A musical odyssey

Streaming? Er...

I watched an episode of Top of the Pops from 1986 earlier.

At the time it was originally broadcast, I was 18. Yes, I am that old. At that point in my life, I’d grown up absolutely loving music. TOTP was one of my essential sources of the all important new songs and chart placings, along with Radio 1’s Top 40 show.

I was buying lots of vinyl. Recording lots of cassettes. Things were fantastic. But I was just getting the first inkling that there were new styles, bands and artists appearing that – and this was quite a shock to me – I wasn’t particularly enthralled by. Why? Well, up to that point I’d assumed my love of all types of music would be everlasting. To discover otherwise was a bit of shock.

Still, the years rolled by and there was still a lot of great music around. True, Rave/House never did anything for me, and most Rap doesn’t float my boat. Sections of the 1990s were rubbish, from my point of view. I was buying lots of CDs. And still recording tapes too.

Time marches on. At some point I gave up watching TOTP unless I knew someone I liked was going to be on. I didn’t worry too much if I missed the Chart Show. My car no longer had a cassette deck.

Eventually, Radio 1 itself became too grating and I was startled to discover I preferred Radio 2. Me? Radio 2?! How did that happen?

Wind the tape forward to the present day, and I gave up radio altogether a couple of years ago. Still buy CDs now and again, do download some stuff, have a hard drive full of MP3s. Haven’t quite managed to switch to streaming.

Have I given up on new music? Definitely not. YouTube is my friend now. If I look for a song on there, it’ll suggest some others when I finish playing it. That route has led me to discover The Ting Tings, Public Service Broadcasting, Hayley Kiyoko and loads of other great artists. Different genres. Older bands. Brand new stuff. No preconceptions or opinions (as long as you avoid the comments).

Just this week, I’ve discovered that two of my favourites, veteran French synth genius Jean Michel Jarre and Within Temptation, the Dutch symphonic metal band (and an entirely different style), have new albums out soon. It’s like my youthful discovery of amazing music all over again. Without the inane DJs, or my Dad telling me to turn it down.

This post first appeared as my "A wry look at the week" column, in The Mail, on Friday the 21st of September 2018. The print version was re-titled as "My hit parade is different now" (and accompanied by a picture of cassettes), whilst the online version... wow... well, that got re-titled as "Peter Grenville looks back to when music was brilliant", but missed the first line off, starting with "At the time it was originally broadcast..." rendering it a bit nonsensical. It was also listed as "By Peter Grenville's Friday column". Yeah. Go figure...

Struggled a bit with this one. I was knackered when I wrote it, and uninspired by anything in the news, so it was perhaps a little desperate. Must try harder. I'd like to say I've slept well, but a failing battery in a smoke alarm meant I was rudely awakened at 5am this morning.

(CD A-Z: Listening to Altered Images' "Pinky Blue" as part of a box set that arrived recently. Ooh, the album version of "I Could Be Happy" is rather fantastic. Only taken me 36 years to discover that.)

Malaysian Grand Prix - Vettel hot, but not bothered

Malaysia. It's always hot, and it always rains. Except the 2nd part is no longer true (unless you count the drizzly bit around lap 14). Saturday's qualifying session had highlighted the fact that Red Bull and McLaren seemed well matched on pace, but also that Ferrari were struggling. Whilst Vettel bagged another pole, followed by Hamilton, Webber and Button, Alonso was only 5th, and Massa 7th, with Nick Heidfeld an excellent 6th on the grid between the two red cars. At this point, I would like to break momentarily for a small rant: How many times do I have to say Heidfeld is good? Why wasn't he given a top drive years ago? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! ARE YOU BLIND!!!?? Ahem. The Hispanias somehow managed to a) turn up b) remember to bring cars c) get both of them on the track d) actually get both of them within 107%. Pretty remarkable really. Oh, and it didn't rain. Race day looked a more likely candidate for a drop of the wet stuff. The start was exciting, with...

A fisful of change at the shops

A recent day out reminded me how much the retail experience has altered during my lifetime – and it’s not all good. I could stop typing this, and buy a fridge, in a matter of seconds. The shops are shut and it’s 9pm, but I could still place the order and arrange delivery. I haven’t got to wander round a white-goods retail emporium trying to work out which slightly different version of something that keeps my cider cold is better. It’ll be cheaper, too. But in amongst the convenience, endless choice and bargains, we’ve lost some of the personal, human, touches that used to make a trip to the shops something more than just a daily chore. Last weekend, we visited a local coastal town. Amongst the shops selling over-priced imported home accessories (who doesn’t need another roughly-hewn wooden heart, poorly painted and a bargain at £10?) was one that looked different. It’s window allowed you to see in, rather than being plastered with stick-on graphics and special offers calling ...

"It's all gone quiet..." said Roobarb

If, like me, you grew up (and I’m aware of the irony in that) in the ‘70s, February was a tough month, with the sad news that Richard Briers and Bob Godfrey had died. Briers had a distinguished acting career and is, quite rightly, fondly remembered most for his character in ‘The Good Life’. Amongst his many roles, both serious and comedic, he also lent his voice to a startling bit of animation that burst it’s wobbly way on to our wooden-box-surrounded screens in 1974. The 1970s seemed to be largely hued in varying shades of beige, with hints of mustard yellow and burnt orange, and colour TV was a relatively new experience still, so the animated adventures of a daft dog and caustic cat who were the shades of dayglo green and pink normally reserved for highlighter pens, must have been a bit of a shock to the eyes at the time. It caused mine to open very wide indeed. Roobarb was written by Grange Calveley, and brought vividly into life by Godfrey, whose strange, shaky-looking sty...

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