I want my music television...

Music television. No, not MTV. I'm talking about television programmes featuring actual music. With musicians on them. You know, to chat and perform like. I can remember a time when there used to be a few of them on and I probably watched most of them. This was some years ago, but it makes me realise that the choice for programmes about music especially on terrestrial television now is pretty sparse. Were they actually any good though or was it all just a load of old rubbish? And what is missing from our telly boxes in 2015?

I want my, I want my...

Before we look at all of that though, here is an article from the Guardian on why any shows on music that we have had on TV previously are apparently so bad. It raises quite a few questions and will leave you with some stuff to ponder I think. Have a read here.

Well then. Let's start by going backwards. What did we have to watch in the past? Well for me it was things like 'The Tube', 'Top of the Pops', 'The White Room' and any of the chat shows that had a music slot on them such as 'TFI Friday' for example. There was also 'Later with Jools Holland' which still graces BBC2 now. I'll skip that one for now though as I have somewhat of a bee in my bonnet about 'Later' at the moment. 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' was another good one, but that was slightly before my time.

There were also programmes on the satellite channels with this mainly being things on MTV. I mean, that's what the channel was designed for and why Sting was droning on about it with Dire Straits (link to blog title right there, woo!). It was the platform for music videos and bands took this on board and started to realise that by making a kick ass video it would sell the song more. MTV started in 1981 and as you will probably know the first video ever played was 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by The Buggles. Factoid alert - The Buggles featured none other than "The man who invented the eighties" himself, Trevor Horn. I bet you knew that didn't you? Yep. MTV also had various programmes in their schedule and my favourite from the 90s was 'Most Wanted' which was hosted by Ray Cokes. It had chat, live performances and plenty of messing around which seemed to appeal to my sense of humour. It was a shame when it finished in 95.

Anyway. Thursday night was Top of the Pops night when you got to see what was in the charts that week. I don't recall being overly interested in it when I was younger, but when Rick Astley appeared in the charts (my hero!) I became keen to know if he was performing that week. It was the thing to watch and I guess I would've seen it pretty regularly from the late eighties well into the mid nineties. The show was pulled in 2006, but Christmas specials still seem to appear each year. The spin off show TOTP2 is still running and shows archived footage, although they have to be a bit careful about what they show now due to who some of the presenters of the original show used to be. Moving swiftly onwards...

'The White Room' was a Channel 4 programme which ran for a couple of years in the mid nineties. It was hosted by Mark Radcliffe and focused on performances rather than chat with the artists. Bands like Oasis and Suede played on it, but it obviously didn't have the legs or maybe the viewing figures to keep going as it's stint was rather brief. Here's the wonderful Supergrass performing live on the show.

As I mentioned there were some weekly entertainment shows which featured a live musical artist on them. We still have a few of those now I guess. 'TFI Friday' was probably the one I watched the most as Chris Evans was a good host and the music was mostly britpop era bands which I enjoyed listening to. It ran from 1996 to 2000 (on a Friday night obviously) and was a good way to end the week, hence the name! I actually have a negative of The Bluetones which was taken during one of their performances on the show. Cool huh? Have a look below. I've heard just this week that Chris Evans has hinted that the show will be back in June 2015.  Watch this space on that one!

So I guess we have to talk about 'Later with Jools Holland'. I have nothing against Jools personally, in fact he is a fabulous musician and as Squeeze are one of my favourite bands I can't fault him. BUT, I don't watch the show very often now, if at all. I did, however watch it a lot years ago as he had some awesome artists on it. As regular readers will know my all time hero is Neil Finn and Crowded House are my number one band. Well, they have played on the shows a considerable amount of times over the years which pleased me greatly. In the nineties a lot of artists I liked got to play and I still have VHS tapes (seriously) of episodes featuring some great acts. I don't actually have a VHS player anymore and I can't watch them, but never mind about all that. So what is wrong with 'Later' now? I guess it's just become too pedestrian for want of a better word. It seems to feature a lot of MOR artists and doesn't seem to have the same excitement of new and groundbreaking music. I don't watch the yearly Hootenanny shows either as it's the same artists each time and it doesn't interest me that much to be honest. I saw an episode of 'Later' last year as Neil was on it to play some songs from his new album and when Jools had a little chat with him and showed him a video clip of a Split Enz song, Neil told him that the exact same clip was used the last time he was on the show. Slightly embarrassing for the so called researcher I would've thought. I remember seeing a comment recently from someone on Twitter about the programme saying "I always record 'Later' so I can fast forward through all the shite that's on it". I have to say, I do exactly the same thing and it makes it a lot easier to watch.

At the moment I think the BBC4 channel has the best music programmes on it. I have thoroughly enjoyed shows on singer songwriters, rock, goth and other such areas of music and it's the channel I always check to make sure I'm not missing something fab. I was quite dismayed to hear that there was a possibility that it would be taken off air last year and I really hope this doesn't happen. Bearing in mind that there is a distinct lack of music shows on telly now it would be a real shame to take away the only channel that actually has something good on it! The recent 'Top of the Pops' shows from the eighties have been great fun to watch.

