Tom on the Radio - comments?

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Tom on the Radio - comments? does a career in radio start or end here?

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Tom clearly outshined his challenger. The pro-Bowie schlub was reduced to offering half-hearted support for Bowie (yeah, site Slipknot & Insane Clown Posse; that's a good way to make a point). Meanwhile, Tom was ruthless, and certainly sounded like he was having a lot of fun in shredding Mr. Jones. Mr. Ewing was infinitely more entertaining (of course, I'm a bit biased & all).

And Bowie really can't sing, can he? He sounds like Bob Dylan, except without half the charisma and smoke-damage.

― David Raposa, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Apparently "Bowie's people" were listening. I'm going into hiding. But not before I've had more drink.

― Tom, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! I missed it!

― DG, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

you donut DG - Tom has been plugging it !

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i was enroute home from work! gah! ::kicks time zones::

― jess, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Surely FT's current editor would have given Tom a better pro-Bowie challenger. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

bugger i missed it too. in my defence i've missed the whole series and i was doing something for me mum.

― Alan at home, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, any chance you could rip your CD copy to mp3 and put it up somewhere for those of us who missed it?

― Ian, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm slightly horrified here because I missed it and all... wasn't it supposed to be tomorrow night? Mum definitely thinks so... mind you, it's my own fault for not spending enough time on the internet.

― Al, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mark Radcliffe summed it up best at the end, when he referred to "the eloquently put case for, and the rather poorly constructed case against."

I think that says it all really.

― Brian Peter George St Baptiste De La Salle Eno, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Cheers "Brian".

The CD will be encoded yeah - I'm not sure where I can put it though - anyone got room for a 10mb file?

― Tom, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm sure Tom looked lovely on the radio.

I had no idea he was going on radio to attack David Bowie. In the nicest possible way, and all that, I have to say, what a stupid thing to do. That really is my reaction to the idea of anyone going on radio to attack Bowie, though it is out of kilter with my perception of Tom E as an intelligent, humane, sensible, amusing and perceptive character.

― the pinefox, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

oh come on, 80s and 90s bowie is a fair target. i haven't heard Tom, but Ashes to Ashes is a turning point song. it harks back to a successful song (safe), the video sucked the life-force from his younger worshippers (ah, new life), and everything he did afterwards clearly just sucked.

― Alan Trewartha, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was stunned that there was no mention of Tin Machine, which would surely have delivered a knockout blow to Tom's opponents arguments. Otherwise it was great.

― RickyT, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I quite like Bowie though most of what I said I agree with. The story of how I, who like Bowie, came to be on the radio slagging him off is one I'll tell you in the pub sometime, PF. I was alas told that dwelling on Tin Machine would be too obvious!

― Tom, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I almost thought that the Radcliffe quote offered by His Enoness was a complement for Tom. Oh, you Brits and your honed sense of wry irony, or something.

Regardless of your affinity for Bowie, Tom, your case was convincing enough to stave off any burgeoning interest in him & his stock. It helps to hear how BAD those songs sounded, though. Oh, they were bad. Worse than I remembered.

― David Raposa, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What songs were played? (Since a 10mb MP3 is going to pinefox me for a while yet)

― mark s, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i haven't heard Tom, but Ashes to Ashes is a turning point song. it harks back to a successful song (safe), the video sucked the life- force from his younger worshippers (ah, new life)

I take so much issue with that statement I may have to start a magazine shop. Picking on the song is one thing, but the video...it has mimes, spacemen, and Steven Strange! What is not to like?

― Nicole, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Plus a digger and solarisation and his mum

Serious discussion I had with sistah Becky on viewing that video at the time.

One of us: "D'you think that's really his mum, or just some old actress?"
The other: "If it's not his mum then I have lost all respect for him and all his songs ever were rubbish, and also everything he goes to write."

For years Becky had a panel cut from the Daily Mirror strip-cartoon 'The David Bowie story pinned up in her kitrchen. It said something like, "Even at school David knew he was different", and it pictured him in a green jacket with a quiff admiring his winklepickers, which in the not-well drawn picture were as big as clown shoes

― mark s, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mark - bits of "Space Oddity", "Ashes to Ashes", "Ziggy Stardust", "Changes", and a smidge of "Heroes", I think. No "Dancing in the Streets", unfortunately.

― David Raposa, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm sure it's not original to say that as with all (OK, most) bowie after that date it was opportunistic caniballisation of what ver kids were up to. heh. i wouldn't take what i say too seriously though, visage was one of my earliest "oo, i like this BAND" thoughts (i.e. rather than just liking various tunes played on the top 40 countdown, an actual BAND)

― Alan Trewartha, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

did "The Laughing Gnome" come up? a knockout punch for both sides of the argument!

― fritz, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Did I mention that Earthling is in fact great? (His decline began when his cannibalisation stopped; also, "opportuinistic" is the neutron bomb of chartpop, isn't it? I mean, compared to who?)

― mark s, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I like 'Laughing Gnome' AND 'Earthling' (esp tracks 1 and 3), though the earlier stuff is still better than the later.

― the pinefox, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i agree the charts is largely opportunistic. Madonna has the same problem, and i'm sure this was brought up in the Heroes and Zeroes dedicated to her. but there's some antagonism between being a hero and blatant opportunism surely? at least Madonna's opportunistic pop was GOOD

― Alan Trewartha, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

there is no pop that is not opportunistic >>>> opportunism is irrelevant to discussion of value in pop

― mark s, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i don't claim to have clear cut ideas of what is or isn't pop and what is and isn't opportunistic, but i feel that early bowie was *more* pop and *less* opportunistic than the turgid nonsense in the 80s.

― Alan Trewartha, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I for one am eagerly looking forward to his garage opus with obligatory out of key piano solo by Mike Garson.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, is the file still 10mb even after quality reduction? say, at 56k? (ie. I damn well forgot to listen, fucknuckle that I am.)

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, geocities gives 15 MB. You'd probably have to up it from ftp.

― bnw, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I too missed it; I tried to listen but I was away visiting relatives and couldn't get to a radio. So if it gets uploaded anywhere or if there are tapes going around I'd be interested. Thanks.

I also apologise for doubting whoever said that the fast food chain Wimpy still existed. I saw one for myself in Weymouth on Thursday. How exciting.

― Rebecca, Saturday, 3 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I heard it! It was a funny show...

I just read the letter on NYLPM. I never knew Space Odyssey was about heroin!

― james, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

why does the letterguy write numbers in order 1243? This = kewl imo…

David Bowie was nothing to do with Glam Rock. Er, no.

― mark s, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"If you think heroin is a novelty then fine."

I live for mail like that.

― Tom, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

heroin is, of course, a career. music is a novelty. sheesh.

― jess, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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