Time Flies...

Jeez, can it really be nearly two months since I last updated the blog? (That's an affirmative, in case you were wondering!)

It's been a busy time, sadly. Or, actually, not sadly at all. I've been doing a lot of consultancy work for a London-based publisher on a TV-related project (I can't really say much more than that as the launch hasn't been sorted out yet so, for the moment, it has to remain a "mystery project"). The Book Club continues to occupy a few days each month and you'll also be seeing me popping up in the pages of a few forthcoming TV Zone's with articles and reviews and stuff.

This, of course, has cut back on my online activities. Which is, possibly, a good thing. But, here's a brief run a few of the things that've captured my attention recently.

Current Viewing:
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
... In which Aaron Sorkin returns to television with a clear mission statement: To save TV from itself. High bar he's set there! That he manages to get even close to clearing it, on the evidence of the first two episodes, shouldn't really surprise us. Quality cast (Brad Whitford, Matt Perry, Tim Busfield, Steven Weber, Sarah Paulson, et al), inventive, fluid, ground-breaking direction (Tommy Schlamme doing for a TV studio what he once did for the corridors of the White House) and impressive ideas. But, most of all it's Sorkin's dialogue - funny without going for cheap laughs, thought-provoking without being archly portentious, humane without needing to resort to mawkishness or right-on-ness - that sets Studio 60 apart from just about everything else on TV. The pilot's 'Network-by-numbers' gives way, in episode two, to glorious conceits in which a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired production number includes cocaine and hooker jokes. "Are you here to save us?" a minor character asks Perry's Sorkin-clone, Matt Albie, towards the end of the pilot. One could ask the same question of Aaron himself. I'm not sure whether there's another seven year investment in this show like there was with Sorkin's last, but what I know right now, after just two episodes, is that I want to see the nextone. And the one after that. And, remember, STOP READING THE INTERNET!

Who Do You Think You Are?
House
Sleeper Cell
Smallville (Loved the bit in the season premiere where Michael got to shout "KNEEL! BEFORE! ZOD!" - justified the show's existence, that).

Looking forward to the return of...
Veronica Mars

Current reading:
Having been stunned by the quality of Simon Garfield's Private Battles: How the War Almost Defeated Us (Ebury) - one of the most touching, humane and life-affirming books I've read in YEARS, I went out and BOUGHT the other two books in garfield's trilogy about the Mass-Observation Diaries Project of the 30s and 40s - Our Hidden Lives and We Are At War and I'm currently halfway through the former.

Also, currently having a dip into Jennifer Westoowd & Jacqueline Simpson's The Lore of the Land, a beautifully illustrated guide to England's arcane urban and rural myths, legends and ghost stories from King Arthur to Dick Turpin and Springheel Jack to Robin Hood.

Very impressed with David Goldblatt's astonishingly complete history of World Football, The Ball is Round although it'll probably take me MONTHS to finish the bugger.

Still not quite finished Georgina Howell's Daughter of the Desert which I so enthused over on the September Book Club.

Interesting little side-bar here: I was recently sent an article one of relatives, Albert Elliott, wrote in the 1930s for one of the local papers about the history of part of our family. That mentioned that James Elliott - my great, great grandfather - began work at the age of 8(!) for Losh, Wilson & Bell's Alkali Works in Walker. The Bell in Losh, Wilson & Bell was Sir Hugh Bell, the father of Gertrude Bell whose biography Daughter of the Desert is.

Second interesting little family-related sidebar: Recently discovered via GenesReunited that I'm distantly related - by marriage, anyway - to the turn-of-the-century artist Thomas Bowman Garvie.

http://www.morpethtoday.co.uk/mk4custompages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=34278 gives more details on his life and work. I'm related to him through the Bowman family of Morpeth. My great, great, great grandmother was his wife's cousin.

