Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room Synth Britannia

Okay, I think I get the picture.
If it comes close to what I heard at BBC4 from them,
I think I'll dig it.
Thanks for responding B!

Just finished viewing it, and have to agree that it’s a fantastically enjoyable programme, even made me feel quite emotional watching it in places. It was not at all like those “Ooh, remember the 80’s” type shows, where you have to cringe through the dross till you get to the good stuff, but just good little interviews, and nicely put together.

Now I’m hoping the BBC will realise they might make some more money out of it by releasing it onto DVD with a complete booklet and photographs or something, that would definitely be one worth buying.

Nice review in The Scotsman with Foxx quote.

Very enjoyable.Although,it took a Bass Player to advise the lumpen prole that synth-songs need to
be written.No magic button on the synth...take a
F**k O*f bow, Andy McCluskey

me again-sorry.With all the "I/We woz tha furst"
prompted by SynBrit,does anyone recall a concept
album about Francis Bacon's The New Atlantis, (Not Gottsching!)possibly by one of the Radiophonic Workshop? I bought it in the days when hearing a synth on the opening titles to The Rockford Files (was it a CAT ?)was bread-and-butter.(Yep-I goes back that farrrrr......)

Briefly saw some of the SB at the BBC performances too - not sure if Roxy were totally valid - couldn't they have put the nigh-legendary Kraftwerk on Tomorrow's World performance at the beginning?
Also Sparks not relevant - love the song but maybe Sir John Foxx doing Underpass on TOTP would've been more appropriate.
Plus next time please leave out the sarkey comments box à la TOTP2 on each performance..

.. we must moan mustn't we.

the problem with Sparks is Ron Mael is a darn good
synthesist in the studio, but we only ever see his Adolf-at-the-Joanna persona in visuals.
His synth work on the Moroder-produced album is
xcellent.the opening synths-cresendo on La Dolce
Vita ranks with Kraftwerks Kommentenmelodie for
sheer joi-de-vivre.(IMHO)

Yes no doubting that my son but ...well, it doesn't matter ...

Superb documentary, couldn't fault it really. Well researched footage, interviews etc.

The background story of 30 years ago was interesting also - Fascists on the move, 'Labour Isn't Working', riots, national strikes and a Conservative government waiting in the wings...

...funny how things change eh? :rolleyes:

Although I could find some faults (with anorak on and tightly zipped up) it was a BRILLIANT documentary, reflecting in many ways my own experiences with 'synth music', which - as I now know - many others had too.
Foxx's contribution was like Metamatic: minimal but essential. They could've mentioned him again when Dep Mode went back to the Garden Studios for CTM, but no matter.
Yes interesting tie-in with social/political climate and changes going on. (M. Thatcher elected April 79, Gary Numan number 1 a month later.. hummmmm.)
Oakey and McCluskey were quite rightly the driving force in the commentary from start to finish, both eloquent in their own ways.
I thought including Joy Division (Sumner) was inappropriate although nice that their was a nod in the direction of more avantgardistes Cab Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle (now 'homely' couple..), who I know little about.
I thought Ure-vox were never gonna get mentioned and in fact Vienna was wrongly delegated to 1982 status.
I would've mentioned Bowie and Ashes to Ashes in 1980 as kick-starting the (dare we mention it) "new-romantic" movement which led to Visage, et al and ultimately Depeche Mode.
Would've been nice at the end with a caption for each interviewee saying what they're doing now, instead of Oakey's odious sell-out 'Electric Dreams', although as he said himself "we got a bit lost". Indeed.

Back to The Future..