Danny Baker's Great Album Showdown

everydayslikesunday

Junior Member
Whilst this series was first shown in 2013 and I am sure it was mentioned on this webpage at the time, but somehow I missed it and assuming some of you might also have missed it first time around...........

There is a mini series on BBC iplayer hosted by Danny Baker called 'Danny Baker's Great Album Showdown' which has him along with three guests talking about their love of a specific music genre. For those of you not living in the UK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGXPa5otgs


Danny Baker's Great Album Showdown - File Under : Rock ...




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZF6KSZDWmA


Danny Bakers Great Album Showdown - File Under : Pop


The Rock program has Stephen Street as one of the guests and so The Smiths and Morrissey get mentioned quite a few times, not that he picked any of their albums in his favourite top three. It was interesting when he said that as soon as they had recorded The Headmaster Ritual, they all knew it had to be the opening track on Meat is Murder. On the Pop program, Boy George and one of the other guests say how much The Queen is Dead meant to them.

If you grew up listening to vinyl in your bedroom, this series will appeal.

It does raise the question whether the concept of an album is dying for a playlist generation?
 
I saw it the first time around and I’m enjoying it the second time too. Baker must be our finest broadcaster. His Saturday show on Five Live is genuinely brilliant.

One of Danny’s numerous sackings prompted this wonderful artefact...



I curate my albums and love my playlists to bits. It panders to a hitherto unknown element of OCD in my personality. Strangeways with Death At One’s Elbow omitted but Sheila Take A Bow, Is It Really So Strange?, Sweet & Tender Hooligan and I Keep Mine Hidden added is even more of a tour de force.

My local library is in danger of closure. If I win the Euromillions I might buy it and spend my days rearranging the books and shouting “We're closed!” at people through the letterbox.
 
He is an extraordinary broadcaster (and writer) - his knowledge of music, across all genres, is truly encyclopedic and he's never been afraid to champion left-field choices or admit to liking artists who aren't 'cool' (I remember on his 80s London radio shows he would regularly play Anthony Newley). His autobiography (particularly the first one, Going to Sea in a Sieve) is an extraordinary read, not least because it showed how he came up from literally nothing to carve his own unique niche. It's also utterly hilarious. I watched this series the first time round, but I do think he's better on radio than TV. Somehow his verbose, whimsical style gets in the way on telly, for me, but it's no less brilliant for that.
 
Yes, he’s far better on the radio. He’s a bit like John Lydon in that respect. I’d much rather listen to them.

Both Lydon and Baker have a self regard that I sometimes find difficult to watch. They can both cross that line from clever to too clever by half on the television.
 
PS, I wonder what happened to the second series of Baker’s sitcom? It was due to go out last December, then seemed to get caught up in the Peter Kay stuff, and it’s still not got a broadcast date, even though Kay seems to be back in circulation.
 
PS, I wonder what happened to the second series of Baker’s sitcom? It was due to go out last December, then seemed to get caught up in the Peter Kay stuff, and it’s still not got a broadcast date, even though Kay seems to be back in circulation.
I think Peter Kay isn't properly returned - he just popped up last week to do some charity thing. I found that sitcom hard to watch, tbh. Much as I love both Peter Kay and Danny Baker, I felt Peter was miscast in that - not least because he just couldn't master the accent. I couldn't help wondering what epically boozy session must have led to him being cast in the first place. I also felt that having Danny as a co-writer might have been a mistake, since it was based on his own autobio - which is brilliantly entertaining, but it maybe needed more professional detachment to knock out a script worthy of the original material. What did you think of it?
 
I think Peter Kay isn't properly returned - he just popped up last week to do some charity thing. I found that sitcom hard to watch, tbh. Much as I love both Peter Kay and Danny Baker, I felt Peter was miscast in that - not least because he just couldn't master the accent. I couldn't help wondering what epically boozy session must have led to him being cast in the first place. I also felt that having Danny as a co-writer might have been a mistake, since it was based on his own autobio - which is brilliantly entertaining, but it maybe needed more professional detachment to knock out a script worthy of the original material. What did you think of it?

I can’t remember it making me laugh, but it was entertaining enough. I’m just trying to remember anything about it. The French mistress... errrr... that’s about it. A schoolboy fantasy writ large. Mine was Miss Bevan. I didn’t think Baker managed to pass the really happened test. Like me and Miss Bevan.

I agree about Kay being miscast. I suppose they wanted the big name. It’s difficult now to imagine someone else in the role though. There was talk of him having to be replaced. No idea what might prevent Kay having already completed work being broadcast.
 
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