Category Archive: Modern Music
Molly (Channel 7 Miniseries)
Photo by Jeanie McKinder
(Channel 7 Mini-Series) Ian “Molly” Meldrum named his house “Luxor” and hung out with cross-dressers. But Molly was also a brawler and a football fan. While having a genius for television, he could barely string two words together. These contradictions raise questions about this quixotic man, but there was no question for those of us who grew up in the Countdown days. Watching Countdown for 25 minutes on the ABC was what you did on Friday, and then Sunday evenings. Young people today won’t believe it if you tell them that until Countdown, the only tv music shows for the young were occasional all night “Rockathons”* which my…
Continue Reading →Accidents Will Happen
Songs in Our Heart # 1 (We have sounded off about songs we dislike intensely, and had lots of lovely negative feedback! But in the interests of restoring harmony, we are starting a series of random tunes we love (or perhaps only one of us does) and we will continue as we think of more. Thanks also to those sporting sharers at YouTube – TVC doesn’t endorse any ads that may pop up!): Accidents Will Happen (Elvis Costello & the Attractions) (Written by Elvis Costello; released May 1979) [The perfect pop song, full of sound and fury, signifying everything.]
Continue Reading →Terry Wogan
Programme Name: n/a - TX: 20100101 - Episode: n/a (No. n/a) - Embargoed for publication until: n/a - Picture Shows: - (C) BBC - Photographer: Lorenzo Agius
Michael Terence Wogan (3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) The Varnished Culture farewells this mellifluous long-standing caller of the Eurovision Song Contest. He obviously loved the event, but that didn’t stop the old smoothie from dripping the occasional cup of acid, particularly when hosts gave too much of themselves or acted like ‘eejits’, or when anticipating the voting predilections of each country, which he did with uncanny accuracy (and sardonic smugness). You’ll be missed Woges.
Continue Reading →10 (or more) Songs We Hate
1 Always Take the Weather With You (Crowded House) – [dreary and nasty, almost hostile.] 2. Why Does it Always Rain on Me? (Travis) – [Why don’t you stop whining and buy a brolley?] 3 Born to be Alive (Patrick Hernandez – there is dispute in the TVC house about this one) [Ecch!] 4. Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney) [Worst Xmas song ever.] 5. Happy (Pharrell Williams – there is a dispute here too) [L – unhappy] 6. All That She Wants (Ace of Base) [“she’s gone tomorrow” – why not today?] 7. I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston version) [a…
Continue Reading →10 Reasons to Hate Bowie
Well, it is easy to venerate Bowie of course, and De mortuis nihil nisi bonum but no major figures are completely loved. Here’s some drawbacks advanced simply in the interests of total candour –
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