"What are you musical influences?" is probably the most asked question in rock journalism, but the answers are only as interesting as the respondent. Make way then for the BBC 6 Music documentary The First Time with …, in which groundbreaking guitar hero Johnny Marr discusses his early life and path through the music industry (listen again here).
Unlike fellow ex-Smiths man Morrissey, Marr has preferred to be a band member rather than follow a solo career (or maybe it's more that Moz just doesn't like other people much so can't be in a band). Post Smiths, Marr has collaborated with the Pretenders, the The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and the Cribs. Beside tracks by these bands, the conversation is interspersed with tunes he has loved and show feels a bit like a rock 'n' roll Desert Island Discs.
More nostalgia of sorts on Radio 7, with their airing of John Wyndham's Chocky (listen again here). If you're not of the right generation to have seen the mildly disturbing children's drama, the plot's pretty simple: a young boy hears a voice in his head but he's not going mad – it's an alien. That might sound like the premise for a sitcom but it's actually a gripping drama. Matthew, the boy in question, is by turns subjected to psychoanalysis, the scrutiny of the press, and the unwelcome attention of a spooky government organisation. And the bonus is a satisfactory ending to the tale, which is rare enough once extraterrestrials have become involved.
There's another creepy childhood companion in Wednesday's Afternoon Play on Radio 4. In Ed Harris's Troll (listen again here), the now-adult Olivia returns to her mother's home to find someone – or rather something – waiting for her. It might have its origins in fairy tales, but it isn't really one for the kids – and you might fight yourself checking under your bed after listening. One of the questions the play poses is which is the more terrifying: the imaginary monsters of childhood or the real concerns of our adult lives? It's hard to tell whether Olivia is more afraid of the troll or the consequences of her mother's illness. However, this story is not a simple metaphor for growing up – the grim subtext is more about the wicked games that children play and, as adults, how far we'd go to survive.
If you're feeling a bit unnerved after that, Radio 7 will provide some comic relief. I'll admit that I've never really enjoyed Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show but this week's episode changed my mind (listen again here). With less self-awareness than John Shuttleworth's agent Ken and all the pomposity of Captain Mainwaring, Count Arthur provides a singular line in seemingly free-form comedy. If you've previously written it off, have another go. And if you've always thought it was a hoot, then you'll love this one.
