The South and Central America Revolutionary Bodega

[beagle]

Goat

Have you seen the Secret Millionaire on Channel 4 (Wednesdays)?

It makes me squirm. And it also makes me wonder how the majority of people respond to it.

This is why I end up listening to Melvyn Bragg on Radio 4; because TV is filled with completely rubbish "reality" shows. As far as TV goes I'm down to the occasional documentary on UK History, and repeats of Poirot and Midsomer Murders on ITV3.  BBC4 has mysteriously come back into reception now; sometimes watch that too.

P.S. Goat, despite my being in the evening of my years, you will be surprised to know that I have heard of Billy "Red Wedge" Bragg, though to us lapsed physicists he doesn't rate at  all compared to the real Billy Braggshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Bragg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lawrence_Bragg
Nobel Prize winners, founders of Crystallography, and all-round brain-boxes.

Are the Braggs like the Freuds? Branches everywhere?

I am sad to say that -to my knowledge- the left in is only a moniker to get the votes of the poor.

Twas ever thus. Twenty years ago my cousin told me how his public school ( public schools in England are of course the exclusive private schools - don't ask ) was stashed full of the sons of Labour M.P.s.
The "comprehensive education experiment" was for other people's children. And this was a decade or more before Notting Hill style multimillionaire socialism came into fashion.

[goat starer]

I am sad to say that -to my knowledge- the left in is only a moniker to get the votes of the poor.

Twas ever thus.

indeed. I would not disagree one jot. the opnly people who really wany power are by definition right wing. I well remember watching the 'politician' (as opposed to political) students at oxford be thrown out of the conservatives and join labour (and vice versa). Politicians principles are only as fixwd as the opinions of the mother of the next baby!

Big problem with Russia was that it only takes a short while before your 'peoples uprising' acquires a bunch of fundamentally right wing politicians and the next thing you know you have animal farm (orwell, not the very blue movie)

[Griffin NoName]

P.S. Goat, despite my being in the evening of my years, you will be surprised to know that I have heard of Billy "Red Wedge" Bragg, ....

...for shame, I'm older than you and saw Billy B give an excellent performance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival not so long ago...  (I'll keep quiet about the year we saw Chas and Dave and I did refuse point blank to go to see the didgeridoo guy ooo I've even forgotten his name....didn't he do a portrait of the Queen?)

[Aggie]

P.S. Goat, despite my being in the evening of my years, you will be surprised to know that I have heard of Billy "Red Wedge" Bragg, ....

...for shame, I'm older than you and saw Billy B give an excellent performance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival not so long ago...  (I'll keep quiet about the year we saw Chas and Dave and I did refuse point blank to go to see the didgeridoo guy ooo I've even forgotten his name....didn't he do a portrait of the Queen?)

Aye, he rolled through here a while back (September) but I didn't see it.  The ticket prices he can extract from the starry bourgeois ex-rebel types are too rich for my blood, and I'd rather see him perform in a pub than in a church. 

[beagle]

Don't think I've ever heard him sing. Just appearing on TV/Radio doing his Bono/Sting/Geldorf  bit. Probably an evil right wing DJ conspiracy to keep him off the air-waves. Or hard to dance to. One or the other.

[Aggie]

BBC6 plays him pretty often.  But maybe he doesn't deliver enough biryani these days.

[goat starer]

The man is a LEGEND. look at the covered songs like A New England Kirsty McColl (RIP) and Dubstar St Swithins Day

A true working class hero! You may not have heard him but you have probably heard a song or two done by others.

[beagle]

These names mean nothing to me Goat. However I gather he has covered Arlo Guthrie, which is more my vintage.

I'm sure he is deservedly famous. It's just my preferred musical style generally involves stoned hippies knocking out 30 minute long psychedelic tracks, rather than political stuff. The only exception being the Pet Shop Boys, who's superb sense of irony doesn't come across as hectoring.

[Griffin NoName]

He is superb live. Much much more than just a song. Or just politics. Or even just both. Or never mind the politics. Oh whatever.

[goat starer]

I watched Dubstar at the reading festival in 1997ish. last song who came on stage to duet St Swithins Day but Mr Bragg himself! (once security had removed Melvyn - Billy came on as well!!  ) The man is a great live performer and his songs do not really come accross as hectoring in the way that other 'political' singers can.

I am suprised Kirsty McColl (RIP) means nothing to anyone. Most famous for the Duet on the Pogues 'Fairy Tale of New York' - officially the only good christmas song EVER.

Anyhow you can take all the acts mentioned here as officially endorsed by Goat. All of them will feature on the Revolutionary Bodega juke box and will be released on a compilation for Christmas that will rival the Buena Vista Social Club!

[Aggie]

I am suprised Kirsty McColl (RIP) means nothing to anyone. Most famous for the Duet on the Pogues 'Fairy Tale of New York' - officially the only good christmas song EVER.

Oh!  Know that one, I think... otherwise I mostly know Kirsty in the context of covering Mr. Bragg 'imself.

[Griffin NoName]

It's just my preferred musical style generally involves stoned hippies knocking out 30 minute long psychedelic tracks, rather than political stuff.

Dark Side of the Moon - Floyd live @ Earls Court 1994. Just shown on TV. They didn't look stoned though.

[beagle]

Rats, missed that, but imagine it's the Pulse DVD version which I've already got. Surprised it's on TV already, as it hasn't been in the shops long.

When I was about 15 (1975) I endeared myself to my parents when we moved house by setting up the record player in the new living room and playing echoes from Meddle at full volume before they could ruin the effect by sticking furniture and curtains in there. Teenagers are helpful like that.

[goat starer]

Goat stalks from behind the bodega bar and switches off this hippy crap! The new jukebox playlist in here will be published shortly and there will be no Pink Floyd!!! 

Mao Tse Tung Said by The Alabama 3 is first on the list!

[beagle]

I don't think Pink Floyd ever appeared in juke boxes anyway. Singles were for girls. Boys only ever bought albums (at about £3-29 each if I remember correctly), by Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Tangerine Dream, Genesis, Hawkwind or Yes.

Of course you're not old enough Goat to remember a time when music did not consist of boy/girl bands miming so you can be forgiven for not knowing this.