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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
 Posted January 23rd, 2010 03:19 AM IP    
Just watched an excellent doc on BBC4 about Brian Eno. I feel smarter just having watched it.
I love his approach which is genuinely exploratory - his delight at a synth that had a different sound for each note was infectious.
Great clips too (as well as in an Eno highlights programme after). Americans probably don't get how important Roxy Music were but watching back at the start them even now sends shivers up my spine.
Watching the Heroes clip also took me back to hearing that for the first time on the radio and it sounded so different but revalatory. I think the power gets lost on younger generations who just hear it as a track on a greatest hits CD or as a track on itunes, but back in its day it was a marvel.
But if you get the chance (and i'm sure BBC4 will be repeating it regularly) do watch it. Yes bits of it are pretentious but we all need a bit of arty farty stuff occasionally, and Brian Eno is always a joy to watch.
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Ian Cubed
Member
Posts: 1670
Registered: May 2008 |
Posted January 23rd, 2010 03:43 AM IP
Sounds interesting, for sure. I'll take a look for it online in a few days.
And then he produced Coldplay.....
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The Grand Fromage
Member
Posts: 2732
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted January 23rd, 2010 09:09 AM IP
Quote:
Ian Cubed wrote:
Sounds interesting, for sure. I'll take a look for it online in a few days.
And then he produced Coldplay.....
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Sadly always found Eno a bore (he talks a fascinating piece of music though), now you've elevated him to cult status 
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted January 23rd, 2010 09:43 PM IP
I have a tiny amount of his own output (Another Green World and Before and After Science are about it) but a huge amount of respect for him. Yes, even though he has produced Coldplay. He's probably made them a better band anyway.
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Ian Cubed
Member
Posts: 1670
Registered: May 2008 |
Posted January 23rd, 2010 10:20 PM IP
The only way to make Coldplay a better band would be to line them up against a wall and employ a firing squad.
Man, Al, you need Eno's first two solos, they have worn even better over the years than any of the early Roxy albums or, dare I say it, even Bowie's glam albums. Utterly stunning stuff. Here Come The Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy).
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zelilgirlI1ncenu
Administrator
Posts: 2437
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted January 23rd, 2010 11:59 PM IP
I would absolutely second these 2 recommendations, I would also recommend from that era, his collaboration with Kevin Ayers Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy ( which I would gladly post, but I only have this on vinyl).
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted January 24th, 2010 01:42 AM IP
I do know those albums as my friends at school had them, so in the way of things back then I sometimes heard them more than my own records, though not for a long time now. They played a big chunk of Baby's On Fire last night though and it sounded great. I wouldn't say they have neceesarily worn better than those first two Roxy albums though. They still sound pretty fucking ace to me even now. And the first two singles still leap out of the speakers at me. Or maybe its just the 13 year old in me that still hears the magic.
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted February 15th, 2010 02:54 AM IP
Great Ry Cooder show from 1977 on BBC4 the other night as part of their Latin Music season. He reminds me so much of Richard Thompson in his approach to music, but of course without being as good a songwriter, though he has written some wonderful soundtracks. The theme from Paris Texas is as good as music gets. Fabulous guitar solo on Dark End Of The Street where, like Thompson, you were never sure where it was going next.
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted February 27th, 2010 02:51 AM IP
The Dennis Wilson doc was on tonight. Pretty good, a bit too much on Brian though sometimes rather than Dennis. Lots of input from David Marks, Greg Jacobson and Ed Roach, a couple of quotes from Al Jardine (resplendent as per usual in a huge dayglo sack) and lots of clips we know and love. There was the odd clip I hadn't seen before, of the recording sessions for Pacific Ocean Blue, but not much. Also the odd mistake in the script (or at least complete exaggeration - Dennis could hardly be said to have 'led' the band after Brian dropped out) but it was a good hour's telly.
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luther
Member
Posts: 5203
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted February 27th, 2010 02:53 AM IP
I checked the BBC4 website hoping to be able to watch, but apparently it's not available outside the UK. What, just because I don't pay for BBC, I can't use its services for free? C'mon, cheapskates! You can use our MPR websites!
don't try so hard.
