All Talk

The insertion of popular music riffs into radio talk shows seems to be increasing beyond the few examples I mentioned a year ago in relation to Michael Savage, Sean Hannity and the rest. After all, those music bites were relatively predictable heavy metal chords, destined to straighten the listener's spine just in time for the host's next diatribe, but the repertoire has widened considerably. For example:

Rush Limbaugh seems to be hung up on one Pretenders' riff - the opening to "My City Was Gone" - since it plays ad nauseum throughout his show, making me wonder what Chrissie Hynde would think. He also likes to throw in the baby boomer anthem - Mick Jagger pointing out that "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" - which in Rush's case, probably applies to his view of the Obama administration.

Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" has cropped up repeatedly apparently in relation to ongoing political campaigns, while "Rock the Boat (Vote)" by the Hues Corporation is the prevalent theme on one prominent Boston station relative to those pesky mid terms.

A Providence based talkfest routinely resurrects Ronnie James Dio and Triumph while occasionally kicking back and surrendering to Foghat's "Slow Ride", a ditty guaranteed to make yours truly scream at the top of his lungs: "TAKE IT EEEEE -ZZZEEE!" even in a traffic jam.

During a sports talk show last week, I heard the opening to Led Zep's "Travelling Riverside Blues", several cleverly inserted James Brown grunts, and more Tom Petty riffs. A promo for another station has a brief snatch of a Chuck Berry ditty.

Not to be outdone - I've noticed - is the inclusion of rock and blues on TV programming. The History Channel is promoting IRT: Deadliest Roads with Aerosmith's "Living On The Edge", while another one of it's programs - Pawn Stars - has a soundtrack that is a steady stream of blues and rock instrumentals. I was surprised the other night to hear Howlin Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnihg" all over a car commercial - innovative, but it didn't give me the same chill down my spine as the use of Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child" a couple of years back in a Nissan Xterra spot.

I predict the next musical invasion of the media will crop up during newscasts. For example, lead ins to homicide stories might use Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", arson stories with the Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House" or "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, business news could be dramatized with "Money" by the O'Jays, and there would be numerous choices for the weather - "Rain" and "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles, "Blowing in the Wind" from Bob Dylan, "Starry Starry Night" by Don Mclean,not to mention dozens of lesser known blues/soul/rock n roll tunes - Muddy Waters' "40 Days and 40 Nights" and "Flood Down in Texas" by Fenton Robinson just to name two of them.

Luckily, I've concluded that, as far as "music with a message" is concerned, that there's only one viable lead in to the nightly news - "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations because their lyrics are succinct: "Ball of confusion -that's what the world is today!".