Passion vs Perfection in music

Quite often, my favourite songs from an artist or a band are their early ones where the enthusiasm and excitement comes across. As an example, listen to '5 colours' from McFly and compare it with their later recordings which are very good but less exciting.



Going way back, other examples include Cliff Richard and David Essex. An exception to this is Queen whose synergy grew to the heights of unparalleled entertainment, both visually and musically. Many 'entertainers' have tried, including Elton John and Robbie Williams, but none have come close (in my opinion) to those four talented people in a harmonious direction.

Except, perhaps, The Beatles with their song-writing talents and harmonies, who exempted themselves by shifting their style (and possibly the LSD was a factor in that). But, unlike Queen, The Beatles were talented people with ambitions in different musical directions.

And the other exception: the constantly shape-shifting David Bowie.

This theory is more difficult to prove for 'mentored' artists but if we think back to the X-factor final between Joe McElderry with a perfect voice that won him the competition and Olly Murs whose voice was good and gave him in second place - who really won? Olly Murs had the energy and obvious enjoyment of performing for his audience and is as popular as Joe McElderry is obscure - thus illustrating that passion beats perfection.

Beebopalula

Doctor Who's Birthdays

A truly random post. Here is a list of Doctor Who's birthdays - well, the birthdays of all the actors who have been Doctor Who. Might be handy in some sort of weird quiz!

• 8 January 1908 - William Hartnell (Capricorn)
• 20 January 1934 - Tom Baker (Capricorn)
• 22 January 1940 - John Hurt (Aquarius)
• 16 February 1964 - Christopher Eccleston (Aquarius)
• 25 March 1920 - Patrick Troughton (Aries)
• 13 April 1951 - Peter Davison (Aries)
• 14 April 1958 - Peter Capaldi (Aries)
• 18 April 1971 - David Tennant (Aries)
• 26 May 1913 - Peter Cushing (Gemini)
• 8 June 1943 - Colin Baker (Gemini)
• 7 July 1919 - Jon Pertwee (Cancer)
• 20 August 1943 - Sylvester McCoy (Leo)
• 28 October 1982 - Matt Smith (Scorpio)
• 14 November 1959 - Paul McGann (Scorpio)

Additional Comic Relief Doctors* not included!
*Rowan Atkinson, Richard E Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant & Joanna Lumley.

3BPs

How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?

I've just discovered this song from 1929 - link to info and lyrics

Written by Blind Alfred Reed, here is the original:



There have been several covers, including from Ry Cooder and my personal favourite, at a live performance in London in 2006, a powerful rendition by Bruce Springsteen. 

 

Comments welcome :-) 

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

Beebopalula...

♪ ♫ I think It's Going To Work Out Fine.

Everyone I've spoken to lately is stressed or depressed. Maybe the weather, their health, their job or the cost of living is the underlying cause - I can do nothing about that but if you close your eyes and listen to "I think it's going to work out fine" by Ry Cooder, really listen, it is calming and then uplifting. Enjoy.

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision 

Beebopalula...

School = Prison

I heard a news report about a high number of teenagers being depressed and it doesn't take a genius to understand why. Parents are forced to send their children to school to complete a minimum of 13 years in an institution where parents and kids have very little say.

School is just like an open prison where children have to follow rules without question. There is often bullying by teachers and other inmates -er, pupils- and sentences are not commuted for good behaviour. These kids have done nothing wrong and not even had a trial - so much for living in a 'free' country.

Here's the shocker... some teenagers hate school and this leads to depression and aggression. Earlier generations could leave school at 14, 15 or 16 but now it's 18 and the reasons for this are not improved education but political convenience. No wonder that some teenagers feel that the only control they have over their lives is the power to end it.

Flexing yet more power, authorities are now punishing parents with hefty fines for deciding that two weeks of quality family time is important. This is not about the child's education, it's a spiteful reaction to stop people stepping out of line.

During a discussion regarding discretionary term-time holidays, a councillor from Leeds on Breakfast TV nullified her argument by asking What if 20 people wanted to take their child out of a class in the same week? Reverting to discussions between parents and head-teacher would ensure that such occasions are managed properly and work can be made up, as it has to be if a child is off sick or suspended.

And, oh joy, we are exporting our education system to third world countries in the same way our ancestors exported religion. I think we need a re-think.

Mum
(who never took a child out of school)

Celebrating Celts

The Scots seems to condense all their celebrations to an eight week window each winter.