Current listening:
What's on my MP3 player, basically. Which at the moment is the following in no particular order other than the purely alphabetical:-

• ABBA - SOS
• Afrikka Bambaataa & John Lydon - World Destrution
• Alabama 3 - Woke Up This Morning
• Altered Images - Don't Talk to Me About Love
• Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking
• Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
• Amjid Ali Khan - Raga Bapu Nauns
• The Animals - Gonna Send You Back to Walker
• Atomic Rooster - The Devil's Answer
• Aztec Camera - How Men Are
• Aztec Camera - Jump
• Badfinger - No Matter What
• David Baird - Friday Neet (Gannin' t'the Toon)
• The John Barry Seven - 007
• Basement Jaxx - Red Alert
• The Beach Boys - Caroline No
• The Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom
• Beck - Loser
• The Be Good Tanyas - Light Enough to Travel
• The Beloved - Hello
• Big Audio Dynamite - C'mon Every Beatbox
• Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC2
• Black Box - Ride on Time
• Black Grape - England's Irie
• Blondie - Dreaming
• The Blue Aeroplanes - ... And Stones
• The Bluebells - Young at Heart
• Blur - The Universal
• Blur - To the End
• Blur - Tender
• The Bodines - Therese
• Bomb the Bass - Beat Dis
• Booker T & the MGs - Soul Limbo
• David Bowie - The Buddah of Suburbia
• Billy Bragg - Greetings to the New Brunette
• Michelle Branch - Goodbye to You
• British Sea Power - It Ended on an Oily Stage
• Jeff Buckley - Hallalujah
• Roy Budd - Theme From Get Carter
• Eric Burdon & War - Spill That War
• Busker - Goin' Up
• Buzzcocks - Moving Away from the Pulsebeat
• The Byrds - Everybody's Been Burned
• Martin Carthy & Bert Janesh - Scarborough Fayre
• Cast - Promised Land
• Cast - Guiding Star
• Cast - Redemption Song
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - By the Time I Get To Phoenix
• The Chameleons - In Shreds
• The Charlatans - The Only One I Know
• The Charlatans - Jesus Hairdo
• Chemical Brothers - Rock Blockin' Beats
• Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun
• Chemical Brothers - Out of Control
• Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be
• Chemical Brothers - Asleep for a Day
• Chicory Tip - Son of My Father
• China Crisis - African and White
• The Clash - The Card Cheat
• The Clash - Know Your Rights
• The Clash - Death or Glory
• The Clash - Lose This Skin
• The Clash - Silicon on Sapphire
• The Clash - Washington Bullets
• Cockney Rebel - Mr Soft
• Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Perfect Skin
• Collapsed Lung - Eat My Goal
• John Cooper Clarke - The Day My Pad Went Mad
• Cornershop - Brimful of Asha
• Cornershop - We're in Yr Corner
• Julian Cope - Robert Mitchum
• Elvis Costello - Getting Mighty Crowded
• Elvis Costello - Watch Your Step
• Elvis Costello - New Lace Sleeves
• The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
• The Cure - In Between Days
• Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
• Darts - It's Raining
• Desmond Dekkar & the Aces - The Israelites
• Delerium - Silence
• Delerium - Flowers Become Screens
• Denim - The Osmonds
• Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence
• Delia Derbyshire - Blue Veils & Golden Sands
• Dexy's Midnight Runners - Let's Get This Straight from the Start
• Dexy's Midnight Runners - There, There My Dear
• Dinosaur Jnr. - Freak Scene
• Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
• Carl Douglas - Kung-Fu Fighting
• Nick Drake - Northern Sky
• Dreadzone - Little Britain
• Dream Warriors - My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style
• Ian Dury & the Blockheads - Reasons to be Cheerful (Part 3)
• Bob Dylan - Girl from the North Country
• East of Eden - Jig-a-Jig
• Echo and the Bunnymen - Silver
• Eddie & the Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do
• 808 State - The Only Rhyme That Bites!
• Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture
• Electronic - Disappointed
• Electronic - Get the Message
• Electronic - Getting Away With It
• Erik B & Rakim - Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness Cold Cut remix)
• The Faces - Cindy Incidentally
• Donald Fagen - New Frontier
• Fairport Convention - It's Alright Ma (It's Only Witchcraft)
• The Fall - A Lot of Wind
• The Farm - Groovy Train
• Fatboy Slim - Praise You
• Felt with Elizabeth Frazer - Primitive Painters
• Frank Sidebottom - Estudiantes (Striped Shirts, Black Panties)
• Four Star Mary - Pain
• Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed
• Crystal Gayle - Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
