Pete Seeger (1919-2014): Long Time Passing

Pete Seeger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pete Seeger was not the first troubadour to try and change the world through his little songs, as Kenny Rogers would put it.  But Seeger did back them up by getting out there and supporting causes he believed in--workers' rights, civil rights, war and the environment.  That ended with his death at 94.

Sometimes Seeger's activism got him in trouble, which was true during the 1950s during the Cold War when Senator Joseph McCarthy was seemingly looking for a Communist under every bed.  Seeger's ties to the Communists (which he said he renounced later) earned him a subpoena to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he refused to talk about his activities or give up the names of his associates citing the First Amendment.  That got him convicted for contempt of Congress, but was reversed years later.

Like so many others whose livelihoods were ruined during the McCarthy era, Seeger's commercial career suffered.  The Weavers, with whom Seeger had several hit records including "On Top of Old Smokey" and "Goodnight Irene", found themselves kicked off radio and TV for their leftist views.

While in blacklist exile, there was a revival of folk music in the late 50s-early 60s that competed on the record charts with rock and roll and Perry Como-style pop.  Songs Seeger had either written or co-written were hits for others:  The Kingston Trio's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", Peter, Paul and Mary's "If I Had a Hammer", and the Byrds' "Turn Turn Turn".

Seeger never stopped combining music with activism, whether by helping popularize "We Shall Overcome" during the Civil Rights movement, performing "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" on the Smothers Brothers TV show during the Vietnam War, or marching alongside Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Seeger's successors--Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, among others--have continued to follow his lead and speak truth to power through music.  Which, when you consider today's music scene, makes you wonder who's going to follow them.

Pete Seeger may have written "If I Had a Hammer", but he used his guitar and banjo as if it were one, banging away for justice, freedom and bringing humankind together.  Seeger spent most of his life helping to build a better world, but construction is by no means finished.  It's up to others to finish the job, whether they know how to sing or not.

President Obama, Man of Action

President Barack Obama addresses the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the last real year of effective leadership before settling into lame-duckdom (a point bolstered by the appearance of one of the members of the "Duck Dynasty" clan), President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address to tell Congress and the country that the time for partisan bickering has passed.  It is now his way or the highway.

Obama's status has eroded as the years go by and people start wondering why the economy has been improving by leaps and bounds, but their lives haven't.  Only 43 percent now believe the President is doing a good job.  But three million have now enrolled on the government's health care website, which is not as problem-plagued as it once was.  So that's a plus.

Positioning himself as a man of action, Obama said he would go around Congress if necessary if they do not agree to some of his plans to improve the lot of struggling Americans.  Such as increasing the minimum wage for some government workers, closing the gaps on income inequality and asking the GOP not to refight Obamacare.  Otherwise, it was the usual laundry list of proposals that sound good on paper, but have no realistic chance of getting past a Republican-dominated Congress.

The President was also forceful in his declaration that climate change is a fact, and not just a theory.  Perhaps he was influenced by the national cold wave that was going on, and that snow flurries were flying in Washington as he spoke.  Or that California has yet to have rain this year.

The President also said the country must get off of the war footing that has been more or less permanent since George W. Bush was in office.  In this, the (supposedly) final year of American combat in Afghanistan, Obama said he was reducing his dependence on drones and called on Congress to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison.

But all that was undercut when the President introduced another one of those so-called "wounded warriors" (whose name will go unmentioned here) who sacrificed life and limb in Afghanistan while the rest of the country had long ago checked out of the war, believing that he was making America safe for freedom and democracy when he did nothing of the sort.  For that, he got the biggest applause of the evening from a hero-worshipping House Chamber.

The State of the Union address took more than an hour to deliver, with 15 minutes figured in for applause breaks, according to ABC News.  President Obama did his part.  Now he has to convince Congress, in a midterm election year, that he really meant what he said about using the power of the Presidency for the good of ordinary folks.  Otherwise, all that "man of action" stuff belongs in the comic books. 

