Customer Reviews

Cruisin 1956

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Cruisin' series hired old-time DJs to recreate vintage rock-n-roll radio shows. Yes, you get commercials, local news, and other chatter between the songs - but that's what's fun about this series compared to all the other re-issues. This one takes you right to the heart of the era. Get a few of these from the 1950s and you have an evening of classic rock-n-roll radio.

The very reason that the Cruisin' series exists is to capture the famous Disc Jockeys and the music. The series was created by a distinguished air personality (Ron Jacobs, most notably from KHJ in Los Angeles). This is the way it was back in the 50s & 60s on AM Top 40 Radio. The DJs were as much of the reason to listen as were the songs, in fact, sometimes more. AM Radio was Personality Radio - it was spontaneous, fresh and fun. It wasn't until the 70s when FM Radio started to grow with the 'Underground' Rock sound and the jocks were more subdued and laid back (generally to suggest an herbal influence of sorts, but that's another story for another time). Top 40 Radio split apart some time in the latter 80s and now we have narrow-casting of musical formats with everything pre-programmed - no more DJs picking the songs or doing much that hasn't been pre-determined - it's all safe, sane, and sterile. So my advice is "don't buy the Cruisin' series if you want just songs because these are capsules of an audio entertainment genre that is long gone, never to return" ...

The music is there, but you need to wade through a 'beloved' radio show to get to the tunes. Not what was expected but overall OK.