Emergency Questions #8: Museum Trip

Mark Lanegan - Museum

Richard Herring's question of the week, from his excellent book Emergency Questions...

What's the best museum you've ever been to? 

Rich's answer to this is the Keswick Pencil Museum, which I have to say takes some beating. He's probably being sarcastic, although maybe not, because I'm sure he appreciates a good pencil like the rest of us. Having been there myself, I can highly recommend it.

Styrofoam Winos - Stuck In A Museum

The photo at the top of the page was taken in the Weston Park Museum in Sheffield, which was probably the first museum we ever took Sam to... but we still enjoy visiting it today. The woolly rhino is worth the price of admission on its own... or it would be, if admission wasn't free.

Aimee Mann - At The Frick Museum

Michael Knight - Fright at the Museum

A more local museum that we still pop into from time to time, even though it'll only kill half an hour or so is the Tolson Musuem in Ravensknowle Hall, Huddersfield. There are a few old cars, an old trolleybus and... best of all, a horse that has been cut in half to reveal its skeleton. From one side, it's a horse, from the other... brrr! 

Lonely Tourist - Museum of Childhood

Muse - Muscle Museum

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum has also become a regular summer stop for Sam and I. An excellent collection of old planes and helicopters, some that you can sit in and pretend you're a pilot.

Michael Hall - The Museum Of Giant Puppets, PA

Paul Weller - The Strange Museum

I like a museum that allows you to step back in time and see the world as it was in days gone by. One of the best of these is Ryedale Folk Museum in North Yorkshire; it's like wandering around an old village and you can go into the old shops, farm buildings and cottages and really feel like you've gone back in time.

Tiny Ruins - Me At The Museum, You In The Wintergardens

Finally, there's the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford - formerly known (back when I worked in the city) as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. They have lots of ever-changing interactive exhibits, but the best thing is the Hall of Mirrors. They were closed last year for extensive renovation, so I'm looking forward to seeing what's new in the summer holidays.

Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Museum of Sex

Graham Parker - Museum of Stupidity

Having listed some of the best museums Sam and I have visited over the years, I still haven't answer Richard Herring's question. My favourite museum? Well, it'd have to be this one...

Do you know the history of the trench coat?
What it represents and who it's for?
What I want to know is who would want a coat
So close to the floor?
I went to the Trench Coat Museum to see 'em
A thousand different cuts
Like pelts from another dream
Stuffed and bursting at the seams
Cause I'm fishing for a theme
If it's somewhere in between
A day's honest graft and constantly fleeing the crime scene...

Do you have a favourite museum?

TV On The Radio #10: Coronation Street (Part 1)

For somewhere between ten and fifteen years of my life, I watched Coronation Street religiously. It was just you did. To be fair, it was only on twice a week back then, rather than every night and twice on Sundays, or whatever it is nowadays. I saw the lorry crash into the Rover's Return and the fire a few years later that nearly burnt the pub to the ground. I saw Brian Tilsley stabbed outside a nightclub and Alan Bradley hit by a tram while chasing after Rita in Blackpool. I saw Deirdre Barlow have her affair with Mike Baldwin and Ken's terrifying reaction (William Roache almost had to act that day!). And then I discovered Brookside and Corrie seemed twee in comparison. That's the thing with soap operas - one minute you're addicted, the next you're onto the next drug. It's funny though - I just mentioned the big tragedies that happened on the Street while I was watching it... but it seems they happen on a weekly basis these days, rather than once every few years. At least that's the impression I get from the front cover of the TV Times. 

Coronation Street's been on TV for 63 years now, and particularly in the 60s, 70s and 80s, everybody watched it. So if you were a pop star growing up in those days, it's no wonder you might have dropped a reference into one of your songs. 

