Conference marvin::uk_music

    Yup -- the sound seemed rubbish, too. Still, the two presenters
    said 'what a great erecord', so we're wrong AGAIN.
    
    Richard.

    Speaking as somebody who saw 'The Jam' on 7 different occasions,
    and followed on by seeing the 'Style Council' on another 4 - I was
    appalled and embarrassed at the 'Council' on TOTP.
    
    The guy (Weller) is now history and should pack it in and start
    writing either scores for films or jingles for TV ads, as he no
    longer has the objective/sarcastic/emotional/visionary song writing
    ability that penned songs such as 'Going Underground' , 'Tube Station'
    'To be someone' , etc....
    
    Even his music sounds wishy/washy and he no longer uses the hard
    abrasive Hammond Organ sound on 'Speak like a Child' or the heavy
    hard-core base of 'Money-Go-Round'.
    
    As I said - this guy is history !!
    
    'Very' A.Y.M.O.P.

    Walker, I'll second that (e)motion.  I was appalled to hear such
    a lame effort going out under the Style Council moniker, but this
    has been on the cards for a while now - the previous two or three
    singles were also decidedly ropey, with maybe the exception of LIFE
    AT A TOP PEOPLE'S HEALTH FARM.
    
    Ah well, I still treasure my C90 "Style Council Singles 1-7 - 'A's
    and 'B's" - help ma boab, the 'B' sides then were better than the
    'A' sides are now.

    I ain't no dinosaur, but.....
    
    The writing's been on the wall for Weller since the Jam split.
    I'm sorry, but his flirtation with 'soul' and 'style' just didn't
    ever cut it for me with the Council, despite one or two good numbers,
    and despite the fact that he was going in that direction before
    the Jam split up.
    
    All that schlock like 'You're the best thing' or whatever it's called
    put me right off - I was sure he was taking the p*ss when that came
    out. Either that, I thought, or I had heard the band name wrongly.....
    
    Bob says he is not being unduly harsh. How are the mighty fallen.
    Don't bother any more Paulie........
    
    

    Still on the subject of TOTP last night;
    
    I am one of DEF LEPPARD's greatest fans but I couldn't help swirming
    with embarrassment during "Rocket" last night. It wasn't entirely the
    lads' fault; the stage area was only about 10 feet square and there
    was a total lack of suitable lighting effects to "enhance" the
    performance. Having said that, the main problem was that the lads
    were giving it their "Spinal Tap" act, and in the context of the
    TOTP studio in front of 17 year old trendies, it looks totally over
    the top and out of place. I have seen Def Lep at the Hammersmith
    Odeon and it was one of the best gigs I've seen but during TOTP
    I had to crawl under the sofa....
    
    Andy 

    
      Andy, my main man!! Stop rat holing my topic!
    
           Your favouritest vocalist (despite the 21 wrinklies in the
    audience!)
    

    
    Basically agree with .1, .2, .3 - I liked 'em a lot for the first
    few years, but they don't seem tyo have done anything really good
    for ages.  I'm very surprised they're still going.
    
    David.
    

    Bring back the Jam, I say.

    Whats all this 'lets knock Paul Weller' stuff?...ain't it *great*
    to knock one of the World's greatest lyricists...not many people
    can write songs of love and the *common man* with such emotion!!!
    Sure fire ahead...they(or was it you) did it to Bob Dylan and he
    came bouncing back...so come on Paul you can do it...'I'm in love
    I'm a shuck up'....:-)
    
    - Dave K.

    
    Yeah, but when all that's said -- it's a crap single.
    
    Richard.

    RE: .9,
    
    YES!!! The early stuff was great, but I think he's overdone a good
    thing now.
    
    David.
    

    I hardly think Paul would lose any sleep over the criticism he's
    received here. If I was him and had to go on a pathetic show like TOTP
    just to please the record company I wouldn't make much effort either -
    ie what's the point in miming properly when everybody KNOWS you're not
    playing live? 
    
    Tony 

    Good point.

    Nope -- if you don't like TOTP, don't turn up. And if you only do what
    your record company says -- you can't be that much in demand. 
    
