John B. Wells

[stevesh]

while I follow WND to see what the VERY conservative crazies think

Those are the somewhat conservative crazies - the VERY conservative crazies (or at least the very crazy conservatives) are at prisonplanet.com.

[stevesh]

I recently was talking with a concrete finisher and asked how somebody learns to run one of the ride on power trowels.  These are the machines that weigh thousands of pounds, have a 100HP motor, are 13 feet across and do the final finish on concrete.  He told me that the only way is to practice.  Now, if I am paying ten million for a 100 000 sq ft warehouse, I do not want it to have the final finish performed by somebody who is practicing.  Let the guy hone his skills on a 2000 sq ft truck bay where a slightly uneven floor and a cracking finish do not really matter and leave the fine work where 1/4 inch over 5 feet matters to an experienced hand.  Let Wells practice his schtick by inflicting himself on a small local market until he is ready to go national.  Handing him a million listeners to torture while he practices is insane...

Nice analogy, but remember that Simple George had years of experience as a radio talk show host before being handed C2C.

[WOTR]

Nice analogy, but remember that Simple George had years of experience as a radio talk show host before being handed C2C.

This is true... but some people just are not cut out to be a finisher.  Some workers are better left in the position of unskilled labourer.  The cracking, flaking, uneven surfaces that I have seen on some floors are proof that some incompetents have been allowed to finish large projects.  Perhaps George would be the radio equivalent of being promoted far past your talent and long before you are ready.

Some people were never meant to finish concrete no matter how many hours of practice they have... others should not host radio programs regardless of how many years they have been around radio stations.

[Juan]

It used to be that one began in the radio business at small radio stations in small towns and worked up to larger markets.  However, the big conglomerates, such as Cheap Channel, bought up most of the radio stations and put syndicated talent on the air.  So, there's no where to begin anymore.  I don't know how radio will find new talent.

[Eddie Coyle]

  I don't know how radio will find new talent.

    Oh it's easy. Just wait for your pro sports career to end. Or for your TV series to be cancelled. Or the old tried and true: lose your election or be forced from office. Radio is a featherbed for fallen or aged "celebrity". It's not for commoners anymore.

[Lovely Bones]

The major problem is that I am expected to stick with him while he hones his craft.  If I recall correctly, Art started when he was 13 (and became more popular after 4 decades of practice.)  Rush, Knapp and even Glen Beck (love him or hate him) all had to earn their way to an audience.  Wells was handed, as he says, millions of his closest friends as listeners.  There is no way that an amatuer with no experience should be allowed to inflict himself on an audience while he practices finding something to say during the long pauses.

Bingo.

If Wells had shown up as talent on my local radio station, I'm willing to bet I would have given him a longer trial period.  He'd have been part of the daily background as I drove to work or walked the dogs or whatever, and I might have been patient enough with him to start to see glimmers of potential.  I might even have become a real fan.

I think I'm in part resentful because one minute Ian is my Saturday night radio staple, and the next minute, Ian announces that tinnitus (and whatever else) has made him decide to all but leave C2C.  So without much transition at all, I'm suddenly moved from Ian's (IMO) capable hands on Saturday night to standing on the bridge of the mothership with Wells, while Wells fumbles with timing breaks and leaves long pauses where neither he nor the guest say anything. 

I'm a little worried about capsizing or falling overboard with that kind of inexperience. 

[texaskdog]

Have to say I like Wells for his opinion & content, not so much his voice.  Still can't put him up there with Ian & Knapp.  If you could only take Wells' talent with Noory's voice....

There is a lot of talent to utilize for a show like this.  Better a lot of local guys would be willing to be on C2C. 

[VtaGeezer]

Have to say I like Wells for his opinion & content, not so much his voice.  Still can't put him up there with Ian & Knapp.  If you could only take Wells' talent with Noory's voice....

There is a lot of talent to utilize for a show like this.  Better a lot of local guys would be willing to be on C2C.

I haven't seen any talent from The Voice.  Vocal skills and pipes, yes. Talent to carry and steer an interview/call-in program on unusual topics; zip.  He challenges nothing his America-is-doomed guests say.  Wells spouts platitudes and stumbles for clever things to say; he usually ends up dropping some cliche drenched in 70s hipness.   C2C didn't need a deep voiced, hardline idealogue, it needed a host who can think on his feet.  A host with an open mind; not an empty mind. He should go back to voice-overs, where others with the talent write his words.

[Lovely Bones]

Do you actually think you are some neo-Socrates dolling out wisdom? 

You're the one who thinks that as far as I can see.

Eddie freely admits he's a grumpy old curmudgeon who has fucked up his life at various points.  His humility is endearing to those of us wise enough to see through his crusty exterior.

You--you ain't got no humility and at this rate, you're not endearing yourself to anybody.  Worse yet for you, you're shoving Charles Bukowski down people's throats like he was the Second Coming in a way that makes even the most poetic-minded among us shut down and turn off.  There's a difference between sharing and indoctrinating, and I doubt anyone here is up for indoctrination. 

[HorrorReporter]

I'm fully ready for criticism but open lines during the final hour last night reminded me just a little of the old days... Really. First 3 hours? Typical Noory era. But last hour made me think Wells could adapt and evolve into something good.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Nick Redfern on tonight with JB Wells.

This might actually be a good show.

[ziznak]

awwwwww yeaaaah.... I love MIBS!!!  We're due for a good show man it's been like a week...
Yeah not too sure about this guy... lol... motorhead fan huh?

[RealCool Daddio]

This makes like John even more. I think a great guest for him would be Henry Rollins.

