WELLYOUSAYTHAT IS ON HOLIDAY ; TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES

THE LAMB & FLAG

THE LAMB & FLAG

Down a narrow street or stumbled upon via a Covent Garden alley The Lamb & Flag is a charming olde Public House, dating back to 1623, tucked away in the bustling heart of the West End this boozer was a favourite haunt of Dickens and a site of bare knuckle fighting (not anymore though).A charming little place to stop for a pint when visiting the dubious pleasures of the West End.

MY HIT LIST: THE DOLPHINS FRED NEIL

Written and beautifully performed by Fred Neil in 1966 The Dolphins is a haunting,classic song and has been successfully covered by Al Wilson and Tim Buckley. Neil also wrote The Candy Man and Everybody’s talking. Neil famously gave up his singer/songwriter career to work with Dolphins.

http://youtu.be/b8g_j5y2OK4

Fred Neil

This old world may never change
The way it's been
And all the ways of war
Can't change it back again

I've been searchin'
For the dolphins in the sea
And sometimes I wonder
Do you ever think of me

I'm not the one to tell this world
How to get along
I only know the peace will come
When all hate is gone

I've been searchin'...

You know sometimes I think about
Saturday's child
And all about the time
When we were running wild

I've been searchin'...

This old world may never change
This world may never change
This world may never change

http://youtu.be/g5FoZYgLVmo

The Sopranos

http://youtu.be/LtU-9EMSYu0

Tim Buckley

http://youtu.be/FR-tqL2ovf8

Al Wilson

MY HIT LIST: BJORK-ARMY OF ME

Bjork- Army of me. A remarkable song a superb performance a tremendous video a unique experience from the queen of quirk

http://youtu.be/3biZkA-TNvs

Army of me Original

http://youtu.be/56s50H0UWas

Army of Me/Sucker punch

ROXY MUSIC-LOVE IS THE DRUG

http://youtu.be/0n3OepDn5GU

Superb and evocative, this Roxy Music track represents their evolution from Art Rock stylings to a more accessible sound and is as fresh today as it was all those years ago

http://youtu.be/ci9jA_4O3GI

Uncut version

The sublime sequential art of Jaime Hernandez

The work of Jaime Hernandez here:

http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/jaime-hernandez-4.html?vmcchk=1

MY HIT LIST: BEBE GLAZER

http://youtu.be/fHixbzsU9k4

Best of Bebe 1

The superb Bebe Glazer, Frasier's Lady Macbeth like Agent deliciously played by Harriet Harris. She will do anything for her clients (and her commission) and I do mean anything!

Bebe: Until today, I had no idea what a brilliant therapist your brother is. He has tunneled his way into the very depths of my psyche.
Niles: Well, let's hope he sent a canary down first

*

Bebe: Frasier, we have to talk.
Frasier: Are you aware that you are in the men's room?
Bebe: Oh, please, if I paid attention to signs with little pictures on them - I would never get a parking space

*

Gil Chesterson: How on earth did you get all that?
Bebe: Oh, we go way back, the Hammer and I. I know where the bodies are buried.
[pause]
Bebe:Usually, that's just a metaphor...

*

Bebe: Why not? All he needs is someone to suck up to him, laugh at his jokes, pretend to listen to his stories. I'm his agent, for God's sakes, that's what I do!
Frasier: You know, I believe she could pull it off.
Matt: The problem is she needs to be likable.
Frasier: Right. Do I at least get to keep the suit?

*

Frasier: What kind of a woman are you? You seduced me, you lied to me, you nearly got me killed. You've shamelessly manipulated not only me but the station, the news media, and the entire city of Seattle. What do you have to say for yourself?
Bebe: Aren't you glad I'm on your side?

*

Bebe: Darling, it's San Francisco! Do you know what life is like there for a good-looking straight man? You'll be like a Snickers bar at a fat camp!

http://youtu.be/HAg6-pl3rkc

Best of Bebe 2

GREEN LANTERN FAILS TO SHINE

As I’ve previously stated, in terms of Comic books my allegiances are with Marvel as opposed to DC when it comes to the mainstream (each their own). Over the last few years Marvel’s movie’s have been pretty good; Iron Man and Avengers in particular along with the X-Men franchise (I have yet to see the new incarnation of Spider-Man) have all been entertaining whereas DC’s output is only worth talking about in quality terms when referring to Nolan’s excellent Batman movies. Of course DC probably produced the godfather of comic book movies with Richard Donner’s Superman but that was in the seventies.

