Radio Free Boston: The Rise and Fall of WBCN

by Carter Alan, Steven Tyler (Foreword)

Blaring the Cream anthem “I Feel Free,” WBCN went on the air in March 1968 as an experiment in free-form rock on the fledgling FM radio band. It broadcast its final song, Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” in August 2009. In between, WBCN became the musical, cultural, and political voice of the young people of Boston and New England, sustaining a vibrant local music scene that launched such artists as the J. Geils Band, Aerosmith, James Taylor, Boston, the Cars, and the Dropkick Murphys, as well as paving the way for Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, U2, and many others. Along the way, WBCN both pioneered and defined progressive rock radio, the dominant format for a generation of listeners. Brilliantly told by Carter Alan―and featuring the voices of station insiders and the artists they loved―Radio Free Boston is the story of a city; of artistic freedom, of music and politics and identity; and of the cultural, technological, and financial forces that killed rock radio.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Amazon

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just the story of a beloved radio station and its over the top personalities, it's the saga of the rise and fall of talent centered broadcasting. The moment that stockholders got a hold of WBCN was the moment that everything we loved about it went away. Not only was this a fascinating read dealing to the rise of Boston college and mainstream radio, it was a great commentary on what we think we value in entertainment. Charles, Ken, Oedipus, Carter, Steven, Bradley, Tank, Chachi, Juanita, and too many more to name.... Miss you more than I can say.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is Carter Alan's love song, so to speak, to WBCN. It's a must-read for anyone who grew up listening to the station and remembers its glory days.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was like re-living my youth all over again. Living in the Boston area in the 70's 80's 90's, WBCN was the place to go for music. I remember all the jocks and many of the situations described. I grew up listening to BCN and was exposed to so much great music because of them. So for people who grew up with BCN the book is a must read.

Those who did not live in Boston during these decades and may not be familiar first hand with the people and events will still get an interesting, very readable look at how corporate America has shaped and changed and destroyed radio. The book was written by Carter Alan, one of the DJ's, and covers the first broadcast in March of 1968 through the inevitable, and sad, end in 2009. The story of WBCN mirrors the story of rock n roll overall - music begun by artists who had a vision and talent; who wrote their own music and actually knew how to play the instruments; whose music defined and strengthened the times and struggles of the era - music that helped the nation survive a devastating war and its aftermath. Now both radio and rock n roll have been defeated by artists who are little more than hot bodies who lip synch their way through bad, generic songs. Don't ever look to the corporate driven music of Miley Cyrus, MIA, Katy Perry or One Direction to inspire and unite Americans through our current issues the way the bands of the 60's and 70's got us through war and turbulence. In the same way, WBCN was started by folks with a passion for music and ended by a corporation that cared only about ratings and revenue.

The downside to the book is that a lot is covered in 314 pages - it could and should have been much longer with more about the impact of the later technology on music. Alan quickly covers the Napster era and the beginning of the slew of "I's": IPod, IPhone ITouch etc and more could have been said about how being able to have only the "hit" singles instead of all 10 or so songs an album/cd contains contributed to the death of talent. I guess the book would have been 7,000 pages though.........

[audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is absolutely a two-star book that I enjoyed four full stars worth of, because I am a massive radio nerd.

The best parts of the book are the early days, when it's just a handful of dudes putting together a radio station and trying to make it work -- and yes, they're all dudes because radio. The author's savvy enough to point this out, but fails to make the connection between that and some outright misogyny written into the text. Oof.

Things cork fascinatingly along until The Howard Stern Saga, where Howard Stern taking over the mornings is a huge scandal that marks the death knell of the station. Unfortunately, the author marks the death knell of the station several times throughout the book while simultaneously missing that when an independent radio station sells out to a corporation who then instructs them to promote NFL games, that's the actual death knell of a radio station. Weird, that.

Regardless, the book was super interesting to this radio nerd, and with all the song references scattered throughout, I was able to build a pretty interesting playlist to enjoy while reading.

That I built it in Spotify, the antithesis of actual radio, is an irony not lost on me.

[Samantha DeSuze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on the history of one of Boston's most iconic rock stations. WBCN. If you're a music fan, you will get a kick out of how Peter Wolf wowed audiences behind the mic as a radio personality in 'BCN's very early days to U2 making their debut in Boston.
This book is written by someone who knows both the Music and Radio Broadcast industry well. Carter Allan, who was the Music Director at 'BCN for many years.
This is a terrific account of Radio's hey day and one station that changed Rock radio in Boston.

