The man in the coffee shop beside me has just told his compatriot "I like all types of music", which I feel is a bit of a myth. I used to think this was true of me, until I realised I was fooling myself. In spite of 3,000 CDs and 30,000 songs in my iTunes library, I've resigned myself to the reality that my tastes are quite narrow. Yet my friends would think I'm a music guy, who listens to loads of stuff and manages to enjoy the oeuvres of Sparks and Spoon. But it's all the same: Time and again I come back to tuneful songforms, more-often-than-not by white dudes, with a preference for the wry and an individual delivery. I'm not that adventurous.

Don't get me wrong, I do own a copy of Bitches Brew, and a clatter of classical CDs, always bought in a pique of "I really should listen to some classical stuff", but I fear it's just tokenism.

What I would say is that I am interested in music. I'm quite happy to spend more time reading about Frank Zappa instead of listening to him.

Thoughts?

I’m going to get more proactive and start my own topics here, because that’s what it’s all about. As a flip to the recent Word Magazine pop quiz of pop crits bit I offer you this tale...

I was recounting to a colleage recently how I had spent the previous night at a music pub quiz. He asked me what kind of questions were asked and the first one that came to mind was a joke question thrown in to amuse the audience which was: “Name all four Beatles”

My friend fixed me a hmmm-let-me-see look and started off: “Well there’s Ringo Starr, then there’s the other guy...” Though his recollection of the recent divorce proceedings he figured out Paul McCartney. Then he was stumped. After 5 or 10 minutes of “I know this, what’s his name...” he came to John Lennon. He could not get any further. I gave him an hour to think about it.

After an hour, no idea. Gave clues, named My Sweet Lord, repeated the phrase “John, Paul, Ringo ...” and replaced the last expected syllable with raised eyebrows.

Along comes another friend. “Can you name all four Beatles?” I asked. “Oooh, well, there’s Ringo Starr.... ummmm...” Long pause, not sure.

Now, I try to keep quiet the music snob inside me, but am I right to be surprised that men in their thirties cannot name all four Beatles? Also, the first person they thought of was Ringo! And this happened before the recent fan-mail-on-the-fire-October-20th-peace-and-love gubbins.

Thoughts?