Well, sorry 422 weren't broadcast - I guess you didn't play anything anodyne enough, guys!!

The broadcast was dreadful, and deeply depressing; a progression of undemanding, easy-listening tracks. Only lifted by an excellent one from Joan Baez (who was the box player on that, can anyone say? And did Liza Carthy do anything other than her vocals on that track?), and a pretty-good-but-not-their-best track from Bottine. If that's the best then I don't know what I've been listening to all year but it can't be Folk/Roots . .

[Clearly listening to it gives a different impression to viewing the list, since many of the award-winners weren't played in the programme. Our reaction to the awards as performed were that they were incestuous . . and the most clearly and richly deserved awards (Joe Boyd/Lucy Duran and Tony Engle/Topic Records) were amongst those NOT given any airplay.]

But I've already spouted off at greater length over on uk.music.folk, so I'll let it rest.

G.