Olympinonsense

[John Wright]

The 'soundtrack' was VERY BBC Radio 2, not just pop, there was some Elgar and Eric Coates too!

Astonished to hear the Sex Pistols' 'Pretty Vacant' where Rotten clearly is NOT singing vacant...

I didn't hear any Led Zeppelin, did I miss Whole Lotta Love?

[zola]

The 'soundtrack' was VERY BBC Radio 2, not just pop, there was some Elgar and Eric Coates too!

Astonished to hear the Sex Pistols' 'Pretty Vacant' where Rotten clearly is NOT singing vacant...

I didn't hear any Led Zeppelin, did I miss Whole Lotta Love?

Think there was a snatch of Immigrant Song

[kernelbogey]

....For those who didn't watch until the end or missed it completely the Ceremony is now on iplayer, minus commentary, and available until January 2013 and with a running time of 230mins presumably without parade of the athletes....

Does anyone know if iPlayer is accessible from continental Europe? I'd like to pass the above link on to friends and relatives (but think I've read on the Forum that it isn't.)

[vinteuil]

After all the hype and meeja build-up I just couldn't bring myself to watch. And after hearing the descriptions on the radio this morning and reading more on here, I'm glad I didn't.

S_A with all due respect I think your decision was mistaken. You've missed out. See e.g. kernel and ammy51 at ##514 & 516 above. Do give it a try

Serial - I think Caliban is right here. You missed out. Give it a chance. There's a lot of meat in it, a lot to be mulled over for quite a few years...

[mangerton]

Comments please, scotty (and mangerton) - just had this in from a friend by email (from Hong Kong in fact): "I just loved the whole creative vision - Shakespeare esp Tempest, Blake, Milton, Brunel, the NHS, Poppins, Potter, Beatles, Bowie, Berners-Lee - I found myself wondering what Alex Salmond was thinking, squatting in some little tartan nook of the stadium, necking canapés and plotting to dismantle the union..."

Discuss

As I said elsewhere, I did not watch last night's show, so I can go only on what is posted here and what I have seen in today's press. If the names you quote above are accurate, and are representative of the show, then it would appear to have been a rather anglo-centric selection for a celebration of Great Britain. Where for example were Burns, Scott, Watt, his descendant Watson-Watt, (Alexander) Fleming, Graham Bell and Logie Baird?

Similar thoughts might have crossed Alex Salmond's mind, and perhaps too he wondered whether, having been spotted by an ignorant commentator, he had again been referred to as Sir Alex Ferguson.

But then he would have shaken his head inwardly, and said to himself, as so many Scots do every day, "'Twas ever thus. They can't help it, they don't know any better, and the sooner we're shot of them the better!"

(smiley for tongue-in-cheek, but only very slightly)

[John Wright]

Thanks zola, heavy man, and I'm off to Iceland soon where that song all began!


Led Zeppelin

Think there was a snatch of Immigrant Song

[EdgeleyRob]

I watched the opening ceremony with my sceptical head on but then found it to be unexpectedly unswitchoffable,until Paul McCartney appeared.
There were some great moments for sure.
The Queen looked really brassed off with it all though.

[Anna]

Does anyone know what that grey thing in a bed at the end of the NHS section was intended to be? I would genuinely like to know. Someone said it was an ill person but given that there was at one point a bike in the sky, I wondered if it was ET.

Lat, there's just been a still of the NHS sequence on the News. It is a baby, completely wrapped in grey bandages, i.e., mummified, a corpse.

When people tweet I assume it is so that they get their tweets read? Then why complain when you are outed as an eejit? The MP Aidan Burley who tweeted about " this leftish, multicultural carp" was also on the News just now. He said he had no problems with multiculturalism but objected to the "overtly political images" (perhaps he was referring to the baby, as in the NHS being killed?) I dunno, he also said words to the effect that the Ceremony was a trite attempt to reflect elements of our culture which are quite recent and appeal to a small minority. As he is MP for Coventry (which is quite multicultural I believe) with a very small majority I would advise him to possibly give up the day job, now.

Does anyone know if iPlayer is accessible from continental Europe? I'd like to pass the above link on to friends and relatives (but think I've read on the Forum that it isn't.)

There are some posters here who live in France who say they can access iplayer. As it's available until Jan 2013 I think you might be better starting new thread as to how/if it can be accessed.

[Serial_Apologist]

Lat, there's just been a still of the NHS sequence on the News. It is a baby, completely wrapped in grey bandages, i.e., mummified, a corpse.

