I AM UNCOOL

I am not nor have i ever been what you might describe as "cool". I've never followed, or claimed to like, something because it happened to be the current trend or "in" thing. It's the same with music: if i like it, it's based purely on the music and nothing else. There are people who claim to be "real" music fans, who sneer at the idea of chart pop, who wear t-shirts featuring cult bands, and only listen to "real" music by artists considered to be "authentic".  I'm not one of those people. I contend that, to truly be a lover of music, you must be able to see past genres, eras, scenes, and ignore any notions of what you must be seen to like. Those lists of "100 best albums of all time" or "100 most important records of all time" are fine if you take them as lists of music that might be worth checking out: less so if you read them as a list of albums you must not only own, but also loudly proclaim to love. Personally, i can't be bothered with all that chin-stroking bollocks: music is either good or it isn't, which is an entirely subjective opinion from the point of view of the listener. I've given several allegedly "classic" albums a listen over the years - Pet Sounds, Sgt Peppers, Velvet Underground & Nico among them - and been less than impressed: but again, it's a matter of personal taste. I'd say that i have pretty eclectic tastes when it comes to music, although there are certain genres or styles i love more than others. From the ages of 11 to 16, the charts were a pick 'n' mix of different styles of music, and my record collection reflected that. Indie bands sat alongside production line pop from the Stock, Aitken & Waterman stable, Acid House and dance tracks shared room with Rock and Metal. I see no embarrassment or shame in still listening to songs i enjoyed in my early teens: those songs are part of my life. Of course, there are a few records that, looking back, i wondered what i was thinking when i handed my limited cash over the counter. But tastes change as you get older, and that Comic Relief novelty single you bought as a teen would have seemed great at the time (In this case it was Bruce Dickinson & Mr Bean covering Alice Coopers' "Elected", something my 15 year old self found hilarious), but not something you would admit to buying just a few years later when you're following the bands you read about in the NME.

In 1987, the year i turned 11, i had my first vinyl album; The Hits Album 7, and the differing styles of music on it reflected how democratic the charts (and therefore the tastes of the record-buying public) were back then. Rick Astleys' "Never Gonna Give You Up", The Bee Gees' "You Win Again", Spagnas' "Call Me". Simply Red, A-ha. All sharing groove space with Goth giants The Sisters Of Mercy (their biggest hit, the Jim Steinman-produced "This Corrosion"), moody indie siblings The Jesus & Mary Chain ("Darklands"), and US rock/rap troublemakers The Beastie Boys ("She's On It"). add to this a couple of hits from the hip-hop and rap scenes - Eric B & Rakim, LL Cool J, and a few established artists like Prince and Fleetwood Mac, and you had a pretty accurate picture of some of that years' most popular records and biggest hits. I loved it all. Just before that Christmas i'd pestered my Mum to buy Rick Astleys' contender for the festive top spot, the double A-side "When I Fall In Love/My Arms Keep Missing You", the first song a cover of the Nat "King" Cole classic (which re-entered the charts not long after) coupled with a track from Ricks' debut album. It's funny to think now that, when people first heard Astleys' voice, they assumed he was a black soul singer, such was the richness of it. When they realised he was a young, pale, auburn haired lad from Lancashire (who had been the tea boy at the studios of Stock/Aitken/Waterman, before they heard him singing), he was instantly seen as naff by the more serious minded music press. It didn't matter: he was an instant success, and joined the growing number of S/A/W-produced pop hits in the Top 40. Whilst i was never a Kylie fan, i thought the likes of Rick,  Mel & Kim, Bananarama (who had signed up after a couple of relatively hitless years), and Sonia were pure pop perfection. Add to that the raft of "Sophisti-pop" bands such as Curiosity Killed The Cat, Johnny Hates Jazz, Hue & Cry, Living In A Box, and The Christians who were all tasting chart success, my 11 year old self was in pop heaven. The growing House/Dance music scene had me intrigued, but for the time being, it was all about Pop. My singles collection, and the array of tapes full of the charts, are long gone: the victims of the digital age. But the songs are still with me, whether it's "cool" to like them or not.