Edge 102.1 has redesigned their web site. I only discovered the new Edge.ca when I was checking in on the latest Thursday 30 results. That's pretty much the only reason I click over to Edge.ca. I've always enjoyed following the Thursday 30.

Unfortunately, the new redesign has messed up my little past time. Check out the new Thursday 30 home page. Is it asking too much for a little table that tells me where the song was ranked the previous week and how many weeks the tune has been on the chart? This is a big step in the wrong direction.

In case they read this and make things right over here, here's a screen cap of how their new Thursday 30 page looks right now.

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I've got a radio in my shower and this morning it was tuned to 102.1. At about 7:40am or so, I heard a familiar voice. Freddie P was in the studio, chatting with the crew that took over after Humble & Fred left CFNY for Mojo.

Freddie P was in the building because he was scheduled to appear with John Derringer on Q107, but Dean Blundell showed some class by letting Fred be heard on 102.1 for the first time since the spring of 2001. It was great hearing his voice again, I'm just sorry it was only for a few minutes and that it wasn't accompanied by another dude.

Sometimes the shower can act like a time machine.

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Since the big Edgefest 2008 announcement, I've spent some time over at http://www.edge102.com/ and it was pretty frustrating. For most of yesterday details were impossible to find and then when they were posted they were incorrect and confusing.

Corus Radio, I'd be more than happy to be your Edge webmaster. I know web technologies, e-marketing and music. Contact me if you want to chat about it.

I first noticed the error below yesterday, but this flyer was still staring me in the face earlier today when I was trying to buy tickets. There was a Tuesday, February 26 and a Wednesday, February 27, but there ain't no Wednesday, February 26.

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Our friends at 102.1 The Edge have announced their lineup for Edgefest 2008. They actually didn't hold an Edgefest in 2007, ending a string of 20 consecutive shows. Before I throw you the lineup, I have an Edgefest spiel to share.

I used to love these things. There were big lineups and solid headliners and they usually held it at Molson Park in Barrie, my favourite concert venue. The last Edgefest I attended was 2003's Farewell to Molson Park. The Tragically Hip headlined and they were supported by CanCon heavyweights Our Lady Peace, Sloan and others. It was awesome, but the very next year's lineup was so horrible, it threatened to destroy the franchise.

You can read my reaction to learning the 2004 Edgefest lineup here. Good Charlotte, the epitome of all that is wrong with popular music today, was scheduled to headline. This set off a string of email exchanges between CFNY Program Director Alan Cross and myself. I wasn't so upset at the fact I hated the headlining band, I was more disturbed by the hypocrisy of it all considering 102.1 wouldn't even play Good Charlotte.

The lineup for Edgefest 2005 wasn't much better, and by 2006 this once great event was evoking yawns from old fogies like me. I like to think I played a small role in the cancellation of last year's Edgefest and the vastly improved lineup this year. Yes, I'm that egotistical.

On July 12th at Downsview Park, Edgefest 2008 will feature Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Sam Roberts and more. Once I know the more, I'll throw that info in the comments. This is an Edgefest I'd attend, and I haven't said that in five years.

I'm pretty sure Good Charlotte won't be on the bill...

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My radio is tuned to 102.1 as I listen to their top 102 countdown of 2007. I can't remember the last December 31 I didn't do this, it's sort of an annual tradition of mine.

This year I'll record the top ten live as I listen. Reload this page every few minutes and you'll get an updated list. When it's done, I'll throw my two cents at the bottom of this entry.

1. Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
2. Incubus - Anna Molly
3. Alexisonfire - Boiled Frogs
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
6. Linkin Park - What I've Done
7. Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the Experiment
8. Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)
10. The Fratellis - Flathead

Only two songs appeared on both this CFNY list and my personal top ten of 2007. There would have been more overlap, but I delisted a few of their picks because the song was released in 2006.

Nothing shocking here. I'm still surprised at how overrated that Finger Eleven song is. I'm not a huge fan of that Chili Pepper song, either. I'm a big fan of 60% of this top ten, including their choice for #1.

Bonus thought: How old is Martin Streek? He's been on the Edge forever. Seriously, I can't remember listening to 102.1 without Streek. He's got to be pushing 60.

That's it for me, I'm logging off for the year... Happy New Year everyone.

