Musings on the byways of popular culture
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We talk about Spotty here a lot but are there any Google Play fans? What puts me off Spot is the download function on Android – it requires a lash up of monumental proportions to get it to download to the phone’s SD card which is hopeless. Apparently Google Play is better. Any views?
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Hi all – we’ll be recording a review of 2015 podcast on Sunday evening 3rd Jan from 8.30pm – 10pm. All are welcome to participate for as little or long as you like – you just need to dial into my Skype and I’ll add you into the chat. In theory anyway, technical gremlins notwithstanding. If you don’t have my Skype, PM me. Even popping in just to say hello would be great!
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Very funny…
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I saw the first Star Wars film when it came out and quite enjoyed it as far as I can remember, but felt no need to see any of the others. ..however Twang Jr is keen to watch the series en famille…so tell me, Massive, is it better to watch them in order of release, or prequels first in literal historic sequence? Or is a selection of the best ones enough?
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I know we’re all busy being angry about Daily Mail columnists, The Guardian, the Government etc etc, but in between the outrage I just thought I’d mention there’s a rather fun new Freeview channel called TalkingPicturesTV featuring mostly 70s pulp movies of the sort I rather enjoy. Currently rediscovering “Can you keep it up all week.”. Tomorrow night there’s “Hannie Caulder” with Raquel Welch and Ernest Borgnine. This is a public service announcement.
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Does anyone understand video editing? I don’t do it that often and it always drives me completely insane with all the codecs and containers and arcane dimensions, 1024×576, 16:9 etc etc. If a kind person could do a 101 for morons I would be most grateful. Currently I have a file in which everything is stretched so everyone looks tall and thin (and not in a good way) and whatever I do I can’t get the editor to display it properly – think is, I don’t understand what the parameters mean…some other files display / render OK, but this one doesn’t (even though it looks OK through simple views like Quick Time, or even MS Movie Maker). So I can’t do any sort of diagnostic as I don’t know what I’m looking for. HELP!
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It seems we have a British world heavyweight boxing champion.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/boxing/34014640
I didn’t even know there might be one…I only have peripheral interest in the sport which can never be called a game…though when I was a kid, fights by Ali, Frazier etc were mainstream television. Of course the alleged corruption and multiplicity of WBO/A/X/Y/Z has degraded it badly. I can imagine some of you out there blanching at the very thought of watching boxing, but there’s something compelling about it…even the Benn/Eubank duels were exciting…I might have watched it if it had been on terrestrial. Here’s Ali, roping a dope
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What does it sound like?:
It’s the latest Steven Wilson remix of the Tull back catalogue, and it sounds fantastic. Interestingly they were unable to find all the original multi tracks of the album sessions, so only 5 tracks from the original album received the Wilson remix treatment here. Fear not however – amongst the extras is a TV special filmed for the Beeb where the union rules of the time required the band to re-record the music, and happily these multi tracks are present and correct and sounding sparkly after the Wilson magic has been applied. Pause and think about that for a moment.….they re-recorded the whole flipping album, in a couple of days, for a TV show. Lucky other prog bands, used to taking 18 months to produce their latest magnum opus, weren’t into making TV specials! This is an oddity on the Tull canon, being the album most fans of the band are a bit “meh” about…originally including this reviewer. The packaging of the original album was terrific, with a full strip cartoon telling the story of Ray Lomax, an old school un-reconstituted rocker who finds himself out of place and time but who, by a » Continue Reading.
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Here is the Top 10 Neil Young tracks from those who voted….
1. Cortez The Killer 2. Powderfinger 3. Like a Hurricane 4. Revolution Blues 5. Ambulance Blues 6. Cinnamon Girl 7. Hey, Hey, My, My (Into the Black) 8. Old Man 9. Southern Man 10. Rockin’ In The Free World
Full results in the thread….
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We are under great pressure to get Halo for Twang Jr for Christmas – my instincts are fairly negative as it seems violent to me, though probably no less than some of the Minecraft games if I’m honest. Any views out there? He’s 11 going on 12. And “all” his friends already have it (cue “if they all put their fingers in the fire would you?” speech). Any thoughts?
