[Tango-L] music; live or dead

[John Ward]

I don't know about the situation in the US, but here in the UK there is an
almost
universal feeling that live music (however crappy) is intrinsically better
than records (however good).

There used to be a chap who played the Kursaal in Southend who went through
the same repertoire of admittedly dire arrangements; to such an extent you
could set your watch by him ("He's just started Tie a Yellow Ribbon - it
must be 21:20"). But we regulars would much rather have had him than even
the best digitally remastered classics from the golden age of ballroom. A
pub with a sign "Live Music Tonight" outside is sure to be packed out. There
is no need to say who is playing, or for them to be any good. But the finest
records played on the best system is likely to induce the cry: "turn that
racket off please landlord".

John Ward
Bristol, UK