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When I listed my favourite "snow" songs the other day, Phil left a comment reminding me about "Snow Removal Machine". "Snow Removal Machine" was Fred Patterson's parody of The Cult's "Love Removal Machine" and was often played at this time of year during the CFNY morning show. I remember it from the Humble & Fred show, but I understand it's older than that.

From Freddie P. himself, "This is the shortened version.. the long original version is on a tape that I can't transfer until I find an old "cart" machine." By the way, we played this during the 17th Annual Humble & Fred Christmas podcast last year. Enjoy.

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Now that both Humble and Fred have publicly stated it, I can finally write this entry. There will be no 18th Annual Humble & Fred Christmas show. Not on the radio or in podcast form. After 17 years, this annual Toronto tradition has come to an end.

Fans of the show will tell you this streak wasn't really in tact anyway. Back in 1991 Humble was at CKFM-FM while Fred was still at CFNY and in 2005 the show went on without Fred who had been relieved of his duties at Mix 99.9. Still, we all got together for the 18th annual show last December, against all odds, and it felt awfully special.

That's right, I said "we". I was invited to Dan Duran's house that Saturday morning we recorded the podcast and I took a bunch of pictures. Although I've known there would be no 18th Christmas show for some time, I had no idea I was witnessing the end of an era on December 16, 2006. At the time, I assumed we'd be doing it all again in December 2007. I was wrong.

As a fan, this truly sucks. The on-air chemistry between Humble Howard and Freddie P was awesome. They complemented each other so well, and watching them do their thing was like watching a long-time married couple complete each other's sentences. As a fan, I think it stinks that I can't hear another podcast and laugh my ass off.

On a personal level, it saddens me. I've grown quite close to Howard, we chat often about a variety of subjects and hook up whenever possible, and lately I've spent more time chatting with Fred and getting to know him. Both guys are solid citizens with unique talents and it would be a treat to watch them share a mic one more time. I root for both in their post-Humble & Fred careers, but it's tough when you think they're better when they're together. Like a long-time marriage, it's not necessarily forever. They've moved on, and so must we.

As I mentioned last month, I secured a complete backup of the old humbleandfred.com and I'm hosting it for posterity's sake. You can revisit the 17th Annual Christmas Show web page and listen to last year's podcast. You can stream it from that page, subscribe to the podcast or download the MP3. I covered all the bases. Trust me, it's a year old, but it's still hilarious. And now, it's bitter sweet.

Below is me, Bingo Bob, Fred Patterson, Dan Duran, Scary Bald Headed Pete and Humble Howard Glassman after we recorded the 17th and final Humble & Fred Christmas Show on December 16, 2006.

For waking me up every weekday morning of the 90s, for making me laugh and for helping me through both high school and university, thanks...

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When people learn I'm friends with both Humble and Fred, I'm almost always asked what they're up to. The fact is anything I'd be allowed to share would probably already be on their respective blogs, but it's a fair question and I do my best to answer it. Humble and Fred were the morning guys throughout the 90s on the radio station of choice for most of us born in the 70s, so there's naturally a great fondness for them and a genuine interest in their whereabouts.

Humble, who I'm hanging with on Saturday, will be appearing on an episode of the CBC radio comedy show "The Debaters". He'll be taping that in Saskatchewan and he'll be debating Judy Croon who worked with him on Mix 99.9. Fred will host the Bill Watters Show on AM 640 tomorrow and Friday. That starts at 4pm and runs until 7pm.

Another question I'm often asked by fellow fans of The Humble and Fred Show is whether there will be another podcast. Humble and Fred recorded three podcasts following their departure from radio, starting with last year's awesome Christmas show. I was lucky enough to be in the room while two of the three were recorded at Dan Duran's house and I was responsible for making sure you guys could hear it online. I don't know if the guys know I did this, but I grabbed a copy of the old humbleandfred.com and archived it at http://www.torontomike.com/humbleandfred/. You can actually go there and hear all three hilarious podcasts and then you can wonder why the hell these two no longer have their own show.

My answer to this podcast question isn't really an answer but a suggestion they ask Howard or Fred. If it were up to me, there would most definitely be an 18th Annual Humble & Fred Christmas Show. Unfortunately, it's not up to me.

Now get over to http://www.torontomike.com/humbleandfred/ and enjoy some great Humble and Fred from the past year. It's uncensored, cocked and loaded. And it's hilarious, dammit!

