WPLJ's "Big Montage"

Caution: this is a music geek post.

Long story short: while I do enjoy 95.5 FM WPLJ from time to time, it used to be so much more. From 1974 - 1983, WPLJ was known as "New York's Best Rock," and it was an unbelievable station. (You can find a summary/history of WPLJ here.) As the Wiki mentions: During its album-oriented phase, it was most noted for its "montages"; snippets of classic-rock songs were spliced together around a particular subject, such as gasoline (during the gas shortages of the 1970s).

Over at the New York Radio Message Board, webmaster Allan Sniffen has posted the "Big Montage," as created by famed DJ Pat St. John. It's 22 minutes of unbelievable craftsmanship and artistry - and at at that length, I warned you: it's for the music geeks in the room. (Mike, Ace, Jeff, bdure, I'm looking in your general direction.)

As one poster mentions, remember: this was done before computers. Everything was done using actual tape, razor blades, and a shitload of patience. I don't mean to be overly sentimental, but you can really hear the love put into this thing.

If only we could get New York's Best Radio back on the air. Instead, we're stuck with jack. Literally.

Pat St. John's "Big Montage" from WPLJ (RealAudio file)