I was sitting on the tube this morning and noticed an advert for the London Motorshow Music Festival. The line up includes ancient rockers like Status Quo, Deep Purple, Chicago, Meat Loaf - who'll no doubt bang out tracks from those rubbish 'driving anthems' CDs.
When will this depressing 'motorists music' stereotype die? Who actually drives around listening to 70s driving rock anthems? I'm 37 and spent my early teens listening to New Order and the great Manchester bands, then moved onto house and dance music before ending up appreciating soul and r'n'b.
Top Gear's theme tune is all dodgy guitar riffs too but the music used during the programme is usually pretty good.
The keen 70s motorist usually wore driving gloves, but no one would be seen dead in a pair now. The same should be applied to the music too.
I blame Clarkson and his love of Genesis.
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I agree completely and at 36 have gone through the same musical curve as yourself.
On another popular motoring site there is a music forum, most of the talk on there is about rawk music, everything else is ignored.
I think we may be in a minority of motorists who also have a love of good music.
Someone should come up with an alternative driving music album.
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Someone should come up with an alternative driving music album.
Sounds like a good business plan, so go for it. Would that be music for alternative kinds of driving or alternative kinds of music for any kind of driving?
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I am 33, and while my tastes in music differ a little - they certainly don't cover the dinosaurs at this "motoring" event.
However, I must take issue about your point on driving gloves. Their anachronistic status be hanged: they're fantastic - and I love wearing a pair when driving....if my wife and kids let me.
String backed and leather-palmed. It doesn't get any better. Go on, give in and get a pair.
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Driving gloves? Um, yes. They give you a far better grip on the steering wheel than bare oily skin does. That's the main reason for using them. Secondarily, the surface of a leather steering wheel doesn't degrade as it does with sweaty palms on it all the time.
Forget the stringbacks: John Lewis do them in all black leather.
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Driving gloves? Um yes. They give you a far better grip on the steering wheel than bare oily skin does. That's the main reason for using them.
It used to be, some time ago, to avoid getting blisters.
Secondarily the surface of a leather steering wheel doesn't degrade as it does with sweaty palms on it all the time.
What's good for cleaning leather-covered steering wheels? I used a mix of meths, washing-up liquid, and water to clean a heavily-encrusted wheel, which worked very well - but wax polish isn't ideal. Neatsfoot oil?
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But the string back is essential for scraping the ice off the inside of the windscreen! Well it was when I wore them. My car history may give a clue why it was necessary.
JH
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I'm 30, and there are songs by all of the bands mentioned which I would say are fantastic driving songs. For that matter, they're fantastic songs full stop.
But I could say the same of Muse, Foo Fighters, Audioslave, Prodigy, and on and on and on.
If your taste is truly eclectic, why can't you appreciate these old ones too?
On the other hand, if you're saying that 'driving collections' should have more than just that type of track, then I would have to agree.
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Who actually drives around listening to 70s driving rock anthems?
I don't listen to music or the wireless when "driving around". It's distracting, and makes it harder to hear what's going on all around.
The keen 70s motorist usually wore driving gloves but no one would be seen dead in a pair now.
Probably worse than useless - no need at all for them in car with power steering, + decreased "feel". Probably no need at all for them at all in any reasonably modern car!
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Driving gloves?
It's got me thinking.
I have a problem gripping the wheel when the air-con's running, presumably because it dehumidifies the air, and no doubt my hands as well.
Would driving gloves be the answer?
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Clarkson or someone who works with him is obviously a bit of a Mogwai fan... I think the last two Top Gear episodes have had Mogwai tracks on them and his documentary on St Nazier after Top Gear last week also featured a track of theirs.
Probably one of my most listened too bands whilst driving.
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Old driving glove geezers rabbiting about baseball-cap music... yawn... reminds me of the chattering classes talking about footy...
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Are 30 somethings old now Lud?
I had no idea that it was such a young crowd in this forum.
As for driving gloves - they're great - in all their manifold forms - and they certainly do not remove any feedback from the wheel.
