"It seems like there’s not a month that goes by when we’re not celebrating something. Hallmark holidays have became common place and people are more than willing to stream into shops to search for that special gift. And what better way to say I love you than a compilation album?
Long gone are the days when patience, good timing and a cassette was all that was needed to create that perfect set of songs, now the record companies are more than willing to do it all for you. That is, if your idea of ‘perfect’ is the stereotypical set of tunes championed by every DJ this side of Radio 1. Every year the same album is released and somehow, it sells. It doesn’t matter that the track listing is almost identical to the year before, people buy it. The use of Golden Earring’s Radar Love on every driving album since the beginning of time is enough to keep the band in curly perms and corduroy trousers until the day they die.
We all know that certain products are geared toward a certain time of year, but none are as blatantly opportunistic and unsubtle as these CD’s. At least Milk Tray had an image carved out by those savvy marketing types. Yes, it required just as little thought as buying the annual ‘Dad Rock’ album but in the past a tuxedo wearing stranger sneaking into your house and leaving a box of chocolates on the pillow was romantic. Now it’s an arrestable offence.
When that time of the month inevitably comes round again and you need to buy something for someone, do yourself a favour and stick with the petrol station forecourt flowers. The smell of Premium Unleaded says “I love you” better than Essential Acoustic Love Songs 6 ever could."
This is a rant I wrote for my magazine class in University. Hope you liked...
Thursday 7 February 2008
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