• Thea Gilmore - I Want to Tell You
• Goldie Lookin' Chain - Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do
• Goodbye Mr McKenzie - Good Deeds
• Nina Gordon- Straight Outta Compton
• The Grid - Swamp Thing
• Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI
• Half Man Half Biscuit - Footprints
• Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro
• Happy Mondays - WFL (Think About the Future)
• Happy Mondays - Loose Fit
• Geordie - Wor Gordie's Lost His Liggie Doon th' Netty
• George Harrison - Apple Scruffs
• George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
• Noel Harrison - Windmills of Your Mind
• Jeff Hart and the Ruins - Met Your Sister
• Jeff Hart and the Ruins - Wasted on the Young
• PJ Harvey - Good Fortune
• Hawkwind - Urban Guerilla
• Hawkwind - Uncle Sam's on Mars
• Hawkwind - Right to Decide
• Isaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft
• Don Henley - New York Minute
• Hepburn - I Quit
• The Higsons - Conspiracy
• Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts
• The Hombres - Let it All Hang Out
• Hot Butter - Popcorn
• Hothouse Flowers - I'm Sorry
• The Housemartins - I'll Be Your Shelter
• Human League - Mirror Man
• Inspiral Carpets - She Comes in the Fall
• Inspiral Carpets - This is How it Feels
• Inspiral Carpets - Directing Traffik
• The Isley Brothers - This Ol Heart of Mine (is Weak for You)
• Chad Jackson - Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked!)
• The Jam - Tales from the Riverbank
• james - Sit Down
• james - Laid
• james - How was it For You?
• james - Sunday Morning
• The Jesus and Mary Chain - Blues from a Gun
• Laurie Johnson - Theme from The Avengers
• Robert Johnson - Cross Roads Blues
• Elton John - Crocodile Rock
• Quincy Jones - It's Caper Time (The Self Presevation Society)
• Kid Rock - Bawitdaba
• Killing Joke - Eighties
• Killing Joke - Love Like Blood
• Killing Joke - Psyche
• The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
• Kraftwerk - Home Computer
• Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
• The La's - Son of a Gun
• The La's - There She Goes
• The La's - Way Out
• Landermason - Waters of Tyne
• Led Zeppelin - Gallows Pole
• The Lightning Seeds - Waiting for Today to Happen
• Lindisfarne - Meet Me on the Corner
• Mary Lou Lord - Sugar Sugar
• Love and Money - Up Escalator
• Madness - Michael Caine
• Madness - One Better Day
• Aimee Mann - Save Me
• M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up the Volume
• Martha & the Muffins - Echo Beach
• Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus
• Bob Marley & the Wailers - Jamming
• Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
• Massive Attack - Angel
• McAlmont & Butler - Yes
• The MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
• The Men They Couldn't Hang - The Green Fields of France
• Meteors - Wreckin' Crew
• The Mighty Lemon Drops - The Other Side of Me
• Mighty Mighty - Is There Aonyone Out There?
• Misty in Roots - Man Kind (You A Sinner)
• The Mock Turtles - Can You Dig It?
• The Monkees - Circle Sky
• The Monkees - As We Go Along
• Morrisey - Interesting Drug
• Mott the Hoople - All the Way from Memphis
• Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes
• Mott the Hoople - The Golden Age of Rock & Roll
• The Natural Ites - Picture on the Wall
• Neil - Hole in My Shoe
• New Model Army -Vengeance
• New Order - Ceremony
• New Order - Blue Monday
• New Order - Fine Time
• New Order - Love Vigilantes
• New Order - Age of Consent
• Harry Nilson - Coconut
• Nine Inch Nails - Head Like a Hole
• NWA - Straight Outta Compton
• Oasis - It's Better People
• Ocean Colour Scene - Yesterday Today
• Ocean Colour Scene - Another Girl's Name
• OMD - Messages
• The Only Ones - Another Girl, Antoher Planet
• The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
• Orbital - Style
• Beth Orton - Central Reservation
• Paris Angels - Perfume (All on You)
• Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step
• Kendall Payne - Supermodels
• Pentangle - Light Flight
• Pigbag - Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag
• Plastique Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi
• The Pixies - Gigantic
• The Pogues - Dirty Old Town
• The Pogues - Sally MacLennane
• The Polyphonic Spree - Light & Day
• Iggy Pop - The Passenger
• Pop Will Eat Itself - Can U Dig It?
• Portishead - Glory Box
• Prefab Sprout - Faron Young
• Primal Scream - Movin' on Up
• Primal Scream - Rocks
• The Primitives - Ocean Blue
• The Prodigy - Firestarter
• Psychedelia Furs - Pretty in Pink