The Grammys Go Daft

Discovery (Daft Punk album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 56th Grammy Awards (also known as the CBS Music Awards) ran for nearly three hours and forty-five minutes Sunday night, and in those three hours and forty-five minutes we saw legends and new stars take the stage to perform and sometimes accept trophies.  This year may have been the benchmark for weirdness.

Daft Punk, a French duo with white space helmets who don't say a word, won two of the biggest prizes with "Get Lucky" (a collaboration with Pharrell Williams and others) winning Record of the Year, and "Random Access Memories" collecting Album of the Year.  It fell to Williams to translate for the audience the duo's sincere thanks for those gold-plated ancient-looking gramophones, while the rest of us wondered if the Grammy Awards have finally jumped the shark.

Lorde picked up two trophies for "Royals", including Song of the Year.  We don't know if she has had much experience performing, being 17 years old and all, but her moves during her rendition of the song could be summed up in two words:  Elaine Benes.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who dominated the record charts this past year with "Thrift Shop", were rewarded with being chosen Best New Artist.  They returned the favor by performing "Same Love", an ode to gay marriage, while some couples of several races and sexes tied the knot (symbolically, we suppose) in the audience.  How nice of CBS to schedule this performance outside of prime time. 

Among other things, LL Cool J was once again host of the Grammys.  If it weren't for the fact that he appears on CBS' "NCIS Los Angeles", he wouldn't be hosting as much as he has.

Beyonce and Jay Z performed the opening number "Drunk In Love", if only to demonstrate for the rest of us why they're music's power couple.

Robin Thicke and Chicago shared the stage, eventually getting to his nominated single "Blurred Lines".  If Thicke had any hope of someday replacing Peter Cetera as lead singer, his audition did not go well.

There were several Taylor Swift sightings during the telecast, including the song she performed.  Come on, now.  Do we really need to know what Swift thinks of the proceedings?  Maybe she'll write a song about it.

To redeem the whole thing, out came two surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and two surviving Highwaymen Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson performing in separate segments.  So did Carole King in teaming with Sara Bareilles on "Brave", which is a much better song than some of the ones that did win.

Gorillaz, your agent is calling.

Chris Christie's Bridge to Nowhere

Governor of New Jersey at a town hall in Hillsborough, NJ 3/2/11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having just won a second term as New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie has become enough of a national figure to go on TV talk shows to discuss politics and how he's managing his weight in this obesity-obsessed culture.  Christie has often been mentioned as the Republican front-runner for the White House in 2016, something he hasn't discouraged nor made a move on.

Now Christie's political future is up in the air.  He stands accused of throwing his weight around (sorry) on his political opponents in a manner that reminds some people of Richard Nixon.  It also means the governor is no different than the rest of the Republican Party.

First, Christie allegedly had something to do with a three-day traffic jam last September on the George Washington Bridge, which crosses the New Jersey state line into New York City.  Mark Sokolich, the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, claims it was payback for refusing to support Christie's re-election.  Since then, an aide to the Governor has been fired, and his appointed representative on the Port Authority has resigned.

Second, Dawn Zimmer, who is the Democratic mayor of Hoboken, alleges that her city was denied funds to clean up damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.  She said she refused to support a politically-motivated real estate deal.

Governor Christie has so far responded to this crisis in his leadership the way most other politicians would.  His attempts at damage control consisted of a long, rambling news conference and  a second inaugural speech, in which he basically avoided any mention of the controversy.

If Christie's legal troubles escalate into something more serious, his chances of getting the GOP nomination for President in 2016 are not good.  In that case, the GOP would end up putting some unelectable Tea Party conservative against Democrat Hillary Clinton.  If she runs, that is.  If she doesn't, all bets are off.

