1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear? ... Pardon?

Howdy!

While I appreciate the importance of paying heed to our roots, even in the glamour-driven, disposable culture of the pop song, I am disappointed (though not surprised) to read through the 1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear supplement this week in the Guardian/Observer to find the usual weighting towards the Canon (Dylan, Beatles, Johnny Cash, whatever sits within the Mississippi/Mersey axis of rock).

Yesterday was "People And Places", and while there were some undoubtedly correct choices ("West End Girls", "Dirty Old Town", "007 (Shanty Town)"), I'm not sure we need another three Dylan songs, when there is apparently no room for Super Furry Animals' "Mountain People". Or perhaps that's the point of "Mountain People"? That they live in a forgotten quarter of the country anyway. I think the journos involved are more interested in polishing their knowledge of almost obscure blues and soul numbers rather than stretching their preconceptions a little.

And Glasvegas? Really? Can it be their success is based on anything other than James Allan's resemblance to Joe Strummer? I'm not sure. Stick with JAMC, I reckon.

Or perhaps all of this excitement has been spilled out by the gigcast and download release of the new SFA album, "Dark Days/Light Years", which I think is a real "return to form". Like those "return to form" albums that U2 and Beck and Oasis and Bob Dylan bring out every couple of years and everyone says "This is the best album since [the last one they did that everyone agrees wasn't shit]" until the next album comes out and it is relegated back into the shit basket.

Anyway, it's the best SFA album since "Rings Around The World".

Your pal, Coc x