The X Factor Effect

"Quelle horreur!", as they apparently say in France, but yes I do watch the X Factor. In fairness, to say 'watch' is doing myself a disservice; let's just say it's on the TV and, in our house, dinner at weekends is timed to coincide with it being on TV. Perhaps watching cheesey television increases our appetite.

Each week while I eat my dinner, the would-be cash cow(ell)s prepare for their inevitable Xmas number 1 (you can imagine the scene in households up and down the UK: "<insert husband/boyfriend name here> I've had to pay 35p [plus standard network charge] every week to vote for Danollystacedward. If I've had to pay for the hype, I'm damn well going to buy the single!") by singing a song based loosely on that week's theme. Said theme of course dependant on whichever special guest act has a new album/single/book coming out and needs their own share of the hype. Funnily enough Cheryl Cole accused Simon Cowell of arranging a Rock Week for the first time because he is mentoring a rock singer this year. Er, no Cheryl, that'll be because Bon Jovi have a new album out and, strangely enough, were the special guests that week.

At least whoever wins can relax, knowing that the final will probably be the last time they ever need to sing live. From that point they can follow 'mentor' Cheryl Cole's lead and rely on Auto-Tune in the studio and lip-synching while performing 'live'. Allegedly, of course. Lip-synching, by the way, is just PC-speak for miming, the same way that cheating in sport is now referred to as 'simulation'. Not that it's done "nation's sweetheart" Cheryl Cole any harm, her single and album going to No. 1 after her lip-synching appearance on the same bill as the plainly off with the fairies Whitney Houston.

This brings me to the X Factor effect I mentioned in the title. Having to sit through the cabaret style performances of the contestants and middle-of-the-road guest acts (Whitney Houston, Michael Buble, Bon Jovi... it's like the scene from American Psycho where Christian Bale's title character decides to kill someone based on their MOR taste in music), makes me want to dig out some albums of real artists simply enjoying making music together either live on stage or in the studio.

So I've rediscovered some classic albums old and newish (and yes, I have got the Blues this week):

John Mayall with Eric Clapton - Blues Breakers
Fleetwood Mac - Blues Jam in Chicago
Gov't Mule - The Deep End
Jimmy Thackery - Guitar