I suppose I have to make mention of the reality music shows that grace our screens throughout the year. Just as one ends, another one seems to start. I don't watch any of them though as I sometimes feel that we should have surely found all the talent we have by now. Some of these shows have been going for years and I have to admit I can't name very many of the 'stars' they have produced. I know and like Will Young and I'm pretty sure One Direction came out of one of these shows, but I don't think they actually won it though did they? I do like the premise of 'The Voice' more than any of the others as this is solely based on what they judges can hear rather than what the person looks like. My issue with this show however, is the judging panel. I don't really feel that any of them (with perhaps the exception of Tom Jones) can claim to be experts on talent. I mean, Rita Ora? Come on. Na. Sorry, not my cup of tea.

I guess the question therefore is what kind of music show would you like to see? For me, it would have to be one that includes some serious chat with the artists. I listen to a lot of podcasts and radio interviews with musicians I like and to me their opinion and thoughts are of great interest. I'd really like to see this on a TV show and have it as more of a chat show format where a singer comes on, performs a few songs and talks about various music issues and ideas to the host. It would be a great way of actually hearing from the 'other side' of music. As an example, I was listening to a radio interview recently where the singer talked about Spotify from the musicians point of view. I'd never really considered it before and I found it extremely interesting. This is the kind of thing I would like to see on a show. I have nothing against radio at all, I just like to see the folks that are talking that's all. Never mind about Jools jumping in on piano to overshadow your song, let's hear the real views and thoughts of musicians on what the industry is like for them and what their plans are.

There already is 'Needle Time' on Vintage TV which is hosted by music journalist Neil McCormick. This is an interview show with video clips and artists that have graced the show include Jackson Browne, David Gray and Mike Scott to name a few. Vintage TV is available on satellite and Freeview and this channel actually has quite a lot of good stuff on it anyway. I haven't actually seen much of this particular show, but it certainly ticks some of the boxes that I am looking for so depending on the guest, I might well give it a go.

I'm sure I have missed a lot out of this post as to be honest, it's one that has taken me a while to write. There are so many considerations to take into account that it has been hard to cover it all. I don't think I have really, so this may well become one of those posts that gets revisited at some point. Bit like Highway 61 I guess...

I really would like to see a serious show about music grace our screens. One that asks the artists for their thoughts on music as I think there is so much of interest out there that we are missing a trick. And if anyone is looking for a host, perhaps someone new who likes music and writes about it a bit, I am available for a small fee ;0)

So to wrap up here's a great radio interview with Olly Knights from Turin Brakes where he chats about an upcoming gig and touches on the music industry and how it has changed. Spoiler alert - Olly's speaking voice sounds remarkably like David Beckham so please don't get confused and think he's now a musician! It's very obvious that Mr B has stolen Mr Knights' famous speaking voice... (I was asked to write that).

Listen here.

Now this is what I'm rambling about. Imagine something like this, but on the telly. How great would that be huh? Indeed.

It's the end of 2014 as we know it, but what did I find...

A few people I follow on Twitter have written end of year blogs about the music and other such things that have inspired them during 2014. So, as someone never wanting to miss out on an opportunity to ramble, I decided to jump on that bandwagon and do the very same thing. This may not be a in-depth review of the things I have been listening to, but I hope it will read as some of the music that has captured my attention and soul this year.

Someone recently asked me what was my album of 2014 and I have to admit this did leave me pondering a bit. As much as I love new music and am always open to suggestions on what to listen to, for me this year has been mainly about rediscovery. Or being a bit late to the party I guess. I have been revisiting my youth and catching up with some albums that I unfortunately missed at the time. This post should probably be called 'Better Late Than Never Dear'...

Anyway, so what has inspired me this year? I guess I should start with new albums of 2014 that I have been listening to. Firstly, there is 'Caustic Love' by Paolo Nutini. I liked Paolo when he appeared with 'These Streets' back in 2006 and some tracks on that album are still great to listen to now. I kind of left him for a bit, but I was watching an episode of 'Later' which he happened to be on and I really enjoyed listening to him perform some songs from the new album. And it is a great album. Possibly his best work to date and you can tell that he has matured as a performer and songwriter. The wonderful 'Iron Sky' stands out for me and hits all the right buttons as a modern soul / R&B record.

Those of you who have read my previous posts will know that my all time musical hero is Neil Finn. Well, Neil released his third solo album earlier this year entitled 'Dizzy Heights'. I have to admit that it did take me a while to get into this album as it's a sidestep from what he has produced in the past. But this is something I do love about Neil. He is constantly looking for new ideas and in his own words he says "I am working hard to get better all the time". I have grown to love this album over time and in particular the title track and the songs 'Flying in the Face of Love' and 'Better Than TV'.