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As a long time fan of the Humble & Fred morning show, I was poised to dislike their replacement on my favourite radio station. A quick search of this blog for the term "blundell" gives you an idea as to what I think of The Dean Blundell Show. I've never liked it.

I'm not a fan of his radio show, but Dean Blundell also writes a column for Eye Weekly that I do enjoy. I find his radio persona moronic and insulting yet I find his columns bold and titillating. Earlier this month, he wrote about his wife, and I actually read it out loud to my wife because I couldn't believe the honesty he committed to print. His most recent column for Eye Weekly calls out Toronto radio personalities. He doesn't name names, but most of the identities can be guessed fairly easily. It makes for one hell of an interesting article.

My friend Fred Patterson, one half of the aforementioned Humble & Fred Show, posted Blundell's article on his blog and invited readers to guess who's "the paranoid ageing huckster who's ego is the bruised by years of abuse" and "the guy who tells you how awesome he is before he tells you who he is" and the "guy and gal with fake names who's radio careers have more miles on them than Pamela Anderson's knees". It was a highly entertaining entry, but Fred unpublished it. You'll no longer find it on his site. Apparently, Blundell's article is causing some trouble for Alan Cross and The Edge and Fred didn't want to get in the middle of a shit storm.

As it turns out, Dean Blundell makes a great columnist. There's a guy who seriously needs a blog. I know I'd check in daily to read what he's got to say.

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On Friday night, I heard "Jays To The Top" for the first time. This was a song that appeared on the new and improved Blue Jays compilation that was released in 1991. "Jays To The Top" was performed by my buddy Humble Howard Glassman back when he was at CFNY.

After a couple of listens, I was cringing at how bad this song was. I started to think it might be a way for me to make a quick buck. I left Humble Howard a voice mail in which I threatened to share this song with the world if he didn't pay me $10,000 in cash. If he didn't cough up the coin, I'd release "Jays To The Top" to the masses and destroy any credibility he has left.

Humble called me this afternoon refusing to pay and daring me to share it. He thinks it's pretty good, or at least not bad. He informed me it was based on a 1974 hit by Reunion called "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" and he did the same sort of spoof for the Habs when he was working on the radio in Montreal.

Because Humble refused to pay, here's "Jays To The Top". Maybe it's not as bad as I think it is...

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When I was last at Freddie P's house, I took some pictures of the cool CFNY stuff he had on his wall.

This morning, I was hanging with Humble Howard at his place and I decided to snap a few pics of his stuff. Here's the photoset, if you're curious.

The dude makes a good cup of coffee and Mrs. Humble lays out a mean breakfast spread. There's good tunage, too, as Humble plays Cohen's Hallelujah on piano and his daughter Spencer sings like an angel. There's a major chill factor there, no foolin'.

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As previously mentioned, CFNY Edge 102 counted down the top 102 Canadian new rock songs of all time today. They just aired Underwhelmed seconds ago, so you're getting this awfully quick. I threw this together while watching the Leafs game and filled in the cracks with a little help from my friends.

