A Quietus Interview
Glenn Branca
Baker's Dozen
Natural Rhythm: Chris Packham's Favourite Albums
Natural Rhythm: Chris Packham's Favourite Albums
Luke Turner
, July 4th, 2012 05:22
Broadcaster and naturalist Chris Packham talks Luke Turner through his favourite albums... includes punk rock riot, hitchhiking, and singing poodles
The Clash – The Clash
I bought it in Woolworths in Portswood on my way home from school. It had a dayglo sticky label on which said 'punk rock' to identify it, though I think the cover spoke for that. I'd already bought a few punk singles. I'd been to see Eddie & The Hotrods, they were supported by the Buzzcocks I think. Anyway, the Clash's first album came out and yeah, well, absolutely fantastic. At the time I never really liked 'Police & Thieves' and there was a lot more of that to come from The Clash. I liked their more fast and furious stuff. Obviously the singles off the album were great, 'Remote Control' and 'White Riot', but 'Janie Jones' and 'Career Opportunities' were great tracks. And 'Garageland', "back in the garage with my bullshit detector / carbon monoxide telling me it's defective..." that was my life at the time, I was in a garage band and it was great. It was one of those albums that I played repeatedly. They were great two minute songs from when songs only needed to last two minutes, which I quite liked.
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Carpathian
Jul 4, 2012 11:42am
Jul 4, 2012 11:42am
You see the headline and think "Chris Packham? Chris bloody Packham?!". Then you read his choices and not only is every single one of them is in your collection but he talks about them the same way you do to your mates, comfortable enough loving a band or album to be able to slag them off with a smile for other reasons too. Daft as it sounds, and it sadly does, I'd be curious what Michaela Strachan listens to. Didn't think I'd be wondering that!
EarlGinger
Jul 4, 2012 12:13pm
Jul 4, 2012 12:13pm
Bless'im. Didn't realise quite what an excellent fellow he is until he appeared on room 101 recently and chose humans in general, Chris Moyles (“One badly damaged marmoset typing on a speak-and-spell machine would produce his average show”),living statues and publicly displayed childrens drawings to go in.
Its very funny and still on Iplayer - go see. Chap!
igotworms
Jul 4, 2012 1:15pm
Jul 4, 2012 1:15pm
After Packham's MSP lyric-dropping on Springwatch I'm surprised there's no Manics on there. Great to see Sugar getting a nod - Copper Blue is a little gem.
auteur55
Jul 4, 2012 5:38pm
Jul 4, 2012 5:38pm
Utterly awesome that he has Kitchens of Distinction on there. One of the greatest most underrated bands of all time.
Tony V
Jul 5, 2012 8:57am
Jul 5, 2012 8:57am
He mentioned "Fad Gadget" twice in one program while holding a Badger. Name one person working in TV in 2012 who could do that !
Great Selection.
Jul 5, 2012 2:17pm
Damn straight Packham, Pure is one of the best pop songs ever written
NIgeyb
Jul 6, 2012 10:47am
Jul 6, 2012 10:47am
That song Chris mentions by The Boys (in the Ramones "It's Alive" entry) is actually called "Brickfield Nights". I chuckled when I read "Brick Filled Nights". Good bad too - emerged out of proto punk faves The Hollywood Brats.
Thanks for this article. Enjoyed reading Chris's thoughts.
Martin
Jul 6, 2012 12:41pm
Jul 6, 2012 12:41pm
Great choices, he must be roughly the same age as me as they all chimed. Shame he spoiled it at the end with the Lightning Seeds, never got them but very nice to see KOD in there...always underrated.
Fat Latch
Jul 6, 2012 2:00pm
Jul 6, 2012 2:00pm
shame about a few of those choices (it's all about personal choice, i know...), because i knew Packham was a decnt chap, but...'Screamadelica'...??? THE most over-rated LP ever released...god, what a load of pretentious wank Primal Scream are...meh...
Jul 6, 2012 6:53pm
Fanfuckingtastic! Chris Packham - you, Sir, are an absolute gem of a man!
richsand61@yahoo.com
Jul 13, 2012 8:11pm
Jul 13, 2012 8:11pm
Pretty average run of the mill indie selection from around 1992,probably a list i would have compiled when i was 21 with the inclusion of say the House of Love,Sundays,Pavement usual crap but not now and certainly not 50 plus years old
Very disappointed to see the most overrated pub rock band The Clash in this list,as for fucking Primal scream and the Lightening seeds? please
But packham is right about humanity,room 101 for the fucking lot,animals all the way
Samantha
Jul 22, 2012 7:13am
Jul 22, 2012 7:13am
I used to have a Massive schoolgirl crush on cp in the eighties, I love his passion & compassion for the natural world, seems he has decent taste in music too (knew he would be a Smiths bod :)The photo of him and Tyto Alba is beautiful, as a Pom living in oz I will be downloading his new series.
Denver Wedding Catering
Apr 10, 2013 8:29am
Apr 10, 2013 8:29am
I remember when first encountering a picture of Depeche Mode and thinking 'that Martin Gore has a proper Chris Packham, hair do'Denver Wedding Catering
Goldblade
The National
Vår
The Memory Band
The Focus Group
Neon Neon
News Headlines
Jul 4, 2012 10:51am
Superb stuff. Those Springwatch song references in full:
The Smiths - http://youtu.be/FT9hGAlt89o
The Cure - http://youtu.be/vnNlamILQcA
The Manics - http://youtu.be/zLPFgJ8o0k8
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