After looking through the Do you really like that? Honestly? thread I finally understood that this blog is all about what you don’t like. Why didn’t I realize that before?
So now I think that my dislike of the stupid cult of the holy trinity (B-Boys, Beatles & Bob) needs to be stated here. It belongs here. Especially here. It’s a veritable manifesto, not just a cranky opinion.
So I say it again. Ha!
JustB says
Welcome back!
Tahir W says
At least you’re not too disappointed, Bob.
Paul Wad says
When I started that thread I didn’t actually intend for it to go that way. I was actually referring to things that loads of people say they like when they don’t really, for whatever reason. Things like Trout Mask Replica that many on here will genuinely like, but just as many will say they like it to look cool. And red hot curries that again people genuinely like, but just as many only eat because they can so they can show off to their mates.
I guess one of the targets for that kind of thing are the hipsters, who jump on any cool bandwagon going, even if they’re not that bothered about whatever it is they say they like. A good one would be the amount of people who like to claim they stayed up listening to the John Peel show every night, when they did nothing of the sort because they didn’t like most of the shouty old rubbish that he played. We’ve all been guilty of making things up to make us sound cooler!
I should probably have given it a better title, as that was probably the reason that people misunderstood what I intended to say.
Anyway, my favourite band is The Beatles, my favourite solo artist is Dylan and if by B-Boys you mean the Beasties I love them too. So stick that in yer pipe and smoke it!
Tahir W says
It’s this obsession with ‘hipsters’ that I don’t get. I suspect that what you mean is that if you can’t imagine yourself liking something then it means anyone who says they like it must be a lying pseud.
Why do you think some bandwagons of cool exist? And are they inherently bad? As far as I know there are so many of them that identifying one of ’em as a target is inherently suspect. The one that you seem to be identifying is the one that consists of more dissonant types of music, not so?
So modern classical admirers would also be pretentious pseuds, I guess.
Other points: B-Boys was my abbreviation of Beach Boys. Sorry, I thought it would be clear. You like the Beasties? You hipster you.
Paul Wad says
Not at all, I like plenty of the stuff that is popular with the fibbers, there’s some stuff that I appreciate but don’t really like and there’s some of it that I think is rubbish. What I find funny is people saying they like something when they don’t really. I thought that kind of stuff stopped in the playground, but I was wrong. The hipsters is just a flippant example of the kind of person that is likely to do that kind of thing.
I could never be a hipster anyway. I’m 47 and have never been able to grow a beard, I wouldn’t be able to grow enough hair on the top of my head to brylcream into a side parting and my lifelong love of real ale would stop me from getting into those cool skinny jumpers that they wear. And I had far too many records that crackled, jumped or were scratched to fall for buying them all back again.
Tahir W says
How do you know they don’t like it? Oh I get it. They. can’t possibly like it, because you don’t. Makes sense.
Paul Wad says
No, you’re not listening, but I think I’m wasting my time here and will respectfully refrain from trying to explain myself for a third time.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Some of us stayed up listening to Peely looooong before he started playing “shouty old rubbish”, young fella.
That only began when he, having got longer in the tooth, fell for the yoof nonsense, the silly old boy.
David Kendal says
Even in his pre-punk days, most of my friends found Peel’s show a chore, and stopped listening when they found an alternative programme that showed some sign of quality control in what they played: Pete Drummond, Bob Harris, or the French stations we could pick up on the south coast. He did promote some good music, but you had to work your way through a lot of other stuff.
For me, his attitude to music was like that of a well-meaning teacher who wanted to give everyone their turn in a school play to help them feel included, smiling benignly at the forgotten lines and shaky sets. I think now that his nemesis Tony Blackburn genuinely liked music more.
Rigid Digit says
Never listened to John Peel – only heard bits and pieces.
My listening choice, when I did tune to Wonderful Radio 1, was Mike Read and Kid Jensen.
But that just doesn’t sound “cool”
metal mickey says
To be fair, even Peely once said “I don’t even know if I like what I like”…
His excitement from the punk days and for the rest of his life came from the eternal search for “the new”, punk, grunge, dub reggae, bleep techno or whatever, and to play it mainly because no-one else would… quite where his place would have been in today’s everything’s-available streaming/download world is hard to say, though it’s interesting to note that neither Spotify or YouTube existed before his death in 2004, and even iTunes had only just launched at that time…
deramdaze says
Tony Blackburn’s appalling SOTS suggests a huge ambivalence to what is played.
As long as he has a 2-hour stint on Radio 2, I think he be just as happy reading out names from a phonebook.
Probably more so, as he wouldn’t have to conceal his complete disinterest.
Vulpes Vulpes says
I have a strong suspicion that if Peely is spinning music wherever he is these days, it’s much more likely to be by Back Door, Henry Cow, Hatfield or Caravan than it is to be the Vibrators or the Skids.
Alias says
When I was a teenager I thought that John Peel was worth listening to because he played some great music that you simply wouldn’t hear any where else on the radio. Even if you didn’t like most of what he played, it was more interesting and usually at least as good, if not better than anything any of the other Radio 1 DJs were playing. Perhaps Tony Blackburn did love music more, I don’t know how you can measure that, but I loved the music Peel played much more than Tony Blackburn’s housewives choice selections.
Black Type says
Tony Blackburn could have been a ‘serious’ and ‘respected’ DJ/broadcaster if he had focused more on his love for and knowledge of soul music. Unfortunately for his reputation and credibility with ‘serious’ music fans/snobs, he chose the path of fame and fully bought into the ‘celebrity DJ’ image promoted by wunnerful Radio 1.
To be honest, I don’t think he regrets his decision-making, or gives two hoots about any supposed credibility.
minibreakfast says
What you got against B-Boys?
Carl says
I finally understood that this blog is all about what you don’t like.
I don’t think you do understand.
It can be about pretty much anything you want to say. A lot of it is about things people really love. Sometimes about things people don’t like. A lot of it is asking questions. Occasionally it is a really heartfelt human story. Other times asking for help – ranging from technical assistance through buying advice to seeking real emotional support.
So don’t write The Afterword off as a sea of negativity, please.
Kaisfatdad says
Well said, Carl! There’s an enormous amount of (often infectious) enthusiasm about all kinds of stuff. And even the pieces on things that I’m lukewarm about are interesting to read.
I do suspect Tahir was trying to wind us up a little though.
Ainsley says
Self-fulfilling prophesy?
Moose the Mooche says
No. He wouldn’t do that.
Tahir W says
Nah
Billybob Dylan says
Hey! I did listen to John Peel! I even wired up an old pair of car stereo speakers to my radio and screwed them to my headboard so I could listen in bed. I also kept a notepad by the bed to write down the names of the songs that you simply couldn’t hear anywhere else in those days, and then on my day off I’d go to the local independent record shop (25 miles away) and load up.
Those were the days.
Tahir W says
Good on yer pal, wish I’d a been there.