Steve Wright, Radio 2 -how much longer can it go on?

[Chimune]

Agree with most that's already been said.
SW In the 80 s was new and fresh. 35 years later..... Not so much.
Can't listen any of the others except Jamie Cullum jazz on Tuesdays at 7. Don't like him or his music particularly, but his knowledge and the tunes he plays are top notch. He asks sensible interesting questions to his guests too. Stuff that one musician would ask another.
He is the gem in a bucket full of turds....

[Daz68]

Radio 2 is in need of a mass over haul. Stopped listening ages ago when Digital radio became available. I am amazed at the listening figures it still gets?

[downthepub]

Radio 2 has been the radio equivalent of the Daily Mail for some time now; in saying that, there are a number of alright DJs, Ken Bruce, Graham Norton, Tony Blackburn/Pick of the Pops and wot-his-name Allison. Rest of them make me want to throw things at the radio, Chris Evans is too energetic for first thing in the morning, Vine Arrgh, Wright Smug etc.

Still, could be worse, remember Sarah Kennedy, she was a daft old bird. Vanessa Feltz is smug as fk.

Thanks to this thread, I'm delighted to see Jack FM is in the UK; I loved Jack when I lived in the US and Canada. It was the only decent radio station station in a sea of smush. Although, in the Dallas heat, listening to time shifted Chris Moyles Radio 1 whilst driving to the office on Sirius/XM radio was just a bit weird.

[northwest monkey]

MC Bodge said:

B

northwest monkey said:

MC Bodge said:

Try listening to Radcliffe and Maconie on 6Music (1-4pm) instead, there really is no comparison.

The problem I have with these 2 is the way they seem to try to outdo each other with their obscure knowledge about the acts they are playing.

"That was 'Elephant Stone' by the Stone Roses. An excellent track off their first album. The lead singer being of course the legendary Ian Brown. Ian is an avid fan of Beanie Babies & has over 600 in a specially built room in his house."

"You're right Stuart, and his band member John Squire now spends his days visiting charity shops all over England in order to fulfil his craving for second hand jigsaws."

I quite like that. Nothing wrong with a bit of knowledge.

Each to their own, but I can't comprehend how anybody could find them anywhere near as annoying as Steve Wright's, er, big show....

Oh don't get me wrong - I can't stand Steve 'wacky' Wright either!

I agree about the bit of knowledge - it's just that these 2 in particular seem intent on trying to "out-beard" each other. It's a good job they don't know anything about 1980s Mercedes or they'd be on the "Barge Bargains £1k-£5k" thread talking about wheeltrim options on the Mercedes W128.

[Nom de ploom]

i think the range of tunes is good and not to repetetive.

i don't mind wrighty apart from the interviews are sooo short...like 5 minutes for a book plug or two and thats it.

i like Evans and Mayo but the likes of feltz and tarbuck...jeez...

paul jones is great but I can't stomach the jazz....

R2 is still miles ahead of the dumbed down R1 or commercial radio. I can't listen to radio aire for more than 15 minutes without hearing groove is in the heart seemingly on a daily loop...

[LuS1fer]

Daz68 said:

Radio 2 is in need of a mass over haul. Stopped listening ages ago when Digital radio became available. I am amazed at the listening figures it still gets?

It carried over the massive listening multitude from Radio 1 of the 70s and 80s when they decided to make Radio 1 trendy (aka banal).
For most R2 listeners, Number 1 singles stopped happening in the 90s and none really give a monkey for downloads.

[Stickyfinger]

Sunday eve spannering is not compatible with Elaine Page and fking Show Tunes....take it to radio fking three or delete the archive.

[funkyrobot]

Serious jocking!

[Lurking Lawyer]

LuS1fer said:

For most R2 listeners, Number 1 singles stopped happening in the 90s and none really give a monkey for downloads.

I've never really thought of myself as a Radio 2 listener (it's usually Radio4 with Today in the morning and PM/the news on the way home) but that sentence pretty much describes me to a tee! :/

I did happen to catch the end of Steve Wright's show last Friday - the first time I had heard him in a long time - and wondered to myself WTF "Serious Jockin' " was all about and why the format of his show has remained pretty much static compared with when I used to listen to him on Radio 1 20 years or so ago.

[surveyor]

funkyrobot said:

Serious jocking!

is sirriusly fking annoying.

[Eric Mc]

Stickyfinger said:

Sunday eve spannering is not compatible with Elaine Page and fking Show Tunes....take it to radio fking three or delete the archive.

We can't all like everything. As an enthusiast of show tunes, I purposefully tune into her show - not so much for her but the music.

R2 tries to cover a very broad church. Personally, I actually think it is far too "pop" these days - becoming a kind of "Radio 1/2". I really miss the fact that up until a few years ago it also included a lot of early 1950s pre rock and roll music and even music from the late 19th century and Edwardian eras. I like popular music from all time periods but I find that Radio 2 is now heavilly weighted in the post 1980s era.

