Off Topic The Review Thread

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
sb_73 said:
Just heard the first part of a radio 4 programme where a singer, Elvis Costello in this case, talks about his/her work and plays a few songs. In a previous episode they had Randy Newman, who was brilliant, very funny, self deprecating and played perfect versions of his songs.

Elvis, however, was a huge disappointment. I have way too many of his records, and think he is a genius songwriter. But I have never really liked his voice, a nasal false American accented drone. He was trying to talk in a humorous, humble way but came over as anything but humble. Plus he really can’t sing very well at all, my wife was wincing through a version of Accidents Will Happen which was horribly flat. He was accompanied by Steve Nieve though, who is clearly a great pianist and must have the patience of a saint.

Pity.
Click to expand...

What?
Try God give me strength by EC and Burt Bacharach and think again
Bloke has a unique voice of course he can sing
 
DT’s Socks said:
What?
Try God give me strength by EC and Burt Bacharach and think again
Bloke has a unique voice of course he can sing
Click to expand...
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!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Steelmonkey, QPR999, kiwiqpr and 2 others
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.......
 
  • Like
Reactions: Steelmonkey
Tramore Ranger said:
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.......
Click to expand...

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!
 
  • Like
Reactions: kiwiqpr and Tramore Ranger
Tramore Ranger said:
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.......
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tramore Ranger
  • Like
Reactions: Stroller
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
 
  • Like
Reactions: kiwiqpr, QPR999 and KooPeeArr
Steelmonkey said:
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
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Steelmonkey
****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.
 
sb_73 said:
****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.
Click to expand...

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
 
  • Like
Reactions: kiwiqpr and SW Ranger
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.
 
Steelmonkey said:
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
Click to expand...
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.
Stroller said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Steelmonkey and Stroller
sb_73 said:
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.
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed The Night Manager, Hugh Laurie & Tom Hiddleston were brilliant, but totally outshone by Tom Hollanders' performance IMO
 
  • Like
Reactions: sb_73
Steelmonkey said:
I really enjoyed The Night Manager, Hugh Laurie & Tom Hiddleston were brilliant, but totally outshone by Tom Hollanders' performance IMO
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Steelmonkey
sb_73 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.........
 
  • Like
Reactions: kiwiqpr, SW Ranger and sb_73
sb_73 said:
****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.
Click to expand...

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
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back