• St Andrew's Day - 30th November
• Hogmanay - 31st December
• Burns Night - 25th January

On these three dates, the kilts get an airing and glorious tartans be-deck the globe across all continents. Andy Stewart can be heard asking "Donald, Where's Your Troosers?" and bag-pipes are allowed in public for a few refrains of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace. (To be fair, they are also heard at other events north of the border, such as the Edinburgh Tattoo.)

There is a structure to Burns Night with the piping in of Haggis, a spicy savoury dish of mutton and oatmeal and reading of some of Burns' works. By contrast to formal events, there are parties in pubs and restaurants where 'Jimmy' hats and Scotch whisky are more in abundance!

Moving on to the Irish... It's warmed up a bit by 17th March when everything is beginning to turn green, not just the shamrock-coloured revellers' attire and their St Patrick's Day after-party pallor from Guinness and Irish whiskey, but the leaves on the trees as we approach the vernal equinox.

TV should be good that evening, possibly re-runs of Father Ted, My Hero and Mrs Brown's Boys. The next day, Paddy McGinty's Goat will graze on the luscious spring grass, digesting accompaniments of left-over party hats, banners and green balloons as Danny Boy can be heard endlessly in the distance.

That's addressed my Scottish & Irish relatives - now to squeeze in something for the Welsh ones: St David's Day is on March 1st but all we do is wear a daffodil or, worse, a leek! And finally, the English - St George's Day is on April 23rd but English patriotism creates bad feeling unless we're playing football. Mad world.

Bee

Film Reviews: Action & Comedy Genres

In 2014, so far, I've watched these films:

• About Time
• Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
• Iron Man Three
• Man Of Steel
• Red 2
• The Hangover Part III
• The Internship
• The World's End
• We're The Millers

About Time is based in London and Cornwall. It's the story of nice middle class family, headed up by Bill Nighy's character who passes on a secret to his son. This is where the film declares itself to be charmingly silly rather than sinister... the men in the family can travel back in time for a do-over, by hiding in a dark cupboard, clenching fists and concentrating on the time and place to be visited, which has to be within their own timeline.
Summary: a little bit of sadness and a lot of laughs. Excellent casting by a 'Withnail' and 'Uncle Monty' fan? Nighy was brilliant.

Alpha Papa is as good as the Alan Partridge TV series so if you are a fan, you will like it. I thought it was quite good.

Iron Man Three had a few moments of over-doing the destruction of Tony Stark's house otherwise the film was first-rate, with the usual brand of humour and Stan Lee cameo. Overly long credits worth sitting through for the post-credit scene with... well, you'll find out if you stick with it.

The story, casting and Superman's costume in Man Of Steel are great. Enjoyable until the battle between Kal-El and General Zod gets out of hand and destroys every building within three miles then has to step up so half the Earth gets destroyed (I'm not sure really because after what seemed like hours of samey fighting and simulated destruction, my mind had wandered). It ended well, though. Does Superman look a bit like Andy Murray?

Red 2 seemed very similar to the original but never mind because it was played for laughs all the way. Special mention to Helen Mirren's performance - she surely had some of the best lines in the film and delivered them brilliantly.

The Hangover Part III was missing a hangover!!! A more mature approach from most of the cast and a funny film that seemed to underline the message 'no more hangover sequels'.

I only saw half of The Internship but I was really getting into it and will have to watch it again, to the end. It's about two experienced out-of-work sales guys who fluke their way onto an Internship challenge at Google. Formulaic but fun.

The World's End was quite good. I will need to watch it again but on DVD so that I can pause to fully recognise parts of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City. Weird ending.

We're The Millers was a bit of fun. A grittier start for Jennifer Aniston who plays a stripper who then, as the film progresses, turns back into the typical sweet caring Jennifer Aniston character we're used to. A 'real life Ned Flanders' and his family adds to the comedy. Entertaining - definitely on the winding-down watch-list.

BP2

Flying with Hagrid

I sat next to Hagrid on a 7.5 hour overnight flight with Virgin Atlantic - and the aircraft designers really didn't consider him during their calculations.

Of course it wasn't really Hagrid, it was a young man of rugby player stature: 6'2" tall with huge chest and thighs. His knees touched the back of the seat in front of him but when the person in that seat decided to recline it to sleep, Hagrid had to splay his legs to either side of the recliner, one knee poking into the aisle and the other hogging part of my space.

Another knock-on effect of this was that his thighs were then forcing the arm rests up which, in turn, prevented the tables folding down properly... really, did nobody test this?

He didn't grumble though. Probably thought it was more comfortable than a broomstick.

BP2