| Description | Track 1: George Melly talks about folk music and the mass media, the media have become more sophisticated and the content more empty - he believes this is inevitable; he talks about the brutality of societies in the past, that television has brought 'self-scrutiny'; he believes that a Border ballad is better than a pop song, but disagrees with Ewan MacColl that is possible to go back to a music based on Border ballads because it is not possible to recreate the society that produced this music, he believes that pop music says more about current society and 'pop music is the new folk music'.
Track 2: He says that change is always possible and talks about the violence of past societies; he says that great popular art is often the product of great horror, giving the Border Ballads as an example; he talks about popular revolt, which he believes happens when conditions are intolerable; he talks about the 'pseudo-revolt' in the pop charts
Tracks 3-4: He says that high art is often produced during a time of prosperity - that mass expression requires something violent or desperate to activate it; he talks about kids today, who are very narcissistic and concerned with outward style; he talks about the record 'Come Outside', which he likes because it is satirical, and 'pretty tunes' in the hit parade; he says that folk music, such as the Border Ballads, is not necessarily applicable to teenagers
Track 5: He talks about the 'lack of local comment' in pop songs and says it is sad that there is no pop or folk music for more mature people, unless they become interested in jazz; he talks about poor quality education, which means that young people 'move on to nothing' when they lose interest in pop music - what is needed is education that instils the need for art throughout life.
Total: 16.44 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF534B0398780 |