Rachel Becky Ron and Jools

[johncorrigan]

Absolutely cracking track from the Unthanks on Jools tonight - and a wonderful bit of Mr Sexsmith too - oh and Ringo was on and he didn't sing, but he seems to have developed a strange bit in his accent - I noticed it on the fine Arena programme about George Martin that was on last night - lovingly made I thought. I imagine the Unthanks will sing another track or two on Friday and I think Ron is singing with Jools then too. There was also a US soul lady, Avery Sunshine, who sounded pretty good to me. Not sure about PJ Harvey really.

[Globaltruth]

Some of his commentaries on Russia are worth listening too as well, clearly multi-talented that Sxsmith feller.

[johncorrigan]

Do me old eyes deceive me? - on with Jools tonight, Randy Newman and Brian Wilson - Alison Krauss is there too; but Randy and Brian - ya beauty!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01167w6

[Lateralthinking1]

Thanks John, I intend to watch this one. Sadly, I missed the programme you mentioned in post 1 but tracked the Queen of Hearts on You Tube. If I could take just one music video from the last decade to a desert island, it would be the Unthanks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbve919Xsw4

[johncorrigan]

Gas problems did you say Lat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOA_SUKEZRE

That Unthanks track is a cracker. Brian Wilson on last night's Later still retains that really distinctive voice, but there's not a lot left there - still amazing songs and he's got a quality band - think I'll go get the old records out. Liked the reggae guy and Alison Krauss with Union Station - they are one fine band of musicians - but the complete highlight of the night was Randy doing 'Same Girl' - fantastic - worth waiting up for!:smiley

[Lateralthinking1]

Thanks - the last link John is excellent. I know that song and yet I'd never listened to it properly. The lego adds to it too. Wonder what the scope might be for doing a similar one about "management" and "professionals"? I might give it a go. After the tribute to John Sullivan on BBC1 - so sad that he won't be writing anymore - I did see both editions of Later.

Your highlight was my highlight - "Same Girl". Very moving. I also liked the other ones he did - all previously known to me but his age is now in line with his voice somehow - and he was modest I thought.

As indeed was Brian who, as you know, I saw at the RFH, doing "Smile". Sadly, his past voice is almost absent but it is so good that it held up for him enough for a few years to permit a glorious comeback decade. What I think is what I thought some years ago, that the guys who helped him to make it all happen deserve an award themselves, not least because they have shown that the harmonies can be done effectively by others too so the songs will always be able to be performed live.

I was surprised how similar Randy and Brian seemed in interview given that one is known for cynicism and the other sunshine. As for song craft, we shall not see their like again etc. Interesting that where in musicians there would be total justification for over-confidence and brashness, it just isn't there. The wisdom, I think, of knowing that their work is of a quality that speaks for itself.

Liked the Alison Krauss tracks. She has a good voice. The treatment of the material was nicely understated. The AMs were so-so - lyrically they remain interesting. It is nice that they have introduced alternative guitar sounds to the kerchunk of the first two albums. The accents are now more natural, less like a Sheffield version of Cilla over-doing Liverpool. They still don't stagger.

Didn't like Gappy Ranks much. I didn't think that he had much of a voice. Warpaint did a vaguely gothic version of what? Oh goodness me, it was "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac again. Leave it to Beach House, I suggest, who do it so much better. I actually found their performances a bit depressing but they were worth wading through for the past masters.

[Globaltruth]

Lines 4 and 8 are what sets the lyrics of Same Girl apart for me, take those out and you have a mawkish trite song.
(3rd and 5th line are mise-en-scene I think)

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[johncorrigan]

Lines 4 and 8 are what sets the lyrics of Same Girl apart for me, take those out and you have a mawkish trite song.
(3rd and 5th line are mise-en-scene I think)

...

Randy Newman seemed so comfortable with his songs - it's like he's found their meaning again.
I think you're right about those lines Global - they turn the song into something much deeper. He seems to do stuff like this often - makes you think that he knows what he's doing, don't it? - and another short song too - on Jools he just looked like the master at work.