Quick review: 'I Want My MTV'

My first memories of MTV are sitting in my friend Ed's living room in Fresno and watching then-unknown Scandal perform the invigorating "Goodbye to You." I had seen music videos before but the idea of an all-video channel was nirvana for me, a musician, music geek slowly entering adulthood. These were the glory days, when MTV programmers played whatever they wanted before the algorithms got involved. 

I have many great memories of MTV so it was with great delight that I jumped into "I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution."

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Grantland takes on MTV's early history

I wrote a few months ago about ESPN's new digital magazine Grantland and its commitment to stray beyond its foundation in sports. 

The latest evidence of that is a fantastic hourlong podcast on the early history of MTV hosted by gonzo journalist Chuck Klosterman (author of one of my favorite music books "Fargo Rock City.") 

Klosterman chats with Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, authors of "I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution," on the origins of the network; why execs embraced Spring Break content (think beer money); why British New Wave bands got airplay over American acts, specifically black artists; and why hair-metal bands were among the few artists to show up on time for MTV appointments. There's even an interesting discussion of Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite" video, which Squier said effectively ended his career. 

This is a podcast that's great fun and informative, and one that makes me want to read the book, which hits stores in late October.