If you live in New Jersey and you were stuck in a traffic jam headed for New York, or your house was flooded out by Sandy and you voted for Governor Christie, how do you feel about him now?  Would you still support him?  Or is this just politics as usual?

KTLK: Return of the Prodigal Call Letters

Clear Channel (Photo credit: John Ryan Brubaker)

KTCN, we hardly knew ye.

Clear Channel, the owners of AM 1130 in the Twin Cities, have made another switcheroo on its conservative talk radio station.  First they swapped dial positions with sports talk KFAN (KFXN 100.3 FM).  Now they're getting back their original call letters, which were KTLK when they were on FM.

The opening was created when Clear Channel made some changes in its Los Angeles radio lineup.  The SoCal version of KTLK, which had been running a progressive talk format, shifted to the right with the addition of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity (all syndicated by CC).  They had previously been on KFI, a much larger station wattage-wise compared to their new station.  The name was changed to KEIB, in honor of Limbaugh's "Excellence In Broadcasting" network.

Federal rules permit a broadcaster to use the same set of call letters on the AM and FM bands, but not on two different signals on either band.  This was why KTLK-AM could be used in California and not Minnesota, and why the name on 100.3 is KFXN, but it could still be promoted as 'KFAN'.

Changes like this tend to lead to confusion for listeners and for newspapers that publish radio listings.  Take the Minneapolis Star Tribune, whose staff either must not listen to much radio or they're just plain lazy.  They list 100.3 FM as KFAN instead of KFXN, and 1130 AM as KTL instead of KTCN or KTLK.  They also don't bother to include the call letters of country station KMNB at 102.9 FM.  Instead, they name it "BUZN".

Other than the name change, it's mostly business as usual at "Twin Cities News Talk".  Rush, Sean, Glenn and Jason Lewis are all still there, along with the overnight radio shows that deal in conspiracy theories and the paranormal.  (Who knew conservatives were interested in that?)  Missing is former Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who co-hosted a morning drive show until he decided to dive back into politics.  He's currently running for Michele Bachmann's seat in the Sixth Congressional District.

There is also a progressive talk station in Blue State Minnesota called KTNF (AM 950), which is now part of a dying breed.  In the last few months, the format is no longer heard in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and other places.  They were replaced by either sports or more conservative talk.  The excuse is that such stations get zero ratings, and that NPR is all what liberals listen to.  The truth is that such stations would have been better able to succeed if they had access to the same strong signals that conservative stations do, and if they had someone like their version of Rush Limbaugh to drive ratings.

Here's another truth:  As we enter 2014 with the midterm elections a few months away, the ratings for talk radio on both sides of the political spectrum have been going down.  Because listeners are no longer interested in hearing some fire-breather rant about the shortcomings of President Obama and Congress, or about life in America in general.  (You could also say that about blogs like this one.) New technologies have made it possible to download programs with more intelligent and respectful conversation.  That way it won't matter what companies like Clear Channel or Cumulus do to turn its zillions of stations into money-making political propaganda platforms, no matter what they choose to brand them with.

The Everly Brothers: No More Harmony

Publicity photo of the Everly Brothers. Their television show was a summer replacement for Johnny Cash's. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you think of how rock and roll music began in the 1950s, you think of the pioneers:  Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others.  When you think of an act whose songs and sound have influenced so many in rock and country from the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel to the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, the one most often mentioned were Don and Phil Everly.  The Everly Brothers.

Born into a family of musicians, the Everlys started out as country troubadours singing their high harmonies on stage and on radio.  The hits came when they started combining their rockabilly sound with made-for-Top 40 radio lyrics of teenage lament.  Most of them became classics:  "Bye Bye Love", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", "Cathy's Clown", "Wake Up Little Susie", and countless others.

With the hits came success for the Everlys.  Changing record labels.  Touring around the world.  Many TV appearances, including a 1970 variety series on ABC which was a summertime replacement for "The Johnny Cash Show".  This did not always go down so well between the brothers, especially when their careers were in decline and the hits stopped coming.  They've had drug problems.  They've also been known to storm off the stage at concerts, only to be coaxed back together later on.