We'll start today with a new discovery. Michael Knight. How could I not love a band named after the hero of Knight Rider, as played by The Hoff? Furthermore, this is from an album called I'm Not Entirely Sure How I Ended Up Like This. Which seems apt. It's not the easiest listen, but there's something about it I liked enough to buy their entire discography from Bandcamp, so I'll let you know about the rest of their output... 

I suppose I’ll soon tire of her charm
Unless first she grows tired of me
Our love will shine eternally
Though I guess there’re her gossip mags
And her beloved TV
It’s time for Coronation Street

Michael Knight - Coronation Street

Next up, the always-worth-a-listen Clifford T. Ward, who also likes to name-drop himself, with the T. included...

She likes her television
'Crossroads', 'Coronation Street'
And Robin Day's bow tie
She likes the quiz shows
Where people win a lot of money
And that makes sense to her
She likes to listen to the radio
Music, Clifford T., She says he's nice
He's flattered

Clifford T Ward - All Modern Conveniences

Watford's Sad Lovers & Giants have been doing their thing since 1980. Here they put forward a rather frightening notion...

The Martians have stolen my television
But they left my poetry
They're learning about our condition
By watching Coronation Street

Sad Lovers & Giants - Life Will Ill Us

No wonder the aliens never come to visit. They probably think we'll push them down the stairs and then hide their body in a disused building site round the back of the Rover's.

Richard Thompson sees TV as the new religion...

Jerusalem on the Jukebox, they talk in tongues on Coronation Street
Heaven help the Pharisee whose halo has slipped down to his feet
A thousand satellite comedians have died for your sins
Jerusalem on the jukebox, little angels, beat your wings

Richard Thompson - Jerusalem On The Jukebox

...while Stephen Randall is doing his best to get on Product Placement Friday...

Wake me up with cup of Tetley
A slice of Hovis
Eggs, bacon and beans
But the rain is falling down
It's falling down, it's falling down
On Coronation Street

Stephen Randall - England Back (Like Ray Davies Sings)

Especially for C, here's some more Crass...

The army occupy Ireland, but the boot will never fit.
Was it Coronation Street? Or was it Londonderry?
Oh it doesn't fucking matter, Paul Daniels'll keep us merry.

Crass - Nineteen Eighty Bore 

Not fans then, boys? Not like the Toy Dolls anyway, who seem obsessed with Corrie...

Sitting watching Coronation Street
You decide to put your feet up, just about comfy in your seat
And she says, I'm feeling hungry
If she sends you out for a bag of fish'n'chips
You'll know it is time to say

The Toy Dolls - Cheerio & Toodle Pip

That's just one example. We'll look at another next week.

Laurie Shaw is one of those musicians I discovered through doing features such as this. He reminds me of Jarvis at times. He has (according to Bandcamp) released over 100 albums. The ones I've heard are all worth a listen, but I doubt I'll ever have time to hear them all.

I was ill with jealousy
All through Coronation Street
But then I was fine
After a bit, I was alright

Laurie Shaw - Forest Floor

Redhouse Gasoline are from Finland. Yet they appear to know quite a bit about British culture...

When Cynthia’s eyes met Reg’s
He felt just like he’d known her for ages
His chat-up line was really short and sweet
Said she was glamorous enough to be on Coronation Street
She never did her GCEs
Her mum got sick she had to work at the factory
All she ever wanted was for someone to hold her
At the pictures late one night Reg slipped his arm round her shoulder

Redhouse Gasoline - Brighton Pier Ever After

All of which leads us to Billy, still banging on about the British press...

If this does not reflect your view, you should understand
That those who own the papers also own this land
And they'd rather you believed
In Coronation Street capers
In the war of circulation, it sells newspapers
Could it be an infringement
Of the freedom of the press
To print pictures of women in states of undress?

Those are the best songs I could find that mentioned Coronation Street by name. However, there are many more which mention some of the street's iconic residents. Next week, we'll take a listen to some of those. I've got quite a few stacked up, but if you know of any songs that namedrops a legend from the street, do let me know.