My Ear Candy #2 Catherine MacDonald

Last night's Ear Candy slot was a hoot, many thanks to Catherine MacDonald for providing her five favourite tracks. No, I'll rephrase that, thanks Catherine for turning up but forgive me for not congratulating you on the selections themselves.

2/5 ain't bad but the other three left a fair bit to be desired, foe example ploughing through Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights proved a true test of fortitude. We agreed on air that this was a song you might have fond memories of but halfway through realise it really wasn't 'all that' after all. Meandering limply to a climax, it jettisoned any tempo the show had built up prior to it's playing, cheers Catherine.

Thankfully Big Country and REM restored order and we managed to salvage some degree of respectability which appeared impossible at the outset when opening up with Marillion. I have to put my hands up and confess utter contempt for Marillion. I remember only one thing about them, a bald whale of a frontman (Fish) singing 'Kayleigh' back in the 80s, a dirge with no redeeming features. However, oblivious to me, they've spent the last three decades Fish-less and producing music with a different style. I've no intention of enlisting in their fan club but the track Catherine played was bearable if not jaw dropping so perhaps I've had a lesson there in the folly of being judgemental.

Lenny Helsing joins me next Friday (Dec 2nd) to share his favourite five tracks. It must be a virtual impossibility for a muso such as him who's played in bands forever, to narrow his favourites down to five, but I have faith he can provide us with ear candy and not ear wax. He'd better.

Catherine's selections
1. Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight
2. Joe Jackson - Stepping Out
3. Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
4. Big Country - Chance
5. REM - At My Most Beautiful