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When I get my first pay at the end of the month I will chip in.

I think it's important not to compare present day record sales with those of yesteryear, and certainly it's never wise to declare somebody as the best, as that, will always be a personal opinion.

 

When I was a kid, buying a record involved a journey into town, be it walking or other, rain, snow, or shine, to a record store, in the hope that they stocked the said record, or hadn't sold out. I would buy a physical item, and admire it all the way home, stopping occasionally to share the excitement with friends, who might even come home with me, just to listen to it. We'd then take the record out of it's sleeve, and with great excitement place it in the record player, before lifting the needle, in the fear we wouldn't damage it. The anticipation between the needle hitting the vinyl, and the first sound of the record, was incredible. You could spend all day just playing records over and over. Learning guitar was quite a thing too, as you would put your ear up to the speaker, hoping to hear the lick, so you could learn it, which probably accounts as to why most guitarists of a certain age are near deaf in one ear lol.

 

There was no internet, and no music tv like you have today. We had shows like the Old Grey Whistle Test, or Top Of The Pops, but certainly nothing like today. Kids miss out on the beauty of buying records now. They simply press a button on their mouse, and plug their mp3 player in etc, and voila.

 

It was extremely difficult to buy a record back then, and extremely difficult to get a record deal. There were only so many record companies, so many shops, and so much technology, and there was little room for shite acts to get a look in like they do now. If a song sold a million records, that was quite a thing.

 

Can you imagine if we had the Internet and technology in the early years of music, how many records some of these artists might have sold? Can you imagine how many records like Sinatra, or Crosby, or later the Beatles, or Elvis Presley, or later again Abba, or the Bee Gees would have sold?

 

Stats mean little, unless kept in context. Acts like Lady Ga Ga and Justin Bieber, and many others have their place in modern society, because modern society has been primed for it by the record industry for years. Can you imagine how either might have coped had they been transported back through time?

 

They have their own talents, and that talent is accepted by an audience who have certain standards of what is acceptable. It's always been a similar case, when my own parents would shake their heads at music I would like as a kid.

 

What we see though is a change in acceptability, and standards, and these are clearly dropping. Modern day society is much more interested in visual satisfaction than it is in music. As much as one might feel acts like Bieber have talent, you can't surely compare him to acts that were pure singers, with none of the bull that encircles acts of today.

 

He's pop. Cheapy chirpy pop music designed by record companies to have very quick turnaround and very quick profit, before the next act comes along. Will we really be embracing modern day acts in 100 years?

 

The music world is now called 'The Entertainment Industry'. I'd rather not credit it with calling it music. Hanging is too good for some people. They should force them to listen to Justin Bieber records instead.

Wholehearted agreement with this (but then again I would be regarded as an "arl arse" by most on here)!

1. What are your thoughts on Saturday’s game? What team is Moyes likely to select and what formation will he adopt? What weaknesses in United’s team will Moyes look to exploit?

Despite some decent efforts against you in the last couple of seasons I fear the worst, would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in your dressing room after last weeks game (although I may well have been hit by a flying object!) You need no better incentive than that to turn in a performance and going on most of our recent performances you will be able to capitalise.

We are likely to go 4-5-1 or possibly (if Moyes is feeling adventurous) 4-4-1-1. We need to really have a go at you and put pressure on your defence to stand a chance but I just can't see it happening.

2. What are your thoughts on Everton’s start to the season?

Frustrating - again. The potential of the squad has been shown on a few occasions but we are far too erratic and don't seem to be able to capitalise on our superiority when we have it. Our defence has been shakier than we have come to expect and goals are in short supply.

3. Tell us about the potential of Ross Barkley? He has impressed on the limited amount I’ve seen him, however is being over-hyped? Or is he a special talent? Are you worried about losing him?

Barkley could well become one of the best British midfielders in years, he has all the tools, but needs game time which he not currently getting as Moyes seems to prefer experience.

Most Evertonians would love to see him get an extended run but this might not happen until injuries force Moyes' hand. I do fear he may go, either because of a cash offer that cannot be refused, or frustration on his behalf at not getting game time.