When people tweet I assume it is so that they get their tweets read? Then why complain when you are outed as an eejit? The MP Aidan Burley who tweeted about " this leftish, multicultural carp" was also on the News just now. He said he had no problems with multiculturalism but objected to the "overtly political images" (perhaps he was referring to the baby, as in the NHS being killed?) I dunno, he also said words to the effect that the Ceremony was a trite attempt to reflect elements of our culture which are quite recent and appeal to a small minority. As he is MP for Coventry (which is quite multicultural I believe) with a very small majority I would advise him to possibly give up the day job, now.

There are some posters here who live in France who say they can access iplayer. As it's available until Jan 2013 I think you might be better starting new thread as to how/if it can be accessed.

Were it not for feeling somewhat sorry for the people of Coventry, I'd send him there..

[EdgeleyRob]

Anyone noticed the brass basnd playing in the Olympic Anthem? That was Grimethorpe Colliery Band!!

Surely they deserved better music to play didn't they BBM?

[Anna]

Surely they deserved better music to play didn't they BBM?

It seems the Anthem, composed in 1896, by Samaras and Palamas was declared the official Olympic Anthem by the International Olympic Committee in 1958 at the 55th Session of the IOC in Tokyo. Since 1960, it has been used at the Opening Ceremonies of each Olympic Games.
It could be worse if each Host country had the chance of composing their own Anthem, ours would no doubt be something by Webber or, sharp intake of breath, Rutter!! I didn't think it was too bad.

[scottycelt]

Comments please, scotty (and mangerton) - just had this in from a friend by email (from Hong Kong in fact): "I just loved the whole creative vision - Shakespeare esp Tempest, Blake, Milton, Brunel, the NHS, Poppins, Potter, Beatles, Bowie, Berners-Lee - I found myself wondering what Alex Salmond was thinking, squatting in some little tartan nook of the stadium, necking canapés and plotting to dismantle the union..."

Discuss

I agree with mangerton's comments really ... I think we did get the usual tourist shot of Edinburgh Castle and a choir singing but the great internationally renowned historical figures like Smith, Carlyle, Burns, Bell, Logie-Baird, Watt, RLS etc etc, never got a mention whilst we were 'treated' to the music of various pop groups, a lesbian kiss. and the hoarse, shrill cacophony of a decidedly over-the-hill ex-Beatle.

Whilst I agree the event was spectacular and expertly performed I was not particularly comfortable with the insular emphasis on 'Britain', never mind any mention of celebrated Scots. After all, this is an international event and the idea is to promote healthy sporting competition between nations. As another poster suggested, in some ways this seemed more American than British, with the rather wearying (to me) concentration on self-satisfied national pride.

Nevertheless, I well understand that whatever type of show is put on for this sort of event you'll always get people who express some dissatisfaction and disappointment, and there were certainly quite a lot of things to admire and enjoy last night.

All in all, despite my misgivings, this show was much better than I ever dared to expect! Boyle at least deserves credit for giving us something totally different and indeed refreshing in its own very quirky way.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks mange and scotty Interesting to get your perspectives.

You did get a clip of "Gregory's Girl" as well !

BTW I loved the selection of films - Kes, Matter of Life and Death...

[kernelbogey]

....the great internationally renowned historical figures like Smith, Carlyle, Burns, Bell, Logie-Baird, Watt, RLS etc etc, never got a mention whilst we were 'treated' to the music of various pop groups, a lesbian kiss. and the hoarse, shrill cacophony of a decidedly over-the-hill ex-Beatle.....

I've much sympathy for this view, and don't wish in any way to dismiss it.

But... I take it that one of the things Boyle tried to do was to make a bold statement about the ways in which Britain had made an impact on the world. I took it that that was the reason for the heavy emphasis on the Industrial Revolution - and then the more modern 'exports' like the Beatles and other aspects of popular culture. I don't imagine many people (even here) know that the Internet was invented by a Brit, and though it was scarcely a dramatic moment it was touching that he included Berners-Lee.

Of course you could argue that Logie-Baird and Watt c/should have been included, but I guess Boyle had many tough choices to make in order to avoid a bitty show.

[Anna]

All in all, despite my misgivings, this show was much better than I ever dared to expect! Boyle at least deserves credit for giving us something totally different and indeed refreshing in its own very quirky way.

Exactly ........ apart from all the Welsh it missed out of course, who are, Irish or Scottish !!
Seriously, there was a lot to take in and I look forward to viewing it again.
Now, the Closing Ceremony. It has Stephen Baldrey again and the theme is "British Symphonic Music" but the Director I see is responsible for Take That and Robbie Williams ............... So I expect we will see his wonderful interpretation of "I Did it My Way" And, talking about that, what happened to Team GB in the cycling today???