Pop Goes The Revolution // 1200-1300 29.01.09

[George]

Pop Goes The Revolution // 1200-1300 29.01.09

Episode

[George]

The holidays have seen the Cliff List be dormant, sitting back, waiting to strike once more...

However this Thursday, we are proud to say, is the epic return of the Cliff List...

As Zavvi goes under, we see it as our responsibility to make sure that the CD industry continues to have some life left in it. However we are all truly aware that those of us with any actual interest in music generally hate the majority of places that sell CDs.

So here is your oppurtunity to rid the world of another CD outlet.

The main criteria for judging are simple, we're looking for the shop that: is the most commercial; costs the most; has the least range and stock; plays the worst music in it; has the most ignorant employees; and generally gets you so infuriated that everytime you walk in there you wonder why it Fopp was the first place to go bankrupt and why the world ever had to lose Solo music in Truro.

So people, get nominating now. The range is endless. It can be anywhere that sells CDs - whether that's the Supermarkets that tab it on the end of their shop, like Tescos; the internet shops that plagues you with comments such as "if you like this, you might like this", before offering you something you'd rather vomit on than listen to, like Amazon; or the high street stores who are supposed to be good at things like this, but just aren't, like HMV.

Comment on the episode on Subcity, vote at Facebook, vote at Bebo, email us at MySpace, PM me on the Subcity forum, go to the poll on the forum and vote, send an email to popgoestherevolution@gmail.com.

There are so many options - quite frankly there is no excuse for not voting at least ten times. So get voting now ladies and gents and let's finally get rid of Britain's worst CD seller.

[shaun]

try it now?

[George]

Top on, Shaun. Cheers, man.

Much appreciated.

Now get voting, people!!!!!!!!


I'm bound to have missed some off the list, so if I have please comment with your nomination or PM me or email popgoestherevolution@gmail.com if you would like a confidential ballot because you're scared the company might come after you or something.

Anyway, get voting people. The Cliff List returns...

[rockislandline]

It can be anywhere that sells CDs - whether that's the Supermarkets that tab it on the end of their shop, like Tescos; the internet shops...

Hang on a minute, this is a bit of a misrepresentation. Tesco has pish CDs in its stores, but its online selection is actual pretty good and often much cheaper than amazon, play etc. Which selection are you supposedly judging them on?

[George]

Operate them as two seperate systems. The one labelled above refers to its in shop duty. As you said some of its online stuff can be good. However a lot of Tescos these days in store have an official media area - but these are generally rubbish as they are pretty cheap but also stock pants CDs and play McFly on repeat.

I must admit, it's almost an oversight to have avoided their online store. But the above does refer to the in store sections.

[rockislandline]

I think that's an unfair distinction. They place items on the shop floor they think they will sell to casual browsers, not to people who go there to buy music, it is after all a supermarket. Their online store is much better for the music enthusiast, and stocks items they wouldn't sell to in-store shoppers in sufficient numbers to validate sticking them out on the floor. Dividing them is unfair. Does that mean for example that Fopp's website should be included separately? It's rubbish compared to in-store but that doesn't mean I would rate Fopp the worst.

[George]

Not really. I would argue there's a difference based upon consumer targetting and therefore the management structure of how he two are run.

The kind of people who buy CDs in Tescos are different to the people who buy them from the online store. However I would argue that the Fopp goers are more attracted by the Foppness than having a distinction between using the online and in store options.

Therefore Tescos has to run its onside very differently thow it runs the instore side. Whilst Fopp's website is merely an extension of the shops.

Does that make sense?

Either way Tescos are shit.

[pete]

Supermarkets are baws for music - good for cheese and fruit etc though.
I already have all the good stuff from Fopp and the rest is baws and overpriced.
HMV is alright but is a total rip-off

[rockislandline]

Therefore Tescos has to run its onside very differently thow it runs the instore side. Whilst Fopp's website is merely an extension of the shops.

Does that make sense?

Either way Tescos are shit.

That's biased, illogical and ill-researched. The Fopp website isn't even running anymore, but it is about to be relaunched. Fopp always had a different range on their website from in-store, the in-store range being superior in terms of value for money. See the £5 wall for example, which was good but not on their website. Or the £3/1 bargain bin bits that often had a couple of good things in. Fopp's website was thus never a pure extension of their stores as it had most of the best elements missing.

So how should Tesco's stores be viewed separately but Fopp's not?

Surely it should just be a consideration of all the stuff under one retailer's name, otherwise you're equally open to bias based upon individual branches of the store that voters frequent. Say I went into one branch of Tesco's, say a Tesco Express and it had shit stock, I couldn't then say all Tesco's were shit, because they all have different ranges. You're inevitably going to get some branch bias but by including the online stores as part and parcel you mitigate some of it.

[George]

Fair point.

Rules changed to include everything under the one happy Tescos/Fopp/whatever store roof, internet and actual physical existences?

Fairer, although gives people more to way up. Suddenly this voting process has become more important than ever, these votes are important.

By the way it wasn't biased or illogical, just ill-researched.

[moiphy]

I tried HMV online for a DVD and it took fucking ages for it to turn up. Amazon are rapid, like2 - 3 days, even with the free saver delivery.

[George]

Yeah I dangerously relied on HMV online for an album I was intent on playing. In the end head to download the song I wanted off iTunes as well because it hadn't arrived after a week and a half. I was outraged.

[pete]

Amazon are rapid, like2 - 3 days

It depends what you order - i waited 3 months on something from them once and my brother waited 8 months on something too.
Then you've got the fucking postman fannying about in a state of shock when he finally realises that nobody is in at lunchtime during the week.
I'd rather go in a shop and hand over some cash - sure the selection is woeful, but theres nothing worth buying at the moment anyway.

[George]

There's plenty - just people aren't listening to it.

May I reccomend you listen to an episode of Pop Goes The Revolution Pete?

[pete]

Exactly. Why pay when i can hear it for free?

[George]

HMV is binned and joins the likes of Crocs and Cliff Richard!

[pete]

But Zavvi ain't even open anymore!

[George]

And your point is...?