ron,
i see you have some big issues with this music. i on the other hand wallow in the the nostalgia and memories that were part of my teenage life in the 80's. i like being reminded of zmw (i actually have his 1st album on cd... it was one of those albums that is on your 'to get' list and you look for everytime you go into somewhere selling cd's then experience elation when you find it) the mission, fields, the cure etc. all remind me of mates, places, pubs, girls, women and holidays so for a tenner it was a marvelous trip down memory lane.
to be honest it's this kind of niche compilation that people like me sometimes buy for the nostalgia factor that allows labels to put out more experimental stuff like the abysmal flaming lips and radioshod. so i think it's about evens really. there is a place for both and without the revenue generated by one the other wouldn;t exist and you'd be reduced to listening to 96k mp3s made by a 12 year old with no talent. sorry but that's the way the world works... sad perhaps, but true.
what is the problem with cds being available in tesco's? it makes buying them easy, they are cheaper. ohhhhh i didn;t go into a dingy independant record shop and pay over the odds for it... therefore the cd must be sh*te? i'll let you into a little secret... they were also selling the latest... steely dan, radiohead, yeah yeah yeahs, dark side sacd, flaming lips, and a lot more acknowledged good music too. all at less than indy backstreet records, hmv, mvc or andys.
as for the la's being dark? well compared to kylie and jason....
not popping at you ron but those kind of comments get my goat, as you can tell, it's all right i'm going to lie down....
cheers
julian