re. the continuing debate: First, I didn't take it that Andy meant that no American could be appreciate The Jam or The Kinks but that he was surprised anyone outside the UK would identify with bands that were pretty obsessed with Englishness (London suburban Englishness at that too). I don't see that this was a put down of anyone anywhere, unless you're believe that getting The Kinks and The Jam makes you better - more puzzlement than pride. Second - while (as James and Dan said) there's a lot about being a teenager that's common wherever you live, I don't think you should underestimate the importance of specifics and details in pop or TV. I mean there's stuff in The Royle Family that is universal and there's stuff that you could only appreciate having family in Lancashire (and I say that having lived in and having relatives in various parts of the UK) and if you get the latter bits you're going to identify with something a lot more. (Just as only people outside Manchester could identify with The Smiths). Third - there's a big difference in the type of fans. In the UK, The Jam, Stone Roses and Oasis have all been huge normal lads bands as opposed to student bands. In the US, on the other hand, I get the impression the majority of their audience has been an Anglophile student one (there's obviously exceptions). Of course that's got bugger all to do with the music, but since when was that the only thing that counted about bands? And then back to the black music thing - it is much like that. You can read and understand it's social origin, just as you can read 'England Is Mine' and understand the suburban origins of British pop, or a book on the Small Faces or The Jam, or academic books about class, but none of that is the same as actually growing up in crowded British suburbs and estate, in a small British house, with a tiny bedroom and 3 million unemployed. _____________________________________________________________ Want to find the best email lists? Check out the Topica 20! http://www.topica.com/topica20
