Positive Radio For Negative Times

I was very pleased when Radio 2 began airing Bruce Springsteen's lockdown radio show for free - considering it's on a subscription only station in the States.

Bruce's laid-back delivery is perfect late night listening... though I guess he's preaching to the converted with me. In between records he shares reassuring thoughts on lockdown, thinly-veiled political commentary and, in my favourite episode yet, wistful memories of summers gone by that sounded like Ray Bradbury read by Rod Serling.

But it's the playlist that impresses most, moving effortlessly from soul to country, rap to punk, reggae to disco. Where else will you find Lonnie Donegan, Lana Del Rey, The Bee Gees, Future Islands, George Jones, The Pet Shop Boys, Bob Marley and Bon Jovi all on the same playlist? Except maybe this blog... I guess you might be able to see the appeal to me: already a Bruce fan, now I discover his musical tastes echo my own. 

In the first show of the series, he played the track below as a commentary on how it feels to be in lockdown. Now obviously, like many people, I currently have issues with the gentleman in question, but I don't have issues with the song. And if you'd told 20 year old Rol that one day he'd been listening to a radio show in which one of his top musical heroes played a record by another... well, he'd have said "bring on this lockdown, if that's the outcome".