Radio Waves: Life and Revolution on the FM Dial

Not ony is Ladd, a L.A. disc jockey for more than 20 years, trapped in a 1960s-1970s time warp, the golden age of rock, but he seems to be unaware of his own hype. He views pre-rock tunes as bubblegum music and those written after 1980 as corporate music for yuppiedom. He ascribes a nobility of motive, a power of intellect and virtually limitless talent to the top rockers, arguing that John Lennon, for one, ``created some of the most enduring music of all time.'' If Ladd's uncritical enthusiasm for the era and its stars does not prove off-putting to discerning readers, the lyrics he quotes in abundance will. Stripped of the music, the messages and sentiments expressed by the lyrics sound anything but profound. Photos not seen by PW. (June)