4.49

5

Aug 31, 2014

This isn't just the story of a beloved radio station and its over the top personalities, it's the saga of the rise and fall of talent centered broadcasting. The moment that stockholders got a hold of WBCN was the moment that everything we loved about it went away. Not only was this a fascinating read dealing to the rise of Boston college and mainstream radio, it was a great commentary on what we think we value in entertainment. Charles, Ken, Oedipus, Carter, Steven, Bradley, Tank, Chachi, This isn't just the story of a beloved radio station and its over the top personalities, it's the saga of the rise and fall of talent centered broadcasting. The moment that stockholders got a hold of WBCN was the moment that everything we loved about it went away. Not only was this a fascinating read dealing to the rise of Boston college and mainstream radio, it was a great commentary on what we think we value in entertainment. Charles, Ken, Oedipus, Carter, Steven, Bradley, Tank, Chachi, Juanita, and too many more to name.... Miss you more than I can say. ...more

4

Nov 14, 2013

This book is Carter Alan's love song, so to speak, to WBCN. It's a must-read for anyone who grew up listening to the station and remembers its glory days.

4

Jun 04, 2014

Reading this book was like re-living my youth all over again. Living in the Boston area in the 70's 80's 90's, WBCN was the place to go for music. I remember all the jocks and many of the situations described. I grew up listening to BCN and was exposed to so much great music because of them. So for people who grew up with BCN the book is a must read.

Those who did not live in Boston during these decades and may not be familiar first hand with the people and events will still get an interesting, Reading this book was like re-living my youth all over again. Living in the Boston area in the 70's 80's 90's, WBCN was the place to go for music. I remember all the jocks and many of the situations described. I grew up listening to BCN and was exposed to so much great music because of them. So for people who grew up with BCN the book is a must read.

Those who did not live in Boston during these decades and may not be familiar first hand with the people and events will still get an interesting, very readable look at how corporate America has shaped and changed and destroyed radio. The book was written by Carter Alan, one of the DJ's, and covers the first broadcast in March of 1968 through the inevitable, and sad, end in 2009. The story of WBCN mirrors the story of rock n roll overall - music begun by artists who had a vision and talent; who wrote their own music and actually knew how to play the instruments; whose music defined and strengthened the times and struggles of the era - music that helped the nation survive a devastating war and its aftermath. Now both radio and rock n roll have been defeated by artists who are little more than hot bodies who lip synch their way through bad, generic songs. Don't ever look to the corporate driven music of Miley Cyrus, MIA, Katy Perry or One Direction to inspire and unite Americans through our current issues the way the bands of the 60's and 70's got us through war and turbulence. In the same way, WBCN was started by folks with a passion for music and ended by a corporation that cared only about ratings and revenue.

The downside to the book is that a lot is covered in 314 pages - it could and should have been much longer with more about the impact of the later technology on music. Alan quickly covers the Napster era and the beginning of the slew of "I's": IPod, IPhone ITouch etc and more could have been said about how being able to have only the "hit" singles instead of all 10 or so songs an album/cd contains contributed to the death of talent. I guess the book would have been 7,000 pages though.........

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4

Sep 04, 2015

Excellent book on the history of one of Boston's most iconic rock stations. WBCN. If you're a music fan, you will get a kick out of how Peter Wolf wowed audiences behind the mic as a radio personality in 'BCN's very early days to U2 making their debut in Boston.
This book is written by someone who knows both the Music and Radio Broadcast industry well. Carter Allan, who was the Music Director at 'BCN for many years.
This is a terrific account of Radio's hey day and one station that changed Rock Excellent book on the history of one of Boston's most iconic rock stations. WBCN. If you're a music fan, you will get a kick out of how Peter Wolf wowed audiences behind the mic as a radio personality in 'BCN's very early days to U2 making their debut in Boston.
This book is written by someone who knows both the Music and Radio Broadcast industry well. Carter Allan, who was the Music Director at 'BCN for many years.
This is a terrific account of Radio's hey day and one station that changed Rock radio in Boston. ...more

4

Jul 10, 2014

Bostonians of a certain agemyself includedhave fond memories of frequency 104.1 on the FM dial, rock radio station WBCN. Indeed, 'BCN contributed a significant amount to my love of what's now called "classic rock"the genre that includes the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and many, many other acts both current and defunct. I remember listening to DJ Charles Laquidara's "Big Mattress" radio show on the way to school in the morning, as well as Mark Parenteau's afternoon drive-time show way home from Bostonians of a certain age—myself included—have fond memories of frequency 104.1 on the FM dial, rock radio station WBCN. Indeed, 'BCN contributed a significant amount to my love of what's now called "classic rock"—the genre that includes the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and many, many other acts both current and defunct. I remember listening to DJ Charles Laquidara's "Big Mattress" radio show on the way to school in the morning, as well as Mark Parenteau's afternoon drive-time show way home from school, and I loved the "Lunchtime Song", a parody of a popular hit done to be about food (one of my favorites was "Juicy Apple Pies With Ice Cream", sung to the tune of the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"); all featured prominently during WBCN's heyday.