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted February 27th, 2010 03:32 AM IP
I'm sure it'll be on Youtube in a day or two...but yes the BBC won't show any content outside the UK. No doubt these pesky copyright things...
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Rob
Member
Posts: 2043
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted February 27th, 2010 08:16 AM IP
Quote:
alan wrote:
Also the odd mistake in the script (or at least complete exaggeration - Dennis could hardly be said to have 'led' the band after Brian dropped out) but it was a good hour's telly.
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There's always this shorthand in these documentaries to summarise things which start taking on the status of fact. In the mid 70s the Beach Boys hadn't made an album 'for years' (technically true, I suppose, two), Brian had 'taken to his bed' - people are given the impression Brian spent years and years in the 1970s literally in bed.
It was enjoyable and interesting enough. My biggest quibble is that it didn't talk enough about the music. Although you heard a snatch of Be With Me on the soundtrack it wasn't referred to or discussed and neither was any of the other Dennis BB songs other than Forever and Never Learn Not To Love (only because of the Manson connection).
Have YOU been Con-Demed yet?
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alan
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Posts: 7455
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Posted February 28th, 2010 04:09 AM IP
Yeah it sort of implied he started writing on Sunflower and then worked backwards. Didn't mention the zero songs on Surf's Up or his other Beach Boy songs, straight from Forever to Pacific Ocean Blue throwing in the Manson song as a detour. Too much Brian/BB background, not enough Dennis.
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luther
Member
Posts: 5203
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted February 28th, 2010 04:17 AM IP
Got and watched it this morning. It was good, I guess.
don't try so hard.
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djw
Member
Posts: 621
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted March 2nd, 2010 06:47 PM IP
Alan,
I expect you have seen it before but in the Classic Albums series showing on SKY Arts tonight its The Who and the Who's Next album .
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
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Posted March 2nd, 2010 07:17 PM IP
Actually I was watching it last night and this morning! Great programme! I'd forgotten much of it. Damn good channel Sky Arts isn't it?
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djw
Member
Posts: 621
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted March 2nd, 2010 08:44 PM IP
Quote:
alan wrote:
Actually I was watching it last night and this morning! Great programme! I'd forgotten much of it. Damn good channel Sky Arts isn't it?
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Ooops read the online TV guide wrongly....its Motorhead tonight isn't it ?
Don't get to see Sky Arts much as most nights Mrs.djw has control of the Sky remote for films etc. (usually True Stories !).
I'm relegated to the " other " room with just Freeview .
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted March 3rd, 2010 01:11 AM IP
Watching it again made me realise what a rare beast it is - an intelligent well-made rock documentary. My only quibble was that it could have been two or three times longer to actually deal with the whole album in more detail, but it does a great job in the background and the Lifehouse story. It just then has to scoot through the music itself. Excellent archive materials, very good interviews with all the relevant people.
What a shame given how many people now have grown up with rock/pop as their soundtrack that we get so little good rock programming. BBC4 do a great job but it is an occasional feast.
I want MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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luther
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Posts: 5203
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted March 3rd, 2010 01:20 AM IP
I've said before, I really like some of those Classic Albums specials. Plastic Ono Band, Graceland, Transformer, Apostrophe/Overnite Sensation, and Joshua Tree are also worth seeing.
don't try so hard.
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alan
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Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted March 3rd, 2010 01:40 AM IP
Most of the first couple of series were very good. They got national tv network showings over here so i think one of them must have commisioned them to start with. It is a crying shame that the likes of VH1 have copped out so badly in coming up with intelligent programming of this sort instead of shoddily made hagiographies. What is it about most American made programmes that end up being so arse-licking towards the artists - maybe its just the big booming voice overs that always get my back up! Whoever they get to write the scripts always comes up with the same bollocks about everyone.
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alan
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Posted March 15th, 2010 02:58 AM IP
Just watched the Blur documentary on telly. Isn't it amazing how most bands go through exactly the same stages? Friendship, struggle, success, friendships go astray, drugs, alcohol, breakup, and sometimes you get the eventual reunion which either shows how much everyone has grown and offers a proper sense of closure or just throws up the same shit with bigger entourages.
Was never a big fan of theirs as i wasn't keen on his voice, but there are a few songs of theirs I really like a lot, and they do seem like good people.