[ziznak]

or lemmy

[RealCool Daddio]

or lemmy

Oh yeah.  One of the most intense shows  I have ever seen - the Iron Fist tour.  Then again , Lemmy is  known to have a large and valuable German WWII collection.  His fascination with the Third Reich creeps me out.

[ziznak]

that thing growing on his face and his uncanny pirate/biker look is enough for me.  gotta give it to  him tho the man can play n sing... very charismatic on stage

[Grimace]

Oh yeah.  One of the most intense shows  I have ever seen - the Iron Fist tour.  Then again , Lemmy is  known to have a large and valuable German WWII collection.  His fascination with the Third Reich creeps me out.

In that eponymous documentary (which I personally recommend if you haven't seen it) Lemmy says something about how he just likes wearing and collecting Third Reich stuff because he thinks they have the coolest looking uniforms. An evening chat with him over some whiskey regarding military history would be, in a word, badass. His knife collections and what not are pretty awesome too.

[Ben Shockley]

Eternal optimist and left-wing Christian that I am, I keep hoping for JBW to deliver.   I even sent him a mostly-praiseful e-mail last night.
But his cloying attempts at "English accents" -- especially with an Englishman on the phone, who I really feel must have been just gritting his teeth --- DAMN, Wells sucks at that!!  I was embarrassed for Redfern.

[Lovely Bones]

I keep hoping for JBW to deliver.   

I broke my self-imposed exile from current C2C and listened in to a bit of Wells over the last two nights.  I hesitate to say this based on such a small sampling, but I almost think he's improving a little.  At least becoming more comfortable in his chair on the ship.  He sucks less than Noory.  I'll venture that much on a temporary visa.   

[HorrorReporter]

I broke my self-imposed exile from current C2C and listened in to a bit of Wells over the last two nights.  I hesitate to say this based on such a small sampling, but I almost think he's improving a little.  At least becoming more comfortable in his chair on the ship.  He sucks less than Noory.  I'll venture that much on a temporary visa.   

Agreed

[ziznak]

I've been listening to a lot of stuff from 2011 and noticed he got a lot better actually.  Check out one of his old shows and then listen to him now and you can tell he's different.

[UnscreenedCaller]

I tuned in to JBW last night and it was .... alright. In fact, better than I thought. Now, I'm not jumping up and down and singing "halleluiah" just yet, but maaaaybe there's a glimmer of hope. I wish he'd just stop the 'come up to the bridge' schtick, but you know, whatever floats his boat or flies his ship, as long as he can carry on a conversation and deal with the pauses.


Last night, there was an old Art show on the stream where he was playing "Truth or Trash". Art was masterful at handling random callers, something he'd honed over the years. I almost feel bad comparing Wells to him, but Wells could do worse than listen to those old shows not to copy Art, but to listen and maybe learn from a consummate pro.

[coaster]

I listened to the entire show last night and actually enjoyed it. I never thought I'd say that.

[RealCool Daddio]

Glad to see more people giving John a chance.  If he keeps getting better, the folks at premrad will have a legitimate alternative to Noory come contract time.

[Juan]

I have to agree - Wells is getting better. I was impressed when he tried to interview Redfern about his latest book, Redfern said it had not yet been published and was off limits, and Wells was able to switch gears to another book.  He had obviously prepared to do one show and had to do another - I don't think sNoory could have pulled it off.

[Lovely Bones]

I have to agree - Wells is getting better. I was impressed when he tried to interview Redfern about his latest book, Redfern said it had not yet been published and was off limits, and Wells was able to switch gears to another book.  He had obviously prepared to do one show and had to do another - I don't think sNoory could have pulled it off.

Noory can't pull off interviews he's allegedly spent 8 hours that day preparing for. Has anyone mentioned that Noory sucks?

[Grimace]

Although a tad cheesy, I do dig John's style and I think he'd be far superior to Noory without question. I don't even mind his mental delusions of being on the mothership, it's fuckin' better and more interesting than Snoore's stale bread approach to everything - he can get another cushy gig being the official spokesperson for E-Foods direct or P90X or something and still support his family.

[rangers1919]

Noory can't pull off interviews he's allegedly spent 8 hours that day preparing for. Has anyone mentioned that Noory sucks?

I think there is probably a thread saying that somewhere.

Wells was ok last night, and about 1000X better than any Noory I've heard in the last few years. I heard Art Bell Somewhere In Time before C2C started last night, and it wasn't even a particularly interesting, or great show from Art and it was so much better than Noory.

[El Kragen]

One of the things I like about Wells hosted shows is they sound like something you're supposed to hear at three in the morning. Not sure if it's his voice or the whole "mothership" & "shotgun out the backdoor" shtick. Noory is complete shit (stating the obvious) and there is ZERO "night time in the desert" vibe from his shows. Not so with Wells. I listen to select shows during the day and his always make me think of working the night shift again.

[WOTR]

I broke my self-imposed exile from current C2C and listened in to a bit of Wells over the last two nights.  I hesitate to say this based on such a small sampling, but I almost think he's improving a little.  At least becoming more comfortable in his chair on the ship.  He sucks less than Noory.  I'll venture that much on a temporary visa.   

Really?  You, Unscreenedcaller, ziznak, coaster, horrorreporter, UFOphil, and realcool daddio all saying that the man has improved?  Only three weeks ago I was ready to become a Noory fan rather than listen to anymore of Wells...  I suppose I will have to eventually listen in.  The hard part for me will be keeping an open mind (it may be a fault, but usually I have a tough time changing my opinion of something.)

Time will tell...