That sponsored music prize and the madness of Roger Daltrey
I think it's great that Anthony and the Johnsons won the (sponsored) (sponsored) prize. I also think it's great that the prize is still known as the Mercury Music Prize by most of the general public, even though Mercury (the first sponsors) hasn't existed for several years now.
I noticed that several publications (including the BBC early editions, although it seems to have been removed now) called A&TJ "outsiders", even though they were the second favourites last night. All I can add is thank God it wasn't M.I.A.
From today's Guardian:
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, the guitar-smashing band of the 60s and 70s, has not lost his touch for iconoclasm. While opening HMV's digital music download service this week, he is reported - to the chagrin of his hosts - to have launched into a eulogy for vinyl records, resonant of the heyday of rock, which are supposed to have been confined to history by the digital revolution. He added that if he was a billionaire and had his time again, he would invest all his money in a factory to produce vinyl records since "nothing beats the rich sound of vinyl, it's a fact and you get none of the decrease in quality that you get with other types of modern recordings". Many musical enthusiasts, classical and pop, would agree with that statement.
I'm just a bit puzzled by this statement. In fact I am *so* puzzled I can't even think of where to start picking holes in it.
I also like the way Daltrey dreams of being a billionaire, therefore trying to hide the fact that he is a mere multi-millionaire. You do remember those ads for American Express shot at his trout farm?
