Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 January 2008 12:50:16
There are many things in this world that I hate - poverty, greed, unnecessary death, Millwall FC - but this morning I had a premonition of the tortures awaiting us in hell. No! Not Milton Keynes but the other one.
I am driven to work most mornings by one of my colleagues. Usually we listen to the joys of Wogan and I arrive with a smile on my face. This morning was different.....
As I settled into my seat I realised that this morning we would be listening to a CD. Now I have to say that my colleague is older than I am and therefore is unlikely to listen to Led Zep, Yes or Jimi Hendrix; even some jazz would be an enjoyable alternative.
No, this morning I was treated to the joys of that love of grandmothers across the UK & Ireland - Daniel o'Donnell.
This is a man who makes a living looking smarmy, singing bland versions of songs and permanently grinning like a Cheshire cat with wind. He takes well known, and loved, songs and hymns and then extracts any emotion or joy from them. The arrangements are the vocal equivalent of muzak - I apologise to the makers of muzak for denigrating their art by this comparison.
For those who have not suffered the banality and soullessness of his renditions of How Great Thou Art or Amazing Grace then I beg you never to open this particular Pandora's Box. You can't even compare him to karaoke pop singers who currently dominate our TV screens and charts. I never thought that there was anyone who could make me wish to listen to Westlife, Boyzone or Take That but o'Donnell is that person.
I remember an old episode of Father Ted where there was an entertainer with o'Donnell's charateristics, it was the one where the Grannies turn into zombie-like creatures intent on breaking into the Parochial House to get at him. Not even he was as bad as the real thing.
Now I know that there are likely to be many o'Donnell fans who will read this, to them I say: "Each to their own" but can you please not inflict him on the rest of civilisation.