Completely Conspicuous 560: High Fidelity

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Eric Green as we pay tribute to the cassette tape. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Eric with the Mr. Belvedere reference

- You had to be sneaky to tape record a concert

- Physical media holds its allure for fans of a certain age

- Never got into 8-track tapes

- Jay: Have a bunch of blank tapes, but haven't made a mixtape since 2000

- Eric: As a kid, made a mini-audio documentary about Van Halen on cassette

- Metallica started tapers' pit at their concerts

- Then a few years later, they led the charge against Napster

- Eric: Still purchase music on vinyl or CD, some MP3

- Don't listen to cassettes as often anymore, but will pop one in when the mood hits

- Bootlegs are the big thing he goes back to

- Jay: Wrote on my blog about the various mixtapes I made over the years

- Tapes definitely transport you to a different time

- Do greatest hits albums matter anymore?

- Reissues of great albums are popular

- Some bands like the Who or the Stones have a ridiculous number of hits comps and live albums

- Fond memories of the cutout bins

- Various cassette storage methods

- Jay: Got rid of the jewel cases for most of my CDs

- Sometimes vinyl and cassettes can sound bad

- Cassettes were great for comedy albums

- Jay: Had to get Eddie Murphy's Comedian album on tape so my mom wouldn't hear it

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 559: Tapeheads

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Eric Green as we pay tribute to the cassette tape. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Eric's first time on the show since '15

- R.I.P. to Lou Ottens, inventor of the cassette tape

- Eric: Got into music via cassettes in the '80s

- You could make your own mixes

- Jay: Would tape songs off the radio in late '70s/early '80s

- Jay: Currently have hundreds of tapes but nothing to play them on

- Tapes were cheaper than vinyl or CDs

- Fun memories of browsing in record stores

- Tapes were big for bootlegs

- Huge in the early days of hip hop (The Get Down is on Netflix)

- Home taping didn't ruin the music industry, MP3s did

- Guardians of the Galaxy helped popularize cassettes

- CDs were initially marketed as indestructible and perfect sounding

- Jay: Spent hours listening to tapes in the car or on a Walkman

- To be continued

 

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 371: V for Victory

This week, I talk to filmmaker Eric Green about the release of his documentary on the mid-'80s Boston music channel V66. Listen to the episode or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- We last spoke in 2012, when Eric was still working on Life on the V
- Previously appeared in episodes 231 and 232
- Movie's now out on DVD and in film festivals
- In 1985, MTV was still growing and smaller music video shows were on
- Two Boston radio veterans wanted V66 to be like a radio station
- Audiences who are unfamiliar with V66 have enjoyed the movie
- Long post-production process
- Cast and crew screening was in early 2014
- Founder John Garabedian quickly realized V66 couldn't just show videos
- Needed other programming to keep viewers
- Added wrestling, sports and lifestyle shows
- Original cut of movie was 2 hours
- Connecting to the Boston community
- Good response at festivals
- Developing other projects
- Great time for music documentaries
- Eric: It's as much a business story as a music story

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!
 
The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 232: Rock Box

Part 2 of my conversation with filmmaker Eric Green as we discuss his documentary about V66, the short-lived Boston music video channel. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Recorded in Cambridge, Mass.
- Eric's documentary is called Life on the V
- V66 was on the air from 2/85 to 9/86
- Response to the topic has been great
- Doc is almost finished
- Music docs are in vogue
- Rumors that MTV was keeping an eye on V66
- Eric resisted the classic Behind the Music structure
- V66 was based in Worcester, Mass.; bands would visit before concerts there
- 9-year-old Eric got on the air with a phoned-in joke
- Cable TV was much different in the '80s; still hadn't made it to many rural areas

- Memories of USA Network's Night Flight video show
- Music docs: Stop Making Sense vs. The Last Waltz
- When V66 played Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" video, they took MTV logo out
- Eric received a lot of fan submissions of V66 videos taped on VHS
- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mission of Burma - Second Television
David Byrne and St. Vincent - Who
Metric - Artificial Nocturne
Ceremony - I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Mission of Burma song is from the forthcoming album Unsound on Fire Records. Download the song for free at Rolling Stone.
The David Byrne and St. Vincent song is from the forthcoming album Love This Giant on 4AD. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Stereogum.
The Metric song is on the album Synthetica on Mom and Pop Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.
The Ceremony song is an unreleased track available for free download at Noisey.


The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous 231: Rock This Town

Part 1 of my conversation with filmmaker Eric Green as we discuss his documentary about V66, the short-lived Boston music video channel. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Recorded in Cambridge, Mass.
- V66 was on the air from 2/85 to 9/86
- Eric's documentary is called Life on the V
- UHF station that reached throughout New England
- Cable still hadn't reached many towns
- There were other music video shows including Friday Night Videos on NBC
- Videos had been around for awhile but didn't catch on until MTV arrived
- V66 introduced a lot of new music, played diverse styles
- We both watched it as kids
- Run DMC's "King of Rock" was most requested song on V66
- Boston bands were given more attention: Del Fuegos, Til Tuesday, New Man
- Ex-radio guy John Garabedian started V66
- Station did non-music programming like sports, weather
- MTV began adding different programs in late '80s
- Eventually, V66 was sold to Home Shopping Network
- Something like V66 could never happen today
- Eric worked at Fuse, the video station out of NYC
- Began making documentary in 2008
- Did many interviews with former V66 staff, as well as viewers
- Collected footage from fans
- Talked to musicians inspired by the station
- V66 teamed up with local radio stations on events
- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Walkmen - Love is Luck
Beachwood Sparks - Sparks Fly Again
King Tuff - Bad Thing
Superchunk - Misfits & Mistakes
Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!
The Walkmen song is from the album Heaven on Fat Possum Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Beachwood Sparks song is on the album The Tarnished Gold on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The King Tuff song is on the band's self-titled album on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.
The Superchunk song is on the EP Leaves in the Gutter on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.