My band managed to go through most of the above stages but without the success bit to really give the alcohol and drugs some bite, though i did recently find out that my bass player managed to have severe alcohol problems for years afterwards anyway.
Spent a lot of last night investigating a rather nifty function on the PS3 called Vidzone which has huge numbers of videos at your fingertips. Apart from a few current singles which i checked out to see what the youth of today was listening to, also managed to find a whole bunch of live Bruce tracks, with several collaborations - nice one with Roger McGuinn doing Turn Turn Turn and an almost fantastic version of Ghost Of Tom Joad with the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine. Almost great because after doing a pretty stunning solo the RATM guy then started doing this twattish hitting his guitar bit which just sounded stupid in the context of the song, but the rest of it was wonderful.
If you have a PS3 its well worth using rather than seeing things in miniature on You Tube,
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Rob
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Posts: 2043
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted March 15th, 2010 11:10 AM IP
I never saw the documentary, I might catch up with it on i-player some time. I did watch the Glastonbury set that was on afterwards. Thought that was great.
Have YOU been Con-Demed yet?
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zelilgirlI1ncenu
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Posts: 2437
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted March 15th, 2010 12:35 PM IP
Do any of you have Sky Arts 1? They have a great series on classic album, amongst other things. This week they were talking about Lou Reed's Transformer.
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted March 15th, 2010 02:53 PM IP
yeah, watch that quite a bit, they have loads of good stuff on, though you just have to keep an eye out for things when you are scrolling through so i probably miss lots as well.
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kenny
Member
Posts: 362
Registered: Mar 2008 |
Posted March 15th, 2010 03:50 PM IP
I've got some invites to a UK torrent site which has a lot of the BBC4 shows and various other music docs, radio and TV, available. Handy for anyone out with the UK. Drop me a pm if you want one.
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zelilgirlI1ncenu
Administrator
Posts: 2437
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted March 15th, 2010 06:11 PM IP
Quote:
alan wrote:
yeah, watch that quite a bit, they have loads of good stuff on, though you just have to keep an eye out for things when you are scrolling through so i probably miss lots as well.
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Watch out for the Scorcese 2005 documentary about Emotions and film scores, its great.
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted March 15th, 2010 08:15 PM IP
I will do - hadn't heard of it even!
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted April 14th, 2010 02:23 AM IP
Watched an excellent BBC documentary on Rufus Wainwright the other night, which was a good potted history plus a lot on his opera, which i actually liked what i heard of. Lots of chat from all the family and some fascinating early home footage which showed you what a showoff he was even as a kid.
I haven't really bothered with his stuff since Want 2 but this made me want to get back into him again, and also hear his first two albums which i have never heard.
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alan
Administrator
Posts: 7455
Registered: Aug 2007 |
Posted April 17th, 2010 03:05 AM IP
Lovely BBC4 Nick Drake tonight, with a recent concert of his music by various minor luminaries - very impressed by Harper Simon and Lisa Hannigan in particular, and Robyn Hitchcock and Teddy Thompson were also good. Danny Thompson on bass throughout was on fantastic form, and was (I think) the only person on stage who actually played with him.
Good and moving repeated documentary on him too. It's amazing how someone can have all the advantages and still come out desperately unhappy. Sometimes its just in the genes I suppose.
Later was back tonight, thought Paul Weller was excellent - his new album has been getting lots of 4 and 5 star reviews so i might even get interested again. His last one got great write ups too but i haven't bought one since Heavy Soul as they were getting a bit ploddy. Sounds energised again though.
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Rob
Member
Posts: 2043
Registered: Sep 2007 |
Posted April 17th, 2010 08:10 AM IP
Quote:
alan wrote:
Good and moving repeated documentary on him too. It's amazing how someone can have all the advantages and still come out desperately unhappy. Sometimes its just in the genes I suppose.
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Yes. I hadn't seen that documentary before, it was very well made. I liked the way the camera lingered on scenes and rooms. His mother's song that you heard her singing on that recording was beautiful also. And then there was Gabrielle Drake. The Crossroads link! Btw - Robert Kirby who did the orchestrations on Drake's (and quite a few other people's) records and who you saw there with Paul Weller in one part died not long ago also.
Have YOU been Con-Demed yet?
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