What? Try God give me strength by EC and Burt Bacharach and think again Bloke has a unique voice of course he can sing
I have that record. He’s a very average singer, in my view. Or, perhaps I just don’t like his voice. Though it works very well on I Want You. Great songwriter though.
Had the pleasure of watching Van Morrison and Robert Plant double bill at BluesFest (both doing complete 90 minute sets). Can’t say I have been a great Van Morrison fan but I’m always open to influences. I was impressed. A mellow 90 minutes (as my good lady said ... you could close your eyes and be taken away with the music and the voice). As you would expect surrounded by a tight band with some well known and new songs. At the end of his set I was impressed and enjoyed his music more than i expected. A 25 minute break and a £7 pint in hand I was ready to cross off a bucket list item. I was never fortunate enough to see Led Zep ... this would be the closest I could ever get. I was not disappointed. Robert Plant, at 70, was still able to belt out the songs with that amazing voice of his. A few numbers from his Carry The Fire album interspersed with a few Led Zep numbers and the addition of some traditional blues numbers was perfect. As the intro to Kashmir started there was a lump in my throat - I never thought I would be able to hear Robert Plants unique and incredible voice to this beautiful song - and he did it perfectly for me. His set was all I could have wished for and plenty more. His Sensational Space Shifter band we’re highly talented (and I booked to see Seth Lakeman the very next day). I would highly recommend seeing RP live given any opportunity, even at his stately age he still has that unique voice and ability to transport you to the highest place with a perfect blend of music and voice. Better than a 10 out of 10 for me!
Watched 3 hours of the epic train journey that is The Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin shown on BBC4 last night, it was quiet mesmerising at times just watching mile after mile of straight railway track crossing the burnt red land of central Australia, interspersed with snipets of information about the route and the building of the track. The train is half a mile long and it takes 54 hours to complete the journey including stops in Alice Springs and a couple of other places for cleaning and restocking water etc, and was only finished in 2004 having used over 2 million concrete railway sleepers, it is some feat of engineering. It was almost like watching an Art House Film and is probably on BBC IPlayer by now.......
That reminds me of a program I watched on BBC4 last Christmas, where a Sami native and his reindeer spent two hours driving across Lapland, with no commentary, no music, no sounds except the swishing of snow as the sledge ploughed through and the occassional "ding" of the reindeers bell - strangely hypnotic.....think I had slaughtered a good bottle of port prior to watching though, which probably helped!
I’ve done that trip, 30 years ago, not in one go and not on the train, combination of buses and hitching. It’s actually ****ing boring.
No response to the above, so I guess no one saw it. I really recommend you do watch it.... https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bqn4g3/inside-no-9-live-dead-line ….and bear in mind it went out live.
Watched it, thought my TV was on the blink at first with the sound issues, then it became apparent it was all part of the plot - very clever, and a bit confusing in places!
I've been watching a fascinating documentary on BBC2 for the last two weeks, documenting the last 100 days of WW1. Using archive footage, and reconstructions based on letters and stories from those involved in the conflicts, and input from military historians from the countries involved. Must have been terrifying to be on the front line - well worth a watch if you've got a couple of hours to spare..... 100 Days to Victory, Series 1: Episode 1: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bpq8q6 via @bbciplayer 100 Days to Victory, Series 1: 2. The Fightback: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bq0d4b via @bbciplayer
I saw the first one and thought it was excellent. Well balanced, well paced and suitably harrowing. I will watch the second episode in due course.
4 Way Grill from Lidl’s in France €43 all in Cheese on toast ... UK vintage mature Up your arse Comte, Roquefort and The Brie ****e
****ing hell, Killing Eve is still going on. I enjoyed the first couple of episodes, it’s got a wicked edge to it, but having missed a few weekends away I’m amazed that it’s dragging on. A three parter at most I would have thought.
It's eight episodes - and another series commissioned already I think - certainly finishes leaving you wanting more....we binge watched it in two days after episode 1 aired (can't be arsed being drip-fed a program if it's all available in one go). Really enjoyed it though, dark, gritty with good humour
Anyone watch Little Drummer Girl last week? The first episode was a little slow, I thought, but intriguing enough to make me want to stick with it. Some excellent performances.
I saw episodes 1,2 and 8. It was very good, funny and no pretence at being ‘real’, but to be honest Episode 8 wasn’t too different to episode 1, bit overstretched for me. I rarely binge watch anything, expect on planes. I’ve read most of le Carre’s books, which are very variable, ranging from near perfect to much less than that. This one not too bad, but not one of my favourites. Slow is what he does best, it’s a dying art. The Alec Guinness Smiley was my favourite TV version by a mile, precisely because it took its time. But the best screen attempt was the Spy Who Came in from the Cold, with Richard Burton, outstanding and his best book too from my perspective. Didn’t watch The Night Manager because the book was a bit ridiculous. I’ve also read a biography of le Carre, who seems a bit of an irritating tit in real life. His position on the fatwa on Rushdie was just bizarre.
I really enjoyed The Night Manager, Hugh Laurie & Tom Hiddleston were brilliant, but totally outshone by Tom Hollanders' performance IMO
My challenge is that there is simply too much to watch so I end up watching very little and most of that on ‘live’ TV. But any le Carre adaptation, unless it’s done by a total ****wit, is likely to be at least above average.
Whereas I don't really watch "live" TV, I spend a lot of time away from home with work every week, so a binge session enables me to spend time with Mrs SM and watch some decent TV on the couch together.........
Typical U.K. media imo A drama series on TV is now deemed a major event I see only empty lives Blame has to rest with shows like casualty and before that the dross of neighbours These series today try and be too clever and have diluted what the word drama should be imo. For me David Lynch did this stuff correctly bizarre v real offset with stupidity and comedy... a true reference and blend for a story in visual/sound communication ... something that we all crave for