So I very much enjoyed Carter Alan's book Radio Free Boston: The Rise and Fall of WBCN, the part-oral history, part-DJ memoir of the entire history of WBCN over 41 years, from its first broadcast in 1968 as a counterculture pioneer of free-form radio through its demise in 2009, somewhat after Howard Stern left terrestrial radio (WBCN syndicated Stern for over a decade). (Alan had been program director at WBCN for close to two decades, and is now program director at WZLX-FM in Boston, the closest thing Boston has to a successor to 'BCN.) Chock-full of detail about the "rise and fall" of 'BCN, both positive (J. Geils Band lead singer Peter Wolf started off as a DJ at 'BCN, as did original MTV veejay J.J. Jackson; 'BCN was one of the first radio stations to unionize and bargain collectively with major success; and Stern himself interviewed for a DJ position at 'BCN just after he graduated Boston University) and negative (drug abuse, particularly during WBCN's early years, was rampant, and when the choice was made to syndicate Stern in the morning, WBCN's decline was slow and painful), Radio Free Boston is simultaneously nostalgic and loving, and functions as both history and tribute.

The stories Alan tells in Radio Free Boston leave the reader with a sense of wonder, especially if they have a knowledge of popular music during the rock era. Many a band—Aerosmith, U2, J. Geils Band, and many, many others, both before and after—would be almost nothing if the staff and listeners at 'BCN hadn't championed and broadcast them, and many things standard even in corporate radio broadcasting were pioneered by 'BCN. Alan backs up his discussion with ratings figures from Arbitron that more often than not showed 'BCN as the gorilla in the room of Boston radio, and with citations to articles, books, and other sources regarding WBCN's juggernaut. The overall effect is marvelous, and made me wonder, albeit in vain, why there was little like WBCN on the dial today.

Alan and the personalities quoted in Radio Free Boston make much of the fact that 'BCN represented a bygone era in broadcasting, with its deejay-centric format and eclectic, freeform musical selection lost to corporate radio ownership, government deregulation, and, oftentimes, new technology, and to a great extent that's true. But in Alan's epilogue, in which he makes clear that many of the personalities, himself included, still work in the industry in some capacity or another, it becomes obvious that 'BCN remains hugely influential on both popular music and radio, even if college radio seems to bear this out more than mainstream radio. In all, Radio Free Boston is an invaluable resource for those who want to understand what music is in 2015.
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4

Oct 10, 2013

I was always up and down on BCN, depending on the popular music of the time (e.g., liked it in the mid-90s, could not listen in the early 00s). The book really justified why I wasn't listening at the end, but the end of the book and the station still made me sad.

5

May 16, 2017

It is hard to be objective about a book whose subject matter is so close to my heart, but I believe that Radio Free Boston is a well written, well organized, informative and entertaining look at the history of the greatest radio station that ever graced the airwaves.

4

May 13, 2014

I'm really enjoying this book. WBCN was a significant part of my teenage years and became increasingly important to me throughout college. I personally knew some of the people who worked there in the 70s and met others well into the 90s. So far, my only complaint is that Carter Alan doesn't do a recap of "where are they now" with all of the key people in the book. I would like to have seen a current status report on those who are no longer in the spotlight.

5

Mar 15, 2015

This book is far more than the sum of its parts. It's a history of rock 'n roll from the rebellious to the alternative to the formulaic. It's a history of radio from when it really meant something to musicians and to music fans alike to whatever it is now and it's a history of Boston - my Boston. So many of the names, places, and incidents were part of my growing up and living in and around Boston. Left in the hands of a lesser writer, this would have been a trite love letter or an airing of This book is far more than the sum of its parts. It's a history of rock 'n roll from the rebellious to the alternative to the formulaic. It's a history of radio from when it really meant something to musicians and to music fans alike to whatever it is now and it's a history of Boston - my Boston. So many of the names, places, and incidents were part of my growing up and living in and around Boston. Left in the hands of a lesser writer, this would have been a trite love letter or an airing of gripes, but with Carter Alan's deft pen, this is the chronicle of an era and a slice of music history brought to life. RIP WBCN....Shine On. ...more

5

Apr 15, 2017

Bit of a sad read really. While I came to Boston in 76 and missed the beginning of this tale, I do recall many of these events.. the strike, Duane playing Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" as the only song one Saturday over and over, the drops, the Rumble & Raves, fireworks, the free Aerosmith concert... BCN created quite a bit of live entertainment. You had to listen to know what was going on, they were connected and in many cases, they were it.

