In the liner notes that he wrote for
Rock and Roll Station, Joe D'Urso laments the way commercial radio has changed over the years. D'Urso obviously longs for the days when DJs at commercial stations were allowed to pick some of the records that they played and had the power to break a new record. These days, a mega-corporation will own hundreds of stations and dictate what all of the DJs play -- and in D'Urso's mind, that's tragic. A very nostalgic concept album,
Rock and Roll Station is a tribute to what the singer/songwriter sees as the "good old days" of rock radio. Throughout the CD, there are radio-like introductions to the songs -- consequently, you feel like you're listening to an FM rock station back in the 1970s. And the
Bruce Springsteen-like imagery that defines most of the material helps
Rock and Roll Station maintain its nostalgic ambiance. There is no doubt that Springsteen is D'Urso's primary influence; when the New York roots rocker passionately tears into tracks like "Chasing Ghosts in Rockland" and "The Ballad of Townes Van Zandt and Hawkeye Pierce," it's obvious that he has spent countless hours savoring Born to Run and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. Although D'Urso has other influences as well -- most notably,
John Cougar Mellencamp,
Tom Petty, and
Bob Dylan -- the Boss has influenced his writing more than anyone. But what
Rock and Roll Station lacks in originality, it makes up for with sincerity and conviction. Is this album totally derivative? Without question. No one will accuse D'Urso of being one of rock's forward thinkers, but his fans don't have a problem with that -- and they will find
Rock and Roll Station to be an enjoyable and heartfelt dose of nostalgia. ~ Alex Henderson