[Lisa Pardini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this book. WBCN was a significant part of my teenage years and became increasingly important to me throughout college. I personally knew some of the people who worked there in the 70s and met others well into the 90s. So far, my only complaint is that Carter Alan doesn't do a recap of "where are they now" with all of the key people in the book. I would like to have seen a current status report on those who are no longer in the spotlight.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was always up and down on BCN, depending on the popular music of the time (e.g., liked it in the mid-90s, could not listen in the early 00s). The book really justified why I wasn't listening at the end, but the end of the book and the station still made me sad.

[Stephen Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to be objective about a book whose subject matter is so close to my heart, but I believe that Radio Free Boston is a well written, well organized, informative and entertaining look at the history of the greatest radio station that ever graced the airwaves.

[Jim Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title states, this the rise and fall of WBCN, the greatest radio station of all time. I used to live in NYC and would hear about 'BCN all the time, often in Rolling Stone. Then I moved to Boston. 'BCN was not the first station to convert (from classical) to an "underground" format. But in many ways, it was the best. They broke bands all the time and if you like 'Til Tuesday, Aerosmith, The Police, The Cars, U2, and J. Geils, you can thank 'BCN. (Peter Wolf was a DJ there; Carter Alan also wrote a U2 bio called "Outside is America.")

It was (1968-2009) a station with a voice, a mission, a conscience, and integrity. It was very much part of the community and used to not only play great music but also did great in-depth reporting on the news. It was anti-war, anti-fossil fuel company and pro-people. I would argue that the station's heyday was from 1968 though maybe late-1980s. After that, the corporate maw started reaching down, the audience got older and other stations like WCOZ, WFNX and WAAF started siphoning off listeners.

Eventually, in 1996, Howard Stern's show was broadcast in the morning which gained great revenue for the company (Infiniti) for the sake of bifurcating the audience into the old hippies and the new snarky crowd.

What's interesting about this book is that it details not only generational shifts in pop music but also how corporations come in and have little to no interest in the station's mission and only one mission of their own - profit. The book is also a good "inside baseball" look at radio.

If I have any qualms about the book it's in the later pages. After Alan's detailing of how 'BCN was a game-changer (including a successful strike.) the later chapters about typical radio hijinks and promotions pretty much fall flat.

If you're a 'BCN fan, this book is a must. I can't speak for the general reader but it is a good story of idealism somewhat crushed by market forces and the corporatization of a dream.

First song - "I Feel Free," Cream, last song "Wish You Were Here," Pink Floyd. RIP WBCN.

[Brad McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that I was more of a WAAF fan when I was growing up in the 90s. It was because they played the same big hits over and over (and over) again. This was the reason WBCN was formed, albeit at that time it was a direct response to stations playing only Top 40. They wanted to play a wider (much wider) range of music. They let their jockeys play whatever they wanted. But perhaps more importantly, they were the first FM music station. That just blew my mind. I always think of AM as FM's poorer sibling.

Getting back to the range of music thing, it was precisely because of this that certain acts got huge: Aerosmith and Led Zepplin are at the top of the list. Carter Alan, though, is best known for breaking out U2. I love the fact that their decision to play new artists gave so many huge bands their break. So it was a love/hate thing for me. Well, at least retroactively. At the time, I just wanted to here my hard rock.

The other mark WBCN left was political. Some DJs weren't shy about speaking on touching political topics of the day. They made them dear in some eyes and villains in others. They also were the site of a huge win for a Union over unjust firing.

While I didn't always agree with the decisions they made, the disc jockeys or the management, this ride was a bumpy and exciting one. If you grew up in the Boston area anytime between 1968-2009, this will be a great read.

[Hugh Sturrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Music has always been an important part of my life and growing up in the Boston area during the 1980's WBCN was my radio station of choice. Carter Alan was an insider spending several years there as a Disc Jockey and Music Director. This tells the complete story from WBCN's beginning in 1968 through its demise in 2009.

This was a very enjoyable and informative book. It brought back memories of the on-air personalities I felt like I knew so well from being a loyal listener. Interesting to see how the station changed as the music industry, and the world changed as well. This was a time when music radio was relevant. Artists needed radio to help push their product. I can't speak on whether radio is relevant today.

