Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Fans of Borgen will be pleased to learn that it’s back – on Netflix, starting on 2nd June. They’re being coy about describing it as a fourth series, preferring to call it a “stand-alone” project – I confess I’m not sure what the difference would be and I don’t really care. Borgen was one of my favourite series of the last ten or fifteen years and I hope this new “project” will be as good as before.
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I’m just watching a recording I made from BBC4 the other night – Ella Fitzgerald on the Beeb from 1965, in glorious mono and black & white. First few numbers were backed by the Johnnie Spence Orchestra – and who should pop up as a featured, name-checked soloist but Tubby Hayes! How’s about them apples, Nadine?
This has been a public service announcement.
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Hello everyone.
Can I please direct your attention to the linked Just Giving fundraiser? Not much more to be said – I’m frankly in awe of Deborah James and her colleagues on the Big C podcast.
Thanks.
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Spotted this morning – I thought this might appeal to the more nostalgic visitors to this site (if you haven’t already seen it…)
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If anyone is interested: this popped up in my inbox this morning, via one of the participant record labels. The labels (eg Chandos) are waiving the cost of the goods passed to Presto Music and Presto are absorbing the cost of post and packing, so that the total paid by the buyer is passed to the DEC fund without any subtraction.
If you’re unfamiliar with these Ukrainian composers, this seems like an opportunity to donate some cash at the same time.
Over and out.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/4585–announcement-humanitarian-fundraiser-for-ukraine
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In the Music Snob post, there was a suggestion –
“It’s possible[*] there is a third category. Music that nobody likes. [*]As yet unproven.”
Humankind is probably a bit too large to demonstrate this proposal: but within the confines of the Afterword (a fairly broad church of musical tastes, by most measures), is it possible to find music – even a single tune – that NOBODY likes? I know we’ve done something like this before…
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This is from an album called The Scale – I can’t recommend it highly enough. This is the only sample I could find…I don’t think it’s the best tune, but there you go. I’m sure I can hear Ratledge samples in amongst some of the sounds used on the album.
As always, apologies if this is old hat and everyone already owns it…
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I’m just watching Yes – Symphonic Live on Sky Arts as I type. Three things occur:
– Tom Brislin was one of their better keyboard players, it’s a shame he wasn’t with them for longer.
– Magnification was one of their better latter-day albums, it deserves to be better known.
– Yes pulled off the “rock band with orchestra” thing better than most – presumably because they had a symphonic thing going on as part of their usual working method (I realise that’s part of the reason that the prog-haters particularly hate Yes – but I’m not writing this for them). I’m not left feeling that the orchestra is just an irrelevant add-on and everyone on stage seems to be having a good time.
As you were…
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Any Zep fans out there?
Do you find yourself vaguely dissatisfied and uncomfortable when listening to Houses of the Holy? Is this unease mostly due to two infamous tunes of dubious quality?
Well, can I recommend you rush immediately to the site in the link and consider your position?
I would only make one alteration to the suggested (and much improved) running order which the Site-Meister has suggested: Page originally wanted the album to open with an instrumental overture which he called The Campaign. Plant got wind of this and quickly wrote some words. We get an idea of what Page had in mind from the Guitar Mix of Song Remains the Same, which appears on the “companion album” with the recent remaster. I prefer the song without the vocals and I prefer the album starting as nature and Page intended – with an overture.
Thoughts?
https://falsememoryfoam.blogspot.com/2022/02/holier-than-thou.html#comment-form
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Very sorry to hear this news…
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I saw this for the first time this evening. I was keen to share it, it’s a fine thing, indeed. Apologies if it’s old news to anyone – sometimes a song just catches you…well, you all know…
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I appear to be on a mailing list – presumably because I once bought something Fripp-related – and the enclosed link arrived in my inbox. I’ll make no comment, but simply treat this as reportage and leave it for the artists and art lovers on the site to draw their own conclusion.
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Sorry to hear that John Goodsall had died last week. Last remaining original member of Brand X still playing with the band, a remarkable guitarist…
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Morning all.
I need a bit of help (more than a bit, I hear you cry). I didn’t download the Progcast at the time – and now I can’t find a link to it. If anyone can direct me to it or provide a link, I’d be grateful.
Over and out.
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I know that plenty of contributors here are fond of Jackie Leven’s music – so my simple question is: where does the novice start? I’ve been inspired to ask by the recent acquisition of the double covers album (courtesy of @retropath2 of this parish – thanks again, man).
Spotify…yes…but I’m still sufficiently unfashionable to want to buy CDs and, anyway, I’m always interested to hear the reasons why knowledgeable people rate particular albums, particularly on this site.
Thanks in advance.
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What does it sound like?:
This is by way of a klaxon, if you haven’t spotted it – might be worth recording tonight if you don’t fancy staying up with a wee dram to watch it…
What does it all *mean*?
Indeed…
Goes well with…
A wee dram in a Scots sitting room…
Release Date:
Friday 13th August 01:30, don’t know if it’s a repeat…
Might suit people who like…
Bicarbonate of chicken…
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Has anyone bought any of the Toyah and Fripp merchandise now available? Plenty of Sunday Lunch fans on the AW…
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I hope the dodgy Imgur link works, because I have taken delivery of my very own Pencilsqueezer artwork, entitled Red Planet. Apologies for the reflections in the photo – I’m still moving it around the house to find a final hanging place, which will show it off to best advantage.
Have to say, I’m very happy with it – it looked good on Pencil’s website, but orders of magnitude better in real life.
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Something spooky and crepuscular, for a cold, windy night…
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I’m sitting, looking out the window at the snow swirling out of a steel-grey sky – and I’m assailed with a very northern sense of wintery melancholy…time to feed it some Sibelius…
https://youtu.be/3oCyrf2RMbo
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Prompted by fentonsteve’s recent posts, can I draw you attention to a few VdGGdates coming up in April/May 2021, rescheduled from November 2020. Tickets for the November shows are still valid, and so I will be going to the Manchester show. Like fentonsteve, I fully expect that these shows will be further postponed. Hey- ho…hopefully the boys in the band will be fit to tour later in the year, or early in 2022. Hold on to those tickets, fans!!
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Nothing more to add…
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Apologies if this is “old” for anyone, but I’ve just come across Gwenifer Raymond for the first time and was compelled to share…
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Heads up, prompted by the magnificent whisky thread…
The dodgers have 75cL of Bowmore 15 year old at £39.99 in their Black Friday deal – usually £52.00…
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Assuming the link works, this can speak for itself….
