP when they start to sound too folk/country and pop in a cd. I think I have more cds in my car than my house now.
Posted by: Sarah | January 07, 2005 at 04:09 PM
WYEP drives me crazy because I can't help but think of what it could be. The only time I try to make sure I tune in is for the Soul Show on Saturday afternoons, but that's as much to hear Stephen Chatman ramble on about his mom & his buddies as it is to hear the music. My recent favorite has been KCRW from Santa Monica via iTunes. I also dig hearing the weather forecasts in the mornings on these dark winter days.... '& today it'll be sunny & 65 - 68 at the beaches...' What a life.
Posted by: jet | January 10, 2005 at 02:48 PM
i have been listening to kcdx in arizona for 2years now
95.1 @103.1 fm i hear songs that i have not heard in 20
plus years, old doors and who songs that these classic
stations never play. I will not listen to any other stations.
thanks
Posted by: brad norton | February 01, 2005 at 05:39 PM
On top of all that - now it's BOB. A mishmash of awful music. Bob - the director's name (Robert).
I miss the Classic that WRRK used to play. I remember nights that it was so good it sounded like heaven. In fact, 18 years ago RRK was was a catalist in my getting married. For 16 of those years it was RRK at home, in the car, at work. Now it's just CD's. Pittsburgh badly NEEDS a Classic Rock Station.
Thanks for reading, Steve
Posted by: Steve | February 15, 2006 at 01:08 AM