Last comment on KMAX, I promise.

[athelind]

Really, it is. I've given this radio station changeover more LJ attention in the last few days than I usually give global warming, civil rights, world hunger, or the latest big comic crossover.

However, two things come to mind:

---

Yes, KMAX was the only station in the area with that kind of eclectic music mix -- but what really hurts is losing "J.J. Maxwell", the entirely-fictional mascot who "ran the station". He was portrayed as this charming old fuddy-duddy who'd Been Around, there in the background of rock history like Forrest Gump. He'd just pop on to blather during the station breaks, dropping names and talking about old times, but he was amusing and likable and, in his own way, as entertaining as the music -- the moreso because his bits were so brief.

You know the Rush song, "The Spirit of Radio"? It opens with the words, "Begin the day with a friendly voice/A companion unobtrusive..."

That was "Max".

It's silly, but it's like losing a friend.

A friend who'd stolen my CD collection to play on the radio.

---

My car radio is now tuned back to K-Fox (KUFX 98.5), which plays "Classic Rock". It lacks the variety and the edge of "'70s, '80s, or whatever we feel like", and if I called and requested Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)", they'd probably ask me if I meant David Bowie's "Space Oddity", but it falls into the envied position of "sucks least" on the radio dial.

For years now, KUFX's morning DJ has been Greg Kihn, the one-hit wonder who gave us (and Weird Al) the hit single "Jeopardy". Kihn used to be really entertaining -- he was just big enough that he knows everyone in the rock world, and when he doesn't have guests and phone interviews, he's full of name-dropping anecdotes about the business.

A few years ago, though, he lileksed into The Crotchety Old Crank, waving his guitar and shouting at the neighborhood kids to get offa his damned lawn. He hasn't been too bad the last couple of days, so maybe it was just a phase.

As I was listening to him in the car yesterday, though, I realized something.

..."J.J. Maxwell" was a Greg Kihn parody.

Requiem in pace, Max. We hardly knew ye.

(Update: J.J. Maxwell was voiced by actor John O'Hurley. I now know where to send fan mail.)

Comments

[cpxbrex.livejournal.com]

The only thing that confuses me is that there are people who still listen to the radio, hehe.

[araquan.livejournal.com]

Well, not everyone feels like paying for XM/Sirius or dragging along a MP3 player- or even necessarily having one of those at all.

Personally, I like my music collection when I'm at home, and the ability I have to pull out something when I want it and play it at my convenience... But it's not worth the hassle to me to bring a player along in the car on short trips, and on long trips I tend to get bored with my own music fairly quickly- even if I have a lot of it handy. Radio- with a decent station anyway- provides me with stuff I like and might own, but also stuff I like but might not have bought for whatever reason. Even when I can't find a station I actually like (say, well between major cities where there's nothing but Country) there's some value. The irritation factor helps keep me awake. };>

As for long trips when I'm not driving... Well, that's what the laptop is for...

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Araquan got it exactly.

On top of that, I like hearing local news on the hour and half-hour -- I certainly don't watch TV news, nor read the fishwrap they sell around here. Traffic reports are nice, too.

Most importantly for me, though, is the pleasant sense of community when you listen to the radio. When you're listening to your own music collection, yeah, you hear songs you like. Yay, big whoop -- you SHOULD like it, you PICKED it.

When you hear a song you like on the radio, yay, it's a song you like -- and someone else likes it too. That's cool! And even if they aren't in the car with you, you know that there are a lot of other people around, listening to it at exactly the same time -- quite possibly right there on the same highway. That's really cool.

[stalbon.livejournal.com]

I know what it's like to lose a good radio station. I'm more a fan of modern stuff, but not always in the mood for hard rock or what have you. So aside from my usual station (105.7 The Point), there was also 101.1 The River which played a mixture of everything modern, save rap and truly hard rock. So it was something I could turn to and pretty much enjoy any time of the day. At the beginning of...what was it, December?...I turned there...and they were playing an old hit from the 80's, and so was the next song. I then found out a few days later that the station had changed hands apparently, and now played only the 'fun tunes' from the 70's and 80's, along with a mixture of heavily-black-influenced music. Since that is a complete departure from what I enjoyed, I have not turned back to 101.1 since. Bleh.

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, "1st Wave" on Sirius would probably suit you. I know it's closer to my musical tastes than anything on broadcast radio.

Of course, that requires getting Sirius. But there you have it.

Meanwhile, check out Pandora.

-TG

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Siriusly?

[haystack.livejournal.com]

Pandora rocks. I've been seeing mentions of it in a friend's LJ, but didn't realize it was an internet radio station! I was under the impression that it was a band.

This is pretty awesome for someone like me, who has fairly wide musical tastes... I can make up stations to suit the moment's mood, and they'll only get better with time, it seems. Thanks!

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I can't seem to get it to work.

[haystack.livejournal.com]

What OS and browser are you using?

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Windows XP Pro and Firefox.

It insists that I need to reinstall Flash.

[haystack.livejournal.com]

Firefox is a supported browser, according to the Pandora FAQ.

The FAQ also notes that you may need to reinstall Flash even if you have the most current version installed, though it doesn't explain why.

[shdragon.livejournal.com]

Max still exists, just not in the bay area. His voice was/is on 106.5 in St. Louis, which is the StL version of the "70s, 80s and whatever we want" station.

The stations still exist, just not here anymore. :(

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Apparently, he's also the mascot "owner" of WBEN in Philly, too.

So it's not like he's DEAD -- he's just moved outta town.

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

You've been talking about MAX!?!?!?!?! I missed that. It was the only music station I listened to (other than KDFC - classical)!! I had no idea it was going away. Sheesh.

Before it was Max, it was country, and was still the only radio music station I listened to.

Sigh. I guess we just don't buy enough to be considered an audience.

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

I just looked it up and they're going country. "Modern" country. Okay, I'll give it a listen, then remove it from my set button list.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Like I said, Redneck Rap. Strange stuff.

[thoughtsdriftby.livejournal.com]

Greg Kihn is usually good unless he gets on a political rant, he will cite however being a two and a-half hit wonder (and a crotchety old crank). One of the few not dead and outside a rehab house. Knowing where more than a few are now but most can't complete a sentence very well.