Then the accolades started coming for the Everlys.  They were one of the first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.  They were also recipients of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award, though they've never won the real thing during their careers.

The Everly Brothers act is no more.  Phil died of a form of cardiovascular disease caused, some say, by his smoking.  He was 74.  Don is 76.

The Everlys' influence continues today in a recent album of covers sung by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Norah Jones.  And it may continue to influence and inspire musicians for as long as there is music.  Just like Elvis, Buddy, Chuck and Jerry Lee.

An Evening With Al Malmberg, or How To Survive a Power Outage in Below-Zero Weather

English: WCCO Radio Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It was the night before the night before New Year's at around 10:15 p.m., and our entire neighborhood was plunged into a sudden darkness.  This has happened a couple of times before in the past year:  trees knocked down a power line after a big storm in June, causing the loss of power for days.  And a speeding car crashed into a pole on a nearby county road that killed its occupant.  An Afghan war veteran, we're told.

Power outages in the summer are one thing.  In the winter, it's quite another.  On this occasion, the temperature was dropping below zero.  With no heat in the house, things can get cold quick.  Dangerously quick.  In Minnesota, heat and power are not taken for granted.

The local energy utility was notified, and the automated female voice assured us that power would return shortly after 1 a.m.

In emergencies such as this, those of us without access to smartphones reach for their battery-operated radios for reassurance that this wasn't part of some worldwide calamity.  In Minnesota, that means tuning into WCCO (AM 830), the 50,000-watt blowtorch people used to tune to simply out of habit.

On this night, Steve Thomas was whining about the bad call that cost the Minnesota Timberwolves in the last seconds of a close NBA game with the Dallas Mavericks, a game which just happened to have been broadcast earlier on WCCO.

On the 11 p.m. CBS Radio News, the lead story was about a North Dakota town that had to be evacuated because of a nearby gas explosion.  On the pre-taped local news that followed, there was no mention of our local blackout.  But there was more stuff about the explosion, the firing of Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and the frigid temperatures.

Then it was time for Al Malmberg, a longtime Twin Cities radio veteran who returned to WCCO only a couple of weeks earlier.  Malmberg had been a popular late night host for years before the station wielded the budget ax and whacked him, to be replaced with a syndicated show called "Overnight America".

Tom Mischke, who had transferred his quirky show from KSTP (AM 1500) to 'CCO's clear-channel signal, held the late night slot for a few years until his sudden departure last summer.  That paved the way for Malmberg's return, in which he now has the 11-to-2 a.m. period

On this night, which Malmberg designated for open lines, the main topic was the Vikings and their decision to fire Frazier--a topic which had already been worked over all day on other stations.  He got his share of callers for that topic, along with the well-wishers who welcomed him back on the air.

There was one glitch in the proceedings when Malmberg tried to hurry off a caller before the midnight network news break, except that he was five minutes too early.

This is what late night radio used to be about before Larry King and, more recently, "Coast to Coast AM" and "Red Eye Radio" took over the AM airwaves.  The sameness of programming may be good for the station's profits, but it sure kills variety for everybody else.

After two hours of this, I prepared to go to sleep in a darkened bedroom with two blankets on, having become skeptical that the energy company's version of Siri was right about the power coming back on soon.  Then it did, twenty minutes later than "she" predicted.  After resetting some clocks, the vigil was over.  The blankets are still needed, but the heat will be back up to speed by morning.

There are a couple of lessons to take from this black evening:  With all the technology in the world, radio is still there when you need it.  Also, never doubt a computerized female voice from the energy company.

UPDATE:  In a recorded phone message I got from the power company two weeks later, they said that two thousand customers were affected by the lights going out that night.  The problem was a mechanical malfunction at the plant.  So it wasn't Homer Simpson goofing off again?