Go 'BOS...

["Bill O'Neill" <billo@erols.com>]

File under:  If I like it, am I jinxing it?  Or, "What, O'Neill is
going positive?  Stop your nursing!"

Still _really_ enjoying WBOS in the office.  It would appear that they
have reinvented the sound that made them different early in their
sound (before Triple A was hip).  (In the lunch hour)  C. Crow's
Leaving Las Vegas into P. Collins' "Something in the Air Tonight..."
Intentional or otherwise, some good (dare I describe it as) segues?
Not just for the sound but for the film references.  Then into REM,
"Frequency".  The jocks are no longer reaching, overacting.  Slogans
are not distracting, more descriptive of what they are doing, versus
what they WILL do.  Oh, and very listenable backsells of the set.
Then back to another set without spots.  J. Browne's unburnable
rendition of William's "Stay".  The minimal processing obvious even on
the $.02 Realistic table radio.

I think that may hit on what peeves me about 'liners'.  Everyone feels
they have to have them.  But liners should reinforce what already IS,
and be no surprise to the listener who realizes that what is sold is
not what is really there.  I don't want liners that _tell_ me (or even
suggest to me) what to do, e.g., "lock us in.  listen to us.  tell a
friend...."  I prefer logically placed references to what is obviously
going on.  But, to do that, stations have to actually be in touch with
what it is that they are doing versus what they aim to do or what the
format kit or research report promises.

AM drive at 'BOS.  Robyn Young is great.  The two guys ("Young & the
Restless" tongue in cheek moniker) could become too visible.  The guys
are talented and can add just enough, but I'd be careful not to go too
much into the team approach.  Likely goes to the concern that 'BOS has
never been a morning winner when it replicated the rest of the day in
AM drive, avoiding the "Everybody grab a mic and have fun" approach.
(But, I may be jumping the gun a bit on that.)  Ironically, I always
hoped that Ken Shelton, former AM drive guy, could have shown more of
his remarkable talent in the morning at 'BOS!  So, I'm on the fence
with this one.

Bill O'Neill

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