[surveyor]

technodup said:

Steve Wright is awful. Why he 'sings' the last line of every song I'll never understand. fk your factoids and your 'loving the show Steve' bks.

I quite like Mayo at 5 and Ken in the mornings. But tbh anything's better than Scottish radio. Clyde? I'd rather drive my car into it than listen to it. And Radio Scotland is what I imagine an independent Scotland to be like, all crap local presenters and ceilidh music. fk that.

I actually miss Jimmy Young - he used to bring in experts who actually knew that they were talking about in the lunchtime slot....

[krunchkin]

Ken Bruce is the big hate for me. fk me - that guy has got the cushiest fking job in broadcasting. Roll up at 9 am , make a coffee and a nice plate of biscuits, relax into chair, and then off we go for 3 hours of Fleetwood Mac , a quiz that hasn't changed in 30 years, one quick bit of pre recorded chat, and some mildly creepy sexist banter with whichever dimwit is looking at crashes on the M1. Then hey diddle dum, and fiddle Dee dee - it's midday and time for a nice early lunch then off to the golf course.

[krunchkin]

I would also contend that Radio 2 is a major cause of traffic accidents. It's the default station for every pensioner, boring rep in his insignia, and people too thick or boring to have any music taste. The endless, grinding tedium of MOR Rock, droning cretin DJs and simpleton traffic dolly birds must send hundreds to sleep on the motorways evey month.

[Stickyfinger]

krunchkin said:

I would also contend that Radio 2 is a major cause of traffic accidents. It's the default station for every pensioner, boring rep in his insignia, and people too thick or boring to have any music taste. The endless, grinding tedium of MOR Rock, droning cretin DJs and simpleton traffic dolly birds must send hundreds to sleep on the motorways evey month.

Nope, that was Whispering Bob Harris at 3am in the morning......he was the real serial killer

[shirt]

MC Bodge said:

MissChief said:

MC Bodge said:

MissChief said:

The problem I'm finding is that Radio two hasn't changed its demographic for decades. They still play 50's and 60's stuff and I have no real interest unless they're real classics. They've been playing the same stuff since the 80's. I'm too old for Radio one but I feel too young for Radio two. I think what I need is a radio 1.5.

No, you need 6music.

Great, what FM frequency is that on?

Sadly it isn't.

It is, however, readily available on DAB radio ( I use a Pure Highway in the car), The Internet, satellite/cable tv and Freeview. Somebody with normal intelligence who wants to listen to it could probably access it.

Pretty sure you'd be able to stream it from a smart phone over bluetooth to the car audio?

I listen to Radcliffe and Maconie every day when at home. I'm +3hrs ahead and don't watch TV so its my evening's backdrop. Jarvis Cocker on a Sunday is also a must listen for me.

Best R2 show was Mark Lamarr's beginners guide to reggae years back. Things like that would go straight to 6music now though.

[Smollet]

downthepub said:

Still, could be worse, remember Sarah Kennedy, she was a daft old bird.

I hadn't until just now. Thanks a bunch

[MC Bodge]

Eric Mc said:

We can't all like everything. As an enthusiast of show tunes, I purposefully tune into her show - not so much for her but the music.

R2 tries to cover a very broad church. Personally, I actually think it is far too "pop" these days - becoming a kind of "Radio 1/2". I really miss the fact that up until a few years ago it also included a lot of early 1950s pre rock and roll music and even music from the late 19th century and Edwardian eras. I like popular music from all time periods but I find that Radio 2 is now heavilly weighted in the post 1980s era.

All of those should probably be on R3 these days.

R2 tries to cater for too broad (and bland) an audience. People in their 70s probably mostly like different things to those in their late 30s.

6music should be more widely known about than it is, but many people don't seek these things out ad just stick with the rubbish that they know -Like Steve Wright's stale offerings...

[Wacky Racer]

krunchkin said:

Ken Bruce is the big hate for me. fk me - that guy has got the cushiest fking job in broadcasting. Roll up at 9 am , make a coffee and a nice plate of biscuits, relax into chair, and then off we go for 3 hours of Fleetwood Mac , a quiz that hasn't changed in 30 years, one quick bit of pre recorded chat, and some mildly creepy sexist banter with whichever dimwit is looking at crashes on the M1. Then hey diddle dum, and fiddle Dee dee - it's midday and time for a nice early lunch then off to the golf course.

I don't actually mind Ken (tbh).....each to their own I suppose.

[With these feet]

shirt said:

Pretty sure you'd be able to stream it from a smart phone over bluetooth to the car audio?

I listen to Radcliffe and Maconie every day when at home. I'm +3hrs ahead and don't watch TV so its my evening's backdrop. Jarvis Cocker on a Sunday is also a must listen for me.

Best R2 show was Mark Lamarr's beginners guide to reggae years back. Things like that would go straight to 6music now though.

Ive just bought a Pure 2500 dab radio today, plugged into aux in and hey presto dab in the car. Singal near me is OK, though Im going to fit a second lead to act as a bigger aerial.