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Twang, Dog Faced Boy, Ruby Blue and visitor Pip discuss the “Amy” movie, her albums and legacy. The team vary in their affection for the records, but agree that the film perfectly captures her tragic decline and the almost universal lack of care which was on offer when she really needed it. They explore the best (and worst) of the extensive live footage which is there for all the world to see and join in on the richly deserved shoeing of the likes of Graham Norton for their cheap shot comments in her darkest days.
See our heroine in her prime here…
https://youtu.be/GjfHqHROIhc
http://traffic.libsyn.com/theafterwordpodcast/amycast_master.m4a
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Time for another irrelevant poll – your best Neil Young songs. Usual rules apply – list the top 5 in order, number one gets 5 points etc. Neil songs in CSNY / Springfield etc (for example) are eligible. Bar drops Sunday night.
Keep on rockin’ in the free world!
PS Haterz spare us posts saying “none of them” or similar hilarious contributions. 🙂
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Just drifted into having a bit of modern country whilst doing a few bits and pieces. Wonderful singing, heartfelt lyrics, understated but superb playing – the too cool for school crowd will hate its sentimentality and formulaic approach but I love it. Another prime example below…
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Never really listened to the FF band but what I’ve heard I like – kinda big heartland rock. Where do I start? Is there an all-you-need album, or a bunch of tracks?
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13/11/2015
Hi all
There seems to be broad agreement about the 13th for a London pint, accepting there will never be a perfect date everyone can do. Our regular hang is unavailable so I suggest the Golden Lion in St. James’s Square – excellent pub, great beer and good location, a short walk from a number of tube stations and also from Waterloo / Charing Cross for those who prefer the outdoors to the tube.
http://www.goldenlion-stjames.co.uk/find-us
We don’t have a room – we will just lurk in a group. I used to work near there and it tended to clear out when the post work drinkers depart. Good grub too.
See you there from 6ish?
Cheers
Twang
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Anyone fancy a London pint in November? A Friday night?
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It must be most upsetting for a new artist to be immediately badged as “new Dylan” (Springsteen et al), “like J.J. Cale” (Dire Straits), “Zep lite” (Def Leppard but too many to mention) etc. Who’s to say these new artists are therefore immediately inferior? First, they probably aren’t that much like the supposed original..it’s just lazy journalistic shorthand. Second, who knows, maybe they are actually worth hearing anyway.
Who are your faves who sound a bit like XXX?
I give you JaR – melodic, slightly jazzy, funky with humour…they sound a bit like Steely Dan (and even have “Peg” guitar supremo Jay Graydon spanking the frets)….
What does it sound like?:
Epic is the first word which springs to mind. A very up front, punchy, dynamic, huge sounding riff laden guitar album. Subtle it ain’t. It came with no information at all but I learn from t’net that Tomoyasu Hotei is a London based Japanese guitarist who has worked with the likes of Michael Kamen, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones and has appeared on numerous guitar orientated projects with uber shredders like Steve Vai. He’s more that though – there are some decent songs and the production and playing are impeccable. Iggy guests on vocals growling that he wants to be my dog (doesn’t he always?) and other guest singers include Noko from Apollo 440 and Matt Tuck from Bullet for my Valentine.
What does it all *mean*?
Hotei grew up in the 80s so there’s an 80s guitar album feel about it which takes me back to when I first heard “Surfing for the alien” by Joe Satriani, which pretty much defined the genre and closed it at the same time. I’m a sucker for a good bit of righteous guitar playing of the sort that gives the post punk “the best solos » Continue Reading.
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Radio 4 are doing a re-examination of “Highway 61 Revisited” tomorrow at 1.30 presented by Andy Kershaw. This is a public service announcement.
