This letter is in response to the November 11 issue, in particular, the letter from Anthony Parrish, "Thundering at the Buzzard." I have to start and say this guy's a freak. How dare you knock something that's free?
The radio is full of choices of what and whom you can tune to. Why waste your breath knocking something that you said you never liked from day one? Who cares? Just flip the channel!
You've got to remember that we're not actually "consumers" of radio. Advertisers are the true consumers. Radio is a free service to you the listener. If you don't like something on a particular channel, let the management know. If they blow you off, so be it. To them, it is a business, and they need advertisers to make a profit. Let them do whatever they want. Who cares? We've got plenty of good, quality music programming here in the Cleveland area.
Don't waste your time bitching about things--just flip around, find what you like, and rock on.
Jack M. Maiher
Euclid
PS: Great publication--keep up the good work!
The Real Joke
I just read a letter from Anthony Parrish of Shaker Heights who longed for the great days of radio station M105, which he said played "all sorts of new stuff." Of all the letters printed over the past twenty years regarding radio in Cleveland, this is, by far, the most ridiculous thing that's ever been written.
I worked at M105 as an intern for part of their history. At the same time, I was a fan of many local rock bands such as Love Affair, the Generators, Wild Horses, et cetera. All of these groups were played on WMMS. None was ever played on M105. As a matter of fact, I don't remember M105 playing a single independent record, never mind a local band!
WMMS was constantly breaking new bands, while we sat there at M105 playing nothing but Queen and Journey with lightweight jocks endlessly repeating "the home of continuous music." Make no mistake; WMMS played a ton of those corporate bands, too. But WMMS was the station that at least slipped in a few independent records and local groups, conducted interviews, and had DJs that seemed to know the music. Some of the M105 jocks were constantly asking me the most basic questions about some of the records.
I'm not saying that WMMS was the greatest station in the world. Over the past ten to twelve years it has been outright awful. But M105 was a joke from start to finish.
Allen Barnes
Cleveland
More Love From Our Valued ReadersI've been a reader of the Cleveland Scene for several years, and I was really disappointed to see the new format. We don't need another Free Times! The information you provide is already given in other papers. It's repetitious and doesn't reflect what Scene does best: cover music.
The new logo isn't nearly as distinctive--a vain attempt to look modern.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Bring back the old Scene!
Andrea Strnad
Cleveland
We Even Know Who John Rutsey Ia
Thanks so much for including some coverage about the new Rush album, Different Stages. Hopefully you'll get a review for the album in next week's edition. If a band can stick around for such a long time, you know there must be a reason, and I think it's wonderful when they get the recognition that they deserve in the media. It is all the more fitting that Scene, being Cleveland based, helps bring recognition to Rush since, for all intents and purposes, Rush owes its beginnings to our wonderful city. Thanks again for featuring Rush in Scene!
Ketan Deoras
Akron
Rush + Web = Satisfaction
This is just a thank you for the interview with Geddy Lee of Rush. It was a well-written article that I was able to read on the Internet, which equals two big pluses in my book.
Brent Tuttle
Marquette, Michigan
Decent Dudes, Hall of Fame Music
Twenty-five years ago--yes, it has been that long--I had the privilege of getting Rush's career going while I was music director at WMMS. What still amazes me is that even after all this time, these guys have not changed one iota. They may be wealthier, but even now, they still are the same down-to-earth and decent human beings they were when I first met them. Thanks to the Scene for giving a great rock band some much-deserved publicity. Now, if only the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would induct them!
Donna Halper
Boston, Massachusetts
