Beer of the Bass Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I was listening to the radio in the kitchen yesterday when a session by Richard Dawson came on. It was rough as hell but in a way that I liked. I thought it was very much in the vein of guys like Kevin Coyne, that sort of slightly manic intensity and unashamedly abrasive performance. He's not someone I'd come across before, but I thought it was great, turned up the radio and didn't leave the room until it was finished. Later that evening, I got into a conversation on Facebook with a local musician I'm acquainted with who hated it so much he thought it was some sort of disgrace that the BBC gave Dawson radio time. He seemed to think that he could objectively declare that it was of no worth and that there were no valid reasons for liking it. He had the idea that it was an emperors new clothes phenomenon that people only pretended to enjoy because it was hyped in the NME, but I just turned the radio on having no context for who I was listening to and got into it. He was particularly bothered about the tuning, but for me that's part of the character. So I'm kind of curious to see if anyone thinks my friend has a point. The song that was playing when I turned the radio on starts just before 1h 17m into the show here; [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0523cnx#auto"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...s/b0523cnx#auto[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 You enjoyed it - nothing else counts. Your friend "has a point" but only as much as it is only his opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I didn't like it at all, and would have switched station if I was listening, however, I'm all for the BBC playing tracks of this nature and feel your friend is very wrong (although entitled to his opinion) and that the track is very valid musically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1423743301' post='2688451'] I didn't like it at all, and would have switched station if I was listening, however, I'm all for the BBC playing tracks of this nature and feel your friend is very wrong (although entitled to his opinion) and that the track is very valid musically. [/quote] Not liking it is something I can totally understand, and I often find myself flicking between stations when that happens. I think the thing that bothered me is his suggestion that a publicly-funded broadcaster shouldn't be playing anything that's a bit "out". To my mind they should absolutely be playing this stuff, as commercial stations are unlikely to. It's the John Peel approach of flinging it all out there and seeing what sticks, which is a style of broadcasting I approve of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyDog Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I bet your acquaintance used to hate Peely's show then. As has been said, he's perfectly entitled to his opinion, but with all due respect he's talking absolute bollocks. (FWIW, I just had a quick listen to the Dawson and hated every second. Not my cuppa char at all.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1423746403' post='2688513'] Not liking it is something I can totally understand, and I often find myself flicking between stations when that happens. I think the thing that bothered me is his suggestion that a publicly-funded broadcaster shouldn't be playing anything that's a bit "out". To my mind they should absolutely be playing this stuff, as commercial stations are unlikely to. It's the John Peel approach of flinging it all out there and seeing what sticks, which is a style of broadcasting I approve of. [/quote] Total agreement from me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadofsix Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 1 hour 17 minutes on tis mood music to be sure. Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Excellent, it's refreshing to see that people can simply not like something and express that in a straightforward and succinct manner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr H Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I heard that session and was blown away. They've played [i]The Vile Stuff[/i] on 6 Music before, and I was struck by it then, but now I'm consumed by it. I ordered the CD immediately, it arrived today, and I'm listening now. He's playing nearby next week. I'm reminded of [i]Pony Express Record[/i] by Shudder To Think. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Mr H' timestamp='1423858218' post='2689880'] I heard that session and was blown away. They've played [i]The Vile Stuff[/i] on 6 Music before, and I was struck by it then, but now I'm consumed by it. I ordered the CD immediately, it arrived today, and I'm listening now. He's playing nearby next week. I'm reminded of [i]Pony Express Record[/i] by Shudder To Think. Love it. [/quote] Ah good, glad it's just not me! The annoying thing for me is that now I've looked up Mr Dawson and have seen what he looks like, I realise that I played at the same festival as him back in September, saw him setting up and didn't stick around to hear the set. Searching around for some older performances, I really liked this song too and it has a tenderness about it which is perhaps not on display in [i]The Vile Stuff[/i]. [url="http://youtu.be/s-9osMKSyb0"]http://youtu.be/s-9osMKSyb0[/url] Edited February 13, 2015 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr H Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Still listening here, but the love-him-or-hate-him nature of the performance is underlined by my inability to find anybody to use my second ticket on Wednesday night! Ho hum. His cover of Roy Orbison's [i]I Drove All Night[/i] is something to hear, 12 minutes into the live set from the Cube Microplex in 2013 on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr H Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Richard Dawson performs [i]The Vile Stuff[/i] on Marc Riley's iPlayer music show [i]All Shook Up[/i], just released. