...is Cadburys chocolate.
As I type this, I am munching on a novelty Chocolate Santa. You know the sort of thing - about 6 inches tall, moulded to look like Santa and wrapped in silver foil printed with Santa's image.
And it's nice, don't get me wrong. Having started it by biting the head off (making sure first that no small children were around to witness such a vicious decapitation), I am admittedly stopping after typing every words... mmm.... of this blog entry to.... mmm... eat a bit more.
It will all be gone in one sitting.
But it was made by Lindt. Not Cadbury's. And therein lies the fundamental difference. Something to do with the creaminess I think, but Cadbury's has some secret ingredient I am sure which is the reason why no other chocolate in the world tastes as nice.
It's something to do with the creaminess I think, but as far as I know it could be some well-kept secret of an ingredient (like the recipes for Coca-Cola or Willy Wonka's everlasting gobstoppers).
Just don't expect a trip to the Cadbury's factory in Birmingham to be as exciting as a tour of Wonka's. It doesn't have a glass elevator for one. And all the Oompa Loompas are from "Wist Bromitch" as I recall. Hardly magical.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Music (2)
Continuing a previous thread, and before my feelings of despair overtake me regarding the growing inevitability of this year's Christmas No. 1, I seek solace in the warm familiarity of my all time favourite Christmas album.
Yes I know I previously said that my all time favourite Christmas song is Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song", but for the complete package I very much recommend to you the 1963 album (and so from an era when Christmas was, well, Christmasy) "Christmas Wonderland" by Bert Kaempfert.
This album, originally my Grandad's, has been the soundtrack to literally every Christmas that I can remember. And although only 2 people have reviewed it on Amazon.co.uk, all 27 people on Amazon.com give it 5 stars. And when I read the reviews there, so many of which could have been written by me ("It isn't Christmas without this music"; "I overflow with nostalgia when I hear this CD"), the feeling of not being completely out on my own on this was very reassuring.
Of course, in younger years it would never have been cool to reveal my love of this music to anyone under the age of, say, my parents. But I absolutely love listening to this album at this time of year. Entirely instrumental, it's not simply the memories of past Christmases that it generates. It just sounds like Christmas should sound.
Bert Kaempfert, a German band leader and renowned trumpet player who died in 1980, may not be familiar to many, but his music has a very distinctive sound. In much the same way that, say, Glenn Miller (who, I'll go out on a limb, and say I also like a lot) did.
You can hear two tracks from the Christmas Wonderland album here and here.
Enjoy. And spread the word. What with downloads now forming part of the UK charts, I hereby start the campaign for a better Christmas No. 1 next year.
Yes I know I previously said that my all time favourite Christmas song is Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song", but for the complete package I very much recommend to you the 1963 album (and so from an era when Christmas was, well, Christmasy) "Christmas Wonderland" by Bert Kaempfert.
This album, originally my Grandad's, has been the soundtrack to literally every Christmas that I can remember. And although only 2 people have reviewed it on Amazon.co.uk, all 27 people on Amazon.com give it 5 stars. And when I read the reviews there, so many of which could have been written by me ("It isn't Christmas without this music"; "I overflow with nostalgia when I hear this CD"), the feeling of not being completely out on my own on this was very reassuring.
Of course, in younger years it would never have been cool to reveal my love of this music to anyone under the age of, say, my parents. But I absolutely love listening to this album at this time of year. Entirely instrumental, it's not simply the memories of past Christmases that it generates. It just sounds like Christmas should sound.
Bert Kaempfert, a German band leader and renowned trumpet player who died in 1980, may not be familiar to many, but his music has a very distinctive sound. In much the same way that, say, Glenn Miller (who, I'll go out on a limb, and say I also like a lot) did.
You can hear two tracks from the Christmas Wonderland album here and here.
