Listen up, young fellas. Back in the day, long before there was itunes or Pandora there was a thing called radio. Radio was King - you'd sit there all night long, ear to the speaker played low so your mama wouldn't bust you when you were supposed to be asleep, just to hear your new favorite song.
From the wacky antics of the Morning Zoo crew to the professionalism of the drive-time DJ, your local DJs were your key to unlocking the greater outside rock n roll world.
Imagine now, my friends, the delight of a common, blue collar rocker when he discovered that the DJ at the biggest underage college watering hole was also a long haired rocker just like him.
Such was your faithful author's experience in 1993-94 at the Stein and Pitcher in Toledo, Ohio. Me and the crew would show up early on Two For Tuesday and, as such, befriended the DJ as he was setting up for the night's dance music. Since we were early we got to take a deep dive into his record collection and were treated to pre-Cowboys From Hell Pantera and an assortment of obscure metal tracks.
Our club DJ was also employed as the late night DJ at the local classic rock station, 94.5 WXKR. As we became friends we earned an open line anytime he was working. This came in handy as we could call in a song & impress our ladies and it also became a way to pay back our DJ.
You see, this was a classic rock station and often our boy needed a break, whether to take a leak or burn the hippie lettuce. Pink Floyd's "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" afforded him such a break and I would call it in almost every night. It wasn't the longest track on the album but, in my estimation was the best.
Pink Floyd's "Animals" was released today in 1977 and was the follow up to the "Wish You Were Here" album. Clocking in at 41 minutes and 41 seconds, "Animals" is Floyd's psuedo-Animal Farm take on the zeitgeist of the day.
With only one vocal lead by David Gilmour, this marked the beginning of the Roger Waters takeover & the end of Floyd as a collaborative unit. The Wall would follow and ultimately lead to the destruction of the band. In the meantime, however, "Animals" remains as one of Floyd's greatest albums.