I recently watched the Green Lantern movie; it was on Sky Anytime, it was raining, I was ill on the sofa. I have to say that Hal Jordan’s alter-ego is quite an interesting character as written but this movie is quite frankly awful.

Coming from the director of Goldeneye I had reasonably high hopes for this film; those hopes were dashed early on with the interminable exposition, the shoddy CGi, the lack of anything approaching characterisation from Ryan Reynolds in the lead role. As for the villain of the piece, well let’s just say that he was a mess of overblown effects. Tim Robbins sleepwalks through the movie and Mark Strong can only have needed an injection of cash.

There is something terribly ‘Phantom Menace’ about this movie. It is loud with eye popping set pieces but still manages to be boring. Chemistry between the romantically entwined leads Reynolds and Blake Lively is non existent as is any sense of drama.

Green Lantern is an equivalant to Iron Man in terms of the characters ranking in their respective DC/Marvel Universes and as such needed to up the ante to gain followers. If DC is to produce more movies featuring their large rota of heroes, most of whom have years of stories to access, they need to do it better than this, much better.

DAVID BOWIE-BOYS KEEP SWINGING



http://youtu.be/UMhFyWEMlD4

David Bowie fuses avant garde with quirky humour and style in this interesting song that is produced with some abstraction that is absorbed to go alongside the imagery created by David Mallet.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

'with great power comes great responsibility'

In 1962 Stan Lee, ably assisted by Steve Ditko created the Amazing Spider-man; the comics industry would never be the same. In the world of the superhero capes, mysticism, aliens and fantasy held sway up to that point, with the creation of Spider-man the avid reader was introduced to an identifiable hero. Peter Parker was an average Joe; in fact he was a proto-nerd who was bullied and never got the girl. Upon being bitten by a radioactive spider all that changed.

If Batman (that other benchmark in comics) is a hard nosed vigilante who abides by the law, in the mould of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, Spider-man is the Woody Allen of Superheroes; a neurotic who uses humour to cope with the world.

Over the years he has been the glue that holds the Marvel (the company that publishes his exploits) Universe together. What Spider-man represents is the every man, the reader. A character who is always trying to do the right thing but needs to pay the bills, look after his Aunt and deal with the fact that he is to blame for his Uncle's death. Teen angst, guilt, anxiety and insecurity are all part of Spider-man's day to day experience, and it is these traits that make him identifiable to the reader.

He frequently misses paying his rent, loses the girl and ends up making bad decisions but despite all this he is heroic. What underpins that heroism is his need to make amends for the errors he made when he first gained his powers.

The Spider-man origin story is one of gain,loss and redemption and as such is as pertinent now as it was in 1962.

The fact remains that Spider-man is a mythical character that has much to say about power and responsibility. Spider-man also is a reminder that power in itself does not necessarily equate to contentment. In this respect Spider-man is far more the archetypal superhero than Superman. He is us; that's his appeal.



SAM MALONE RAPS



http://youtu.be/QxaQ9cKYQXo

"this has been just one guys opinion"

Sam Malone gets a job as a Sports broadcaster with disasterous results;

Comedy gold from Cheers

GRAYSON PERRY-A RAKES PROGRESS

Grayson Perry's latest work, The Vanity of small differences, is a set of tapestries depicting the taste of the different classes and they are incredibly rich works that are ful of detail, wit and beauty. His engaging programme on Channel 4 looks into

 his method and his inspiration; interesting stuff

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/in-the-best-possible-taste-grayson-perry/

ONE DAY IN LONDON

“You have been attacked by a monstrous enemy but you never flinched or wavered. No one ever asked for peace because London was suffering. London, like a great rhinoceros, a great hippopotamus saying “Let them do their worst. London can take it.”-Winston Churchill May 1945

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kl0yv/7_7_One_Day_in_London/

7 7 One day in london-BBC iPlayer

Remembering July 7th 2005; a day I recall vividly as a Londoner working in Camden, I am reminded that Many have tried to bring violence and terror to our City Streets before, and you know what? London can take it!