I remember being in Wells, Maine one afternoon when Bit of a sad read really. While I came to Boston in 76 and missed the beginning of this tale, I do recall many of these events.. the strike, Duane playing Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" as the only song one Saturday over and over, the drops, the Rumble & Raves, fireworks, the free Aerosmith concert... BCN created quite a bit of live entertainment. You had to listen to know what was going on, they were connected and in many cases, they were it.

I remember being in Wells, Maine one afternoon when Parenteau played the Line's "One Man Army". I think Alan skimmed this important influence BCN had in Boston, they broke bands and created/nurtured the great Boston club scene of the 70's and 80's. They played local music from new bands all the time, not just once or twice, they were out in the clubs every night, the Rat, the Inn Square Men's Bar, TT's, the Middle East, Cantone's.. the list goes on. I met Tank at Bunratty's, Tracy Roche at the Sevens, Shelton at the Bradford Ballroom, they were out enjoying the great music scene that was Boston then. Boston Emissions was a great show, continues today. Alan speaks to the freedom the DJ's had in selecting their playlist back then and the great overall guidance from Oedipus. When was the last time you heard Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner" on the radio? or the "The Sound of our Town"? Oldies now but those songs were in the rotation along with “Time” and “Every Breath You Take”.

Carter's point about the aging of the listener demographic was correct though, I stopped listening when Stern took the mornings from Charles and switched to 'ZLX. That was the end for me 1993-94, the music was changing again and I wasn’t going with it. BCN hung around and was relevant for another decade+ to a younger audience than me but there was no slowing the corporate conversion of radio. BCN got amalgamated.

The closest we have to BCN today for commercial radio is WXRV. They still play a wide variety of bands from the 50's to now, they try to break new bands from Boston and elsewhere, hold in-studio session and live events and are out and about. They are my #1 music station today, please support them. There are still plenty of college stations that play a wide array of new music but they cannot command the signal strength to cover the region and get traction, that has not changed from the 60's. ZLX is now BCN lite, there are remnants of BCN there including Alan himself but it is corporate not freeform. Perhaps the landscape is changing as everything is moving towards a "curated 4U" culture. Know I would like to get my hands on the ZLX/BCN library, lots of old local music, live broadcasts of concerts, in-studio session. Maybe Carter will read this and mine it for a new show? Chuck Nolin's Throwback Thursday’s Thirty minutes? That's when I reach for my revolver, Huey Lewis Live from Boylston Street, Dr. J. Jones and the Interns from the Paradise, what do you say Carter? Not sure he could sell ad time for the segment though, I am now in the wrong demographic. If you lived through it the read is a nice remembrance, if you didn’t I am not sure you will get it.

Thanks for writing it Carter and thanks for the memories WBCN, glad I was there, Shine On!
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3

Oct 04, 2013

A good if not great history of the station from glory days to garbage, written by an insider. As a faithful listener in the 70s it was fun to hear some of the back story.

4

Dec 25, 2013

A fun history to read - I grew up listening to WBCN alongside my parents, and most especially the Big Mattress with Charles Laquidara. I stuck with WBCN through it's changes til the end, and remember the nostalgia listening to the last day on air.

Lots of great Boston music history here.

4

Feb 28, 2014

Boston Globe review of the book

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books...

WBCN, WCOZ of Boston and Peterborough, NH WMDK I fondly remember.


http://youtu.be/6u_MoiK7cfQ

Old bumper Wbcn Music

http://youtu.be/H9-q0_6cMR0

http://youtu.be/P79oBf95VWc

1

Sep 02, 2013

I wish the book had been written more in the style of Cameron Crowe. Too many tiny, needless, insider sideline stories that didn't add any value in describing the overall rise & fall of an influential radio station. Sadly, I liked the station and the personalities tons more before I read so many obnoxious details about them.

