This is a nice look at someone who does a surprising and difficult job. I like hearing the sounds of the babies -- feels very real and present. The other reviewer suggested it might have been nice to hear from the woman's biological children, but I disagree -- I think this works very well as a simple portrait. The music at the end was jarring, though, because there are no "external" sounds throughout, but I have a suspicion that the music might have been part of whatever larger show this piece came from.
This is a well-crafted documentary on the band Phish, using their last-ever concert as a focus. There's some absolutely wonderful vox pop here, including the woman who says, "We've missed two mortgage payments to get these tickets!" I could picture the muddy field and the crowds of Phish-heads tramping around in the rain.
A couple of quibbles:
First, the tone is very introductory and a little too serious, a little bit of "here's what the crazy kids are doing these days." It assumes that the listener has never heard of Phish and doesn't know what jam band music is (a helpful definition is provided). For a general audience, for a station that's primarily news-oriented, maybe that was a good choice. But for music stations, it may sound a little *too* elementary, and the Phans may think you're hopelessly uncool.
Second, I want to hear more music! There's almost constant music bedding the interviews and narration, but not enough windows where the music stretches out. I know, it's Phish -- so that could take up the whole show by itself -- but I think the show could have benefited from a more spacious feel.
There's so much good content here that I almost hate to criticize anything. The hour addresses the community that formed around Phish's music, the commercial side of the music business, and the logistics of running these gigantic outdoor concerts in a safe and eco-friendly way. Music stations and news/talk stations alike can and should air this.
I remember a plaza space in the middle of my college campus that was simply a vast swath of concrete, along with a dry fountain. The whole place just said, "Keep moving, nothing to see here." I was drawn to this piece because of my memories of that desolate area, and I was very impressed by the producer's investment in his subject. Anybody could drive past the UN Plaza and see the homeless and the addicts, but it sounds like he went back, and went back, and went back. It's especially nice to have the designer's voice in there, too. Beautifully constructed and a smooth listen.
Programming suggestion: use this with Benjamen Walker's "Theory of Everything" show about Kenmore Square in Boston (also a half-hour), another story about an artificially created public space that doesn't quite work for its city.
What else can I say? This is so, so good. Absolutely captivating and ghostly. I'm sitting in my office, practically in tears, hearing a Holocaust survivor being reunited with his father on a radio show. (Why do I hate this crap on "Oprah" but it gets to me on the radio?) The voices from the past are so clear and present here, the production is beautifully unnoticeable, and the narrator is such an enthusiast, you can't help but get sucked in. I really have other things to do today but I think I'm going to be listening to the whole thing. If I had a car, this would be a driveway moment. Call it a desktop moment.
This is an absurdly engaging and buoyant hour of radio. Simon Morton takes a look at the world of Bollywood but cleverly frames it in such a way ("How can I get a job in Bollywood?") that his questions open doors and get people talking. I'm a big fan of Bollywood cinema so I was intrigued to get the inside scoop on how it all works, and hearing Morton's dance lesson is priceless! At the same time, he takes a look at why cinema is so popular in India, and his light skin enables him to explore the racial prejudices still very much present. He makes for a friendly and conspiratorial host, and I enjoyed going on this trip with him.
This is a really nice, sound-rich approach to a subject that usually gets handled by the lawyers. Walker shows that "remixing" is not just a 21st century phenomenon with intriguing examples, great commentators/experts, and some witty production elements. We need more of this kind of thoughtful arts analysis on the radio.
This is a beautiful piece, mainly because the main subject herself is incredibly engaging and enthusiastic. The editing is smooth and I love hearing the diary format. This piece gives a view of Iranian culture that many people may not be familiar with, but through the perspective of a longtime American. I'm putting this together with two other features on Muslim women -- "Lolita Unveiled" and "Reclaiming Islam" -- for an hour-long program.
Often I don't really like first-person, voice-only pieces -- too self-indulgent, sometimes too whiny, or trying too hard to be witty. But this one is really nice -- it's personal but not myopic, and I like the way she starts with the cake (mmmm...cake...) and uses it to explore her family. A nice linking of food and emotions, which so often go together. It's also undated and not location-specific, which would make it a good drop-in just about anywhere.