Enjoy. And spread the word. What with downloads now forming part of the UK charts, I hereby start the campaign for a better Christmas No. 1 next year.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Christmas music
At the risk of revealing that I am no longer in that phase of life where I can tolerate BBC Radio 1, I mention again (and for the second consecutive blog post) Radio 2, for the reason that I heard yesterday the Christmas No. 1 challenge being posed this year by Terry Wogan and Aled Jones. Entitled Little Drummer Boy, it is (unusually for this time of year) of course the traditional Christmas song, and a cover of the Bing Crosby / David Bowie version from a few years back. Which was itself a cover I think, but hey, aren't all traditional Christmas songs.
And not just because it is the adopted Children in Need song (and so "all in the name of Charidee"), I really hope that it makes it to No. 1 for Christmas. It's not actually the best Christmas song I've ever heard (I'd even go so far as saying that it's not actually that good), but the thing is I can't remember the last time a Christmas song was No. 1 at Christmas. But since it's only one week of the year, I have always been in favour of the novelty Christmas record, or the Cliff Richard festive favourite achieving the top spot on account of it being Christmasy and/or fun.
Yesterday of course was the final of the X Factor. Aside from the fact that I never quite understand why the second and third place finalists each year don't end up competing (and winning) in subsequent years, I abhore the fact that each series predictably finishes just in time to release the winner's song (which is never a Christmas song) the week before Christmas. But here we are again looking at, what, the 4th X Factor winner taking the Christmas No. 1 spot in a row? How very boring and un-Christmasy.
Sadly, I think that Terry Wogan and Aled Jones have missed a trick here, as their record was released last week and so will peak too early, probably claiming the No. 1spot today, before dropping off in favour of the new X Factor winner in the all important Christmas chart next Sunday. Shame that.
It is a sign of the times though that the Charts are compiled based upon nothing more than clever marketing/release date scheduling. And, even at this time of year, they are incapable of preventing some would-be sub-standard Mariah Carey from triumphing over something traditional.
When I was younger, part of the build up to Christmas was watching to see whether Cliff, Shakin' Stevens or whoever would top the Charts for Christmas Day. Sadly those days are long gone.
Perhaps I should just console myself with the assumption that music producers today recognise that since nothing could ever even come close to bettering Nat King Cole's 'The Christmas Song' for sheer yuletide perfection, there is no longer any point in even trying. Yes, I'm sure that's it.
And not just because it is the adopted Children in Need song (and so "all in the name of Charidee"), I really hope that it makes it to No. 1 for Christmas. It's not actually the best Christmas song I've ever heard (I'd even go so far as saying that it's not actually that good), but the thing is I can't remember the last time a Christmas song was No. 1 at Christmas. But since it's only one week of the year, I have always been in favour of the novelty Christmas record, or the Cliff Richard festive favourite achieving the top spot on account of it being Christmasy and/or fun.
Yesterday of course was the final of the X Factor. Aside from the fact that I never quite understand why the second and third place finalists each year don't end up competing (and winning) in subsequent years, I abhore the fact that each series predictably finishes just in time to release the winner's song (which is never a Christmas song) the week before Christmas. But here we are again looking at, what, the 4th X Factor winner taking the Christmas No. 1 spot in a row? How very boring and un-Christmasy.
Sadly, I think that Terry Wogan and Aled Jones have missed a trick here, as their record was released last week and so will peak too early, probably claiming the No. 1spot today, before dropping off in favour of the new X Factor winner in the all important Christmas chart next Sunday. Shame that.
It is a sign of the times though that the Charts are compiled based upon nothing more than clever marketing/release date scheduling. And, even at this time of year, they are incapable of preventing some would-be sub-standard Mariah Carey from triumphing over something traditional.
When I was younger, part of the build up to Christmas was watching to see whether Cliff, Shakin' Stevens or whoever would top the Charts for Christmas Day. Sadly those days are long gone.
Perhaps I should just console myself with the assumption that music producers today recognise that since nothing could ever even come close to bettering Nat King Cole's 'The Christmas Song' for sheer yuletide perfection, there is no longer any point in even trying. Yes, I'm sure that's it.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Reassuringly comfortable TV
Listening to Radio 2 (by internet) this afternoon, I heard on the news that today was the final edition of Countdown featuring Carol Vorderman. Not in itself earth shattering news but, I am pretty sure, the end of an era for an entire generation (my Nan included).