    Couldn't he at least have livened up a crap single with a good
    'performance'? 
    
    Richard.

    Miming or not, turning up or not on TOTP, doing what your record
    company says, or not (ultimately you always have to do what they
    say - that's why I'm not a megastar today 8^) - after all they've
    got all the money, and even the revolution to them is just a saleable
    commodity), etc....... in the final analysis, what will be remembered
    is the song itself, and the general opinion here is that it is
    substandard.
    
    As to knocking Paul Weller, and whether he'll come bouncing back
    a la Dylan (when was that, Dave, I didn't think he'd ever been away,
    he just got sidetracked a little 8^) ), well, I'm not really knocking
    him as a person, I'm just *disappointed* in him as a songwriter.
    But that's only a matter of my personal taste, after all I personally
    wasn't one of the people who looked to Weller as 'spokesman for
    a generation' (likewise with Dylan), so I didn't feel let down in
    that way when the Jam split. I think his musical development, even
    with the complete change of lineup post-Jam has been consistent
    - there was a period around the Jam split and the formation of the
    SC when a lot of the songs could have come from either band. I just
    don't find his later songs as focussed as they were previously,
    aside from which the general sound doesn't appeal to my ears, and
    my disappointment stems, I think, from the suspicion that maybe
    he's not trying too hard lately, or perhaps he's running out of
    ideas.....
    
    Again, it's just personal taste, I'm not having a go at him personally
    
    Bob

>>                                                       And if you only do what
>>    your record company says -- you can't be that much in demand. 
                                                         
    
    But he's not these days is he? He's probably been told he's not
    making enough money and has had a slot booked for him on the program
    and that's that. 

    
    Tony

    This is the kind of garbage aspiring pop-stars have to put up with
    the moment they sign the dotted line, Tony. 
    
    Artistic control, ptui! Only as long as it makes money.
    
    Well, that's the wild wacky world of pop....... 
    I imagine it's different for jazzers, perhaps.
    
    Bob, the cynic in the corner.

    ...was that 'aspiring' or 'expiring' Bob??
    
    8^)
    
    Tony 

    Heard the single again on the way this a.m., and I have to reiterate
    my displeasure over the banality of it all - I mean, even the first
    line....
    
    "Brothers, sisters - let's all join together"
    
    or something along those lines - is incredibly contrived.  Heavens,
    this kinda stuff was done (well) back in the 70's by the likes of
    The O'Jays and a bazillion others.
    
    It's hard to believe that this is the same guy who gave us sublime
    numbers like SPEAK LIKE A CHILD, YOU'RE THE BEST THING and HAVE
    YOU EVER HAD IT BLUE?  

    As someone (AYMOP?) said a few back - Paul, it's time to *go*!!!
    

    
    They played the SC single on R210 this morning.
    
    I didn't let Weller get past the second syllable.

    
      Somewhat strange to find everyone (nearly!!:-)) agreeing with
    me!!
    
          VJ
    

    Some rob you with a six-gun...some with a fountain pen!!!
    

    
                         <Something to be thankful for!>
    
    What if Mr. Weller had not disbanded The Jam and was now playing
    his current nonsense with Bruce and Rick?  (Jam + Weller's 89 material
    = *censored* - too horrible to imagine!).
    
    The concensus seems to indicate that Paul's day has come and gone.
       
    
                         Paul_II_who's_disappointed           
       

    Re .-1
    
    I imagine that Bruce and Rick would have left voluntarily a couple
    of years ago if that had been the case....

    re .23
    
    Dave - aaaaaaaarrrrrrggghhhh!!
    
    Where's that line from - I know it, it's on the tip of my brain.
    Please put me out of my misery.....
    
    yip! yap!
    
    Bob

    Bob,
    
    It's from the song 'Pretty Boy Floyd(the outlaw)' written by
    Bob Dylan(?)...however the version I like is from the Byrds 
    album 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'
          
    - Dave.

    an' me a Dylan fan, too!
    
    Thanks, I knew it was from somewhere....
    
    Bob