This is beautifully constructed, with just the right proportions of words and music -- and the producer has the good sense to let the music drop out when the words are especially compelling. It sounds like Shabalala is whispering in your ear, telling you stories. I feel like I can see him leaning closer when he has something important to say. I'm using this to fill a news hole in the American Radio Works Mandela doc, so it makes a nice complement.
Comment for
"Clarence Fountain: In his own words" (deleted)
Review of Clarence Fountain: In his own words (deleted)
I'm using this along with the American Radio Works Thurgood Marshall documentary -- there's a news hole but we don't have a newscast, so I needed something "sympathetic" to make up the time. This is a nice addition to the hour, and the non-narrated way that the story is told makes it seamless. Fountain's words are illustrated nicely by the musical excerpts. The supporting materials also make it easy to use.
This is very effective radio. Simply done, a story told with just enough ambience to set the scene. It could have been much longer but the producer was smart enough to make it short and devastating.
Comments by Tara Anderson
Comment for "Pre Adopt Mom"
Tara Anderson
Posted on November 02, 2005 at 12:23 PM | Permalink
Review of Pre Adopt Mom
This is a nice look at someone who does a surprising and difficult job. I like hearing the sounds of the babies -- feels very real and present. The other reviewer suggested it might have been nice to hear from the woman's biological children, but I disagree -- I think this works very well as a simple portrait. The music at the end was jarring, though, because there are no "external" sounds throughout, but I have a suspicion that the music might have been part of whatever larger show this piece came from.
Comment for "PHISH: The Final Curtain" (deleted)
Tara Anderson
Posted on June 30, 2005 at 11:04 AM
Review of PHISH: The Final Curtain (deleted)
This is a well-crafted documentary on the band Phish, using their last-ever concert as a focus. There's some absolutely wonderful vox pop here, including the woman who says, "We've missed two mortgage payments to get these tickets!" I could picture the muddy field and the crowds of Phish-heads tramping around in the rain.
A couple of quibbles:
First, the tone is very introductory and a little too serious, a little bit of "here's what the crazy kids are doing these days." It assumes that the listener has never heard of Phish and doesn't know what jam band music is (a helpful definition is provided). For a general audience, for a station that's primarily news-oriented, maybe that was a good choice. But for music stations, it may sound a little *too* elementary, and the Phans may think you're hopelessly uncool.
Second, I want to hear more music! There's almost constant music bedding the interviews and narration, but not enough windows where the music stretches out. I know, it's Phish -- so that could take up the whole show by itself -- but I think the show could have benefited from a more spacious feel.
There's so much good content here that I almost hate to criticize anything. The hour addresses the community that formed around Phish's music, the commercial side of the music business, and the logistics of running these gigantic outdoor concerts in a safe and eco-friendly way. Music stations and news/talk stations alike can and should air this.
Comment for "Biography of 100,000 Square Feet"
Tara Anderson
Posted on January 27, 2005 at 10:34 AM | Permalink
Review of Biography of 100,000 Square Feet
I remember a plaza space in the middle of my college campus that was simply a vast swath of concrete, along with a dry fountain. The whole place just said, "Keep moving, nothing to see here." I was drawn to this piece because of my memories of that desolate area, and I was very impressed by the producer's investment in his subject. Anybody could drive past the UN Plaza and see the homeless and the addicts, but it sounds like he went back, and went back, and went back. It's especially nice to have the designer's voice in there, too. Beautifully constructed and a smooth listen.
Programming suggestion: use this with Benjamen Walker's "Theory of Everything" show about Kenmore Square in Boston (also a half-hour), another story about an artificially created public space that doesn't quite work for its city.
Comment for "Dubya's Word [J.Boggs]"
Tara Anderson
Posted on January 27, 2005 at 06:30 AM | Permalink
Review of Dubya's Word [J.Boggs]
This is kinda silly but definitely engaging. Makes you want to grab someone else and say, "You gotta check this out!" Very artfully done.
