mjmooney Posted February 4 VT Supporter Share Posted February 4 13 minutes ago, bickster said: It’s also why albums are infinitely better than singles but I do wish Representatives for Wellingborough would stop referring to what used to be referred to as either an album track or a non-single album track as “deep cuts”… it just says oh look at me, I listened to a whole album, give me a medal or something This, this, this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 You’ll recall the BBC is under budget pressure. You’ll also recall they are currently merging many of their regional radio stations. You’ll recall they were going to close down BBC Radio 6. They are currently announcing plans to launch 4 new music radio stations. That’s 4 in addition to: Radio 1 Radio 1 Dance Radio 1 Relax Radio 1 Xtra Radio 2 Radio 3 Radio 6 Asian Network Feels a bit of an odd decision. Apparently the first station to launch will be ‘like’ Radio 2, but only playing music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s none of this modern rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 7 Moderator Share Posted February 7 There’s already 4 Radio 1s? I’m genuinely shocked, I thought there was only 2 If they are launching new stations can we have the old 6Music back and chuck the current bollocks into that. A channel only playing music from the 50s to 70s, sounds perfect for the afternoon Scouse muppet with his Smashey and Nicey delivery and his team of relatives to “research” rare grooves. There must also be somewhere to chuck that New Heroin Fix from the evening slot whilst we're at it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 Novel idea where they could set up a radio station where they just played music and nothing but music, maybe tuned in to a centralised news on the hour, no dj no talking, just a programmed computer playing music I haven't spent a tonne of time listening but I'm sure that's kind of what heart 60s/70s/80s/90s does isn't it? They chuck in adverts there though obviously but there seems next to no dj talking time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 7 Moderator Share Posted February 7 17 minutes ago, villa4europe said: Novel idea where they could set up a radio station where they just played music and nothing but music, maybe tuned in to a centralised news on the hour, no dj no talking, just a programmed computer playing music I haven't spent a tonne of time listening but I'm sure that's kind of what heart 60s/70s/80s/90s does isn't it? They chuck in adverts there though obviously but there seems next to no dj talking time Na, I like having a presenter, just has to be the right one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 Probably in a minority here but bloc party have finally added the little thoughts ep on to streaming services, added one more chance last week too two more years is still missing and then all the singles off the first 2 albums meaning the b sides aren't on there (always new depths is the big miss imo) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted February 8 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 1 hour ago, villa4europe said: Probably in a minority here but bloc party have finally added the little thoughts ep on to streaming services, added one more chance last week too two more years is still missing and then all the singles off the first 2 albums meaning the b sides aren't on there (always new depths is the big miss imo) Weirdly, I’ve been listening to them quite a bit recently. Not sure what’s prompted it. I only own the first couple of albums and that ep (“the answer” is really good tune - the crescendo, love it). I just sort of stopped at the third one. Couldn’t tell you why, interest just petered out. I met Kele once at Telford train station of all places. Very unexpected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 8 VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 Bloc Party had one incredible album, their debut, and then everything else is a few solid tracks wrapped around bleh. A case of a talented band that came out swinging hard and then in an effort to 'develop' they lost their sound and got worse. AWITC is a band that's listened to it's hype and likes the smell of its own shit. Intimacy is a response to the slight backlash the second album got by deciding the problem is they aren't electronic enough and doubling down on the lyrics, but it backfires badly. Four is the sound of a band scuttling back to the roots but with no ideas, and after that nobody cares. I don't think I've ever even listened to the next 2 albums. But that first album. Wow. It's just great songs. I am biased because it came out right at the right time for me - I heard those songs in the moment of my life where they most felt relevant, and so many of them are excellent. Great hooks great melodies great rhythm sections great lyrics... Spectacular album. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Yeah the first album is one of my favourite albums of all time, add to that I was 20, majorly in to snobs at the weekend and it had more of an impact on me than say the strokes or the libs, it was up there with AM, saw them live loads too, was travelling the country to see them (Inc a BP, foals and cribs special in Manchester that was a great night) I've got all their stuff on vinyl, sold the singles, still got the EPs, pained me to get the latest album as a completionist, all the others I've found at least one song but the new one is plain shite, got 2 kele solo albums too and I'm not sure why and a tapes vinyl, I did have their CDs on American and Japanese imports but sold them too, was chasing "another weekend in the city" for years but never found it Did see them tour their 5th album (but didn't do the silent alarm anniversary tour) and it was weird seeing younger people there going mad for the love within and dancing but then having no reaction to say like positive tension I'll have a good day with SA and the little thoughts ep today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted February 8 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 At the time I remember thinking A Weekend in the City was the equal of Silent Alarm. But years later I gave it another listen and…hmmm. It’s alright, quite like the music as a whole, some of the lyrics I find a bit clunky. The singles are catchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 8 VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 I never understood the clamour for AWITC. It has a couple of solid tracks, but nothing that comes near SA, and all of the songs are in some way clunky or lacking that snap the first album has. When it came out people lauded it as a worthy follow up (some suggested better than SA), and it never, ever was. It's genuinely quite a weak album imo. It was never going to stand equal with SA, but it doesn't even come close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted February 8 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 7 minutes ago, Chindie said: I never understood the clamour for AWITC. It has a couple of solid tracks, but nothing that comes near SA, and all of the songs are in some way clunky or lacking that snap the first album has. When it came out people lauded it as a worthy follow up (some suggested better than SA), and it never, ever was. It's genuinely quite a weak album imo. It was never going to stand equal with SA, but it doesn't even come close. It’s not that uncommon though is it? The NME or whomever rave incessantly about the debut album, saying that this is THE band for next 10 years and they follow up with a not so good second album and the NME can’t really slate it, cos then they’ll look like dicks for proclaiming how good they think the band are. So they have to sort of convince themselves that actually it is good. I used to read the music pages on Channel four teletext (Hi kids), and they were very muted on Silent Alarm, they were basically only musical criticism that weren’t in awe of that album. But they really liked AWITC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 I've a real soft spot for Flux, of all things. Everything else outside of that and SA I've always found incredibly meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer1 Posted February 8 VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 I thought Four was a cracking return to form but after that I've been disappointed. As for Silent Alarm, it's still an album that gets a regular airing - it's utterly superb with zero filler. I think the drumming alone on that album is worth a listen, it's flawless. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted February 8 VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 26 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said: It’s not that uncommon though is it? The NME or whomever rave incessantly about the debut album, saying that this is THE band for next 10 years and they follow up with a not so good second album and the NME can’t really slate it, cos then they’ll look like dicks for proclaiming how good they think the band are. So they have to sort of convince themselves that actually it is good. I used to read the music pages on Channel four teletext (Hi kids), and they were very muted on Silent Alarm, they were basically only musical criticism that weren’t in awe of that album. But they really liked AWITC Oh I'm not saying it's uncommon, I just think that kind of 'bought into the hype and can't roll back' stuff is bunk. If something is shit it's shit. For example, taking my sacred idols... I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but some of it is really quite bad. I love Pratchett's Discworld books, but there's some stinkers in there. I love Tool, but they've produced some absolute turd music. Etc. I think things would be better if critics' didn't have darlings. I pretty much instantly saw that AWITC was bad and it didn't matter how much I adored the band, it didn't make that album better. The world should be like that. ... This has tempted me to go back it and see if I'm being harsh, but I'm pretty certain I'm not. My memory is a couple of solid tracks and a load of clunky arch shit with no hooks and nothing that grabs you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 8 Moderator Share Posted February 8 39 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said: It’s not that uncommon though is it? The NME or whomever rave incessantly about the debut album, saying that this is THE band for next 10 years and they follow up with a not so good second album and the NME can’t really slate it, cos then they’ll look like dicks for proclaiming how good they think the band are. How times have changed, the opposite of that is exactly what the NME used to do. Build 'em up and knock 'em down. The second album used to have to pass a quality test much higher than the bar for the first album or you were going to get slated in the NME. Everyone's heard of the "difficult second album", well that saying used to be the difficult third album, NME played a part in that changing, not just them but they were a small part of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted February 8 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 12 minutes ago, Chindie said: This has tempted me to go back it and see if I'm being harsh, but I'm pretty certain I'm not. My memory is a couple of solid tracks and a load of clunky arch shit with no hooks and nothing that grabs you. I’m half tempted to revisit it today to see if you are being a little harsh too Like I say, my memory is the singles are catchy, the music elsewhere is reasonably strong (kinda ambient in places - mainly I remembering “On” and “Kreuzberg” in that regard), but the last hearing I came away thinking that the lyrics were a bit, well, rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted February 8 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 9 minutes ago, bickster said: How times have changed, the opposite of that is exactly what the NME used to do. Build 'em up and knock 'em down. The second album used to have to pass a quality test much higher than the bar for the first album or you were going to get slated in the NME. Everyone's heard of the "difficult second album", well that saying used to be the difficult third album, NME played a part in that changing, not just them but they were a small part of it. Oh yeah, in fairness I don’t think it was a one size fits all approach to reviewing a “difficult second album” (Oasis’ second album received a muted response from them). But in Bloc Party’s case (and a few other bands of the time) I think they went fully on board with it to the extent that they wouldn’t give them a bad review for the follow up. I distinctly remember at the time thinking they will defacto receive a positive review, the darlings that they were for a couple of years. It was unthinkable to me that they wouldn’t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 8 VT Supporter Share Posted February 8 1 hour ago, bickster said: How times have changed, the opposite of that is exactly what the NME used to do. Build 'em up and knock 'em down. The second album used to have to pass a quality test much higher than the bar for the first album or you were going to get slated in the NME. Everyone's heard of the "difficult second album", well that saying used to be the difficult third album, NME played a part in that changing, not just them but they were a small part of it. I still like Second Coming way better than the Roses' debut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 8 Moderator Share Posted February 8 1 minute ago, mjmooney said: I still like Second Coming way better than the Roses' debut. #metoo the third album proved to be very difficult though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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