1. Sloan, Underwhelmed - One of my ten Canadian tracks, and it's a word!
2. The Tragically Hip, New Orleans is Sinking - No brainer. You could see this coming a hundred miles away. It's another of my ten Canadian tracks, to top it off. Only one song could beat this one...
3. The Demics, New York City - If they were going to celebrate a Canadian punk song from the late 70s, this is the one to celebrate because it's the best of the bunch. They were local, too.
4. Arcade Fire, Rebellion (Lies) - Props to CFNY for putting Arcade Fire in the top ten, even if it's the wrong Arcade Fire song.
5. Nickelback, How You Remind Me - I call bullshit.
6. The Pursuit of Happiness, I'm An Adult Now - Now we're talking! I recently shared the video for this song. This is a band I have fond memories of and I included this song as one of my ten Canadian tracks.
7. Billy Talent, River Below - The Billy Talent love-in continues...
8. Spirit Of The West, Home For A Rest - I don't think you're allowed to listen to this song once you've graduated from university.
9. Martha & The Muffins, Echo Beach - You knew this was coming. It had to be there, 'nuff said.
10. AlexisOnFire, This Could Be Anywhere In The World - The ranking of this tune has clearly been inflated based on the fact it's a recent hit. Think back to when Bush's "Swallowed" was ranked the top video in the history of MuchMusic. I dig this tune though, and led off SLS16 with it.
11. Our Lady Peace, Naveed - This is one of my favourite OLP song. It's true, you can look it up.
12. Rough Trade, High School Confidential - These lists are always fairly predictable. Certain songs must be listed to prove it's not biased towards recent songs. High School Confidential is a fine tune, but should it be this high on the list? Of course not.
13. Finger Eleven, One Thing - I call bullshit. "One Thing" was popular, and had mass appeal, but it's not Finger Eleven's best work and it doesn't belong in the top 102
14. The Gandharvas, The First Day Of Spring - Great choice. I was just thinking about this song.
15. The Viletones, Screamin Fist - I'm man enough to admit I didn't know this song. These lists need late 70s punk songs, and it seems The Demics and The Diodes weren't enough.
16. Sam Roberts, Brother Down - After hearing the latest Sam Roberts album, my respect for this dude has soared. Brother Down is a fine tune that appeared on SLS8.
17. Matthew Good Band, Apparitions - I knew Matt Good was going to be on this list somewhere, and this is probably their biggest hit. I once interviewed him.
18. The Diodes, Tired of Waking Up Tired - I got to know this song when CBC radio was putting together their list of essential Canadian music. It's a neat tune, and you've got to pay respect to the pioneers, eh?
19. The Tragically Hip, Wheat Kings - A truly beautiful, Canadian classic. I'm tearing up just writing about it.
20. Alanis Morissette, You Oughta Know - Is this "new rock"? Maybe... but it's the only tune of hers that might qualify as such.
21. Barenaked Ladies, If I Had $1000000 - This one is from that yellow tape and therefore worthy. I'm surprised it's not higher.
22. Lowest Of The Low, Eternal Fatalist - I recently shared this one. Shakespeare My Butt still rulez!
23. Pure, Anna is a Speed Freak - I hadn't heard this one in years. It's great!
24. The Extras, Circular Impression - If you listened to the most recent Humble & Fred podcast, you heard me request this song.
25. Blue Rodeo, Diamond Mine - I'm always surprised when they play Blue Rodeo on 102.1. I wrote about that, and the fact this is my favourite Blue Rodeo song, right here.
26. Tea Party, The River - It's my favourite song from a band I never really liked.
27. Teenage Head, Let's Shake - Good shite... classic.
28. Death From Above 1979, Romantic Rights - I'm happy to hear this one up there. It's recent, but it's awesome. In fact, it was my second favourite song of 2005.
29. Moist, Push - Here's the Moist song I was waiting for...
30. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, Having An Average Weekend - This song will forever be loved for it's promise a hilarious Kids in the Hall episode is forthcoming.
31. Treble Charger, Red - Everybody's favourite Treble Charger song belongs on this list.
32. Three Days Grace, (I Hate) Everything About You - Hmmm, this one is debatable. If a Three Days Grace song had to be ranked this high, I suppose we're lucky it was this one.
33. Men Without Hats, The Safety Dance - Many forget this one is Canadian. It's one of the better 80s tunes, but is it "new rock"?
34. Odds, Eat My Brain - Speaking of Canadian videos that featured cameos from other Canadian artists, the video for this tune had cool appearances by Junkhouse and The Pursuit of Happiness.
35. I Mother Earth, One More Astronaut - Other IME songs should have been ranked ahead of this one.
36. Payolas, Eyes Of A Stranger - I hear this one all the time on my Oh What A Feeling albums, and it always takes me back.
37. Neverending White Lights, The Grace - Again, this song is sweet and all but experienced a higher than appropriate ranking because it's so fresh.
38. Econoline Crush, All That You Are - I knew these guys were going to make the top 102. My favourite factoid about them is the fact their band name comes from a Neil Young lyric.
39. Doughboys, Shine - I was hoping the Doughboys would break through, and this is probably their best song.
40. Bedouin Soundclash, When The Night Feels My Song - I call bullshit. This song doesn't belong in the top 102.
41. City And Colour, Save Your Scissors - This dude is all over the top 102, isn't he? We've got him with Alexisonfire and Neverending White Lights. Enough is enough!
42. Blue Peter, Don't Walk Past - Do I know this song?
43. The Tragically Hip, Fifty Mission Cap - How can I complain about a Hip song about Bashin' Bill?
44. Sloan, Coax Me - Great selection. Nobody will complain about this one.
45. 54-40, Ocean Pearl - It's easy to forget these guys, but they were so damn consistent. Hit after hit after hit, and I rarely think about them.
46. Our Lady Peace, Clumsy - I'm cool with this.
47. Rusty, Misogyny - Yay, Rusty! We were just talking about them.
48. Parachute Club, Rise Up - Sadly, I only think of that damn McCain's commercial now. I know the song meant something to this city, but kids today are only thinking about frozen pizza.
49. Sum 41, Pieces - I beg to differ.
50. Arcade Fire, Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - All of Funeral could have made this list.
51. Spoons, Nova Heart - This is another song I know from the Oh What A Feeling collection.
52. Billy Talent, Devil In A Midnight Mass - CFNY hearts Billy Talent.
53. New Pornographers, Mass Romantic - Great selection.
54. Northern Pikes, Teenland - I am so glad this song made the list. In primary school I used this song for an independent study project while in the gifted program. True story...
55. K-OS, Crucial - I'm a little surprised this song made the list, even though I dig this dude.
56. 54-40, Baby Ran - Just to repeat myself, this band was solid and quite under appreciated.
57. Vital Signs, Collage - Don't laugh, but I'm pleading ignorance.
58. Nickelback, Someday - I call bullshit.
59. Sum 41, Fat Lip - I suppose this song had to be here.
60. Breeding Ground, Happy Now I Know - I don't know this tune, do I?