4. Similar to Barkley, Rodwell received plenty of attention when he burst on the scene. Has injury and selected in different positions stunted his development? Has he stagnated? How has he started the season? Do you believe he will fulfil his potential?

The injuries and playing out of position have certainly not helped but I would not say he has stagnated, after a quiet start he is getting back to form, there is more to come and he will get better.

5. David Moyes is approaching his tenth anniversary as Everton manager. What are your thoughts on his ten years as a whole? What are your current thoughts? What does the future hold for him as Everton manager?

On the whole he has done a decent job given the financial circumstances, he has managed to steer us away from almost perennial relegation battlers to a team that most others have some respect for. He can frustrate with some team selections and substitutions but in my mind he is nowhere near adventurous enough. Whilst playing one up front against established top teams can be excused, adopting the same tactic at home against the West Broms and the like is not acceptable.

As for the future, well he does have a chairman with total faith in him so he would be extremely long odds to get the sack, whether he stays or not is another matter.

If a club with generous financial backing that would allow him to get the better/best players came knocking then believe he would be off.

6. Do Everton fans now think that they are getting the tag of being a feeder club with their players?

Not yet, all clubs sell players that they don't necessarily want to partly because of the power players now have, but given our current financial problems we may start to see in increase in younger talent looking for greener grass.

French tv will probably pull the plug at half time when they are getting smashed

Australia v Wales (3rd/4th playoff) on Friday with France v New Zealand final this coming Sunday Matt..........

In fairness none of the British (football) teams exactly shine in tournament football but hopefully he will a fit set of players to pick from and I can see them reaching the semis with a decent draw.

Can't Powell manage the men's team? She'd probably do a better job than Pearce.

I may be in a minority here but I think he's done a fairly decent job with the U21's.

That's just about a given Matt, but as the Olympic mens teams are under 23 (I think) there may be some interest for Evertonians with Berkley/Rodwell etc

Stewart Pearce and Hope Powell to be managers of GB teams

"Tactical injuries" are not a new thing although when instances have been proven there have been repercussions.

It doesn't surprise me that Gatland considered it, but it does that he admitted it.

The IRB are reviewing his statement but I doubt that anything will happen as he only said the idea had been discussed but not acted on.

Not confident at all, to quote Bailey "I just hope we actually have a go, it would make a nice change"

Given most recent performances it would surprise the hell out of me..........

On a side note, this will be the first game at the cottage that I will have missed for a long time, but I will be back in employment at the end of this month so will hopefully start getting to some games soon

Felt sorry for Wales, massive effort on their part when down to 14 but as previously stated, as much their own fault for missed opportunities.

All Blacks deservedly through against a distinctly average Australia, would take a brave man to bet against to win the final.

Good fucking grief................

Well, England were poor on the first half and although they were marginally better in the second it was just not good enough.

Credit where it's due the French had their "Let's play today" heads on and deserved the win.

I fancy Wales to make the final against them though.................

HEAR HEAR

22-10

Good game earlier (from a neutral view) some fantastic defensive play from Wales but Ireland didn't help themselves with some errors and hesitancy in the Welsh 22......

 

And I know where you park your car

You'll be lucky to find it at the moment mate, 'tis at a bodywork shop somewhere after some dozy bint decided to run into the back of it!!

Forgive his humour Chester, hes stuck in deepest darkest Anglesey....

Could be worse, sometimes he gets on the mainland!!

What? Another teenage defender that won't be given a chance?

Just finished that one Mike............... it's not too bad, just good enough for me to want to read the sequel.

Currently on Empire of silver by Conn Iggulden

But not in the head son...............

It all depends on road and traffic conditions, for instance, the M6 expressway or whatever it is called could quite happily accommodate far higher speeds for the most part, as could many other motorways.

The real problem in the UK are the knobs behind the wheels who do not drive properly like the "middle lane hogs" and "bumper humpers". If the traffic police spent a bit more time educating these people then the roads would be a lot safer and flow better.