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The first few All About Eve albums have been reissued with extra tracks etc. **Thrilled**. Used to love AAE back in the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfonGzxq778
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Venue:
Broadway Cinema, Letchworth
Date: 29/09/2015
It’s a performance of ”The Wall” interspersed with Roger making a road trip from Blighty across France where he visits the first World War grave of his Grandfather, eventually arriving at the Anzio/Monte Cassino war memorial where his father died in action. The massive stage show and concert with crack band features the likes of our Rog alongside Snowy White, Dave Kilminster and GE Smith on guitars. The Waters’ pipes are in good form, and there’s a “Dave” replacement for second vocals and a spot of reinforcement on the odd high note. Fair enough. He’s never struck me as an especially charismatic bloke but he fronts the ensemble really well and it must have been a hell of a moment for him personally. Guitar nerds will appreciate Snowy using a Dave Gilmore Stratocaster model – surely a (possibly personal) not so mute tribute to the man it now appears to take 3 top players to replace? The band recreate the album as superbly as you’d expect. The lighting, images and overall show is mind boggling and it must have been quite an occasion to be there. The menacing fascistic uniforms and many of » Continue Reading.
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I might be last to the party here but someone just casually mentioned in the dancing thread that there is a new Dangermouse remake starting tomorrow – 6pm on CBBC. Alexander Armstrong is voicing DM. This will be major news in our house. Twang Jr soaked up the box set from about age 3 and pretty much knows it off by heart. Faced with an autocratic Mrs.T demanding homework or similar duty, he will still mutter “Si Baroni” under his breath.
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/sep/26/return-of-kids-tv-show-danger-mouse
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What does it sound like?:
The 6th solo album from (currently moribund) Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre. Last year’s double live/studio album reflects the sound of his touring band at the time, and was preceded by “Away with Words” which is a largely acoustic (and quite exquisite) reinterpretation of Tull numbers. The latest album reflects Martin’s newfound confidence as a songwriter, harking back to his early days as a blues rocker as a jumping off point. There’s plenty of his tasteful acoustic playing, not only on guitar but also encompassing banjo, mandolin, bouzuki too. There are a couple of Tull reinterpretations – a much heavier “Skating away on the thin ice of a new day”, and a more faithful “Slow marching band” with multi layered guitars replacing the piano and strings of the original. An oddity is a beefy riff laden “Eleanor Rigby”, originally conceived as a Tull live interlude but fully realised here. It’s a very diverse set, bridging the old school blues rock Martin would have played in clubs in Birmingham in the late 60s through to more contemporary FM radio friendly sing along choruses and chamber folk rock.
What does it all *mean*?
Within Jethro Tull, » Continue Reading.
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Unashamedly nicked from the Grauniad, what’s your fave TV theme tune, and why? I immediately thought of “Stingray.” Back then, as a nipper, there was nothing more exciting. These “people” had American accents (yes kids, once it was unusual, or at least notable). Viewing it now, the sight of all those exclusively WASP right on “World” (AKA American) Aquanaut Security Patrol dudes in their uniforms, where any perceived alien threat could easily be sorted out with a Sting missile, fills me not with disgust at a misguided and over simplistic world, but with a sense of loss at the easy certainties of the era, when (channeling Gil Scott Heron) TV was in black and white, and so was everything else. And it starts with sirens, an explosion, and kettle drums. What more do you want?
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What does it sound like?:
Surely everyone has heard Jimi Hendrix? It sounds like that! (More below)….
What does it all *mean*?
Well, to this reviewer it just reaffirms, if it needed any affirmation, what an extraordinary musician Jimi Hendrix was, and you can only imagine the charisma surrounding him which could probably be seen from outer space. He plays beautiful blues (the version of “Red House” is one of the best I’ve heard, and I have the “Red House” CD containing only live versions of that song), burning rock and out there stoner (see recent thread) blissed out jamming on “Spanish Castle Magic”. His singing has never been better, and gives lie to those who suggest he can’t sing. He was dead less than three months later.
Goes well with…
Contrary to popular cliché you don’t have to be out of your box to appreciate Hendrix – I cooked the lunch with it on loud and it sounded bloody fantastic. The only problem is it’s hard not to be distracted by it, so working from home music it ain’t.
Might suit people who like…
You probably already know whether you like Jimi. I confess he is someone I » Continue Reading.
