Radio Flashback: Laid Back and Mellow

YZ Reunion 2011

It was a radio format that kept talk to a minimum, yet it had people talking throughout Connecticut and beyond.   I was part of a group of WWYZ alumni who got together this past weekend to mark the 35th anniversary of "YZ the Natural 92 FM".   As the summer of 1976 began, Gilmore Broadcasting's WWYZ 92.5 dropped its failing easy listening instrumental format for a mellow, soft rock sound unique to the area.   By the time I arrived there at the start of 1978, YZ had already caught on, filling a big void in the market.   It was the creation of Program Director Bob Craig, who made a case for the new mellow sound based on what was being played on the old WKTU/New York and WEEI-FM/Boston. Many people in the business feel YZ actually ended up doing it better.   Bob's imprint was all over the Natural 92. He had a clear idea of what he did and didn't want.   He programmed the music cut by cut - something still rare in the seventies. I've heard the format described as "The Three L's: songs of life, love and loneliness."  Women especially loved it.   Bob left in 1979 for Philadelphia, and the eighties saw a decline in ratings as times were changing.   Most of us moved on, with many developing impressive resumes, but the first song ever aired on YZ summed up what that mellow era really meant to me. It was "Friends" by Elton John... "If your friends are there then everything's all right."   They were there then, and they still are.

He Made A Good Thing Better

Bruce Springsteen called his E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons the "Big Man."   Clemons died this past weekend at age 69 from complications of a stroke.   Their collaboration went back to 1971, several years before my college roommate from New Jersey introduced me to Springsteen's music.   Even with all of what went into "Born To Run," it would be impossible to imagine this song without the sax.  For all the energy Springsteen and his entourage put into a live performance, concerts will not be the same without the presence of the "Big Man."   His accomplishments outside of the E Street Band were just as amazing with an A-list of artists.  Jackson Browne gave him equal billing on one of his hits.   Aretha Franklin's comeback on the eighties charts was punctuated and made that much sweeter by Clemons' sax on "Freeway Of Love."   The most impressive part to this story is the 40-year association Springsteen and Clemons had.   The Beatles were together for less than 12 years.   Many other bands made it obvious they were just staying together for the money.   These two absolutely loved working together at their craft for decades, and their audience knew it.   As deferential as Springsteen was to his band, the "Big Man" stood out.   That's no small task working next to a rock superstar.

Weiner Fatigue

Representative Anthony Weiner

There are a lot more people who'd rather be an Oscar Mayer Wiener than New York Congressman Anthony Weiner right now.  You've probably been exposed to the late night jokes, seen some of the trashiest tabloid headlines ever and watched TV talking heads take a big detour away from real political issues so they could weigh in on the "Weinergate" sexting scandal.   Although he still has some support in his home district, many colleagues on Capitol Hill and even President Obama have said he should resign.  At first I bought into the contention of some MSNBC commentators protesting the unfairness of it all when some very self righteous Republican lawmakers who have broken more than marital vows were not subject to the same condemnation by their peers.  While they have a point, the childishness of that argument dawned on me.  How about holding ourselves to a higher level?   The fact that many Democrats called on Weiner to step down may be an overdue step in the right direction.  I know we've been made to think politics and ethics are like oil and water.  Thankfully, his own party members have not kept silent.   Weiner should not stick it out... sorry, it's hard not to go there.  Now that his wife's back from overseas, he's got some explaining to do to the Mrs. while resigning and ending this national distraction. 
UPDATE 6/16:  Congressman Weiner announced his resignation today at a press conference amid a media circus that made me think the real distraction was more due to media excesses than whatever Weiner had done.   Why was a plant from the Howard Stern Show allowed to disrupt things? 

Grocery Store Competition Tightens in Lisbon

ALDI Food Market in Lisbon

The new ALDI Food Market opened last month in the Crossing At Lisbon.  Bring a quarter to unlock a shopping cart (it's refundable!), some bags to save on buying them there and prepare to bag what you buy.  Many packages may look familiar, but the store brands on them may not ring a bell.  You will also notice less selection by brand name.  Unlike a few big box stores surrounding it - like the newly opened Lowe's Home Improvement store and the Target in the same plaza - the new Lisbon ALDI has a smaller footprint on the landscape.   All of this saves them on overhead costs, but your grocery bill may be a pleasant relief from the skyrocketing food prices we have seen over the past few years.  ALDI has stores in 31 states, including two other ones in eastern Connecticut.  You may have already visited them in North Windham or Dayville.  I noticed ALDI's store brand of chewy fiber bars looking very much like the Fiber One brand I bought somewhere else.  They tasted the same and were much cheaper.  That was my experience with many of their products, although I've never found a store brand anywhere as good as General Mills' Honey Nut Cheerios.   Will ALDI replace all the other grocery stores?   I doubt it.  There are times when shoppers want more variety and selection, but there is no doubt the ALDI model has found a successful niche.

Wild Weather Close to Home

My brother had interesting timing tonight, returning from an extended leave to his job as a police officer in Agawam, Massachusetts.  No sooner had he reported for the second shift when word came of a tornado warning.  He could see the funnel cloud clearly as it raced from Westfield through West Springfield before making its way over the Connecticut River to Springfield.   The video of the river being churned up, plus the tornado's proximity to the Memorial Bridge, guaranteed that this would go viral.   The storms seemed to follow the Mass Pike from west to east while skirting the Connecticut border.   This grabbed national headlines partly because the area is not normally known for tornado outbreaks.  It wasn't just one tornado either.  Four are reported dead with reports of several twisters.  Eastern Connecticut had it relatively easy with more regular thunderstorms and some hail.   Now that we are officially out of tornado season and into hurricane season, I can't help but wonder whether this unsettled weather pattern will show any signs of stopping.