Guess My Age! (Radio 2)

Member Name: imgareth

Product:	Radio 2
Date:	31/01/02 (3952 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy Listning, You won't get a headache, Its FREE!

Disadvantages: You'll get hooked

I'll let you guess my age whilst reading this opinion. When you get to the bottom, you'll see just how old I am, but I bet you didn't guess it right!

The youth of today pay far too much attention to making sure they buy the 'right' clothes, have the 'right' mobile phones and listen to the 'right' music. To enable that they keep to this mutually correct way of life, the 'radio 2 is naff' prejudice is still around. I have experienced many situations where a conversation has got around to talking about music/radio, and when I say "I don't like any specific genre of music, I just like what I like. If you want a more specific 'type' of music, then just listen to daytime Radio 2 on a weekday. I like nearly everything played on there."

I get some of the strangest looks. Often it is commented 'how can you like that classical rubbish', or some slightly more controversial phrases. This is what annoys me most. These people have just presumed that R2 is rubbish, without listening to it at all. And some cast their prejudices onto me, which is even worse! Even though, I have to admit 'there's nothing on the telly', so I do carry a few R2 characteristics with me, but it still don't give ground for judging me on just that!

If I am permitted to, I would continue to these people about what R2 is REALLY like, and it goes something like this:

If you are not narrow minded, and like a whole range of music, am sick and tired of (what I call) 'noisy' music, and just want to stick the radio on and hear nice, easy listening background music, separated with comical, informative, interesting and non-intrusive banter, then you are looking for Radio 2. I would say that it is just the same as radio 1, just with better DJ's (a lot ex-R1 DJ's), and music that won't deafen or stress you. Radio 2 plays music that you like to hear. It doesn'
t stick to the boundaries of the top 40, even though it does include some of this, and the rest is new stuff that hasn't made the charts, and older music (never too old) that never ages, and you sometimes forget they were recorded so long ago.

The presenters are more than just presenters. I could almost go as far as saying they are your friends. They talk to YOU. They crack a joke and, I have to admit it, on many an occasion I have laughed out loud and said 'ahh yea, that?s a good one', when there is nobody in the room! Many of the thousands of listeners (remember, the most popular radio station in the country, and possibly soon the world, thanks to the internet) phone, fax, text, write and email in with their own jokes stories and dedications, with only a small proportion getting read out (due to the huge amount sent in), but this is still quite a few. The DJ's are accompanied by their producers, newsreaders, traffic reporters and anybody else to do with the show. It isn't like some churches, all formal, with everything in its place. Everybody involved in any part of the show gets involved in casual banter all the time.

Personally, I am not too keen on the weekend or evening radio. This is when it splits of into lots of small shows (with exception to Saturday mornings). These documentaries, biographies, comedies or other sorts o shows are extremely good, but due to my being tied to the PC, and the rest of the family watching TV, I can't really listen to these in the right order, so I can't get into them. I don't like Saturday AM radio, mostly just because I tried it, and didn?t like it. I know loads of people like it, so don't let me put you off. Jonathan Ross is a big hit with most people.

Sunday mornings are great, with Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs. This is the perfect way to start a Sunday, with lots of well picked love songs, dedications and hearing about 'lost loves'.
I also like Steve Wright. He does an afternoon weekday show also, which is my favourite. One minute he's doing Radio, then its an interview, then a bit more radio, then a chat show, then about 45 minutes of 'golden oldies' picked by a listener, interrupted only by a traffic report with Sally Traffic and a news report on the hour. The show then continues with more radio, then a quiz, followed by guest appearances, and a website of the day and another feature. On Mondays this is horoscopes, Fridays it is the 'round table' with special guests and the whole team listening to some new music and judging it for hit potential (rate it on the website if you want). This show is just great. On the team are Steve, Old Woman on Mondays, and Janie Lee Grace and Tim Smith at various other times of the week (these are also DJ's on their own shows throughout the week).

Late at night (22:30-00:00) is Richard Allinson, Monday - Thursday, and he does an afternoon show on Saturdays (right after Dale Winton and Pick of the Pops). I like this show as well, when I get to hear it. I think it is very much like Steve Wrights, but with a different format (if ya get what I mean).

Terry Wogan rules the morning with his breakfast show. TOGs and TYGs (Terry's Old/Young Geezers) from all over the country Wright in with songs, stories, jokes (in different [kinda] languages from time to time) and other outlandish stuff. Once you listen to his show, you get hooked. The news/travel reporters take a large active part in the show, often having to sing along to wacky songs, or be embarrassed my odes to them. Some of the stuff may seem to be out of hand at times, but this certainly is not so -- they are up all morning rehearsing (so we are told)!!

In the daytime is Ken Bruce with a quiz and general readouts (I don't hear his show often). Jimmy Young does a great Current Affairs show, which has good music with it, but beware. If you ha
ve this on, you may find yourself stop working to listen to the fascinating interviews he does. It'll be a great loss when he leaves next year :(

Later in the afternoon, after Steve Wright is Johnny Walker. I don't get to hear much of his financial information, Mystery Voice, other current affairs and his and Sally Traffic's Adventures as the telly once again rules, and its time for Neighbours! But, no the whole, this show is really good also, and holds a great appreciation to a slightly different genre of music, and it really has a great appreciation of the music it plays. Lots of bikers and Truckers like this show, and if you are on the road at this time (17:00 onwards), then this show is a must, as it is updated with traffic news every 30 minutes, and this news is informed by listeners who are actually there (so if you want, you can rind in if you get stuck in a jam)

Overall, I think R2 is the greatest. Of course, if you don't like the easy listening music, and really WANT to get a headache, then stick to R1. But, if you want easy listening, uninterrupted my adverts and want hourly News updates (Half hourly in the morning, along with the travel), which is another great thing about R2, then I think you should really give it a try - you'll find it waiting for you somewhere between
88-91 FM, this is Radio 2 from the good old BBC.

And remember, you can hear it online (With the free listening software, Real Player) at the BBC's Radio2 website. You can guess the address, its obvious!

And as to my age. Age wise I'm a TYG, even though I feel more like a TOG in my actions and opinions at times. Indeed, I'm 17. I wonder if you guessed it right?

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