Currently Enjoying

HIPPIES by Arthur Mathews
I only recently got hold of this DVD after hearing/reading everyone's opinion of it.....eh, BAD AND BAD!! This was the equivalent of 'Joey' following 'Friends' or 'Green green grass' following 'Only fools and horses' except the shows just mentioned were in fact spin-off's ('Hippies' is not) and THEY WERE SHITE!! ('Hippies' certainly is not!!). But yes this was the much touted first comedy come-back for Graham and Arthur since 'Father Ted' had finished back in 1998 and as such was doomed from the start. And though Graham, Arthur and Geoffrey Perkins discussed the project long and hard, Graham decided to step aside which left Arthur as sole writer for the one and only series which was broadcast on BBC2 from 12th of November to 17th of December 1999. And personally I think it's wonderful.....!! Full of classic 'Arthur-isms' for me ('World Of Sandpaper' exhibitions, Holes in the walls, Simon Pegg falling a lot!!). The cast is stellar as always. A wonderfully Pudgy-Pegg, gorgeous Sally Phillips (Smack the pony, Alan Partridge) and the wonderfully 'Peter Wyngarde-esque' performance of Julian Rhind-Tutt. Making up the quartet of performers is the cyclop-tic Darren Boyd who plays a hapless lurker and adds another ounce of farce to the already copious amounts laid on. I watched the criminally small amount of 6 episodes in one sitting and it flew through (always a good sign) but I was then even more delighted to hear dear old Kevin Eldon on the first episode commentary!! It's great value and great entertainment and is a perfect example of the 'other side' of co-writing one of the greatest sit-coms of all time. Whatever you do after 'Ted' will be measured by that GINORMOUS yard-stick but thank God for DVD re-issues.....we can all enjoy this lost comedy gem now whenever we please!! Just go out and buy it.....NOW!!
MICHAEL PENN - Try.....
I first heard Michael Penn on my little transistor radio lying in bed at about 4a.m in 1989. "Romeo in black jeans, romeo in black jeans.. remember that Thomas, remember that", is how I fell asleep that night as the stupid DJ forgot to mention who he'd just played!! Thus began a 17 year love of a true, pure GENIUS of a man, songsmith, poet. An immense influence on my writing since I began all this silliness, I cannot tell you how emotional I got when the man himself got in touch with me recently to say some very beautiful things as regards my work.....YES........ME!! I've been obsessed by Michael's track "Try" over the last 2 weeks (Even though "Comfort" also from 1997's Resigned L.P is as close to blisstonia in pop as a song will ever get - EVER!!). "Try" has one of the best videos ever made for one of the best songs ever written - Enjoy!! TW.xx
THE BEATLES - LOVE. (4-track sampler)
OH MY HEAVENLY GOOD GOD.....!!!!! Why oh why do we doubt the people in charge of the greatest archive of music ever recorded? Granted, E.M.I et-all have been incredibly slow off the mark on the 5.1/re-issue end of things as regards the Fabs and the fact that most of the original late eighties C.Ds are still full price and really really flimsy on the packaging is a real cause for concern and anger amongst us Fab-Fans but..... Firstly they did the unthinkable with "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" but boy oh boy did they pull that off with consumate ease and sheer emotional beauty but what we are all about to experience in the next month or so is TRULY INCREDIBLE!!!!! We all know the story behind the "Cirque Du Soleil" troupe and their Vegas stage presentation of the story of The Fabs called "Love" but I really don't think anything will prepare you for what George and his son Giles Martin have created with the accompanying record??!! I CRIED LIKE A BABY after hearing the 4-track sampler.....!! It starts off with "Strawberry Fields Forever", merging the original demo-like first take with the phenomenal early band-take then taking it into the STRATOSPHERE with an outro that will melt your very soul......!! I'm serious. There's "Sgt. Pepper", "In my Life", "Penny Lane", "Piggies" and then "Hello Goodbye" all in there.....Absolutely stunning!! Track 2, "Octopuss's Garden" is as good if not better!! Beginning with Ringo singing his famous opening lines of "Octo....." over the strings intro of "Goodnight" then bursting into the track with the intro drum-fill from "Mean Mr. Mustard"......Ahhhhhhh KILLER IT IS!! Track 3 is "Lady Madonna" and your head will be swimming with "What's that bit" etc, etc with this one but the mashing up of "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" and "Hey Bulldog" is sensational. The final song on the sampler, Track 4, is incredibly emotional and dare I say it or care about the charts, but it could be the BIGGEST ever Beatles hit if it was released!! It's simply George's haunting acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with what can only be described as possibly George Martin's greatest EVER string arrangement sitting on top of the track like it was ALWAYS supposed to be there.....UN-REAL my Pug-mates!! They've done it again my friends, they've proved beyond ANY reasonable doubt that they are still, 35 years after they split up, the yardstick by which we ALL have too measure up to. LOVE..........TW.xx
THE IDLE RACE.....
