Robbie Robertson "Fear Of Falling"

Because the process of putting a song into regular rotation on mvyradio is so competitive, I don't give myself much room for regret or second guessing. I try to only choose songs that I feel certain are going to work for the station and our listeners.

I am never 100% right in my choosing, but even the songs that end up not quite working or catching on, I can usually deem worth the effort of giving a shot.

But I have had this creeping feeling about a new song on mvyradio, and I'm hoping my sense in not confirmed down the road.

LOVE Robbie Robertson. Love him.

Love the new record.

And when the second single, "Fear Of Falling" was released, it seemed like a no-brainer.

Hell, it's even got Eric Clapton AND Steve Winwood on it. So now it's not one but three guys who are older, but still capable of making great, great records.

So I added it.

But now I've been hearing it on the air for a couple of weeks and . . . I've got that creeping feeling. That feeling that I didn't make the right choice.

And I can tell you exactly when that feeling started.

It was the moment when I realized that this tune sounds a little too much like a particular Clapton song.

Oddly enough, it is one of Clapton's biggest hits. But it's also his song that I find the least interesting, the most generic.

"Change The World."

That track is fine. I'm not offended by it. It's just kind of middle-of-the-road-pop-craft boring. Co-written by Babyface, it's a cake baked for mass-consumption.

Clapton can still kill it on guitar. Winwood's voice is still in top form. And Robertson has complete mastery of his atmospherics/production, and can still write incredible lyrics.

So maybe I've set the bar too high, if I find this song a little generic?

And maybe, like "Change The World," it will be a huge hit, in spite of, or because of, its accessibility.

Of course, as always, the real answer rests with you, the audience, to embrace or reject it, and let us know what you think, so we can continue to fine-tune our programming ears to bring you what you want to hear.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.