Comment for "Yiddish Radio Project Holiday Special, Hour One"
Tara Anderson
Posted on December 09, 2004 at 08:44 AM | Permalink
Review of Yiddish Radio Project Holiday Special, Hour One
What else can I say? This is so, so good. Absolutely captivating and ghostly. I'm sitting in my office, practically in tears, hearing a Holocaust survivor being reunited with his father on a radio show. (Why do I hate this crap on "Oprah" but it gets to me on the radio?) The voices from the past are so clear and present here, the production is beautifully unnoticeable, and the narrator is such an enthusiast, you can't help but get sucked in. I really have other things to do today but I think I'm going to be listening to the whole thing. If I had a car, this would be a driveway moment. Call it a desktop moment.
Comment for "The Dream Factory Worker"
Tara Anderson
Posted on November 07, 2004 at 04:20 PM | Permalink
Review of The Dream Factory Worker
This is an absurdly engaging and buoyant hour of radio. Simon Morton takes a look at the world of Bollywood but cleverly frames it in such a way ("How can I get a job in Bollywood?") that his questions open doors and get people talking. I'm a big fan of Bollywood cinema so I was intrigued to get the inside scoop on how it all works, and hearing Morton's dance lesson is priceless! At the same time, he takes a look at why cinema is so popular in India, and his light skin enables him to explore the racial prejudices still very much present. He makes for a friendly and conspiratorial host, and I enjoyed going on this trip with him.
Comment for "The Creative Remix"
Tara Anderson
Posted on October 14, 2004 at 07:49 AM | Permalink
Review of The Creative Remix
This is a really nice, sound-rich approach to a subject that usually gets handled by the lawyers. Walker shows that "remixing" is not just a 21st century phenomenon with intriguing examples, great commentators/experts, and some witty production elements. We need more of this kind of thoughtful arts analysis on the radio.
Comment for "Laughing without an Accent"
Tara Anderson
Posted on August 18, 2004 at 10:11 AM | Permalink
Review of Laughing without an Accent
This is a beautiful piece, mainly because the main subject herself is incredibly engaging and enthusiastic. The editing is smooth and I love hearing the diary format. This piece gives a view of Iranian culture that many people may not be familiar with, but through the perspective of a longtime American. I'm putting this together with two other features on Muslim women -- "Lolita Unveiled" and "Reclaiming Islam" -- for an hour-long program.
Comment for "A Cook's Notebook: Sorrow & Joy Cake"
Tara Anderson
Posted on July 15, 2004 at 12:44 PM | Permalink
Review of A Cook's Notebook: Sorrow & Joy Cake
Often I don't really like first-person, voice-only pieces -- too self-indulgent, sometimes too whiny, or trying too hard to be witty. But this one is really nice -- it's personal but not myopic, and I like the way she starts with the cake (mmmm...cake...) and uses it to explore her family. A nice linking of food and emotions, which so often go together. It's also undated and not location-specific, which would make it a good drop-in just about anywhere.
Comment for "Joseph Shabalala: the leader of Grammy-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo, In his own words"
Tara Anderson
Posted on July 15, 2004 at 12:34 PM | Permalink
Review of Jospeh Shabalala: In his own words
This is beautifully constructed, with just the right proportions of words and music -- and the producer has the good sense to let the music drop out when the words are especially compelling. It sounds like Shabalala is whispering in your ear, telling you stories. I feel like I can see him leaning closer when he has something important to say. I'm using this to fill a news hole in the American Radio Works Mandela doc, so it makes a nice complement.
Comment for "Clarence Fountain: In his own words" (deleted)
Tara Anderson
Posted on May 18, 2004 at 12:05 PM
Review of Clarence Fountain: In his own words (deleted)
I'm using this along with the American Radio Works Thurgood Marshall documentary -- there's a news hole but we don't have a newscast, so I needed something "sympathetic" to make up the time. This is a nice addition to the hour, and the non-narrated way that the story is told makes it seamless. Fountain's words are illustrated nicely by the musical excerpts. The supporting materials also make it easy to use.
Comment for "The Valentine 1955"
Tara Anderson
Posted on May 17, 2004 at 10:00 AM | Permalink
Review of The Valentine 1955
This is very effective radio. Simply done, a story told with just enough ambience to set the scene. It could have been much longer but the producer was smart enough to make it short and devastating.