As everyone who knows me will attest too, I would gladly let Jeff Lynne hit me in the gonads with a ball-pein hammer as it would mean meeting the guy!! He has been a soundtrack to my entire life from my earliest life memories up to now, with the latest re-issues in the E.L.O re-masters series just hitting the shops. All you need to know about those c.ds and everything else Jeff related is at the "Face The Music" website on our links page. The main man behind the Jeff Lynne catalogue being so beautifully and lovingly preserved is Rob Caiger. Rob has become a Pug-fan of late and recently got in touch to say that he sent a copy of "Jollity" off to Jeff!! To know he has my latest record makes me reach for the "anti-panic-attack-pills" Thanks Rob!! Back to the story.... The Idle Race are a huge and mainly forgotten period in Jeff's career but with the imminent release of a "5 C.D Box-Set" of.....well.....basically everything, the whole world will be able to wallow in a level of innocent pop tune-smithery that Jeff left in 1970. That's not to say that he got worse GOD NO but for the "Liberty" label to sign "The Idle Race" up in 1967 was a stroke of genius and history. So many artists arrive in their mid to late twenties but back in the mid-sixties labels were snapping up talent in it's very rawest form. "The Bee Gees" (First hits at 10/12) "The Move" (Roy Wood's first hit at 17) "Spencer Davis Group" (Steve Winwood singing Keep On Runnin' at 16) "The Kinks" (Ray writing classics in his teens and Dave inventing Heavy Metal at 16!!).....the list is endless and stunning!! Add "The Idle Race" to that list when the box-set hits the shelves in the next 6 months, you won't be dissapointed..... "Follow me follow..follow me to far away....." Thomas.
FRASIER.....
It took me a while to relax and let Frasier, Niles, Marty, Daphne, Roz and of course Eddie enter my mind in the way that fans and critics a-like have, but MY GOD this programme, even when it's on auto-pilot (Which is rarely to be fair) is head and shoulders above the majority of what's regarded as great in the world of sit-com!! Incredibly well-written, superbly acted with a support cast that could have spin-off after spin-off. The Paramount Comedy channel went free to air here in the Irish Republic this year and it's the main reason I've caught up on so much Frasier in the last 6 months. I'm a better person for it....."Hey baby I hear the blues a callin' toss salad and scrambled eggs....." TW.xx
Eric Matthews - Arrival and Departure.
Even though it won't be out for.....(?) who knows how long and even though Mr. Matthews has just released the wonderful "Foundation Sounds" this personal advance CDR that Eric so kindly sent to me (Strictly no copies my friends so please don't ask for fear of me shouting!!) has his greatest ever songs contained. It hasn't left my C.D player and "Does he keep you warm" could be one of THEE most infectiously beautiful tunes ever written!! That good? Oh God yes.....
Pugwash-the-band
Ah, the old war-horse still chugs along for your dewy eyed reverie. Some good bits to chew on but always come back here for the main course!!
Syd Barretts Bike
A fans take on Syd's seminal track "Bike" taken from The Floyd's debut "Piper at the gates of dawn".