{"id":154,"date":"2008-09-17T07:00:47","date_gmt":"2008-09-17T11:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/?p=154"},"modified":"2008-09-15T00:46:10","modified_gmt":"2008-09-15T04:46:10","slug":"radio-free-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/wordpress\/2008\/09\/17\/radio-free-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio-Free America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somewhere around 2001, I gave up listening to the radio; pretty much I gave up on music at the same time.\u00a0 Prior to that, I had been a regular listener to the radio.\u00a0 In my youth, I was a real heavy metal\/glam rock snob (only the best or most obscure bands for me, thank you very much).\u00a0 As I got older, I dabbled in album rock, rave\/dance music, classical, soundtracks, and even some pop music towards the end (forgive me, Britney was hot back then).\u00a0 I also had several friends that were DJs at local rock stations.\u00a0 However, with a 30 minute commute to work, hearing the same songs in heavy rotation finally pushed me over the edge.\u00a0 At that point, I made a clean break from the radio and walked away.\u00a0 I’m proud to say that I haven’t missed it since.<\/p>\n

Audio Dramas<\/h3>\n

\"Big<\/a>My gateway drug into a radio-less world was full-cast audio dramas (also known as radio plays).\u00a0\u00a0 Audio dramas typically feature several actors, original musical scores, sound effects, etc.\u00a0 There is usually no narrator in audio dramas; the actors describe the scene with their dialogue. Two years prior to my radio abandonment, a small company named Big Finish<\/a> had started to produce monthly Doctor Who audio dramas.\u00a0 These stories featured the original actors from the show in new exciting adventures.\u00a0 They weren’t cheap but had very high-end production values and quality stories.\u00a0 This was during the dark ages of Doctor Who; after the series was canceled, but before the new series started.\u00a0 The only ones really carrying the Doctor Who torch back then was Big Finish and the BBC original novels.\u00a0 So these audio dramas would provide me with two hours of listening enjoyment.\u00a0 Admittedly, I had to listen to several of them multiple times because I didn’t have many other non-radio options, but I didn’t mind.<\/p>\n

Another fantastic audio drama series is the “Star Wars” radio plays done by NPR<\/a>.\u00a0 Both “Star Wars” and “Empire Strikes Back” were fantastic!\u00a0 Really high quality stuff featuring the original soundtrack and sound effects from the movies, and some of the original actors.\u00a0 There were some extra scenes that helped flesh out the stories a bit more too.\u00a0 These were actually aired on NPR radio back in 1981 and 1983 respectively; probably timed to help build hype for the subsequent theatrical releases each time.\u00a0 I distinctly remember as a kid huddling around my dads big honkin’ radio and listening to them.\u00a0 “Star Wars” runs six and one-half hours, while “Empire Strikes Back” runs about five hours.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the “Return of the Jedi” radio play lacked the same pizzazz as the previous two.\u00a0 “Return of the Jedi” wasn’t recorded until 1996 and just falls flat in comparison to the previous two.\u00a0 All three are available to buy, but I’d recommend you skip “Return” if you are listening to these.<\/p>\n

You can also find some fan-created audio dramas online (or through iTunes).\u00a0 I’ve listened to ones about Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Batman, and Doctor Who.\u00a0 The quality varies, but they’ve got the right idea.\u00a0 It’s worth a try if you’ve got a favorite niche.<\/p>\n

Audiobooks<\/h3>\n

\"HarryPotter<\/a>Another tool in my radio-less arsenal is audiobooks.\u00a0 Early on, I tried tons of different audiobooks.\u00a0 It took a while to get used to just one narrator after listening to so many full-cast audio dramas, but I managed.\u00a0 I quickly came to some strong opinions on the medium.<\/p>\n