Seven Ages of Rock

[gek-opel]

Well obviously not all of its output. But bits of it certainly could. 1xtra type content is ably provided for, (albeit by pirate radio operations, but still...)

 

[Guybrush]

Like Bruno, I don’t understand what you BBC haters are on about. My BBC is Radio 4’s «In Our Time» and «From Our Own Correspondent», BBC World Service’s brilliant documentaries, and the occasional DJ mix on Radio 1 or 1Xtra. All of which represent broadcasting at its absolutely finest. To bring up a few ill-starred enterprises as an argument for dismantling the whole of BBC seems a bit rash if you ask me. Moreover, if you find the output lacking in quality, why not look to countries whose public service does deliver the goods for advice instead of calling for a sell out?

 

[gek-opel]

Sure, but why not sell off Radio 1/2?

Fair enough it does seem that I hate the BBC a little more than it deserves. Its the smugness. And the fact that most of it does nothing that the market doesn't do. Of course I really want them to provide populist programming which the market doesn't otherwise provide. But given that this seems to be impossible... well

 

[Guybrush]

But given that this seems to be impossible... well

I don’t think it’s impossible, it only takes a little soul-searching.

 

[gek-opel]

I understood that the latest thinking at the BBC is that they think the public perceives them to be too highbrow, and that they need to reduce the quality of their output further? That hardly augurs well, does it...?

 

[Guybrush]

No, that sounds like a recipe for irrelevance.

 

[crackerjack]

Radio 1 has its faults (I'm sure I don't need to tell Dissensus readers that) but find me any radio station that comes closer to matching it for variety and depth. Would you want it taken over by the likes of Capital, who've just turned Xfm into Indie Hits Hour?

 

[mms]

There was a whole series? i saw a 90 minute show which was excellent, even though I don't like hardly any of that stuff (His Holy Youngness excepted).

i don't dig much of it either, but it was extremely interesting.
Sorry, it was originally in two parts, plus there were some other good docs around it, in the series, the one about hot tubs and the attitudes to sex since the 60s in california was interesting too.

 

[Chris]

the bbc 4 series on californian folk and country rock and singer songwriters from the late 60's to the 70s is much more successful, and astonishingly all the interviewiees, david crosby, mike davis the sociologist, david geffen, the eagles etc, all seem to be knowledgable, honest and cool people, i particulary loathe those kinda confessional singer songwriters that emerged after joni michell though, horrible stuff.
I guess if you hone into something and get to record it well you can create something worthwhile, david crosby seemed to be the dude back then, the best weed, a hot tub full of ladies, outspoken views.

To anyone interested in this era I highly recommend Laurel Canyon... And yes, there are great stories about the man, the myth, David Crosby, in a cape, riding around the Hollywood Hills on his motorcycle like he owned the place...

As you were...

 

[subvert47]

Given that 99% of these types of program will be a wind-up for anyone who knows about the subject, why is it that people let themselves get so angry about them? It was prime-time BBC, of course it was going to be aimed at *everyone* rather than Dissensus.

Quite so. It's a series about rock for people who know nothing about rock. Given that, what could you do in such a short time, apart from highlight the really really big bands.

 

[Slothrop]

The thing is, a decent documentary can come up with something interesting to say without assuming any prior knowledge. The first episode (none of the others have pissed me off anywhere near as much) didn't just seem to be targetted at people who knew next to nothing about rock, it seemed to be made by people who knew next to nothing about rock, or at least, who hadn't put any more thought into it than 'what are the ten most obvious box ticking things we have to stick into a documentary about Hendrix and what are the most oft-repeated cliches about the sixties that we have to restate?' Everything was taken at face value, nothing was questioned, nothing was criticized or even engaged with on any particularly deep level...

On the flipside, Classic Britannia is shaping up to be rather tasty.

 

[Dusty]

I enjoyed last nights episode, the first of the series I've seen... although I thought it was to be some kind of comprehensive breakdown, instead it was a rather narrow view on a couple of alternative American bands (well... three; Black Flag, REM and Nirvana - mostly Nirvana). So narrow in fact, that Sonic Youth were ignored almost completely, the Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam were graced with 10 seconds each.

Fun to watch but misleading in scope, and only an hour long?

 

[bassbeyondreason]

Last night's episode was worth it for the Black Flag and Husker Du footage, but I could almost hear Cobain spinning in his grave. I mean, he pretty much killed himself because he was being called the "voice of a generation".