On the Radio: Genesis--but only certain Genesis

I like to check in with Baltimore's 102.7 JACK-FM every now and then because it purports to play "everything." That's not so, of course, but it does offer a lot of variety and a lot of pop songs I don't hear anywhere else.

This past week, though, the variety hasn't been as varied. For some reason, I am hearing a LOT of Genesis on there lately. The strange thing is, it's only Genesis from a certain time frame. I'm talking post-Peter-Gabriel but pre-Invisible-Touch here. I heard 3 or 4 different songs from this era last week.

How did this happen? Did some new program director come in and say, "Hey, you know what we need more of on here? GENESIS"?

Then perhaps someone responded, "Oh, yeah, we can put 'Throwing It All Away' back in the rotation, maybe 'No Son of Mine'..."

Only she was met with a curt dismissal by the P.D.: "No way, we're not playing that crap. That was their sellout period."

"Oh, so you want some of the old Peter Gabriel stuff, or maybe Steve Hackett? I don't know they had a lot of radio hits, but we can do 'Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' or--"

"NO! Damn it, none of that stuff. As far as this station is concerned, the genesis of Genesis was ABACAB! And don't try slipping in any 'Invisible Touch' stuff, because I know that album beginning to end. We don't need to play that anymore!"

Because, see, that's the weird thing: I didn't even hear the two arguably most enduring hits from that post-Gabriel, post-Hackett, pre-beer commercials era: "Misunderstanding" and "Turn It On Again." Those are on the "Duke," album which was the predecessor of "Abacab," so this window is even narrower when you really think about it.

Then again, it's quite possible I'm the only one thinking about it.