The April 7, 2021, Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was recorded over three days. The first segment was recorded on March 3, the next three on the 4th, and the last two on the 5th.
The playlist was created on March 1 and annotated on the 2nd.
This was the first normal show in three weeks with the usual five segment formats in effect, including two segments with the same format.
For the second week in a row, I had to replace a song in the first segment during my recording session. This time, it was due to a timing error I made creating the playlist. So, Spyro Gyra‘s “Islands in the Sky” was replaced with “Oasis.” Luckily, I didn’t have to change many annotations; the personnel was similar.
It’s been just over a year since the previous post. Instrumental Invasion has taken up most of my time, providing a necessary escape from the tumultuous reality.
I continue to listen to audiobooks on days where I workout and run, or even while editing photos. My source remains Audible, now as a paid member. When I’m billed at the end of each month, I use my credit on the next audiobook to listen to. As I type, I have three-book backlog.
Here’s what I’ve been listened to since Andrea Barber’s memoir:
The Facts of My Life by Charlotte Rae (1926-2018) and Larry Strauss (her son) (read by Charlotte) – Like me, Charlotte’s firstborn son (Larry’s older brother) Andy was on the autism spectrum – I felt deep empathy whenever Charlotte talked about him
I, Rhoda: A Memoir by Valerie Harper (1939-2019) – As a compulsive overeater, I can relate to Valerie’s struggle
The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek (1940-2020) (read mainly by Ken Jennings with a few chapters read by Alex) – Eugene Levy’s last name is pronounced “levvy,” Ken; not “leavy”
The Plus: Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help by Greg Gutfeld – recorded in the early days of the pandemic, before a certain event tore the country apart – another one of those books catching me up on all the news I chose to avoid – Greg hates “at the end of the day” just as much as I do
The Day It Snowed in April: A Memoir by Devin Devasquez – Mostly about her relationship with Prince, but does chronicle her life – seemed to be read in one take, complete with pauses – “at the end of the day”
Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz (read by Michael, Adam, and various celebrites, including Rachel Maddow) – Left-wing politics nearly marred my listening, but I hung in to the end – I’m sure it would have been worse if it came out around the time I listened in October
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden (read by Cary) – Cary isn’t the only voice you’ll hear – we also hear accounts from Rob Reiner (who wrote the foreword), Andy Scheinman, Robin Wright, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane – Fred Savage, Mandy Patinkin, Norman Lear, and author/screenwriter William Goldman are portrayed by the same narrator, whose name I didn’t catch
Simpsons Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike Reiss (“rees”) with Mathew Klickstein (read by Mike, including Judd Apatow’s foreword) – Left-wing political perspective on events from the last 20 years! – Religion bashing, southern state bashing, Bush bashing, Trump bashing, anger over Jonah Goldberg co-opting “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” – Add a misleading cheery voice, and you get a smiling character assassain from Bristol, Connecticut (whose youth predated ESPN, which wasn’t mentioned), verbally shooting down everyone he hates – At least I learned about his days on The Critic before I rage quit listening with an hour to go – Instagram post:
All in All: An Actor’s Life On and Off the Stage by Stacy Keach (foreword by Alec Baldwin, read by voice actress whose name, again, I missed) – Only political in the ’60s and early ’70s – blessed relief after enduring Mike Reiss
Is This Anything?by Jerry Seinfeld (chapter titles read by British voice actress) – Jerry’s jokes by decade, prefaced by synopses of his life in each decade
Never Look at the Empty Seats: A Memoir by Charlie Daniels (1936-2020) – Nearly the opposite of Ken Levine and Mike Reiss politically – pleasant to my center-right ears – nice to learn about his full career besides “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey – Except for acknowledging 2020 events at the end, enjoyable to listen to – “NOTE TO SELF! …”
The March 31, 2021, Instrumental Invasion on WCWP marked one year since my Wednesday night premiere. The show was recorded one hour per day on February 25 and 26 with multiple pickups recorded on the second day, and still more on the morning of the 27th.
The playlist was created on February 23 with annotations continuing into the 24th, after which the script was drafted.
This was an incredibly hard show to do. I had to improvise multiple talk breaks because there wasn’t enough time to read from the lengthy scripts. The second talk break of the show was so lengthy that I had to replace “Lakeshore Cowboy” by Ramsey Lewis with “Heartsounds” by David Lanz. In future playlists, I’m expanding the back-sell length to 50 seconds. That may not even be enough.
Audiobooking 6 April 4, 2021
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Audio, Audiobooks, Baseball, Comedy, Commentary, Film, History, Media, Personal, Politics, Radio, Sports, TV, Video.add a comment
It’s been just over a year since the previous post. Instrumental Invasion has taken up most of my time, providing a necessary escape from the tumultuous reality.
I continue to listen to audiobooks on days where I workout and run, or even while editing photos. My source remains Audible, now as a paid member. When I’m billed at the end of each month, I use my credit on the next audiobook to listen to. As I type, I have three-book backlog.
Here’s what I’ve been listened to since Andrea Barber’s memoir:
There, all caught up.
Until next year’s “Audiobooking” post, happy listening.