We have this radio station here in Manhattan, that when it made its debut back in the late 90's seemed like a much needed breath of fresh air. Of course with maturity setting in, a classic rock format centered primarily around the music of my childhood would make for a comfortable place to call home, a respite from the loud abrasive current sound that the younger generation found inspirational. Do we eventually become our parents, closing our minds to the newer sound, finding refuge in our past?
I still enjoy the stereo cranked up to eleven; a not so obscure 80's reference, primarily when it is blasting the music of said decade now almost thirty years gone.
Where am I going with this rant?
When our beloved New York City classic rock station hit the airwaves, they boasted the largest rock and roll library in the country.
(Maybe the world, I don't pay attention to buzz words and tag lines).
Apparently, the library is not as large as we were led to believe. I figure I have counted two hundred songs (give or take), which at one time may have been considered downright bountiful, but in the days of the mighty iPod...
Thus the need for a place called "The Unknown 80's."
Somewhere beneath the radio hits and one hit wonders that current radio stations rally around during their once a week, once a day (etc.) 80's marathons lies some incredible music that inexplicably has been overlooked.
This time around, we take you to the nation's capital, home of Tommy Keene, an artist often considered one of the 1980s most critically acclaimed (and commercially ignored) singer/songwriters.
The Morty story takes us back once again to radio station WNYT, where for a limited period of time, this unknown musical talent found respect in the guise of "heavy rotation" on college radio. Whether I (permanently) borrowed this EP long after it had been forgotten, or quite possibly (yet highly unlikely) had been handed this piece of vinyl to store in a Morty musical time capsule not to be unearthed again for a minimum of a quarter century remains to be seen. While this audio treasure spent the better part of that time collecting dust, its title track remained forever locked within the fringes of my subconscious.
The result?
Surviving move after move, apartment after apartment, to deservedly find a home here on the World Wide Web, where hopefully, those well outside the circle of that small college radio station and my (thankfully) large and intact memory can come to enjoy this nugget of musical history.
As always, I ask you to leave a comment on your way out, just a small hint of your visit here. Regardless, my mission continues.
Hit the play button below, and take a trip with me once more. Tell your friends, relatives, enemies, ex-spouses...
You get the message.
