Hard time for 'Dereliction of Taste'

If yesterday's blog on music categories didn't give you a whiff of the middle aged tantrum to come, this blog will reek of it.

But first, a confession... James Blunt has his fair share of critics but I mostly dismiss their comments as those of the music establishment being frustrated at an ex-soldier coming good in their midst. However, generally speaking "You're Beautiful (live)" is a thoroughly decent song to have in my possession. Similarly, anyone rifling through my collection will nod respectfully at the presence of tracks from Coldplay's X&Y. [note to self- revisit this blog every few years and insert an unobjectionable album of the year so as not to embarass any future junior Clicks]. The third artist I mentioned was Eric Clapton, someone who I can get away with due to his timeless appeal to the guitar cognoscenti. HOWEVER, I failed to mention Neil Diamond. Not by accident or oversight. Just out of shear vanity. Not only did I skip over Mssr Diamond, but I didn't say that the track is "America"- a track more trapped in the 80s (please tell me it's not the 70s!) would be hard to find. Go on, try it.

Your Honour, my defence. The song brings back childhood memories. My argument comes clattering down when you challenge why, at this stage of my life, am I so keen to enshrine such memories in music? I meekly reply that it's nothing new- I distinctly remember squeezing Neil Diamond, John Denver AND Cliff Richard onto a BASF C90 Metal cassette to listen to through university. Metal tapes being a high honour in my part of the woods back then!

All street cred is suspended for 30 days. You may make no application for bale. Case dismissed.