Happy sounds

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jun 05, 2000 Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Submitted By: Gina Written by E-mail: Werner Trieschmann. This article was published on Thursday, June 1, 2000 I have a confession to make. As soon as I 'fess up, you'll understand why I'm reluctant to share this. You have to promise not to tell anybody because, well, it's not going to look good. I like Radio Disney. That's right, Radio Disney, KRNN-AM, 1380, on the Little Rock radio dial, a nationally syndicated station aimed squarely at kids. Radio Disney, the megaphone for the monolithic Disney corporation with various DJs broadcasting from Walt Disney World, Disneyland and from a Radio Disney office in Dallas. Radio Disney, the station that pumps out teen hit after teen hit by the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Britney Spears and the Muppets. I like it. It may not be hip, but it has got a beat that anyone can dance to. There are lots of contests for kids and corny jokes and other Disney-sponsored folderol that naturally comes with the commercial- radio territory. But whoever is programming the music has a real ear for mixing in the old and the new and keeping the tempo moving along at a bouncy rate. Take a listen some afternoon and perhaps you'll hear some stuff you'll like and maybe even some stuff you'll recognize. Maybe you'll hear "Bye Bye Bye" by 'N Sync backed by a rockin' early Beatles tune and then "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees and then Muppets' version of "Wild Thing" and then "Linus and Lucy" (you know, that impossibly catchy, piano-driven Peanuts song by Vince Guarldi). Occasionally, you'll run into something particularly icky, some kind of Phil Collins ballad from a Disney cartoon. Actually, the ballads are few and far between. This is radio driven by an engaging, danceable pop beat. Transfer most of these songs to a dance floor and posteriors of young, middle-age and old would be moving. Frankly, there's a lot of stuff I don't recognize and is not identified by the disc jockey. Helpfully, Radio Disney's Web site http://disney.go.com/RadioDisney/ has a list of the station's top 30 hits. Naturally, it is top-loaded with the Backstreet Boys and the like. There are also three songs in the Top 30 about Pokemon, which I'm sure many adult ears would consider the spawn of Satan even before they've heard one note. I've heard one Pokemon song and it didn't make me cringe. With its heavy drum machine and synthesized effects, it's just as infectious as "Larger Than Life" (a Backstreet hit, natch). Radio Disney also tosses a lot of novelty songs into the mix. As you might expect, most but not all are taken from Disney films. Weird Al Yankovich's Star Wars goof "The Saga Begins" is a big hit. But the comedy songs (even if they are aimed at the funny bone of a 7-year-old) give the station a playful, loose feel, something that most radio stations sorely need. MAKING TEENS SCREAM AND ADULTS CRY But it is those notorious teen acts that are likely the biggest obstacle for adults who don't have to listen to the station to appease their young ones. It always amazes me the way my peers react to the boy bands and the diminutive divas. Mention to anyone over the age of 25 that you don't think the Backstreet Boys are out to destroy everything that is sacred and you'll be treated as if you just spent two hours rolling around a dumpster. "Don't you get it? The kids are screaming for Menudo!" Oh I know that the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync are pure as Velveeta. I know they've been manufactured and managed within an inch of their very young, very rich lives. I don't own the group's albums and really don't know much more than what I hear on the radio. But what I hear I can't get out of my head. "Bye Bye Bye" is just unstoppable pop, and ditto "Larger Than Life." Miss Aguilera bothers me with her faux soul warblings, but Britney is just fine. What I can't fathom is why adults my age fall into the same trap as their parents once did. I understand if you're into jazz or mystical Peruvian chanting that you wouldn't want anything to do with this music. I cut my teeth on New Wave and punk music and still like adult rock acts such as Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth (who aren't so youthful anymore). Even so, it's not hard to recognize that these teen acts are a lot of fun. If you believe in rock and still enjoy early Beatles, Stones, etc., then I don't know why you wouldn't like this. There's no reason to be disdainful of music just because teen-agers like it. And, c'mon, would you rather the airwaves go back to the grunge movement? Would you rather hear another plodding, depressive ode badly sung by a twentysomething in a flannel shirt? Radio Disney doesn't know about Pearl Jam or Soundgarden, but plays the heck out of happy, big beat tunes. All in all, a nice change of pace. Comment on this item. Next Item: Teen 'zines keep fans in the know Prev Item: Dear Brian