Freak Zone

I'm not a fan of Stuart Maconie on those Channel 4 list shows, but I've fallen in love with his schtick on 6 Music. Sunday nights, 5-8. What great playlists! Stuff you just wouldn't hear anywhere else, with the exception of a trip to a convention, a visit to an eBay niche or a specialist record shop.

Tonight he played (among others) some Bob Downes. Like TS Eliot's cat name thing (thanks to ep for that) there are some things which you share with everyone you know, some which you share with certain friends, some with a smaller select group, and ultimately things you only share with yourself. Speaking personally - hell, what's the point of blogging, otherwise? - Bob Downes was, until now, one of those things. His Deep Down Heavy album was part of my uncle's record collection in the early 70s, perhaps because my uncle had some avant-garde friends, or perhaps because it was released on the MFP label. Who knew? Who cared? It was like some kind of memory revelation hearing his name on the radio, and a whole era of my life re-surfaced - like the Kraken waking.

As a result, I found Bob Downes' website. Apparently, he hasn't read a newspaper or magazine for 38 years, hasn't listened to the radio for 15 years, and since January 07, has stopped watching TV news bulletins. I have exchanged emails with him, which makes me feel kind of special.