Neil has received a bit of moaning online about this album, but at the end of the day I think as long as he is doing what he loves and making the music he wants to make then the fans will follow him and appreciate what he does. I was lucky enough to see him live in April and it was a wonderful show and he completely held the crowd in awe as he usually does. He is such a talented performer and I have the utmost respect for what he does. He always has been and always will be my hero,

Beautiful backdrop from Neil's live show

Another of the usual suspects in many of my blog posts is Mark Morriss. Yes, him out of the Bluetones. He released his second solo album this year 'A Flash of Darkness'. It was originally funded through Pledge Music, but it then got a full release through Acid Jazz this year. This album is brilliantly written and performed and shows how Mark has grown musically since his first album 'Memory Muscle' in 2008. There's not a bad track on this album and the songwriting and thoughtful lyrics are a wonderful treat. When I first listened to this album all the way though I sat back and said to myself "Wow, what the fuck have I just listened to?" and then I put it back on again. True story.

There are a couple of cover versions on the album (Mark does love a cover) and I have to say this version of 'Nightcall' in my opinion is better than the original. Just saying. My favourite track (and possibly my all time favourite Mark song) is 'Life Without F(r)iction'. A gorgeous song which features the equally gorgeous guitar of the equally gorgeous Adam Devlin (yep, the little one off the Bluetones! His words, not mine!). The video for a live version of this song has been my pinned tweet on Twitter now for a long time and I don't intend to take it down any time soon. I think overall I can safely say that this album is my number one for 2014 and I can't recommend it enough.

My album of 2014

Now onto my rediscovery. I missed the release of a couple of albums last year, but have now caught up. Firstly, one of my long time favourite bands, the wonderful Turin Brakes released their sixth album 'We Were Here' towards the end of 2013. It came to my attention earlier this year when the second single 'Guess You Heard' was released. I love this album very much and that track in particular as it's beautifully written and performed as is the whole album. It reignited my love for this band and I went back to the previous albums to reaffirm my connection with them. The acoustic style was what brought me to them in the first place and their particular 'sound' is something that I truly love. I am eagerly looking forward to a new album being released hopefully next year and I really do hope there will be a tour to accompany it.

Now, not only do I love the band in it's entirety, I also love lead singer Olly Knights as a solo artist. He released his first album in 2012 entitled 'If Not Now When' and I have the pleasure of owning it on CD and vinyl. It was lovingly put together in his own home using a unique and personal recording style. His journey to make this album was one of inspiration and I have to say I am totally and utterly blown away by it. I have immersed myself in it so much it plays on pretty much a constant loop on my beloved iPod every day. I often tweet Olly and he is good enough to reply to my ramblings about music and other such nonsense and I consider myself very lucky to be able to do this. I was on a train recently with my headphones in listening to the opening track on the album 'Ripcord'. In the quiet of the carriage I could fully lose myself in the track and at 3.38 into the song the most exquisite change happened and my heart completely melted. So of course I had to tell Olly this. I mean, why wouldn't you?

This album is also my favourite discovery of this year, but in the category of 'better late than never'. I have previously posted the documentary that accompanied the making of this album and I would suggest you have a look at it so you can fully appreciate the background to this piece of work. My love of simple, stripped back acoustics is played out here and it has actually made me want to pick up my guitar again and get back to playing. Sometimes less is more, which is what the man himself told me.

I've also been listening to my back catalogue of albums by the Bluetones lately too. I won't go overboard as by now you should be aware that they are one of my most beloved bands and basically they represent my youth. Their final album 'A New Athens' which was released in 2010 has been on my playlist of late and features some really great, under rated songs. It deserves a wider audience and I hope that perhaps it's just a slowburner and that people will one day discover it and realise what they have been missing out on. I can also give a massive thumbs up to the 2006 self titled album 'The Bluetones'. I have no idea why this album did not do better on release as it's possibly the album of theirs that I like most of all.

So, here is a little round up then:

My number 1 album of 2014 - A Flash of Darkness by Mark Morriss
My number 1 better late than never album of 2014 - If Not Now When by Olly Knights

A couple of other things to mention:

Gigs attended in 2014 - 8 so far
New artist I was introduced to this year - Frank Turner
Upcoming artist to watch in 2015 - Leon Bridges
Band to watch in 2015 (cos basically they're gonna tear it up!) - Concerned Citizens
Other albums of note - Lost in the Dream - The War on Drugs / Interlude - Jamie Cullum
Who you should follow on Twitter if you aren't already - Adam Devlin

So there you go. A real mixed bag of stuff which I hope may be of interest to you. It has been a bit of a strange year for me, but I have been to a lot more gigs than usual thanks to my 'Year of Yes' decision and I hope to continue this into next year. I already have 2 gigs lined up for the New Year with the promise of a lot more. There are also some new albums to look forward to including a Mark Morriss covers album and I hope a new Turin Brakes album. I have a feeling 2015 is going to be a good one.