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My favourite actor is Sir Alec Guinness, I'm a massive U2 fan, and enjoy scansion of poetry while listening to an album. I'm also a massive fan of albums, not the recent iPod culture of songs, but I appreciate stuff like The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, All That you Can�t Leave Behind and The Unforgettable Fire, all by U2, and just can�t get that new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb out of my head, or CD player. Other perfect albums include Automatic for the People, by REM, with the sublime Everybody Hurts, and Sgt. Pepper�s Lonely Hearts Club Band by those brillo Beatles. I can name all the songs in order, and who wrote them as well. There�s something very English about songs like When I�m Sixty-Four, a sort of unglamourous work-like attitude, which appeals to me. Also, I advise Pink Floyd as a must- Listen to Wish you were Here (a real sing along fave) and The Wall (with the supreme riffage that is Comfortably Numb) not forgetting the reclining headphone classic that is the Dark Side of the Moon. I also enjoy the sound of a great guitarist, my faves being the Edge from U2, Brian May from Queen, George Harrison from the Beatles and as a soloist, Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton from Cream or as a soloist (Tears in Heaven is real perfection), BB King, (it�s the Blues style I also like) and Pete Townshend. I hate shuffling features you can find of stuff like iTunes, because I am quite moody, and the music must suit my mood! I�m not going to listen to �The Refugee� from �War� (what a head-banger!) when melancholy, or �Sometimes you Can�t Make it on your Own� (very melancholy, sincere and beautiful) when I�m in a head banging mood. I�ll dispense with shuffling, thanks. I really don�t like rap, reggae or even bubblegum pop- it just doesn�t appeal to me. Bob Dylan is my second favourite artist, with Blood on the Tracks my favourite song my him and his songwriting excellent. I love jazz, my favourite performer being Scott Hamilton...
Fave Quotes from songs films etc.
"I was feelin' kinda lonesome and blue,
I needed somebody to talk to.
So I called up the operator of time
Just to hear a voice of some kind.
"When you hear the beep
It will be three o'clock,"
She said that for over an hour
And I hung it up."
Bob Dylan, Talkin' World War II Blues
"How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind."
Bob Dylan, Blowin' in the Wind
"I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',
But I'll know my song well before I start singin',
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall."
Bob Dylan, Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
"The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'."
Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changing
""There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
Bob Dylan, All Along The Watchtower
N.B. I prefer Jimi Hendrix's version, though...
"Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you."
Bob Dylan, Mr Tambourine Man
N.B. I prefer the Byrd's version, though...
"I was on the inside
When they pulled the four walls down
I was looking through the window
I was lost, I am found
Walk away, walk away
Walk away, walk away
I will follow
If you walk away, walk away
I walk away, walk away
I will follow
I will follow"
U2, I Will Follow
"October
And the trees are stripped bare
Of all they wear
What do I care
October
And kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall
But You go on
And on"
U2, October
"And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and T.V. reality
Sunday, bloody Sunday
And today the millions cry
Sunday, bloody Sunday
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die
Sunday, bloody Sunday
The real battle just begun
Sunday, bloody Sunday
To claim the victory Jesus won
On a Sunday, bloody Sunday
Sunday, bloody Sunday"
U2, Sunday Bloody Sunday
"I will begin again, I will begin again
Oh and maybe the time is right
Oh maybe tonight
I will be with you again
I will be with you again
And so we are told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's day "
U2, New Year's Day
"Tonight we�ll build a bridge across the sea and land
See the sky, the burning rain
She will die and live again
Tonight
And your heart beats so slow
Through the rain and fallen snow
Across the fields of mourning
To a light that�s in the distance
Oh, don't sorrow,
No don't weep for tonight, at last
I am coming home
I am coming home"
U2, A Sort Of Homecoming
"Early morning, April four
A shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride"
U2, Pride (in the name of love)
I count U2, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney my fave songwriters ever.
Anotehr brillo lyric- American Pie by Don McClean (clear off Madonna!)
A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they�d be happy for a while.
But february made me shiver
With every paper I�d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn�t take one more step.
I can�t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.
So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
Singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."
Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock �n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you�re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin� in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.
I was a lonely teenage broncin� buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.
I started singin�,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."
Now for ten years we�ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin� stone,
But that�s not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,
Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while lennon read a book of marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.
We were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."
Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."
Oh, and there we were all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again.
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil�s only friend.
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan�s spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
And singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I�d heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn�t play.
And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.
And they were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
Singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die.
"this�ll be the day that I die."
They were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin� whiskey and rye
Singin�, "this�ll be the day that I die."