I am certainly not a massive Countdown fan (can't afford to be frankly, having opted instead for a full time job during the day, and an overseas one at that), but on those rare occasions when I happen to be in the UK on a weekday afternoon flicking through the channels, if Countdown is on I do tend to flick no further.
Save for perhaps the colour of the set, the main presenter (since Richard Whiteley died) and Carol Vorderman's hairdo, as far as I can tell Countdown has not changed a bit in the 26 years it has been going. Where other game shows have come and gone (even on Channel 4 afternoons - remember 15 to 1?) it has quietly kept doing what it does so effortlessly. Which is to provide mental stimulation to the legions of pensioners who are sitting down with a cup of tea and a biscuit. It is reassuringly comfortable TV - no agenda, no sense that it will ever change more than the afore-mentioned aspects of the show (nor does it need to).
I remember coming home from school on the days when my Nan and (now passed, but still very missed) Grandad would be staying with us. Countdown was always on. And I would watch it with them on those days. And you cannot help but play along at home. I was never any good mind, but that wasn't the point. Whatever else was going on in the world didn't matter for that 45 minutes or so. For 26 years it has always been there, predictable in its format, but at the same time reliable in serving the needs of its audience. Although I only dip in and out very infrequently, every time I do it has the feeling of something slightly old-fashioned, but at the same time safe and dependable. In that way, very much like the grandparents I used to secretly enjoy spending many a post-school afternoon watching it with.
But now that neither Richard Whiteley or Carol Vorderman remain as hosts, I sense that it will no longer be the same show. The same audience will remain, but you can almost hear them already saying, in unison, "it's not as good as it used to be".
The very worst thing it could do is to use the excuse of changing its presenters to adapt itself further, in the belief that now is the time for a complete overhaul. Fresh is the one thing Countdown is not, nor (since 1982) has it ever been. And that's the point. I hope that, for people like my Nan, it is only the faces of the presenters that change, and not the presenting style or indeed anything else about this tea-time favourite. Including even the cod liver oil and stairlift ads in the commercial breaks.
I am certainly not a massive Countdown fan (can't afford to be frankly, having opted instead for a full time job during the day, and an overseas one at that), but on those rare occasions when I happen to be in the UK on a weekday afternoon flicking through the channels, if Countdown is on I do tend to flick no further.
Save for perhaps the colour of the set, the main presenter (since Richard Whiteley died) and Carol Vorderman's hairdo, as far as I can tell Countdown has not changed a bit in the 26 years it has been going. Where other game shows have come and gone (even on Channel 4 afternoons - remember 15 to 1?) it has quietly kept doing what it does so effortlessly. Which is to provide mental stimulation to the legions of pensioners who are sitting down with a cup of tea and a biscuit. It is reassuringly comfortable TV - no agenda, no sense that it will ever change more than the afore-mentioned aspects of the show (nor does it need to).
I remember coming home from school on the days when my Nan and (now passed, but still very missed) Grandad would be staying with us. Countdown was always on. And I would watch it with them on those days. And you cannot help but play along at home. I was never any good mind, but that wasn't the point. Whatever else was going on in the world didn't matter for that 45 minutes or so. For 26 years it has always been there, predictable in its format, but at the same time reliable in serving the needs of its audience. Although I only dip in and out very infrequently, every time I do it has the feeling of something slightly old-fashioned, but at the same time safe and dependable. In that way, very much like the grandparents I used to secretly enjoy spending many a post-school afternoon watching it with.
But now that neither Richard Whiteley or Carol Vorderman remain as hosts, I sense that it will no longer be the same show. The same audience will remain, but you can almost hear them already saying, in unison, "it's not as good as it used to be".
The very worst thing it could do is to use the excuse of changing its presenters to adapt itself further, in the belief that now is the time for a complete overhaul. Fresh is the one thing Countdown is not, nor (since 1982) has it ever been. And that's the point. I hope that, for people like my Nan, it is only the faces of the presenters that change, and not the presenting style or indeed anything else about this tea-time favourite. Including even the cod liver oil and stairlift ads in the commercial breaks.
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