61. Metric, Dead Disco - Ahead of Combat Baby? No way, Jose.
62. The Tragically Hip, Bobcaygeon - You'd better believe it.
63. Chalk Circle, April Fool - This was my first concert!
64. Our Lady Peace, Starseed - This list was going to be heavy on the OLP and Hip because they couldn't ignore the staples.
65. I Mother Earth, So Gently We Go - My favourite IME song, for what it's worth.
66. Dream Warriors, My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style - I'm very happy they didn't forget the Dream Warriors. I loved this album from King Lou and Capital Q from Jane and Finch.
67. Sarah McLachlan, Possession - Ya gotta respect the queen of Canadian new rock.
68. Tea Party, Temptation - I'm calling bullshit on this one.
69. Images In Vogue, Lust For Love - One of my favourite 80s songs!
70. Sloan, The Other Man - Sloan's all over this list, and rightly so.
71. 54-40, One Gun - This was the first song I ever heard on MuchMusic on the first day it fell to our cable tier.
72. Rheostatics, Record Body Count - These guys never really broke, but every critic adores them.
73. Sam Roberts, Where Have All The Good People Gone - Nice choice.
74. Grapes Of Wrath, All The Things I Wasn't - Brilliant selection. I loved this tune.
75. Skinny Puppy, Testure - Not my cup of tea.
76. Mobile, Out Of My Head - I'll pass, it's too poppy and too recent.
77. Nickelback, Photograph - Bullshit!!!
78. B. B. Gabor, Nyet Nyet (Soviet Jewelry) - I'm pleading ignorance.
79. Three Days Grace, Animal I Have Become - Nice try 'NY, this ain't the Thursday 30.
80. Hot Hot Heat, Bandages - I'm glad Hot Hot Heat made the list.
81. Jane Siberry, Mimi On The Beach - I must confess to never liking this song. I know I'm supposed to, but it bores me to tears.
82. The Tragically Hip, Locked In The Trunk Of A Car - It's better for us if you don't understand.
83. Big Wreck, That Song - My brothers hated this song, but I always like it. It seems I'm not alone!
84. Trans-X, Living On Video/Vivre Sur Video - I'm pleading ignorance.
85. Watchmen, Stereo - I miss these guys.
86. Limblifter, Ariel Vs. Lotus - I hadn't heard this one in a while. It's nice, but I don't think it's top 102-worthy.
87. Pukka Orchestra, Might As Well Be On Mars - I think the Edge was short on 80s music. Cool video, tho.
88. Hayden, In September - Wasn't I just writing about Hayden? I love this song.
89. Strange Advance, Worlds Away - I'd have preferred We Run.
90. The Forgotten Rebels, I'm In Love With The System (Not Myself) - I get it. You have to acknowledge our punk scene from the late 70s if you're going to recognize Nickelback's Someday. It's still not a fair trade.
91. The Weakerthans, The Reasons - I caught these guys in the summer and this song was a highlight. When they recreate this list in five years, the Weakerthans won't make the cut.
92. Barenaked Ladies, Be My Yoko Ono - Our first BNL song and a CFNY favourite, I'm surprised it's not ranked higher.
93. Chalk Circle, This Mourning - This was my first concert!
94. Billy Talent, Try Honesty - How many Billy Talent songs made the top 102?
95. illScarlett, Heaters - Even though I really dig this tune, only time will tell if it belongs on a list like this. I suspect it doesn't.
96. Pursuit Of Happiness, Hard To Laugh - From the awesome Love Junk, this was a great single.
97. I Mother Earth, Not Quite Sonic - Three tunes from IME is just a little too much. At least replace this one with Levitate.
98. Tea Party, Save Me - No way, how can we have three Tea Party songs and only one Moist song?
99. Rheostatics, Claire - I'm a little surprised another Rheostatics song beat out this one.
100. Delerium, Flowers Become Screens - Zzzzzzz.
101. Death From Above 1979, Black History Month - The first of two DFA1979 songs, it's too bad they're now defunct.
102. Our Lady Peace, Superman's Dead - A great start to the list, OLP had a major hit with this tune.

