Oblong Desk: The Podcast

Everybody needs them... John and Noax celebrate a year of the Desk with a trip Down Under to muse over the astonishing hit factory that is Ramsay Street Erinsborough. Every charting Neighbour's career reviewed, including the best-forgotten Gayle and Gillian, the "I've got all the letters in my surname" Natalie Bassingthwaighte, golden couple Kylie and Jason and, of course, Stefan Dennis. From PWL formulaic pop, through dance, to indie and country, enjoy three decades of loveable soap stars having improbable success in the company of your favourite music review podcast. Thoughts and birthday wishes @theoblongdesk or here

A Christmas album filled with, er, absolutely nothing festive...  Which is, as it turns out, not a bad thing at all. Join John and Noax for a joyous trip back to the end of 1995, when Blur took on Oasis, Louise left Eternal, and, bewilderingly, Simply Red made a good song. It's all here on our track by track review of Now 32, along with some stonking dance choons, huge-name artists churning out waffle, a cumulative offences Warnock Award, and one of the best songs ever made in the history of recorded noise. Have your say and get all things Desk at our website

John and Noax embark on a musical mopping-up exercise, bringing you a mix and match Desk of Delights of Now and Hits in a head-on battle that somehow failed to capture the public imagination in the same way as Blur v Oasis or Robbie v GaryBarlow. Stand by for a heady mix of club classics and chart smashes from the likes of Take That, Kylie, Grace and The Chemical Brothers.  Plus we discover first-hand how difficult it can be to assemble your first compilation album, and John reveals how he cheated at GCSE Music. Get in touch by clicking here to like, share, follow and subscribe.

Summer 95 - and a high quality release from Ashley Abram and co.  Noax and John take you on a very enjoyable trip through 40 chart-busting tunes with only one or two duff efforts. Find out which popstar travels by Easyjet, who Noax is friends with on Twitter, and our differing views on the year's UK Eurovision candidates, some of which turn up for review. Regular Warnockage, Look What You Could Have Won and the most divisive song we've ever reviewed. Go HERE to get all of the Oblong Desk love, and please subscribe and tell your other friend.

Time to get out the glowsticks and dust off your clubbing cardigan (you have one, right?) as Noax and John guide you through Spring 95's best dance tracks. The usual Occasional Table mix of memorable dance anthems, forgotten classics and non-hits, plus important advice on how to ensure legendary music status, pronunciation fun and the best version of the Test Match Special theme that you'll ever hear. Head to our website to immerse yourself fully in all things Desk, and message us @theobongdesk on Facebook or Twitter.

It's 1995 and time for some pop classics, as Noax and John take an aural gander at Now 30. Stand by for some genuine timeless classics, iconic anthems and the inevitable misguided attempts at country/reggae crossovers that were never a good idea and remain so to this day. Track by track reviews of artists as diverse as Eric Clapton to Deuce via Portishead, plus a controversial Warnock and our impressions repertoire continues to expand as we both have a go at Bruno Brookes and Kelly Llorena. @theoblongdesk on social media or RIGHT HERE to contribute your thoughts...

So what were Terry Star and the Hits gang up to in 1994?  John and Noax look at Telstar's haphazardly-titled compilation releases, with the usual mix of thumping dance, heavyweight pop, retro rock (including all three in one track) and the odd mysterious flop. Double Warnocks because it's Hits - and they're really bad this time.  Plus Paul Coia gets a mention, which none of us, including Paul Coia, were expecting. Like, share and follow HERE and message us on Facebook or Twitter @theoblongdesk

...and the Best Of Now Dance '94. You can't accuse Oblong Desk of a lack of thoroughness.  Our final '94 offering from the Now! stable; John and Noax piece together Mr Abram's variously titled Now Dance discs, with foot-tapping, booty-shaking offerings from the likes of Motiv 8, Level 42 and Opus III, plus some artists not using the Letters/Numbers nomenclature. Track-by-track reviews, and our views on crisps, Brush Strokes and how wafty something needs to be before it's ambient. The Oblong Desk Website is the place to get in touch and download all the other episodes.

A festive frolic through the end of 1994, as Noax and John review Mr Abram's haphazard Christmas offering. All the Desk favourites are here - including the most highly-contested Warnock ever, a difference of opinion on a highly popular rock group, plus find out what things are hotter than Reel 2 Real. Share your thoughts @theoblongdesk or the Oblong Desk website where you can subscribe to the whole shebang.

Welcome to 1994 - where a certain song was at number one forever, and consequently Now 28 treats us to a whole stack of number twos. John and Noax take you back through some questionable German reggae, the brief period of country/rave crossover, and one of the finest ballads ever recorded.  Plus find out who's got the Warnock, who should be on here but isn't, and who does the best impression of Reel 2 Reel. @theoblongdesk or the Oblong Desk Website to get in touch, subscribe and share.

Genuine obscurities from the world of Now as John and Noax gather round the occasional table for a mixture of rave revelations and dance disasters. Joey Negro?  EYC?  Exoterix?  Us neither.  But fear not, there are some forgotten gems and a few club classics to warm your glowsticks to. Pay homage in the usual manner, @theoblongdesk or oblongdesk.podbean.com

Noax and John dust off Spring 1994's offering from Mr Abram and co, with its curious mix of reggae-tinged pop, bland Fisher Price R&B, and several lesser-remembered artists who were going to be the Next Big Thing and then weren't. Find out what we would have prefered to be on the album, who's won a Warnock, and whether there were any tracks worthy of being our "favourite".  Plus fashion and home decor tips from Phil Collins, and an uncanny impression of Fatman Scoop. @theoblongdesk is the place to get in touch with your comments. Like, follow, subscribe, share...