5

Feb 16, 2014

That this book has taken me eight weeks to finish says more about my current lifestyle than about the book. I loved this book. A fun and fascinating romp through the 70s and 80"s and a parallel history of Boston And rock music. Unforgettable stories and characters and a sad tragic ending with Howard Stern as the evil villan.

4

Feb 20, 2014

I loved two thirds of the book that discussed the period of time from 1968 until 1990 or so. Once the story line entered the nineties and the immaturity of Howard Stern's time on the station, I lost interest. I did finish it, though.

If you were ever a fan of the station, this book is a good read.

5

Jan 01, 2015

With the exception of music related stuff I stopped reading about the 60's in the 90's. You can't go back and I shudder when
I think how I survived those crazy years. That said this book took me back and it was enjoyable because I met many of the dj's and folks at BCN. So it was a bit personal and the first chapters were stirring for me. If your 30 and up went to school or lived in Boston you most likely listened to this great station.

2

Apr 04, 2014

WBCN pretty much owned it in Boston, pre-grunge, and then turned into utter garbage by the time I hit 25. Shame. This book is an ok look at BCN's history. I'm not sure if the proof reading was bad or it was just bad formatting on my IPad, but there appear to be lots of errors and dashes where they shouldn't be. Anyway, it was just interesting enough to keep me reading. It didn't blow me away, but if you grew up in the Boston area in the 70s or 80s, it's a fairly good ride.

4

Feb 26, 2014

Ah, memories. WBCN used to be THE radio station for me but rock music timed its grunge phase while I was away on Army training and I wasn't ready for it. 'BCN (and popular music really) had sped off without me only to crash into a stalled traffic jam of shock jocks, seemingly schizophrenic programming and corporate consolidation (and surprisingly enough New England Patriots football) forcing a cultural Boston institution to the scrap heap. I came back home and the way I discovered new music had Ah, memories. WBCN used to be THE radio station for me but rock music timed its grunge phase while I was away on Army training and I wasn't ready for it. 'BCN (and popular music really) had sped off without me only to crash into a stalled traffic jam of shock jocks, seemingly schizophrenic programming and corporate consolidation (and surprisingly enough New England Patriots football) forcing a cultural Boston institution to the scrap heap. I came back home and the way I discovered new music had become unrecognizable; likely the catalyst of my exploration of roots music.
After reading this book, not only did I relive some memories but wondered how rock music and the Boston area would be like without WBCN. I thankfully don't have to and others should read why. ...more

4

Sep 19, 2014

WBCN was one of the Boston radio stations that helped shape my musical taste. It was listening to 104 FM that I first heard Frank Zappa, Gary Numan, XTC, The Clash, and many more bands that I still listen to in my middle age years. I thought of the DJs as cool friends who would always have great music to share, and something either funny or interesting to say. Sadly those days are long gone. Radio is not about music, it's about money. At one point in it's long history the staff of WBCN walked WBCN was one of the Boston radio stations that helped shape my musical taste. It was listening to 104 FM that I first heard Frank Zappa, Gary Numan, XTC, The Clash, and many more bands that I still listen to in my middle age years. I thought of the DJs as cool friends who would always have great music to share, and something either funny or interesting to say. Sadly those days are long gone. Radio is not about music, it's about money. At one point in it's long history the staff of WBCN walked that fine line, and made LOTS of money while creating outstanding radio programming. The present on-line version of WBCN is sterile, with the human element very obviously missing.
Carter Alan has written a fantastic and unbiased history of this legendary radio station. His research and interviews are thorough and very engaging, holding this reader's attention through each chapter. I enjoyed the vintage photos from the radio station's early years too. The ROCK of Boston is still with us, in our shared memories of great music and mayhem. ...more

4

Jan 05, 2020

Really enjoyed this one. Like most folks of a certain age who grew up around Boston, I was an avid 'BCN listener until switching to 'FNX late in high school/college. This book is like a time machine, taking you back through the DJs, the local music scene, it's venues and artists going all the way back to 1968. A really cool read for any Boston-area music fan.

4

Dec 14, 2017

If you grew up listening to WBCN in Boston....if the station followed you through high school and college....then you'll enjoy Carter Allan's behind the scenes look at the history, personalities, and MUSIC that drove "The Rock of Boston" from pioneering, to trend-setting, to become a lasting legacy of the national music scene.

A fine romp down 'BCN's memory lane....a little fuzzy/smokey at times, but hey, we get it. We lived through it!