Don McLean
Reviews
TV Burp (2001)
Good stuff.
I'm rather sad that tomorrow (27th November, 2004) is the end of the current series of Harry Hill's TV Burp. Now, I can't call myself a great fan of Harry Hill, but I classify his comedy as a bit hit and miss.
In this show, he takes moments from TV shows (in Britain) and makes fun of them. For instance, Hill might say, 'Let's see the man who chews his coffee.' an then we'd see a clip of a man from some soap opera taking a sip of coffee and then chewing away as if he was eating rock cakes!
On the other hand, some things don't appeal to me. But I do find TV Burp a great Saturday tea time thing. It ranks quite highly on my list of current comedy, and if you are a fan of Harry Hill or TV bloopers style things, you will enjoy this unique blend of humour.
Bremner, Bird and Fortune (1997)
Sunday nights would never be complete....
Bremner Bird and Fortune is the ultimate satire show- it makes Dead Ringers look childish and inept. The production is excellent, with laughs flowing freely.
The writing is absolutely superb (for example, during one spoof film made in Iraq- "All scenes were shot on location- as were many taking part." which had me in stitches.) and the satire is literally up to the minute, with jokes being passed on subjects only hours old.
Rory Bremner is a real gem in the crown of impressionism- like a chameleon he can change to suit any character, his Tony Blair and George W Bush absolutely brilliant.
John Bird and John Fortune to feature as heavily- they appear in hilarious monologues that range from homophobic priests to loony generals, and sometimes in interviews- here, the writing is sharp but you would never tell, because of the delivery. It has to be seen to be believed. An example is a spoof of an MI6 conference room, where they are discussing whether the Saddam Hussein they caught was an actor- "I know! If we walk into his cell and suddenly say 'Act One, beginners!' and he says, 'Oh, where's my cossie'? we'll know for sure he's an actor!
This is comedy at its most intellectual and hard hitting; it makes for great conversation too. Watch it as you will never stop laughing!
Have I Got News for You (1990)
Brilliant!
I felt I should write this as the previous review had no mention of Angus Deayton's departure.
Though this should have been a tragedy for this great show, something good has come out of it, with a guest host every week. 'Have I got News for You' is a dependable British Comic institution. I can be found faithfully on a Friday night in front of my TV set, watching and laughing. The basic formula is: one guest host (expected to make obligatory self-derogatory remarks) two captains (almost without exception the comic geniuses that are Ian Hislop and Paul Merton) and two guests (who are expected to make jokes relevant to their fields, For many people it is a matter of choice, but I prefer Paul Merton's humour to Ian Hislop's.
The animated title scene is perhaps the worst part of this brilliant show- and it is only half a minute! The other problem is that because this is so topical, it cannot survive like Blackadder has, it lacks that timeless element. Generations to come would have to read up on some news reports to understand the jokes.
Sometimes, the guests can be superb, or less so, but the programme is carried solely on Merton and Hislop, and rounds such as the one where a newspaper is taken and a series of words blanked out are guessed.
On a more serious note, this is not a quiz show in the vein of Who wants to be a Millionaire or University Challenge- this is for fun. Some who are not entirely up to speed on current affairs may not enjoy all the jokes.
So if you find life tragic enough and long for a bit of humour, do watch it, because they've got news for you!
(I couldn't resist it)
*****/*****
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
A quick introduction (The names in brackets are the actor's appearances in other Ealing Comedies)
*Spoilers* In this brilliant Ealing Studios comedy, we find Dennis Price as an embittered man. Cross at his mother's family, who disowned her, he sets out to kill all eight family members standing in his way to his getting the coronet (a crown worn by a Duke).
We find Sir Alec Guinness (The Man in the White Suit, The Lavender Hill Mob & The Ladykillers) in his debut Ealing performance playing eight supporting roles, and playing them well! It won him 'London Actor of the Year' award. We also find two familiar faces of Ealing Comedy, Joan Greenwood (The Man in the White Suit) and Valerie Hobson.
This is not a film to be missed!
8/10
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Review with no spoilers.
This film is excellent, the sequel to the original Sister Act. As with the first, Whoopi Goldberg takes centre stage as a singer who is called to help the nuns, led by Mother Superior, expertly played by the excellent Maggie Smith.
This singer-turned-nun is taken to a school whose future is gone, as it is soon to be finished, but had a rich heritage in singing, which Whoopi intends to reinstate.
Following these events are many laughs, a few tears and a feeling of well being at the end. A superb feelgood film (but not a classic) this should be fun for all the family!
A resounding 8 out of 10.