Before The Flood

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is a poll about John Peel's Festive Fifty, 1976. Just tick all the songs you like from the list of 50 (counting down from #50 to #1, as it happens). I've put it up because i) I'm curious about the results, ii) I'm probably writing a pitchfork column about the F50.

[Poll #1137239]

And some more general questions I'd like to think about - they're quite big questions though:

- What does rock do better now? What does it do worse?
- How does the stuff that won respect and adoration on this poll differ from the stuff that critics and fans enjoy now (a VERY broad formulation, I know)?
- Where's the modern equivalent of the audience suggested here - Pazz and Jop? the Pitchfork Readers Poll?
- What were Poco and can we eat them?

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I just youtubed A Day In The Life - I haven't heard it before which kind of boggles me. It doesn't have a chorus? And then goes all weird? I assume it's meant to be all messy and... kind of rubbish?

[cis.livejournal.com]

also 'found my way upstairs and had a smoke/then somebody spoke and i went into a dream' OMG IT IS SO TOTES ABOUT DRUGZ OMG THE BEATLES SO RADICAL.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. On the other hand, yes!

[(Anonymous)]

NB I still ticked it! I might even go back and tick 'Strawberry Fields', which maybe I don't hate as much as I thought I did on first reading the poll.

[cis.livejournal.com]

that was me obv.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I suspect I am not the only person who is only giving the beatles a chance on the "Ticket To Wine" ticker.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

It's (the last track?) on Sergeant Peppers, so it's (always been presented to me as) a big "where are our cheeky lads from Liverpool leading us to?" track.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's cosmic drug pop. I love it mind you.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Hadn't they already done this to death? 'Tomorrow Never Knows' does the whole thing in a much less terrifying and scrappy way. 'A Day In The Life' sounds to me like they're trying to get away with half a song and some arsing about. Drugz are bad for your work ethic, kids!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Haha isn't Sergeant Pepper's the album which provoked newspaper stories about "Have the Beatles finally lost it?" because they'd been in the studio for all of 9 months? But yeah good point.

[cis.livejournal.com]

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS IS A BLIGHT ON THE FACE OF MUSIC

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

b-b-but if it had never existed we wouldn't have the Phil Collins cover version! And then where would we be?

[cis.livejournal.com]

I am not sure even the steadying hand of St Phil can save that awful terrible no-good song!

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Well they did just ram two half songs together, one by Paul, one by Lennon.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

I usually heard it standalone, or possibly as part of the blue hits album. It was a long while before I heard St Peppers and it was terribly inconsistent and not half as good as everyone says it was.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

You've never heard it before? What planet are you living on Miss Stevens?