The Lion In Winter

I've been re-listening to this splendid curio...

 

(Paul Bryan was really Sérgio Sá - some context here.)

I enjoyed "The Looking Glass War". I think I'll keep on my John Le Carré kick for a while longer. But right now I am re-reading:

I'm still diggin' this:

I re-watched "The Story Of Fire Saga":

Hooray for benign, silly fun in these grim times. The New Yorker film reviewer was a bit sniffy about it. Meanwhile my pal's daughters watched it every day for a fortnight. My favourite scene? The Song-A-Long, of course!

Speaking of benign, silly fun, a wee touch of Laurel & Hardy - specifically "Another Fine Mess" (1930) - is always good for what ails you:

"Inside The Brudenhof"  is a grimly fascinating documentary. I guess one person's Utopia is another person's Dystopia.

Speaking of grimly fascinating, I watched Keith (Allen) Meets Keith (Floyd) on youtube. Floyd's last TV appearance. Not uplifting viewing. Frail and in poor health, he reportedly died of a heart attack the same night it was broadcast. 

I'll remember Floyd in happier, more locquacious times:

"Cooking is an art and patience a virtue. Careful shopping, fresh ingredients and an unhurried approach are nearly all you need. There is one more thing - love. Love for food and love for those you invite to your table. With a combination of these things you can be an artist"

On that note I can exclusively reveal my top secret Lemon Cheesecake recipe.

Farewell, my dear Hector.

Sita Cooper

So with regard to 'the dog' mentioned in my last post, meet Sita - the Romanian Rescue Pup. So far she can both sit and perform a half-hearted Tommy Cooper impersonation:

What else is new?

My mild Keith Floyd obsession continues, to wit I gobbled up (not literally) David Pritchard's "Shooting The Cook". 

(Worth it solely for the author's tale of being stuck in a Florida swamp without a paddle, between a rock (a psychotic Vietnam vet) and a hard place (alligators) as the sun begins to set. The perils of Floyd TV show reconnaissance missions.)

I remember many yonks ago during a UK tour Teenage Fanclub had a night off in Brighton. We were staying in a seafront hotel and some of us were having a drink in the bar when I noticed a man and woman over by the wall in the half light having a meal together. The man had his back to us but still seemed somehow familiar, radiating charisma. Presence. What Del Trotter might call a certain Je Ne Sais De Vivre. I could tell it was him! (Floyd, not Del Trotter). 

Reader, I didn't bug him. For what does it profit a man to annoy another man (with a difficult relationship with fame and its trappings) who is potentially wining and dining his next ex-wife when the first man doesn't really have anything to say except, "It's you isn't it?", or something like that. Here endeth the anecdote.

I've been reading a little bit of Jeeves & Wooster:

I pondered. It was a tough problem.

'How would it be-?' I said.

'That's no good.'

'Only a suggestion,' I said.

'How does it look?'

'Yes, sir.'

A bit cryptic, but I let it go.

I'm now reading Jason Lute's excellent "Berlin" (I wonder what other graphic novels might I enjoy?) and also this:

I am digging Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

I dug Rockfield: The Studio At The Farm.

Jamie Oliver's easy quesadillas worked for me:

...and so did Buddy Oliver's easy flatbreads:

If any of us need reminding of how nasty Covid 19 can be or how humblingly amazing care-workers are the world over, "Surviving The Virus: My Brother And Me" is worth watching.

I provided some music for the BBC TWO documentary "The Trial Of Alex Salmond" - though I haven't seen the final cut. I'll be watching at 11.30pm on Tuesday 18th August.

I've been composing some speculative Trailer music. And there's another TV documentary in the works that I can't tell you about.

And that, as they say, is your whack.

Get the kettle on, Shirley...

Merry Christmas, Coronation Street

I noticed that Nicola Sturgeon followed me on Twitter a while ago when she "liked" a painting by Lowry that I had retweeted. Hannah Currie noticed that Nicola Sturgeon followed me. Hannah Currie - with producer Beth Allan - made a BAFTA Scotland-winning documentary called "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore". I provided the music (except for the song at the end by Withered Hand).