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I spent the morning in Brampton with Freddie P. I was greeted with a great cup of coffee and a raisin bran muffin from Tim's, a perfect way to start a Saturday morning.

I was there for our Movable Type education transfer. His web site is now a real blog powered by Movable Type and I was giving him the 101 review so he can maintain and manage everything by his lonesome.

Freddie P has a cool collection of CFNY-related images in his basement. For a long time fan of the radio station, this was ultra cool. I created a photoset because that's the kind of guy I am.

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I did this once before. Earlier today I copied the list of songs played on 102.1 in the previous twelve hours and I've added little notes to each one.

People seemed to like that entry from September, but this kind of thing is a little more labour intensive than I like. Still, I'll try to do this every few months or so. Here's the second instalment of Twelve Hours of Edge Analysis.

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I used to listen to a lot more radio. I've been a fan of the medium forever, and I've written extensively about radio here, but lately I've had less time for her.

For one thing, I rarely drive anymore. I used to commute to work and spend a great deal of time in the car, but now I'm strictly a TTC or walk guy. Not driving means less radio. Also, now that my music collection is digitized, it's so accessible and convenient, I'm listening to MP3s more and radio less. It really hit home how little radio I hear when I realized I've only tuned in three station in the past three months.

Those three were...

CFNY 102.1 The Edge - I still tune in my old favourite quite a bit for a dose of Billy Talent, Incubus, The Raconteurs, Modest Mouse or whatever. It's currently my shower station.

CBC Radio One - I tune in 99.1 periodically, mainly for the news. No Toronto station does the news like they do. There are other great programs, like GO or Definitely Not the Opera, that deserve more ears.

The Fan 590 - When I need a sports report or if I just want to hear what people are saying about the Leafs, Jays or Raptors, I visit good 'ol CJCL. I've been tuning in CJCL since the 1430 and Music of Your Life days.

There you have my three coins in the fountain. Not long ago, there were closer to ten coins in the fountain. There was also more time for radio in my life.

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I wrote about a CFNY for grownups following a comment from Doug, but he was quick to remind me that we're talking about two different CFNYs. Last week Humble Howard made a comment about three different groups of CFNY / Edge102 listeners that can be grouped by morning shows. This concept has been bouncing around my head all week so I'm going to try and make sense of it all in this entry.

In 1989, when Humble & Fred started their morning show on CFNY, I was starting grade nine. I listened to that morning show throughout high school, through university and up until it moved to AM in 2001. Humble & Fred were followed by the Dean Blundell show. Here are entries in which I used the expression blundell. It's not my morning show. Although I tried, Lord knows I tried, I just can't listen to it. I just don't find it funny.

If we reach for our history text books we'll learn about Pete & Geets who did mornings from 1982 to 1987 on CFNY. I never heard a minute of their show, but for many this was their CFNY, the spirit of radio. From 1982 until today Toronto's youth with a taste for new rock can be grouped by their morning show: Pete & Geets, Humble & Fred or Dean, Jason & Todd.

Some overlap, but most are in one of these three camps. There are Dean fans who never heard Humble & Fred on 102 just as I had never heard Pete & Geets. Which morning show belongs to you?

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I was lucky enough to be a little slice of broadcast history this weekend. Regular visitors to this site have seen me write about The Humble & Fred radio show. It began in 1989 on CFNY-FM (later renamed Edge 102) and was the morning show I awoke to until it moved to Mojo 640 in April 2001. The team was broken up in the summer of 2005 when Fred Patterson was relieved of his duties at Mix 99.9. In July 2006, Humble Howard experienced the same cruel fate.

