Wednesday, July 15, 2009
WBCN: I still miss it
Dan’s right: The glory days of ‘BCN were long over before yesterday’s not-so-stunning announcement that CBS is phasing out music at the legendary station. Except for Patriots games, I rarely go out of my way to listen to ‘BCN these days. It’s just another rock-format station. But here’s the odd thing: All these years after ‘BCN lost its luster, I still miss it. I came of age with the Neighborhoods, Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, the Nervous Eaters, Robin Lane & the Chartbusters, etc. Mass. Ave. is still one of my favorite CDs. It was all about Boston: the bands, the clubs, the disc jockeys, ‘BCN.
To this day, I still have the mailed, hand-written responses from the jocks at ‘BCN, after I wrote them a scathing letter, as a young fan in the early ‘80s, criticizing them for playing ‘Dust in the Wind’ or ‘Carry on My Wayward Son’ by Kansas (I forget which song bugged me more at the time). I must have touched a nerve, for their quick and effusive responses indicated a sense of excited relief, as if they had been debating the same issue at the station and letters like mine were being used as counter-offensive ammo against the conventional-format beancounters. The DJs at ‘BCN were usually older than their listeners, but they got it: they made the transition from the late ‘60s Cream to the late ‘70s Sex Pistols, leapfrogging over most everything else in between (thus my shock when I heard Kansas played) and promoting local punk/new-wave bands with pride. The late ‘70s and most of the ‘80s were golden years for local musicians, band groupies, club owners, ‘BCN, etc. I guess you can say I just miss my youth. But I still occasionally hear young music fans bemoaning how they don’t have an era like we did a few decades back, so I’m not being that nostalgic.
Dan’s right: The glory days of ‘BCN were long over before yesterday’s not-so-stunning announcement that CBS is phasing out music at the legendary station. Except for Patriots games, I rarely go out of my way to listen to ‘BCN these days. It’s just another rock-format station. But here’s the odd thing: All these years after ‘BCN lost its luster, I still miss it. I came of age with the Neighborhoods, Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, the Nervous Eaters, Robin Lane & the Chartbusters, etc. Mass. Ave. is still one of my favorite CDs. It was all about Boston: the bands, the clubs, the disc jockeys, ‘BCN.
To this day, I still have the mailed, hand-written responses from the jocks at ‘BCN, after I wrote them a scathing letter, as a young fan in the early ‘80s, criticizing them for playing ‘Dust in the Wind’ or ‘Carry on My Wayward Son’ by Kansas (I forget which song bugged me more at the time). I must have touched a nerve, for their quick and effusive responses indicated a sense of excited relief, as if they had been debating the same issue at the station and letters like mine were being used as counter-offensive ammo against the conventional-format beancounters. The DJs at ‘BCN were usually older than their listeners, but they got it: they made the transition from the late ‘60s Cream to the late ‘70s Sex Pistols, leapfrogging over most everything else in between (thus my shock when I heard Kansas played) and promoting local punk/new-wave bands with pride. The late ‘70s and most of the ‘80s were golden years for local musicians, band groupies, club owners, ‘BCN, etc. I guess you can say I just miss my youth. But I still occasionally hear young music fans bemoaning how they don’t have an era like we did a few decades back, so I’m not being that nostalgic.
