Fizzled over time? How so? Granted I didn't appreciate their lat effort, Collapse Into Now but thought Around the Sun was a quality album. I think they peaked at Automatic for the People but that doesn't mean the stuff that followed was of poor quality.
It was a joke (the 'I'll get me coat' was the tip off). They did an album called 'Out of Time'. That's all I meant by it - mild levity!
REM for me are very similar to U2 - massive band who have never made a single song that appeals to me. Could never get into either.
Fulhaman, I have the same reaction to Queen. I hear or watch them and say, "Yeah, Ok, So?" I saw REM in concert about five years ago - they were tepid on stage. Great songs, but I think Michael Stipe is so introspective, it's hard for him to get out of his head and enjoy the moment. They follows Green Day on stage - Green Day was awesome. Completely the opposite.
[video=youtube;99PwfIzMzr0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99PwfIzMzr0[/video] This evaporated much of the respect I had for Green Day.
I know, the question was aimed at DR. I've only seen REM live once, but even though Stipe and co aren't exactly the most enigmatic performers, they do have great voices for singing live. Bidley, I too saw that video when it was released, I think BJA was off his face on drugs at the time considering he entered rehab only a few days later. Apparently his set was cut short to give Usher more time, which I in no way would agree with, but his 'protest' was not the right way to go about it, bu cutting off early the only people he was disappointing was his fans. I too have lost all respect for Green Day, but mainly for the utter trash they're releasing as songs these days.
Joke of the week "QPR have a very strong team, after all they are holding the rest of the Division up." I know it's an old one, but in this case they're the best !
I know this isn't the place for it (really), but I wanted to get this off my chest without sparking off another debate about racism. There are only 4 black managers in the Football League. Sounds terrible doesn't it? But the BBC provides the following two statistics: 1) The PFA says that about 18% of players on their coaching courses are black or from ethnic minorities 2) There are 192 Uefa Pro Licence owners in England and 14 of those are black coaches By logic, you would expect that 18% of the pro licence holders would be black or from ethnic minorities. Yet the figure is 7%. Maybe the question is not about black managers and the "Rooney rule", but a question of identifying why so many black coaches start their coaching courses yet do not end up with a pro licence. Address the issue of why there are so few qualified black coaches, and manager jobs will follow. Sorry for that, after months of the racism issue I just had to get that off my chest. Another drink, anyone? EDIT: That's a good one, C58!
I remember about 20 years ago in the States, critics of the NBA pointed out that 70% of the NBA players were black, but only a tiny percentage of the managers and coaches were. So the NBA owners and top managers made a concerted and public effort to get more people of African descent involved in coaching and management. Well, the fans (mostly white) began complaining about quotas and how this move would hurt the game. But from what I remember, the effort was mostly a success. Black managers and coaches have been quite successful. Some of that's due purely to merit ( i.e., they're good), but it was also due in part to their ability to persuade top, elite black players to join their teams, both at the college level (where the serious basketball starts) and in the pros. I'm not suggesting the EPL should do the same, but I thought I'd point out that an effort to change the color of coaching and management has been tried successfully in the past.
It wasn't long ago that there was one or no black managers in the Football League, so progress is being made.
Changing the subject for a moment, for all you Dempsey haters our there, he somehow managed to miss a penalty that would have forced extra time in Tottenham's league cup game vs Norwich. That's not the way to endear yourself to your new team. Over the years, I've seen him take 4 penalties, three of which he's missed. Why he continues to take penalties is beyond me.
Well, he took penalties for us because he was our attacking star. But he has never taken a good penalty and I always cringed when he stepped up to the spot. He's a very good player but he should stay away from taking penalties. That has always been the case and Spurs paid the price for not checking his history in that regard.
Saw the new Bond film last night ... it was good. Better than Quantum of Solace, but not as good as Casino Royal (to me, the best since Sean Connery stepped out of the role.) It's got good new material, but it's also a fun trip down memory lane. Javier Bardem projects weird and dangerous like nobody else. I think I've seen all of them except four - three of the Pierce Brosnan.
I thought Skyfall was better than Casino Royale. Up till now I've thought the Craig films have been good (and him good in them) but they just haven't felt like Bond films. There's a sense of fun that's been missing. I think Skyfall puts that right and is Craig's best so far. The Brosnan ones are all good apart from Die Another Day which is simply dreadful. I think Goldeneye is up there with the best of the non-Connery films. Mrs Captain is quite a Bond expert and she thought Skyfall was excellent too. She predicted the major thing at the end (which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen the film; if you've seen it, you'll know the one I mean) and was very pleased with herself.
I have yet to see it, so no spoilers please Captain. I'm a huge Bond enthusiast but my best friend wants me to see it with him, and I wouldn't hear the end of it if I saw it beforehand, so the wait continues. Casino Royale is up there with the best Bond films, which includes the likes of Goldfiner, GoldenEye and (personal favorite) The Living Daylights. Dalton is my favorite Bond, which doesn't get as many nods of approval as one might think. Has anyone watched Looper?