Hannah said she would love it if Nicola saw her film. I know the First Minister is busy running a country in the midst of a global pandemic, but she does seem to make time in her life for a bit of culture, promoting reading lists and what not. Whether she has time to interact with every message that comes her way is another matter, of course. I sent her 'a DM' (me and the zeitgeist are like that) with a link to the film. Hannah tweeted that she hoped Nicola would watch the film. Here is a screenshot from Hannah's phone:

"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" recently got an airing on BBC Scotland and it's an excellent way to spend 12 minutes. If you haven't seen it - here's the link.

If you can't access i-player, for now here's the trailer:



I finished State Of Happiness. I liked it.

I am re-watching the first series of Ghosts. Splendid, silly fun.

Roll on Series 2.

I enjoyed Nico's Menu Mission on BBC Scotland.

Once Upon A Time In Iraq is compelling viewing.

I liked this BBC Radio 4 doc about Mendelssohn's Octet.

I read and enjoyed "Out Of The Frying Pan", Keith Floyd's first autobiography (having read his second one few weeks ago).

What a life. I'm glad I wasn't married to the old rascal but I think I would sit him across from Billy Connolly at my Fantasy Dinner Party. I am still making my way though his various TV series; my nostalgic, televisual equivalent to comfort eating in these troubled times. I'm currently on "Floyd On Africa". Yes I've seen the bit with the emus.

I'm now reading this:

Oh, here's a bluegrass cover of my sole Teenage Fanclub co-write:

You are onboard with Laura Cantrell's new recording project right?

When children get their hands on their mother's phone, knowing full well that their father doesn't like goat's cheese:

In unrelated news it looks like we've gone and got a dog (!). She's beautiful but very timid and could use a bath. Early days. Wish us luck.

Tinkety-tonk!

Jaja Ding Dong

So farewell then, Ennio.

photo by
Roberto Granatiero

Cinema Paradiso was my Morricone epiphany. I saw it by accident (in 1989?) at the Glasgow Film Theatre, back in the daze of my student days. (I thought I was going to see The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover - which I've still never seen - but I managed to get my dates wrong. D'oh.) The curtains opened on some Italian film or other. With subtitles! Oh well I'm here now...

On the subject of brilliant compos... I was glad to work on the music for "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore". It's a jewel of a film. A short BAFTA Scotland-winning documentary made by Hannah Currie and Beth Allan.

It recently got an outing on BBC Scotland so you can play BBC i-player catch-up here.

"Priest School" (featuring my music) was on BBC TWO recently. (Yay!) A great project with which to be involved...

A trainee priest yesterday.

...Seminarians playing football, drinking negronis on balconies and praying an' that. Beautifully shot. Here's the link.

Episode 4 of State Of Happiness but! Am-I-right?!?

Thumbs up for this Radio 4 doc about Sheku Kanneh-Mason rehearsing Elgar's Cello Concerto.

Also Ep1 of Being Beethoven. Ludwig was a far cry from being a happy bunny.

If you grooved to The Story Of Fire Saga as much as me (this song in particular (context helps)), you might dig this article.

Oh! I watched ABBA: The Movie...

...Twas a hoot. No one - and I mean no one - can carry off blue eye shadow like Agnetha Fältskog.

Just remembered - I reckon this was me trying to write a melody with Morricone in mind.

In other news - I have no other news.

Tinkety-tonk, old fruit, and down with the Nazis...

It's July

Tchaikovsky wrote 12 x piano pieces - January, February, March etc. - collectively entitled "The Seasons". One wag wrote in to Radio 3 a while ago to wonder why it wasn't called "The Months" instead. Good question.

Here's one wee cure for the lockdown blues:

Yes - I liked it. Guilty as charged! Slap the cuffs on! In fact it's led me to a minor obsession with ABBA. I had them on my out-for-a-wee-run spotify playlist and even managed an extra lap of the local pond because Does Your Mother Know came on.

Other stuff I have been liking:

State Of Happiness...

This repeated Alan Bennett Diaries doc;

All 6 x episodes of "Billy And Us";

A short story by Elizabeth Taylor called "Taking Mother Out";

This song by Amy Allison:

And I keep dipping back into Tom Lubbock's "Great Works: 50 Paintings Explored". I know so very little about art. I wish Tom was still with us in order to share more brilliant insights.