I recommend this book even if you aren't familiar with this popular and successful station. Anyone who grew up relying on radio for music and information would appreciate.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was not always my favorite, but I did appreciate that this book was written by an insider. In someways the book suffered because of that, but it had a passion that otherwise I don't think would have been captured. I came of age listening to BCN in the 2000s, and despite that being the years of decline, it still introduced me to so much music. In 2009, when asked what I did over my summer vacation, the answer was "came home from visiting my grandparents to find my favorite radio station gone." and indignity only rivaled by the death of FNX. This book is for a niche audience, and if you're a part of that niche then it's a must read.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you grew up listening to WBCN in Boston....if the station followed you through high school and college....then you'll enjoy Carter Allan's behind the scenes look at the history, personalities, and MUSIC that drove "The Rock of Boston" from pioneering, to trend-setting, to become a lasting legacy of the national music scene.

A fine romp down 'BCN's memory lane....a little fuzzy/smokey at times, but hey, we get it. We lived through it!

It wasn't all good...but so much, was so great. Long live Duane Ingalls Glasscock!

[David Roover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Like most folks of a certain age who grew up around Boston, I was an avid 'BCN listener until switching to 'FNX late in high school/college. This book is like a time machine, taking you back through the DJs, the local music scene, it's venues and artists going all the way back to 1968. A really cool read for any Boston-area music fan.

[Ron Maskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As great retrospective into the beginnings and the eventual downfall of a juggernaut of a station. The author covers all bases. This book is a learning tool for those that are unaware of what goes on behind doors in a radio station.

[Lucy Batson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exhaustively detailed history of legendary Boston radio station WBCN by former BCN deejay Carter Alan, this not-quite-oral history chronicles BCN from start to finish. If you're into local history or grew up listening to WBCN, you'll probably dig this a lot.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Having grown up in Boston in the 70's, WBCN was my goto radio station. It was an amazing radio station for music, news, current events, and goings-on in the Greater Boston area. The book tells the story and the behind the scenes activity, much of it which I remember.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worked at a competitor for seven years and had friends who worked at WBCN. Fascinating insight into the station, its personalities and how the industry changed in a short time.

[Todd Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read for anyone who grew up listening to ‘BCN - so much detail behind each era of the station’s history!

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad I read this. I remember growing up with BCN in the late 80s and 90s, but it was really interesting to hear about the earlier history of the station.

[Laura Palumbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing trip down a musical memory lane. BCN was the only station I ever listened to. This book brought back so many fond memories. Best DJs ever to grace the airways.

[Daniel A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bostonians of a certain age—myself included—have fond memories of frequency 104.1 on the FM dial, rock radio station WBCN. Indeed, 'BCN contributed a significant amount to my love of what's now called "classic rock"—the genre that includes the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and many, many other acts both current and defunct. I remember listening to DJ Charles Laquidara's "Big Mattress" radio show on the way to school in the morning, as well as Mark Parenteau's afternoon drive-time show way home from school, and I loved the "Lunchtime Song", a parody of a popular hit done to be about food (one of my favorites was "Juicy Apple Pies With Ice Cream", sung to the tune of the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"); all featured prominently during WBCN's heyday.

So I very much enjoyed Carter Alan's book Radio Free Boston: The Rise and Fall of WBCN, the part-oral history, part-DJ memoir of the entire history of WBCN over 41 years, from its first broadcast in 1968 as a counterculture pioneer of free-form radio through its demise in 2009, somewhat after Howard Stern left terrestrial radio (WBCN syndicated Stern for over a decade). (Alan had been program director at WBCN for close to two decades, and is now program director at WZLX-FM in Boston, the closest thing Boston has to a successor to 'BCN.) Chock-full of detail about the "rise and fall" of 'BCN, both positive (J. Geils Band lead singer Peter Wolf started off as a DJ at 'BCN, as did original MTV veejay J.J. Jackson; 'BCN was one of the first radio stations to unionize and bargain collectively with major success; and Stern himself interviewed for a DJ position at 'BCN just after he graduated Boston University) and negative (drug abuse, particularly during WBCN's early years, was rampant, and when the choice was made to syndicate Stern in the morning, WBCN's decline was slow and painful), Radio Free Boston is simultaneously nostalgic and loving, and functions as both history and tribute.

The stories Alan tells in Radio Free Boston leave the reader with a sense of wonder, especially if they have a knowledge of popular music during the rock era. Many a band—Aerosmith, U2, J. Geils Band, and many, many others, both before and after—would be almost nothing if the staff and listeners at 'BCN hadn't championed and broadcast them, and many things standard even in corporate radio broadcasting were pioneered by 'BCN. Alan backs up his discussion with ratings figures from Arbitron that more often than not showed 'BCN as the gorilla in the room of Boston radio, and with citations to articles, books, and other sources regarding WBCN's juggernaut. The overall effect is marvelous, and made me wonder, albeit in vain, why there was little like WBCN on the dial today.