For many a Humble & Fred fan, their annual Christmas show was a highlight of the season. This Christmas marked the first time in seventeen years that neither was on the radio. The Humble & Fred Christmas Show was dead... or was it? I received a call on the QT from Humble on December 8th in which we discussed the logistics of recording a Christmas show and sharing it at humbleandfred.com. On December 10th I wrote a plan of a attack and received a late night call from Humble indicating it was a definite go. I threw a temporary countdown page at humbleandfred.com and was told to be at Dan Duran's house on December 16 at 10:30 in the morning. I was going to be the embedded journalist as history unfolded.

It had been well over a year since the two conversed on the mic as they had daily for over sixteen years, so I knew this was something special. I was also a fan of their folksy charm and humour that never failed to make me laugh. I charged the battery of my digital camera and made the short stroll to Dan's house yesterday morning unsure of what to expect but certain I'd be witnessing something extraordinary.

In addition to Dan Duran who was producing the show in his home office, his wife and son were mingling about when I showed up. Soon thereafter, Humble Howard arrived with his daughter Spencer, followed by Fred Patterson, Scary Bald Headed Pete (who is no longer bald) and Bingo Bob. Dan, Pete and Bob were all former producers of the Humble & Fred show making me the one person in the room who had never appeared on the radio show. My plan was to not pollute the process, take it all in and snap a ton of pictures.

The first thing I noticed was how natural and genuine it all seemed. There was some discussion about how it would all unfold, some audio checks and arrangement of the non-live material and then it was show time. It was all so slick, Humble and Fred anticipated each other so well, it was like watching a couple that's been together so long they finish each other's sentences. Even better, it's totally organic. No scripts, no second takes, just a natural flow that's both endearing and hilarious. The warm and fuzzy nature of the hour long show is perfect for this time of year. The Baileys Irish Creme in the coffee didn't hurt either. By the end of the show, Dan's wife was literally preparing martinis. It was the most fun you can have on a Saturday morning without taking your clothes off.

The show itself included a frank discussion about what transpired since Mix 99.9, a recollection of Christmas shows past, some great performances by The Doo Wops and Barenaked Ladies, the annual favourite "Snow Removal Machine" and a number of great Humble & Fred exchanges that make you scratch your head and wonder why these two are still out of work.

On the morning of December 22, the 17th Annual Humble & Fred Christmas Show will be available at humbleandfred.com. You will be able to stream it from the site or download the MP3. If you were ever a fan of the Humble & Fred morning show, or if you're just curious what all the fuss is about and in the holiday spirit, you're going to want to check this out.

Throughout the broadcast yesterday morning I was overwhelmed with this tingling feeling that had nothing to do with Baileys or Jackie's martinis. A large media company forced Humble and Fred off of their airwaves ending a seventeen year run in Canada's largest market. Without a time slot on terrestrial or satellite radio, the Christmas show survived. Think of the Grinch stealing all the Christmas trees and presents in Whoville. The Whos' holiday spirit could not be crushed just as Humble and Fred's voice could not be silenced. You can take their jobs, but they belong to us.

Take a moment to check out my Humble and Fred Holiday Reunion photoset. Witness history in the making for yourself. I was honoured to be a part of it.

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If any former CFNY listeners haven't heard of http://www.spiritofradio.ca/, get over there and kill a few hours. It's a great tribute to our station. There are updates on the personalities, sound checks and CFNY Edge 102's top 1002 of all time.

CFNY Edge 102's Top 1002 of all time was put together in 1999 and I remember following that countdown very closely. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ended up in the top spot, and at the close of the 90s that's exactly how it should have been. At the end of the 90s, there was no doubt that Nevermind was the album of the decade, but as time marches forward, I sense this is no longer the case. If we were to put together a list of the top albums from that decade right now, it's probable Radiohead's Ok Computer would finish first. Time is less kind to Nevermind than it is to OK Computer.

The first track from OK Computer to show up on this list of 1002 is "Karma Police" at 268. There's no way that would be the case if they rebuilt this list today.

Because I also sense you're curious as to what their top 1002 looked like in 1999, here's the top 700. I'd have listed all 1002, but I hit that same file size limitation again and had to kill a few hundred tunes.