Sirius: Worth The Money For Now

It's been about two months since I've signed on to Sirius satellite radio. A friend asked me if it was worth it.

I think it is. I love the fact the flow of an interview is not interrupted by commercials. Moreover, the interviews aren't forced. It's annoying to have to listen to an interviewer treat a guess like they're on a an assembly line. It's stressful and I rarely feel gratified afterwards.

For example, Howard Stern was on fire this week after a two week hiatus. Guests included ZZ Top, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, JJ Abrams and Roger Daltry.

How many 'shock disc jockey's' get that many quality guests in just three days, eh?

It was riveting stuff.

Above all there's a certain believability factor with the interviews. It doesn't feel superficial and the mutual respect between the interviewer and guest is often clear. 

Stern is a very good interviewer and it's amazing that guests are usually candid with him. It's the secret genius of it all.

There's nothing like it on TV or radio largely because everything is so god damn regulated on the mainstream airwaves all you have are safe interviews that come off as formulaic and lame.

On that front alone it's worth the $15 a month. I know there are other considerations but that's a huge plus. In a 15 minute car ride it's not uncommon to be listening to seven or eight minutes of commercials on traditional radio. Half my time is spent changing channels desperately trying to find something of interest to listen to. I avoid all that on Sirius.

Funny that Stern is so hated by so many. I find it hilarious. Half those people doing the attacking only wish they have his pull.

****

Stern's been lamenting lately a lot arguing that the music of today is nothing like it was during the golden age. In many ways he's right but as Stewart mentioned it was rock'n roll "all new" back then.  The death of the album doesn't help either I reckon.

There is good music been made today but it doesn't encapsulate an entire generation like it did. It's far more fragmented now.

It's stuff I think about too. Why is it Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, to use obvious examples, continue to captivate audiences while today's bands can only dream of attaining such a legendary status?

On the way back from work 'I love rock'n roll' by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts was playing. And it brought me back to the 3rd or 4th grade (I was maybe 10 years old - I believe the song was recorded in 1982) where it was popular among the kids.

Imagine. A Joan Jett song was what we were listening to. There were no 'boy bands' or 'Disney channels' while manufactured songs were still a decade away. I believe Menudo was the first of its kind.

Today, the kids listen to garbage I feel. Don't mean to be the old crank waving his fist but when I was 10 or 11 I began my journey into the music masters. Be it Muddy Waters, Bruce Springsteen or  the first artist I bought a 45 single from, John Cougar.

The access and exposure to the great musicians was a lot closer to us. Now they feel like a distant galaxy away. It's why I try to complement my daughter's love of One Direction with, say, Lou Reed. It seems to work because sometimes she asks to listen to classic bands and singers in the car.