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The Buzzard was great, the book not so much

Customer Rating:

As a Clevelander, you just have to be ticked off. I was born in 1956 and the Indians haven't won the World Series in my lifetime. The Browns haven't even been to the Super Bowl. So when we became the Rock & Roll Capital of the World, we were proud... until it all fell apart. I started listening to FM radio intently when WNCR and the WMMS started playing truly progressive rock. They turned me on to the groups that are still my favorites to this day. That was the appeal: "I wonder what cool thing I'm gonna hear next?" There is no underestimating the importance of rock in the mind of a Cleveland-area teenager in the 70's. It was a religion. You see, for those of us fortunate enough to have lived through it, IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ROCK & ROLL FIRST!!! However, I feel that the book didn't really capture the true essence of the time. I'm not disputing anything factually. According to the author, the Glory Days were 1985-86. WHAT?!?! I just remember that way before that, when they started playing Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna... they lost a big part of my loyalty. In fact I stopped listening entirely. According to Gorman's book, I was the prime demographic for their audience (male in my 20's). But by the time MTV's influence took hold, say 1983-84, MMS was dead to me. They started playing the same stuff I could see on MTV and hear in stereo, so why bother? I mean MMS even played Culture Club, which was complete garbage to my discerning musical taste. I was hoping to read more anecdotes about rock stars, but it seems that the author didn't interact much with them, so not much to say. I really could've done without the Joan Jett incident, thanks anyway. If you are interested in ratings and promotions and playing dirty tricks on other radio stations... if you really want to know how charts work, and all that, then buy the book. No wait, that's not really a good enough reason. There are much better books for that. I came away with the distinct impression that at WMMS, it wasn't always about Rock & Roll, it was ALWAYS about the ratings first. That's the only reason why the author could claim that 1985-86 could've been the Glory Days. I mean COME ON, these guys gave us the WORLD SERIES OF ROCK!!!!!!!! Now THOSE were the Glory Days! Emerson Lake & Palmer playing Brain Salad Surgery, Yes, Pink Floyd, the freaking' Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, etc. He barely mentions them in passing. One more thing. Gorman barely mentions MTV as if it were just a blip on the radar. Video killed the Buzzard, John! The only reason WMMS decided to play Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna was that MTV became the ultimate starmaker. I decided that WMMS had gone corporate at that specific point in time. From then on, only college radio had enough testicular fortititude to play anything original. Gorman tries to convey that WMMS supported local acts, but in reality they didn't really. They paid so much more attention to national stars and taking credit for supposedly making them national stars, that local acts barely got mentioned. They paid tribute occasionally, but I think the personalities at the station wanted to be rock stars themselves. So as a result you have Kid Leo bowing down to Springsteen for the rest of his career. Yawn. In my humble opinion, Kid Leo had a lousy personality on the air. Now in 2008 the Boss sounds terrible while he disses radio. No wonder. I always thought he was overrated, and MMS had multiple orgasms for the Boss. I guess they thought he would compensate them eventually. Who knows... maybe he did, but I truly doubt it. I'll give Gorman and MMS credit for being kind to Michael Stanley. He was a local act that deserved attention. But by the time the Wild Giraffes came around, the corporate Buzzard was itself fodder, and even though ratings were high, it was only because ROCK WAS DEAD thanks to MTV. In fact, the second half of the book is nothing but sour grapes and one-sided stories. It really comes off as childish and pathetic. Unless you are from Cleveland, at least 50 years old, and still smoke pot... save your money. Otherwise, have fun and party like it's 1999 and WMMS is still playing Prince on the radio. Sorry, I have no idea what they were playing in 1999 and couldn't care less. And spare me all the slogans: Rock & Roll Capital of the World Cleveland Rocks Rock & Roll Hall of Shame Gorman seems to want to take credit for the Rock Hall, which I think is a total joke. Madonna gets in but ELP will never even be nominated even though they kept winning every musicians' poll throughout the 70's. Puleez Nothing truly big ever came out of Ohio, except Joe Walsh. And he left Ohio before MMS was even born. I'm serious, these guys acted like they were totally responsible for the success of Springsteen, Bowie, U2, etc. I believed their hype. Then they got caught stuffing the ballot box of Rolling Stone's annual survey and there you have it. They were fooling us all along, the buzzard was laughing at all of us. The bird of prey really did look over the dying city and pick over the remains. KNOW YOUR CLOSE: is a chapter an recurring theme in the book. Too bad Gorman and crew didn't recognize August 1, 1981. Personal note to JG: Your listeners NEVER cared about your double-digits ratings. They always wanted to hear something they couldn't hear anywhere else, the next new and exciting thing. I'm not referring to your so-called "exclusives". You know, the Springsteen Live at the Agora cut that nobody else has. I referring to : "Listen to this awesome local band that nobody else is playing." Left End was the best Cleveland band EVER and you guys never played them! Now I realize you were false prophets, money changers, and ultimately small fish in a small pond. We were loyal to the very end but you abandoned your true calling. You sold us out. So I will close with the inside joke of the book as a message to Gorman himself: "Eff you, Personally."

The End of the Century

Customer Rating:

It was a special time in Cleveland, Ohio, when stations on something called FM radio became more than playing programming from its AM affiliate. Though WMMS had been building a solid local following by late-1969, it was the early-1970s when the station became a powerhouse through amazing creativity and having an atmosphere of ownership with the audience. July 1973 was a watershed moment for the station, as John Gorman was hired as music director and was soon promoted to program director & operations manager, the posts he held until 1986. Gorman and co-author Tom Ferran provide an insider's account to those golden years when WMMS ruled the roost in northeast Ohio and beyond. From the unique Buzzard logos - created by local artist David Helton, Gorman and Denny Sanders - to promotional tie-ins with Belkin Productions, Blossom Music Center, the Agora Ballroom, and the Front Row Theater & unique programming like the live Coffee Break Concert, it was a party that was never going to end, that included monster ratings and propelling artists into the national spotlight. By the time Gorman left in 1986, the FM landscape had changed and the popularity of WMMS began a swift descent. Gorman briefly returned to the station in the 1990s as vice president and director of operations, but the magical time was gone for good. But it was a wild ride and Gorman's recollections are an important piece to the rock-n-roll puzzle in this amazing era for pop culture in the "Rock-n-Roll Capital of the World."

Brought back a lot of memories

Customer Rating:

Good book, particularly if you lived in the Cleveland area and listened to WMMS- what a bunch of memories this books stirred up, things I had totally forgotten about. Memories of Surf Side 6 beach parties, the little blurbs recorded by artists saying they listen to WMMS, fan appreciation concerts, etc. It seemed like it was just yesterday, and what fun we used to have. Of course, there were even more stories that none of us not in the business heard in the first place, some pretty incredible. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

I'd buy the next one too!

Customer Rating:

This book is fantastic for anyone who came of age during the 70's and early 80's in Cleveland, OH, and listened to radio. WMMS was what EVERYONE under 30 was listening to back then, and the DJ's were larger than life personalities who were friends with Springsteen, Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music, etc. This book gives insights into the world of WMMS of that era. HIGHLY recommended from this displaced Clevelander now living life in Seattle (sigh....)

Memories!	Customer Rating:
Anyone growing up with MMS in the 70s and early 80s will love this book!! Brings it all back, the songs, artists, DJ. Loved this book. A good, easy quick read. --Gerard Zemek, husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"