[peel] Re: F50, WBWG, vote rigging etc.

[Phil Edwards]

Re F50 & WBWG
Earlier this year, there were lots of moans about the 2002 FF and I posted
the following, which really was about WBWG's

"On the whole I think this year's FF was better than last year's.
My main reason for this, is the fact that only 4 tracks this year were, what
I thought semi mainstream i.e. featured on XFM (although, a halfway decent
radio station based in London which is Ok when Peely's not on air, it's
still play list orientated though).
Compared to last year which contained 18 (Pulp, White Stripes, Pulp, Super
Furry Animals, Strokes, Mercury Rev etc.)

As for the No. 17 track, Asa-Chang & Junray - Hana (which he described as an
extraordinary record). It truly was an extraordinary and beautiful track"

I really do wonder why people who vote for these tracks bother listening to
Peel. They seem to be missing the whole point of his show.
When I listen to past festive 50's, ideally I would like it to be a
"snapshot" of all that is great/innovative/new and original in that year.
Maybe, I'm being too purist here. I would certainly prefer a load of unknown
tracks, which I may not have liked on 1st hearing but "grow" on you. With
the 2001 FF, I seldom listen to, as so many of the tracks, I'd heard so
often on semi-mainstream radio.
The "man" himself" often moans about lack/total absence of Reggae in the FF.
Not a 100% fan of reggae, I'd much rather the odd reggae track to a
mainstream "WBWG" one.
You'll have to excuse the ramblings of a fellow "Grumpy Old Man", (nearly as
old as JP), I've been listening to the FF from the beginning and remember
when the format changed from "tracks off all time" to "tracks of current
year". So PLEASE let's not end up with the FF being a replica of all the
other charts.
I'd be interested in hearing a Festive 50 of ALL festive 50's, in which case
2 of my votes would be for
Stereolab & Nurse With Wound - Simple Headphone Mind (No 14 in 1997)
Transmission by Joy Division - Various FF's.

Phil