A symbol of the 90s for me is the music video for Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve. Richard Ashcroft mimes the song while swaggering along Hoxton Street literally shouldering people aggressively out of the way. Nasty, pointless, cocky and so sure of itself. 6 out of 10
This sums up my feelings about the 90s really well. I hadn’t really clarified in my mind before why I feel such nostalgia for a decade that I know was pretty unseemly in a lot of ways, but it is actually the fact that it’s a world that is unrecognisable now. Before everything was online, there was so much more shared experience. Everyone watched Italia 90 and whatever was on TV at 9pm on a Thursday. Everyone listened to the charts and watched Top of the Pops. There were so many shared cultural reference points that no longer seem to exist- I wonder if it’s a part of why so many young people feel isolated now. I’m not saying particularly that it was better, just different. The machinations at Radio 1 were so newsworthy entirely because it felt like everyone was listening.
Yes, that was the thing wasn’t it. I was mid-20s and regarded myself as pretty damned groovy, but still listened to Radio 1 (albeit not all the time). I don’t think my sons (late teens/early 20s) have ^ever^ listened to it.
The internet took so much away from us, and now, two decades from when it really took off (conveniently right around the turn of the millennium), we’re only just beginning to reckon with the losses.
I think too of what The Great War took from us, culturally, (in what’s somewhat-contentiously known as the West). There’s a book called *From Dawn to Decadence* that blames all the ills of contemporary culture on the demographic and cultural catastrophe that was the first World War. (I had to dig through my old Amazon reviews to find the title; I was surprised to see I’d only given it 3 stars and written a rather scathing review, which is funny, because it’s one of those books that permanently changed the way I see the world. [The irony of my using the internet to dig up my memories here is not lost on me]).
Anyway, just ordered the Zweig book. I identify so hard with that lost-belle-époque feeling; I’m thinking it’ll be a poignant read.
Zweig was wonderful - I really recommend his book ‘Shooting Stars’. I so identify with having scathing thoughts about a book and then realising you’re still thinking about it a decade later! Who wrote ‘Dawn to Decadence’? It’s also the flu pandemic in 1919 isn’t it - people who survived World War I then getting scythed down by flu in their millions. You can see how it would turn people crazy.
The Nations Favourite is a brilliant book. But no doubt utterly opaque to anyone not around at the time. It was brought to life, with amazing impressions, in a one man show by the super talented Alex Lowe. Who is best known I think these days, for his character Barry from Watford. He also adapted Garfield’s book about Saturday afternoon wrestling.
I thought it was great - really readable, rattled along but was also very cleverly done. It’s no mean feat to get *all* of those people to talk so frankly. Saturday afternoon wrestling book sounds amazing!
I remember loving the book. And Alex’s show. It’s so strange as you say. In many ways Radio One (and Two) back then were the cultural heart of a generation. Now those same names mean nothing to most people. Weird.
A symbol of the 90s for me is the music video for Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve. Richard Ashcroft mimes the song while swaggering along Hoxton Street literally shouldering people aggressively out of the way. Nasty, pointless, cocky and so sure of itself. 6 out of 10
I never could quite get along with The Verve. I quite like ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’, but when it comes to symphonies I preferred Massive Attack
This sums up my feelings about the 90s really well. I hadn’t really clarified in my mind before why I feel such nostalgia for a decade that I know was pretty unseemly in a lot of ways, but it is actually the fact that it’s a world that is unrecognisable now. Before everything was online, there was so much more shared experience. Everyone watched Italia 90 and whatever was on TV at 9pm on a Thursday. Everyone listened to the charts and watched Top of the Pops. There were so many shared cultural reference points that no longer seem to exist- I wonder if it’s a part of why so many young people feel isolated now. I’m not saying particularly that it was better, just different. The machinations at Radio 1 were so newsworthy entirely because it felt like everyone was listening.
Yes, that was the thing wasn’t it. I was mid-20s and regarded myself as pretty damned groovy, but still listened to Radio 1 (albeit not all the time). I don’t think my sons (late teens/early 20s) have ^ever^ listened to it.
I have three children of similar ages. I don’t think any of them have ever listened to a single radio station.
Still, at least we can be confident that all of their online activities are entirely wholesome….
The internet took so much away from us, and now, two decades from when it really took off (conveniently right around the turn of the millennium), we’re only just beginning to reckon with the losses.
I think too of what The Great War took from us, culturally, (in what’s somewhat-contentiously known as the West). There’s a book called *From Dawn to Decadence* that blames all the ills of contemporary culture on the demographic and cultural catastrophe that was the first World War. (I had to dig through my old Amazon reviews to find the title; I was surprised to see I’d only given it 3 stars and written a rather scathing review, which is funny, because it’s one of those books that permanently changed the way I see the world. [The irony of my using the internet to dig up my memories here is not lost on me]).
Anyway, just ordered the Zweig book. I identify so hard with that lost-belle-époque feeling; I’m thinking it’ll be a poignant read.
Zweig was wonderful - I really recommend his book ‘Shooting Stars’. I so identify with having scathing thoughts about a book and then realising you’re still thinking about it a decade later! Who wrote ‘Dawn to Decadence’? It’s also the flu pandemic in 1919 isn’t it - people who survived World War I then getting scythed down by flu in their millions. You can see how it would turn people crazy.
a French historian, Jacques Barzun
The Nations Favourite is a brilliant book. But no doubt utterly opaque to anyone not around at the time. It was brought to life, with amazing impressions, in a one man show by the super talented Alex Lowe. Who is best known I think these days, for his character Barry from Watford. He also adapted Garfield’s book about Saturday afternoon wrestling.
I thought it was great - really readable, rattled along but was also very cleverly done. It’s no mean feat to get *all* of those people to talk so frankly. Saturday afternoon wrestling book sounds amazing!
I remember loving the book. And Alex’s show. It’s so strange as you say. In many ways Radio One (and Two) back then were the cultural heart of a generation. Now those same names mean nothing to most people. Weird.
Marvelous!
Thanks Mark!