https://youtu.be/otGmpQpiVjw
The outgoing 40-year old theme is like a comfortable pair of old shoes. It’s reassuring. This new theme is … not.
From an article in The Atlantic …
The old theme—known for its inquisitive guitar and jazz piano—went off the air last week after 40 years of service. It was replaced on Monday with a new one that churns through dozens of ideas in 58 seconds: There’s a trip-hop remix of the old melody, a synthesized set of chimes conveying either urgency or the imminent arrival of an elevator, and a clatter of percussion that sounds “global” without evoking any one country in particular.
“For me, it was so reminiscent of childhood, of car rides to school,” [classical composer Timo] Andres told me later of the old theme. “Even though, objectively, it sounds like an artifact from a universe where Steely Dan was co-opted into writing state-propaganda music.”
The new theme, meanwhile, was summarized more pithily by [jazz singer Theo] Bleckmann. “Yeah, it sucks,” he said.
https://youtu.be/cwEDfzMfNHo
What say you bastards?
As the growth market for Morning Edition is the 65 and over crowd, this is understandable. They gots to have their synth trip-hop.
More legacy media on the way out …
I hate the new theme, of course, but I can’t say I care much. Do any of you remember when they revamped the theme back in the 90’s or early aughties? They didn’t change the theme per se, but went from a semi-classical arrangement with a baroque intro to the “Steely Dan state- propaganda” version that was just axed. That was part of a general panic and self-loathing at NPR and PBS that they were too white and affluent. On PBS, that meant fewer British accents, less classical music, and more Yanni. On NPR, that meant a smooth jazz theme for Morning Edition and birthday call-outs to Jay Z instead of Itzhak Perlman. Of course none of it worked. It’s so funny when these people try to be “with it.”
I like it. It’s catchy and you can dance to it.