You don't even just have to wear them whilst driving: as I type, I am adorned by a lovely pear of kid leather "drivers".......and little else besides.
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Are 30 somethings old now Lud?
At least a decade too old to listen to the carp that gets played most of the time these days Alebear.
But you sketch a charming picture of yourself at your keyboard. Do you drive starkers except for the dogskin mittens as well?
:o}
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Seems to me that Clarkson revels in being an outdated stereotype. I bet he isn't the Mogwai-lover.
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It's just exasperating that the London Motor Show, which like Geneva and Tokyo, is a chance for manufacturers to unveil the future of motoring, is accompanied by a hoary bunch of old rockers.
Imagine BMW unveiling the latest Bangle concept to the sound of Chicago's "More Than a Feeling".
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I imagine Chris Bangle listens to Gong while designing his new cars, have you seen the X6?
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I'm glad I'm not the person here who sometimes wears driving gloves - in my case the traditional string-backed variety.
But am I the only driver here who listens to jazz and classical music (sometimes quite loud) in the car?
Yeah, I went through the rock, bubblegum, west coast, soul, r and b thing when I was a kid - then I grew up (I think).
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Toally agree about the choice of music but ...
Top Gear's theme tune is all dodgy guitar riffs too but the music used during the programme is usually pretty good.
When Top Gear started in the 70s, having a 70s guitar theme tune would probably have been quite acceptable. Nothing wrong with keeping the theme to today, after a couple of reworks, to give a bit of consistency though.
>>The keen 70s motorist usually wore driving gloves, but no one would be seen dead in a pair now.
I wear driving gloves! Not at this time of year, but on a cool day in the autumn/winter/spring in a convertible with the roof down, they do make your hands that much more comfortable.
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I wear driving gloves! Not at this time of year but on a cool day in the autumn/winter/spring in a convertible with the roof down they do make your hands that much more comfortable.
so far this summer having my roof down alot i have a band of suntan across the back of my hands which starts just below the knuckles and ends just above the wrist it makes my hands look dirty all the time because my fingers are lighter where i have been gripping the steering wheel i think by next summer i'll be bucking the trend and investing in a pair of driving gloves.......that should go well with the top gear CD i already own :-)
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"What's good for cleaning leather-covered steering wheels?"
A proper car leather cleaner such as that from Autoglym and similar companies. Alternatively, a similar product from a horse-tackle shop. I wouldn't dream of using anything else on such special, expensive and difficult/costly to replace stuff.
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The keen 70s motorist usually wore driving gloves but no one would be seen dead in a pair now.
I've instructed the executors of my will that I want my string-backed driving gloves put on me before I'm put on display in my coffin in the chapel of rest.
Edited by L'escargot on 04/07/2008 at 10:24
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Interesting thread!
I'm the same age as Sulphur Man, but have a radically different musical development. I started off in my teens with electro & hip hop (what would now be called 'old skool'), before going through the indy/ electronica phase (Depeche Mode, PWEI etc.) at uni, then drum n bass & jungle in my 20's, before ending up now with a love of what is known as 'classic rock', although the only band of those mentioned I like is Purple. I do extend into metal & across (?) into more indy (Chikinki) & stoner stuff (Queens of the Stone Age) too. I am very much looking forward to embarassing apm junior (arrival due six weeks) by picking up them from school blaring out some Zeppelin or Van Halen. Planet rock (digital radio station) has a great tagline 'Classic rock- it used to scare your parents... now it scares your kids' sums it up quite nicely.
Main thing is, music is great- enjoy what you like!
BW to all,
Alex.
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> ...Chicago's "More Than a Feeling"
Erm, wasn't that Boston? Or have I just taken the bait?
Partial to a bit of Zeppelin in the car myself (I'm thirty-erm-ten); (so, I believe does Stephen Fry.) The best alternative is a late Beethoven string quartet - best way I've found to expand the mind in a traffic queue on the M40.
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Doubt if the current top 20 has a single decent track. In America I would expect there to be two or three, schlock but bearable, country and such. But perhaps times have changed and it's as bad as here now.
Just talking carp wireless muzak on the road of course.
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