Talk Trax

It used to be that talk radio was just that - all talk at first, then gradually expanding to include mindless musical bridges between segments, with equally forgettable commercial “background”music But, these days, music is a key part of the message.

I experienced it first hand one late night trapped in my car with only AM radio for solace needing stimulation to stay alert, when the tinny speakers abruptly vibrated with a cascade of :”metal” chords, truly a rarity in the domain of talk. Rather than Metallica intoning: “Now I lay me down to sleep…”, the next voice was that of talkmeister Michael Savage - The Savage Nation, making me wonder if the intent was to imply that headbangers liked the show, or if it was just an attention getter. It turned out to be the tip of the proverbial iceberg.. 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.

Rush Limbaugh seems to be addicted to 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.

The level of sophistication is getting more and more cutting edge. During a sports talk show last week, I heard the opening to Led Zep's "Travelling Riverside Blues", James Brown grunts, the extended Keith Richards riff from “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?”, more Tom Petty riffs, as well as the opening to “It’s a Long Way…” by AC/DC, which always makes yours truly dance around the room playing air bagpipes.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, and "Starry Starry Night" by Don Mclean.I've concluded that there's only one viable lead in to the nightly news - "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations..