EuroMix: I love my radio, my Dee jay's, midnight, chinese radio

I have a confession to make. I love Europop/eurodance/eurobeat, italo music, call it what you will. During a recent trip abroad what calmed my nerves on the plane was listening to my 'EuroMix' playlist on the iPod. As with jetting odd somewhere on holiday it's always represented pure escapism. My holidays rarely take place on some Spanish or Greek isle, with the boozed up riff raff in their football shirts. For a track performed with girls like Bacarra, I envisage a different fantasy for myself. I'm at the piano, somewhere in Monte Carlo, perhaps on the terrace, by Grimaldi forum, over looking the sea and palm trees, with my grand piano, as women in figure hugging evening gowns hang on my every word. I know it's all a bit Dudley Moore but I find that idea of the British male, abroad, impressing shallowly impressing the girls with his debonair gait and accent just as fascinating as Milla Jovovich's eyes. So anyway, my playlist, it includes:

BWO-Temple of love
La Bouche-Be my lover
Haddaway- What is love?
Scatman John-Scatman (dodgy name, I know)
London Boys-London Nights
Falco-Rock me amadeus
Corona-Rythmn of the night
Taffy-I love my radio
Desireless-Voyage, voyage
Sabrina-Boys (summertime love)
Modern Talking-Brother Louie (see pic above)
Army of lovers-Crucified
Spangna-Call me
Alphaville-Big in Japan
Yello-The race
Ryan Paris-La dolce vita
Double-The captain of her heart

Before I defend the predictable and tired criticisms- i.e, naff lyrics, big haircuts, cheesiness, its just shit, blah, blah...let me go on record to say that I love and appreciate most types of music. I can listen to experimental, classical, indie, general pop music.

As for Europop, I just love the pomp of it, especially during the 80s, when it was fashionable to be pompous. In fact it was an art form. I love the fact that the English translations were dodgy. It makes the sentimental messages and the effort in getting them across all the more powerful. I love the big sounds, full of reverb, big drums, thumping bass, and the wash of synthetic strings and pianos. All those minor chords, key changes and hooks, not forgetting legendary multiple choruses. If you think one chorus is enough you aren't thinking big, try two. Check out Modern Talking's 'You're my heart, you're my sould' or even 'Brother Louie'. Amongst the seemingly euphoric nature that subjects ranging from nights out in london, Mozart, boys, F1 racing to...er...crucifixion, you could be sure that there was often an undercurrent of ambivalence in the songs, in the chord structure, and even, in the cases of Falco, London Boys and Scatman John, in their lives, as sadly, these are no longer with us.