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02srs4j/all-shook-up-the-wytches-jesca-hoop-richard-dawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 its like a bad trip, but I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I'll have to check it out. I play bass like Les Dawson, so,I'm in no position to criticise really . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Not having seen this thread before, I looked up the track 'The Vile Stuff' on youtube. Hmmm.... I definitely think it's going to be an acquired taste. However, as the 11 minute something track continued, I can see some musicality in there, but it's well hidden in the ... arrangement, performance, and production. If I had stopped the track early on, then I wouldn't have seen any value in it at all. And I would prefer a much more sophisticated remake Returning to the main topic of this thread, I do think that the BBC should be giving an opportunity for people to hear things that are significantly left field. And it's likely that most people will hate it. To do otherwise is to discourage musicians even further from taking risks and doing something that is different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yep, the BBC has a duty to cover as much of the spectrum as it can. Scarily, the new "Culture" secretary is a sworn enemy of the BBC :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1433840568' post='2794362'] Returning to the main topic of this thread, I do think that the [b]BBC[/b] should be giving an opportunity for people to hear things that are significantly [b]left[/b] field. [/quote] [i]Dear Sir,[/i] [i]Your correspondent’s suggestion that the BBC should lurch even further to the left is typical of the sort of namby-pamby politically correct elite this country is now riddled with. Why, only the other day Binky and I were discussing this very subject and we both came to the conclusion that the best thing to do with the communist BB so-called C would be to have them all shot, and start again using decent hard-working [s]conservative voters[/s] families as their staff introducing decent hard-working values and an end to the politically correct namby-pamby nonsense the B so-called BC is now riddled with. It is a disgrace that in this day and age I can no longer shoot trespassers, and old ladies are mugged in their own cupboards and our borders are left open to literally billions of unwashed layabouts from Paraguay and other european so-called countries and the BBC namby-pamby elite stands by and does nothing to stop them. There is only one language these people understand and that is a damned good thrashing. I had one every couple of hours at prep school and it made me what I am today.[/i] [i]Yours angrily[/i] [i]Col.(ret’d) Courtenay Bigguns-Lately, DSO NBG KFC and bar[/i] [i]Surrey[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVbass Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 not my cup of tea and the tuning makes my teeth grate but I think its great the BBC still experiment with new music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 [quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1433845560' post='2794431'] not my cup of tea and the tuning makes my teeth grate but I think its great the BBC still experiment with new music [/quote] Indeed, the tuning is kind of out there. I have a fairly good ear for pitch, but I find that "out" sounding stuff when done with the right attitude can be just another flavour to use and somehow I'm not bothered by it. This, for example, causes me to break out in a massive grin: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFSVvnA7X4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFSVvnA7X4[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05xc8fc/later-with-jools-holland-series-46-episode-7"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05xc8fc/later-with-jools-holland-series-46-episode-7[/url] Scroll to 54 minutes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Some interesting thoughts on the role of BBC Radio here: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jun/09/radio-1-apple-attack-nick-grimshaw-zane-lowe-spotify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 [quote name='ras52' timestamp='1433864626' post='2794669'] Some interesting thoughts on the role of BBC Radio here: [url="http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jun/09/radio-1-apple-attack-nick-grimshaw-zane-lowe-spotify"]http://www.theguardi...ne-lowe-spotify[/url] [/quote] Very interesting - the fridge analogy is a particularly good one, I feel. And that's not a sentence I thought I'd be typing today... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 This is my Sunday: http://www.supersonicfestival.com/line-up/special-events/delight-is-right-richard-dawson I've seen Richard Dawson before and like him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr H Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1433858325' post='2794597'] [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05xc8fc/later-with-jools-holland-series-46-episode-7"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...es-46-episode-7[/url] Scroll to 54 minutes [/quote] Sounded OK to me! I've seen Richard Dawson [i]and[/i] Sleater-Kinney this year, both excellent. Anyone who has only seen RD in that new [i]All Shook Up[/i] clip won't be aware of what a humble and hilarious man he is, as well as being an awesome singer/songwriter and musician. I'm going to see him again in September. I'm a bit partisan, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 [quote name='Mr H' timestamp='1433872809' post='2794767'] Anyone who has only seen RD in that new [i]All Shook Up[/i] clip won't be aware of what a humble and hilarious man he is, as well as being an awesome singer/songwriter and musician. I'm going to see him again in September. I'm a bit partisan, really. [/quote] I saw him a couple of weeks ago when he came to Edinburgh. The thing I hadn't quite expected is quite how funny he is when performing - between songs he comes across like rambling non-sequitur standup. He really doesn't seem to distinguish between serious and absurd at all, as they often both happen at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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