I'm not knowing the band you mention.

Freidman has a career as a well-known mystery writer these days...
a long way from recording tunes like "Ride 'Em Jewboy".

Far as cognition goes, I doubt that that has much to do with
anything. Record companies put things in your ears and that's
your life.

If the world seems like a big place as far as music goes, just
think of what I call second tier or more popularly 'alternative
music.' There's a whole second tier of comparable quality stuff
that never makes it beyond promotional college airplay.

if I were to make one of these sampler cd's, the first
thing I would put on it is Blue Plate Special with two of
the recordings: " A Night Out" and "Message From Paul Drake".

A night out begins with a guy with no plans entering a bar and
seeing an old girl friend who is performing on a catwalk with
"tatoos [that} spelled the names of the men left in the dirt."

There's nothing like that in mundane pop music in imagery, style
or lack of political correctness. The song does not have a
happy ending either.

"Message From Paul Drake" is about the detective from Perry
Mason and how he is the actual unsung hero of the show.

These are not materials I ever broadcast. I heard some college kids
do it long after I left the studio. Then I went out and bought the
stuff where I could find it. It's not the 'me-too' music that shows
your connections with pop culture. But here again it's the fact that
I remember these things that keeps them alive.

• Blue Plate Special (deal of the day)