Alan and the personalities quoted in Radio Free Boston make much of the fact that 'BCN represented a bygone era in broadcasting, with its deejay-centric format and eclectic, freeform musical selection lost to corporate radio ownership, government deregulation, and, oftentimes, new technology, and to a great extent that's true. But in Alan's epilogue, in which he makes clear that many of the personalities, himself included, still work in the industry in some capacity or another, it becomes obvious that 'BCN remains hugely influential on both popular music and radio, even if college radio seems to bear this out more than mainstream radio. In all, Radio Free Boston is an invaluable resource for those who want to understand what music is in 2015.

[Terrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

WBCN was one of the Boston radio stations that helped shape my musical taste. It was listening to 104 FM that I first heard Frank Zappa, Gary Numan, XTC, The Clash, and many more bands that I still listen to in my middle age years. I thought of the DJs as cool friends who would always have great music to share, and something either funny or interesting to say. Sadly those days are long gone. Radio is not about music, it's about money. At one point in it's long history the staff of WBCN walked that fine line, and made LOTS of money while creating outstanding radio programming. The present on-line version of WBCN is sterile, with the human element very obviously missing.
Carter Alan has written a fantastic and unbiased history of this legendary radio station. His research and interviews are thorough and very engaging, holding this reader's attention through each chapter. I enjoyed the vintage photos from the radio station's early years too. The ROCK of Boston is still with us, in our shared memories of great music and mayhem.

[Aric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, memories. WBCN used to be THE radio station for me but rock music timed its grunge phase while I was away on Army training and I wasn't ready for it. 'BCN (and popular music really) had sped off without me only to crash into a stalled traffic jam of shock jocks, seemingly schizophrenic programming and corporate consolidation (and surprisingly enough New England Patriots football) forcing a cultural Boston institution to the scrap heap. I came back home and the way I discovered new music had become unrecognizable; likely the catalyst of my exploration of roots music.
After reading this book, not only did I relive some memories but wondered how rock music and the Boston area would be like without WBCN. I thankfully don't have to and others should read why.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is far more than the sum of its parts. It's a history of rock 'n roll from the rebellious to the alternative to the formulaic. It's a history of radio from when it really meant something to musicians and to music fans alike to whatever it is now and it's a history of Boston - my Boston. So many of the names, places, and incidents were part of my growing up and living in and around Boston. Left in the hands of a lesser writer, this would have been a trite love letter or an airing of gripes, but with Carter Alan's deft pen, this is the chronicle of an era and a slice of music history brought to life. RIP WBCN....Shine On.

[Jeff Copetas · Rating 2 out of 5]

WBCN pretty much owned it in Boston, pre-grunge, and then turned into utter garbage by the time I hit 25. Shame. This book is an ok look at BCN's history. I'm not sure if the proof reading was bad or it was just bad formatting on my IPad, but there appear to be lots of errors and dashes where they shouldn't be. Anyway, it was just interesting enough to keep me reading. It didn't blow me away, but if you grew up in the Boston area in the 70s or 80s, it's a fairly good ride.

[Kevin Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the exception of music related stuff I stopped reading about the 60's in the 90's. You can't go back and I shudder when
I think how I survived those crazy years. That said this book took me back and it was enjoyable because I met many of the dj's and folks at BCN. So it was a bit personal and the first chapters were stirring for me. If your 30 and up went to school or lived in Boston you most likely listened to this great station.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish the book had been written more in the style of Cameron Crowe. Too many tiny, needless, insider sideline stories that didn't add any value in describing the overall rise & fall of an influential radio station. Sadly, I liked the station and the personalities tons more before I read so many obnoxious details about them.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

That this book has taken me eight weeks to finish says more about my current lifestyle than about the book. I loved this book. A fun and fascinating romp through the 70s and 80"s and a parallel history of Boston And rock music. Unforgettable stories and characters and a sad tragic ending with Howard Stern as the evil villan.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved two thirds of the book that discussed the period of time from 1968 until 1990 or so. Once the story line entered the nineties and the immaturity of Howard Stern's time on the station, I lost interest. I did finish it, though.

If you were ever a fan of the station, this book is a good read.