Peel's replacement

[Leo Gilbert]

Having just listened to a couple of "On the wire" programmes, it seems 
clear to me that Steve Barker, nice guy though he clearly is, could not 
be the next John Peel. The music he played lacked both variety and 
bite.

The great thing about John was that his records always sounded fresh 
because they contrasted with those on either side. Even if it was 
impossible to love everything he played, there was no room for 
stagnation, and the top tracks from each programme - certainly the ones 
I kept - would very likely be from a whole range of different genres. 
The only thing that his choices had in common was that they all had a 
kind of edge, or they acquired that edge from being played in the 
context of his exhilarating show, and that was what kept his shows 
vital.

We need somebody who loves music, not somebody who loves a particular 
type of music. I think that an amateur - a music fan who has good 
communication skills - would almost certainly do a better job than any 
of the professionals I've heard.

Leo