Now that I have a CD player in the car, the temptation to listen to anything on the radio is completely gone, but last night the CD in the player ended and I didn’t want to listen to it again, so I popped on the radio, for old time’s sake. The station in question is “The Planet”: 107.1 FM. It’s run, mostly, by people at the University here.
And it sucks. Oh does it suck.
And what do you know, just as I turn it on, they’re playing Pearl Jam. “Yellow Ledbetter” or something.
Apparently whoever owns the Planet was pulled out of a burning building by Eddie Vedder. You cannot go three hours without hearing one of five different Pearl Jam songs, none of them less than five years old. When they’re not playing Pearl Jam, it’s Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, or something else from 1993. Hell, they’re still playing that “Cumbersome” song by Seven Mary Three from what, 1994? A band whose only claim to fame is a song that sounds kind of like Pearl Jam?
Care to join us in the new decade, Planet? You’re all about the “modern rock” and “new Planet music” but most of your playlist is still stuck in the Age of Flannel.
Fortunately, your problem is not my problem. A new CD sits in my player and I don’t have to listen to you anymore. Come August I move to Massachusetts and then there’s not a chance I’ll even accidentally listen to your crappy station. Other will have to suffer your complete lack of imagination. In an era that’s pretty exciting for new music, you’re playing the same crap most people got sick of seven years ago. Enjoy!
That station doesn’t sound too bad to me. You said that this is “an era that’s pretty exciting for new music,” but I have to disagree. I find myself listening to more older stuff because I’m sick and tired of bands like Disturbed and Godsmack getting overplayed. Especially Godsmack, or as I refer to them, “that AiC cover band that made it big.”
Well, you have a point about the current era, I suppose. But is the solution non-stop Pearl Jam and anyone else that sounds remotely like them? “Alive” yet again? Yawn.
Holy shit – you’re in Champaign, IL. I graduated and left about a year and a half ago. I still have the Planet playlist burned into my brain. Every time I happen to hear one of the twelve songs they play over and over again (and it’s rare, because no one else plays those songs anymore), I get sort of twitchy with recognition. It’s like they set up the playlist in 1997, turned the auto-shuffle on, and moved away.
Sadly, that’s the only “modern” station there, so you’re screwed until August. At least you’re leaving though. The advantage of having listened to the Planet for six years is that most other radio stations seem really good by comparison.
Count your blessings, man. I always take CDs to the gym with me because the local radio selection is so abysmal, but whenever I flip the stero back to the radio when I’m leaving I swear they’re playing the same damn Creed song. Although it may just be that every Creed song sounds exactly the same. It’s definitely Creed, though. And aside from that particular station, the only real choice is between Country and Western.
I’d take Pearl Jam over that any day of the week, but then again I love Pearl Jam. And I still wear flannel. I figure if I hold out for another decade or so it’s bound to come back in as retro. If there were a Planet of Pearl Jam I’d be brushing up on my calculus and trying to qualify for the space program.
Something I should point out: I don’t hate Pearl Jam. At least, I didn’t used to. I think Ten is a fantastic album. I got nothing against them. But I think that even the most ardent Pearl Jam fan would have been driven to madness by now by this radio station.
What’s funny is that Giraffe knows how it is, and we have not met each other until this moment, isn’t that true, sir? Everyone in town knows the Planet is all-1993, all the time. Everyone jokes about it. And yet the station denies it.
What’s also funny is that, despite their obsession with Pearl Jam, they still only play the same six songs of theirs over and over. Nothing from any of the more recent albums.
Similar problem. Small town, the only radio stations are a “modern pop” and a country. The halfway decent rock station is 90 air miles away, and you’re lucky if the two or three locals aren’t walking all over the signal.
The fix- unfortunately not cheap- is to pick up an MP3-compatible CD player, and burn yourself a mix disc. (Yes, I own all my original CDs, this isn’t a piracy issue. )
Stuff about eighty songs on a disc and just let it play on “shuffle”. It’s like commercial-free radio.
This isn’t a Clear Channel station is it? Because if it is, it’s likely followed standard Clear Channel procedure and shrunk its playlist down to feature only Pearl Jam’s six most popular songs. The same thing is done to the other artists the station plays. Thus, lesser-known cuts and recent material gets the short shift. This happens regardless of artist or format.
Of course, this practice isn’t just limited to Clear Channel stations but they own so many stations that what they do influences all of radio.
Regardless of the merits of the Pearl Jam oeuvre, Eddie Vedder has a special place reserved in that circle of hell created for people who make über-shitty covers of Beatles songs.
Ok, I’ll admit it. I am a huge Pearl Jam fan. And yes, there can be times when there is too much Pearl Jam. But for the love of Og, man. At least it’s not 96Wave, Charleston’s Only All-Creed-All-The-Time station. (AKA Charleston’s Best Rock. Best, my ass!) At least twice every hour, they play a Creed song. Doesn’t matter if it’s old or new. I swear, Scott Stapp must own part of the radio station, or something.
It’s a Creed conspiracy, I tell you. Thank goodness for cd players.
Not that it matters much…but it’s: “Thoughts arise like butterflies” (from the Ten songbook)
To me, there are five rock bands that stand above everyone else. Those five bands are the bands by which I judge all other Rock. These are either bands who have stood the test of time or simply made a great statement: The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, Blind Melon, The Who, and Pearl Jam.
I guess the only difference is the artist…around here we get nothing but non-stop Metallica and Zepplin (two bands I just can’t stand).
btw…I typed that just as I’m listening to my entire Pearl Jam collection on random. I guess I’m just a bit pshyched for my third row seats for the upcoming Pearl Jam show in a couple of months. YEAH, BABY!!! IT’S PEARL JAM!!!.
I haven’t been this pshyched for a concert since I saw Guns n’ Roses back in '93.
Yeah, I like Pearl Jam et al, but radio stuck in the past sucks no matter what they play. Except maybe 80s/90s indie rock and hip hop. But I doubt that there are any radio stations playing that. And they’d have to have a pretty big range.
What do you like? What sort of stuff are you into?
wow, apparently I am just not aware of the huge contribution Pearl Jam has made to music. For some reason I thought people mumbled and growled in front of guitars before they came along, but I suppose not.
But yeah. You name the band - the Beatles, Stones, Pearl Jam, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - no matter what it is, playing it into the ground will ruin it. Especially if you’re trying to pretend you’re on the cutting edge of music.
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