What else?

Oh! This short BAFTA Scotland-winning film is on BBC Scotland on Monday 6th July at 11.45pm:



It's a gem. I was glad to help on the music.

I'd like to share some Teenage Fanclub news......but I can't.

See ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya.... x

"I love this album to the point of madness"

Tim Burgess is the saviour of Twitter and the Lockdown Blues. His communal online listening parties are brilliant; making us groove to albums from start to finish - just like the old days - while sharing our memories and enthusiasm. Very positive happenings.

I loved the two Dexy's Midnight Runners parties ("Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" and "Too-Rye-Ay"), and the one for Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out Of This Country" (naturally).

Last night (as I type) it was the turn of Laura Cantrell's "Not The Tremblin' Kind" which still sounds bloody great 20 years after release (on a certain DIY label out of Glasgow, Bonnie Scotland).

Bob Harris and Andy Kershaw played NTTK on national radio here, but the late great John Peel was a huge champion, declaring it:

 "My favourite album of the last 10 years and possibly my life".

I was looking through old faded radio reports of yore and came across another transcribed recommendation from JP:

"I love this album to the point of madness". 

Here's a postcard Peel sent to the Shoeshine Records HQ. He'd bought 14 x copies of NTTK and was wondering when Laura would release the follow up:

In other news I am digging the new Bob album. This is my current favourite (those wee tantalising harmonica breaks!).

I recommend this:

If you haven't read the original gem of a book I would say maybe try and read it first:

"Punk Rock Boy" is the song I contributed to Juniper's debut album. Incidentally Joff Winterhart's band Bucky have a track on Juniper's album too. Small world but I wouldn't like to paint it.

One episode down of "State Of Happiness" and I am ready for Episode 2:

I thought Joe Wicks was very likeable on Desert Island Discs.

And a wee reminder that if the good lord's willing and the creeks don't rise, we might see some of you on the road next year:

"He's at it again, God"

All being well...

Ticket/info - www.teenagefanclub.com

I am pitching for a couple of composer gigs. Wish me the proverbial.

Oh and I've joined the Ebow club ("Neeeeeeeeee.........!")...

An Ebow earlier today.

I am really enjoying Billy And Us.

Episode 4 on religion had some great archive footage.

I went through Keith Floyd's autobiography like a hot knife through salted garlic butter. I've now ordered his other autobiography...

Here's a new Bob Dylan interview (!)

New Bob album imminent!

"Good news in today’s world is like a fugitive, treated like a hoodlum and put on the run. Castigated."

Amen, Bob.

I thought The Salisbury Poisonings was great, moving TV. That funeral scene.

I've been to too many funerals.

Last week I attended my first online memorial service. When I was 8 or 9 years old Nigel lived across the avenue, the youngest of three brothers. I was a few months older. He didn't go to my school but I can clearly remember his first day at Mrs Sally's kindergarten in Kylepark in Uddingston, Lanarkshire in what must have been 1974. A navy blue top, a mop of blonde hair and a car or truck that he was excited about.

I remember watching Top Of The Pops at Nigel's house: XTC and Sham 69. Nigel got very excited when Jimmy Pursey mimed beating the floor tom with his hands.

I reckon I bought The Stranglers "The Raven" because of Nigel. He thought the title of The Sex Pistols debut album was hilarious. They had a cat called Tiger and a garden pond with frogs. We moved house and I only bumped in to Nigel now and again over the years. His brother Alan came to my gig in Newcastle earlier this year and we caught up. A few weeks later he dropped me a line to said Nigel had passed away. Shocking and sad.

Apparently Nigel's hero had been Keith Floyd. His dog was named Duchess after The Stranglers song; he'd seen them live in 1981 at Glasgow Apollo. He must have been 10 years old at the time (!). Nigel liked good food and wine (but not from the supermarket). He wasn't materialistic.  He could drive but never had a car. They played Brian Wilson "Love And Mercy" during the ceremony.

The humanist minister told a story about Nigel having a holiday in France and visiting various vineyards and taking some nice wine back home. His companion hung on to their wine but Nigel drank his. I suppose, as Brian Wilson once sang, Life Is For Living - and Nigel would have agreed.