• Public Enemy - You're Gonna Get Yours
• Public Image Ltd - Fodderstompf
• Pulp - Babies
• The Railway Children - Brighter
• Rah Band - The Crunch
• Ram Jam - Black Betty
• Red Guitars - Good Technology
• The Redskins - Bring It Down (This Insane Thing)
• R.E.M - Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)
• R.E.M - (Don't Go Back to) Rockville
• R.E.M - Can't Get There From Here
• R.E.M - I Believe
• R.E.M - Fall on Me
• R.E.M - Disturbance at the Heron House
• R.E.M - Pop Song 89
• R.E.M - I Remember California
• R.E.M - Me in Honey
• R.E.M - Electrolyte
• Renegade Soundwave - Probably a Robbery
• Ride - Taste
• Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway
• The Rolling Stones - Cocksucker Blues
• The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
• The Rolling stones - Monkey Man
• The Rolling Stones - Happy
• The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice
• The Rolling Stones - I Just Wanna See His Face
• Jon Rose & Hollis Taylor - Great Fences of Australia
• The Rubettes - Sugar Baby Love
• The Rutles - Another Day
• The Ruts - Babylon's Burning
• Alexei Sayle - Ullo John Got a New Motor
• Shack - Natalie's Party
• The Shamen - Progen
• The Shamen - Synergy
• Pete Shelley - Homosapien
• Shriekback - All Lined Up
• Nancy Sinatra - You Only Live Twice
• Siouxsie & the Banshees - Jigsaw Feeling
• Sisters of Mercy - This Corrosion
• The Skids - TV Stars
• Slade - Goodbye T'Jane
• Slade - Far Far Away
• Sly & the Family Stone - Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
• Small Faces - Tin Soldier
• The Smiths - Still Ill
• The Smiths - Back to the Old House
• The Smiths - The Headmaster Ritual
• The Smiths - Well I Wonder
• The Smiths - Ask
• The Smiths - I Won't Share You
• The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
• The Smiths - There is a Light That Never Goes Out
• Sneaker Pimps - How Do? (Willow's Song)
• Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
• Soft Cell - Torch
• Soho - Hippychick
• Sonic Youth - (I've Got a) Catholic Block
• The Soup Dragons - I'm Free
• The Soup Dragons - Mother Universe
• Space - Neighbourhood
• Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us
• Spiritualized - Any Way That You Want Me
• Steelers Wheel - Stuck in the Middle With You
• Steel Pulse - Ku Klux Klan
• Stephen Stills - Love the One You're With
• Stillwater - Fever Dog
• The Stone Roses - Waterfall
• The Stone Roses - (Song from My) Sugar-Spun Sister
• The Stone Roses - I Am the Ressurection
• Space - Neighbourhood
• The Specials - Do the Dog
• The Specials - Nite Klub
• The Specials - The Skinhead Symphony
• Spandau Ballet - Chant No. 1
• Joe Strummer & the Mescalaros - Bhindi Bhagee
• The Sugarcubes - Birthday
• The Sundays - Wild Horses
• The Supremes - Up the Ladder to the Roof
• Sweet - Blockbuster
• Talking Heads - Don't Worry About the Goverment
• Talking Heads - Talk Me to the River
• Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
• James Taylor Quartet - Blow Up
• The Teardrop Explodes - Second Head
• The Teardrop Explodes - Sleeping Gas (live at Club Zoo)
• Tears for Fears - Start of the Breakdown
• 10,000 Maniacs - What's the Matter Here?
• That Petrol Emotion - Big Decision
• That Petrol Emotion - It's a Good Thing
• That Petrol Emotion - Creeping to the Cross
• The The - Heartland
• BJ Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
• Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
• Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
• Tragically Hip - Sweet Jane
• The Trash Can Sinatras - White Horses
• T Rex - Telegram Sam
• Underworld - Pearl's Girl
• Underworld - Born Slippy (Nuxx)
• U2 - All I Want is You
• U2 - The Fly
• Velvet Chain - Strong
• The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
• The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
• Wah! Heat - Remember
• Wah! Heat - Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me)
• Scott Walker - Jackie
• The Waterboys - The Whole of the Moon
• Muddy Waters - The Mannish Boy
• Paul Weller - Ohio
• Michael Weston - For No One
• The Who - Naked Eye
• The Wild Swans - Revolutionary Spirit
• Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein
• The Woodentops - Move Me
• Jah Wobble - Mu
• XTC - Generals and Majors
• XTC - Towers of London
• XTC - The Mayor of Simpleton
• XTC - King for a Day
• Neil Young - The Needle and the Damage Done
• The Zutons - Valerie
• The Zutons - Why Don't You Give Me Your Love?
• Theme from 633 Squadron

[list amended 19th May 2007]

Don't forget, new Book Club on Monday coming.