Danny Baker's Great Album Showdown on BBC4

I forgot it was on John. I'll try and catch it on iPlayer. I was busy last night with a guest from Leicester (not Richard III) who fitted a new cart for me.

ATB

Steve

The first programme was interesting, the second less so and the third even less so. Probably because i like rock music more than pop music and pop music more than r&b/disco. Danny Baker is excellent as the host ... some of the guests i find less engrossing ... 

Still always good to see discussions about music on the TV rather than soap operas, game shows and endless dramas

One curious thing i noticed is the way people select there favourite songs .... Quite a few choose something that reminds them of where they were, what they were doing and memories .... None those things influence my choice: i just think is this a great song that i like and there is no personal experience involved ... I mean i've only lived on earth and i never seen the sun or the promise of thousand other suns that lie beyond here, but i still appreciate groups like the Jefferson Airplane more than somebody rapping about life in a run down suburb. 

On this programme concept albums are about a political theme, whereas for me a great concept album is about a Alchemist, a Snow Goose or S.F.Sorrow (the greatest concept album ever imho). So what i find interesting is the way people view what is a good album very differently from me. Whereas i was in tune with the rock guest, i was not in tune with the subsequent guests. Perhaps it is my stance that songs are for listening to and even singing along to, but dance no thanks. 

I've watched Episodes 1 & 3 so far.

I think I've enjoyed them, but at times they have been annoying.  They've also been a little too stuck in the past.  It's certainly valid to talk about golden ages for different genres, but all of them are still producing excellent albums (on vinyl, seeing as that was the premise for the show).

I think the choice of guests has been a little odd.  The young journalist (on the rock show) had a couple of interesting things to say, but I don't believe she can have had the same passion because she didn't grow up in the vinyl era.  Martin Freeman was worthwhile but I don't think he fitted with the other two guests - he'd have been interesting on a general album show because there seemed to be hints he had a much wider collection / taste.  Mica Paris was just a bit annoying.

The third show did prompt me to pull Stevie Wonder's Innervisions from the shelf though (albeit on CD).

Last nights show, bloody fantastic.

Agree Maze and kudos to Martin Freeman for sticking a Donny Hathaway LP on "The Wall of Sound".

Now you've got me wondering who is Donny Hathaway ... I guess i'm going to have to have a listen. 

He is one of the giants of soul Guy. Superb Fender Rhodes player, great jazzy chops, brilliant songwriter (and also interpreter of other people's songs) and a voice to die for. Sadly committed suicide in 1979.

This album is the best place to start:

But these are also worth a listen:

Thanks .. I've ordered the first of these .. Liked the bits i found on youTube. 

What a miserable world you live in Mike.

+1

Lots of us DO mourn the loss of cover art, though Mike, and many feel that the convenience of CD is a poor trade-off compared to the strengths of vinyl.

I know plenty of people who rushed out to adopt CD, dumping record players and vinyl records in the process and who now regret it.

Re-writing history is indelibly linked to the music industry. Whence the Beatles invented everything even stuff before/after they were formed.

I'm not a particular DB fan, but there are many worse IMO.

BTW 99.9% of the time I play albums all the way through, (excluding samplers, B ofs). 

Mike, I'm in total agreement. Although I never smelt my vinyl (did I miss out on some spaced-out experience?).

When I moved from vinyl to CD (probably at the time everyone else had 'converted), I didn't just sit there bemoaning the loss of beautiful vinyl sound. It was very much a swings and roundabouts affair - the lack of clicks and pops on classical music CD's, for example, was an absolute relief for me. Of course, I am only talking about my personal experience and feelings. 

As you say, I think we should stop romanticising vinyl,  and remember it's faults aswell as it's virtues.

And what's wrong with that I'd like to know so here I go again .... I prefer vinyl to CD because it sounds better to me and you can't get any music by the Desperate Bicycles on CD ... Though i was disappointed Danny didn't mention the DB's New Cross, New Cross (so good they said it twice) ... Him supporting the lions and all. Moreover, Danny shares the same initials as the Bicycles. 

Still it'll be good to see my local giants assume a place in the football league ... Yes FGR are on the way to the top.

Perhaps, Danny ignored NC, NC because strictly it was an EP rather than LP so perhaps another series is order ... 

If we don't rewrite history then what is good for, absolutely nothing, say it again ....

i thought it made a change from the usual rockumentary on TDSOTM ... Why is it they never do Jethro Tull ... they could call it Living In The Past and we'd all be happy. 

Anyway, i wouldn't worry about the facts, better to be happy than right ...

That is a fact though the Beatles did invent everything ... before the fab four there was nothing, a void, a chasm, just an an empty shell, a vacuum or was that the Rutles. 

I nearly always play albums all the way through .... 

By the way, didn't know you were not a particular fan of the Desperate Bicycles ... Do you like the Flying Lizards? They did a great version of the Beatles "Money"

Erm that would be Barretts Strongs money, the Beatles covered it.

I want a coffee table like Danny's

WHY?

Because, unless it was a Bathams Bitter induced hallucination, it was black, round and had a "label" at the centre - a 48" album.

Did I imagine it?

It would be great.........

If you lived with your mum, spent all your time in your bed room and wanted it to match your Blondie posters! .

Graham.