A Bank Holiday Triple Disc bonanza for you, as John and Noax head back to 1992's NME Charity Album Ruby Trax. 40 Number One hits*, spanning the 40 years of the NME Top 40 singles chart - the only catch being that they're cover versions by popular artists of the day. Sometimes sublime, occasionally awful, and THAT Vic Reeves song - enjoy a unique and unforgettable collection of music in the company of the Oblong Desk team. Let us know your favourites and flops @theoblongdesk on social media, or oblongdesk.podbean.com where you can also subscribe, by clicking "subscribe".

Noax and John review the final Now Album of 1993, festooned with the usual mix of the magical and moribund. Cracking tracks from James, REM, Stakka Bo and The Spin Doctors, plus we delve into the unseemly world of Now vs Hits track selection battles, unnecessary punctuation, and reveal a brand new sound effect. And if that wasn't enough, there's Look What You Could Have Won, Nowhere Else and the Warnock Award to keep you on the edge of whatever it is you're sitting on. Like, share and subscribe! oblongdesk.podbean.com @theoblongdesk

John and Noax return to the murky world of Terry Star and his Hits compilations to round up 1993's alternative to the Now Albums. Two discs, so Double Warnocks!  Plus plenty of hits big and small, possibly the greatest remix of all time and a fervent disagreement on the merits of a song that reached number 40. Like, follow, share and subscribe to this, potentially the finest record review show on the planet.

John and Noax lift the lid on the best and worst cases of what happens when you give highly talented football players a microphone and some words to sing into it.   From club anthems to FA Cup singalongs to genuine actual attempts at pop careers, OD's OT reviews every assault on the pop charts with a footballer attached to it.   Get involved on social media @theoblongdesk and like, share and subscribe.

Noax and John are back with an in-depth look at "The Worst Now Album Of All Time".  Is it really?  Find out. Tracks from Ace of Base, D:Ream and Duran Duran mixed in with some lesser-heard gems, plus we find out how well male and female reggae tracks have aged, discuss the delusions of Peter Hook, and reveal a truly horrendous Warnock winner. Have your say on a surprising and delightful trip back to summer 1993, @theoblongdesk on Facebook or Twitter.

Some nicher-than-usual offerings from 1993's dance scene get the Occasional Table treatment. Noax and John bring you their esteemed thoughts on The Grid, The Prodigy, Fluke and Fargetta amongst others, plus ragamuffins, zagamuffins and the Mandolin Orchestra of Ljubjana. Listen, subscribe, share and get in touch @theoblongdesk

John and Noax head to The Dark Side to discuss the cheap and nasty alternative to Now albums.  Hits 93 volumes 1 and 2 take you through the spring and summer of 1993, a time of cheeky rave, plinky plonky covers, and a song you think you hate, but you actually don't. Hits from Usura, Rapination and The Prodigy amongst others, plus a double Warnock to look forward to. Your thoughts and feedback as ever to @theoblongdesk on social media.

Back to Spring 1993, and artists getting frisky, jiggy and rave-y on Now 24. John and Noax are your guides through every track, featuring amazing guitar riffs, a massive comeback single, and a really terrible pun.  Sister Sledge talk us through niche female contraception, how to ruin a date with Shabba Ranks, and what is the Big Mac of dance music? Plus discover who wins the Warnock, which tracks missed out, and which are our favourites. Send your thoughts to @theoblongdesk in the traditional manner.

The first special bonus edition of Oblong Desk sees John and Noax get the glowsticks and whistles out for a late '92 rave. Hits from The Shamen, Stereo MCs, TC1992 and U96, plus discover the producers who collectively sound like the back four of AC Milan, how not to put together a compilation album, and how a German satellite radio station caught Noax off guard. Send your thoughts to @theoblongdesk on Facebook and Twitter. And like, subscribe, share with your friends too.

Noax and John review the mammoth 39 track offering from Christmas 1992. Featuring a woman shouting at the moon, Andrew Lloyd Webber being very silly indeed, a whole stack of remixes that were better than the originals, and one of the worst cover versions of all time. Plus what are now "regular features" - NOWhere Else, Ashley Abram Applause, Look What You Could Have Won, The Neil Warnock Award, and our favourite track of the album (which we haven't thought of a clever title for). Get involved in the usual places: Twitter @theoblongdesk, Facebook (look for the Oblong Desk Page) and on the Oblong Desk Website oblongdesk.podbean.com And enjoy!

Noax and John delve into the 1992 summer smash sensation that is Now 22, and answer important questions such as "what is the worst simile in pop?", "are goths enjoying lockdown?" and "can you record a song after you're dead?" Every track reviewed, awards handed out where applicable, and an appropriate level of reverie maintained throughout. Add your comments on what you hear @theoblongdesk on Twitter, our new Oblong Desk Facebook page, or on here. And enjoy!

After a break of, er, 25 years (we've had other stuff on) University Radio Nottingham's seminal music debate returns! Join Noax and John as they discuss all the tracks on Spring 1992's Now That's What I Call Music 21. They'll pick the best and worst songs, choose some that should have been on but weren't, and answer questions such as which Brian you'd take on a night out, is "thang" still an acceptable word, and which popstar sounds like a Fiat Punto. Get involved on Twitter or Facebook @theoblongdesk and let us know what you think!