It wasn't all good...but so much, was so great. Long live If you grew up listening to WBCN in Boston....if the station followed you through high school and college....then you'll enjoy Carter Allan's behind the scenes look at the history, personalities, and MUSIC that drove "The Rock of Boston" from pioneering, to trend-setting, to become a lasting legacy of the national music scene.

A fine romp down 'BCN's memory lane....a little fuzzy/smokey at times, but hey, we get it. We lived through it!

It wasn't all good...but so much, was so great. Long live Duane Ingalls Glasscock! ...more

4

Jul 28, 2018

The writing was not always my favorite, but I did appreciate that this book was written by an insider. In someways the book suffered because of that, but it had a passion that otherwise I don't think would have been captured. I came of age listening to BCN in the 2000s, and despite that being the years of decline, it still introduced me to so much music. In 2009, when asked what I did over my summer vacation, the answer was "came home from visiting my grandparents to find my favorite radio The writing was not always my favorite, but I did appreciate that this book was written by an insider. In someways the book suffered because of that, but it had a passion that otherwise I don't think would have been captured. I came of age listening to BCN in the 2000s, and despite that being the years of decline, it still introduced me to so much music. In 2009, when asked what I did over my summer vacation, the answer was "came home from visiting my grandparents to find my favorite radio station gone." and indignity only rivaled by the death of FNX. This book is for a niche audience, and if you're a part of that niche then it's a must read. ...more

4

May 02, 2018

Im not sure how appealing this book would be to someone who doesnt have a connection to or interest in rock and roll music, radio, and/or the city of Boston. Id never heard of WBCN before, but I had sure heard of Aerosmith, U2, Led Zeppelin, the Cars, the J. Giles Band, and a slew of other notable bands/artists the Rock of Boston helped introduce to the U.S. market.

This is the story of an upstart radio station turned national media powerhouse. Unfortunately, as of 2009, WBCN is no more. They I’m not sure how appealing this book would be to someone who doesn’t have a connection to or interest in rock and roll music, radio, and/or the city of Boston. I’d never heard of WBCN before, but I had sure heard of Aerosmith, U2, Led Zeppelin, the Cars, the J. Giles Band, and a slew of other notable bands/artists the “Rock of Boston” helped introduce to the U.S. market.

This is the story of an upstart radio station turned national media powerhouse. Unfortunately, as of 2009, WBCN is no more. They began as something truly unique, playing whatever music their DJs or listeners wanted to hear, and in the process earning respect and loyalty. Four decades later, their very identity was absorbed by one of the multi-media conglomerates that are now so commonplace. They pioneered the radio morning show. Ironically, hiring one of the most popular morning men of all-time put one more nail in their coffin.

Full disclosure, I’m a long-time fan of rock and roll music and I did work in radio broadcasting for about six years (nowhere near Boston). So, the subject matter was of interest to me even before I opened the book. I think I would have found it pretty compelling anyway. With the exception of a few videos I discovered on youtube, I never got to hear WBCN when they were on the air. Now that I know the history I feel like I missed out on something trendsetting and wonderful.
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3

Apr 09, 2018

I must admit that I was more of a WAAF fan when I was growing up in the 90s. It was because they played the same big hits over and over (and over) again. This was the reason WBCN was formed, albeit at that time it was a direct response to stations playing only Top 40. They wanted to play a wider (much wider) range of music. They let their jockeys play whatever they wanted. But perhaps more importantly, they were the first FM music station. That just blew my mind. I always think of AM as FM's I must admit that I was more of a WAAF fan when I was growing up in the 90s. It was because they played the same big hits over and over (and over) again. This was the reason WBCN was formed, albeit at that time it was a direct response to stations playing only Top 40. They wanted to play a wider (much wider) range of music. They let their jockeys play whatever they wanted. But perhaps more importantly, they were the first FM music station. That just blew my mind. I always think of AM as FM's poorer sibling.

Getting back to the range of music thing, it was precisely because of this that certain acts got huge: Aerosmith and Led Zepplin are at the top of the list. Carter Alan, though, is best known for breaking out U2. I love the fact that their decision to play new artists gave so many huge bands their break. So it was a love/hate thing for me. Well, at least retroactively. At the time, I just wanted to here my hard rock.

The other mark WBCN left was political. Some DJs weren't shy about speaking on touching political topics of the day. They made them dear in some eyes and villains in others. They also were the site of a huge win for a Union over unjust firing.

While I didn't always agree with the decisions they made, the disc jockeys or the management, this ride was a bumpy and exciting one. If you grew up in the Boston area anytime between 1968-2009, this will be a great read. ...more