In the early hours of this morning I had an idea which was prompted by some recent posts by Ben over on 'Classical Convert'.
He has recently been discussing the need for liner notes to accompany digital music, as he wants to learn more about the music he is listening to, its structure, key, harmonies etc.
You can read his two related posts here and here.
Whilst not exactly what Ben is after, I decided that over the next few weeks I shall take each track from 'Virtuoso' and discuss it in more detail.
Not just the technical aspects of the music but also any situations which arose during the recording of that particular piece.
For those interested, they can download the music, and then read all about it, as they listen.
Hopefully, for those who don't actually want to purchase the music, they will find it interesting anyway.
I will,of course, still be adding any day to day happenings in Hillhouse, so, even if you are not reading out of 'technical' interest, I hope there will still be something for you.
This will, hopefully, start tomorrow.
As for today, well I am spending most of it avoiding reading any newspapers, blogs (especially UK ones) and generally walking around with my fingers in my ears.
The reason.
'Classical Star' finals was on last night on BBC2, and, as yet, we haven't watched it.
I know there are people out there waiting for some comment about the last programme in the series, as within 15 minutes of the show ending, my statcounter told me of a number of visits, but, I'm afraid you will have to wait until tomorrow.
The reality of living with a musician is the unpredictable nature of life.
Today is a concert day, and consequently last night Robin remained in his music room, hard at work, until late.
So we didn't get to watch the programme.
We will though, and until then, I shall be avoiding anyone who may tell me who has won. (Although I suspect I already know...)
Oh, yes, the concert.
Robin has returned and had an eventful lunch time recital.
Whilst warming up, there was a knock at the dressing room door, and the caretaker asked where Robin had parked his car. A traffic warden was circling and waiting to pounce.
Luckily all that was required was an 'Artists Permit' which Robin was then issued, and after his car keys had been located, (He'd left them in the toilet and the same caretaker found them) Robin was able to continue with his warm up exercises.
The hall was full, the audience appreciative, and the music played well.
Robin had been concerned about the opening piece as he hadn't played it before.
It was one of his own compositions, 'Fiesta', which is a lively flamenco style piece.
He needn't have worried, it went very well, as did the rest of the performance.
All that and home in time for tea!
Showing posts with label BBC2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC2. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Classical Star - Revisited
Once again we found ourselves watching 'Classical Star', on BBC2, as it enters the penultimate week.
With only five students remaining, it was always going to be a challenge to reduce the number to three, for the final.
Collaboration was the focus of attention this week.
It's an essential requirement for a musician to be able to perform with other musicians.
Not only because it is nearly always necessary at some point in a musical career, but also, because it is a highly desirable stage in a musician's development to experience the synergy and joy of being a team member.
The Academy set up a blues masterclass with jazz star Julian Joseph, and it was within this setting that the students were required to learn the art of collaboration and improvisation.
All the participants entered into the spirit of the challenge with enthusiasm, some realising their limitations more than others, but it must be said that most were uncomfortable in this environment.
All the candidates have undoubtedly worked very hard to achieve their levels of skill on their chosen instruments, but, the ability to cross genres convincingly is achieved by very few.(Chick Corea, Benny Goodman and Wynton Marsalis come to mind).
Most classical musicians are ill at ease with other genres but some will learn over time to be more comfortable.
It's one thing to have the ability to play notes in the right places but another thing completely to feel the music and, of course, to improvise.
However, I'm sure they all gained a lot from the experience, which, after all, is what a masterclass is all about.
The challenge for the week was a tough one.
To perform at London's Southbank Centre, with professional string players, in front of an illustrious audience comprising agents, critics and managers from within the classical music industry.
All credit to the candidates for maintaining their 'cool', given the importance of the situation.
Many a battle worn professional would have found the scenario a difficult one.
We were disappointed with the amount of airtime the classical guitarist Ian had for viewers at home to listen and make their judgement. It seemed less than the other soloists, but, that may have just been our need to hear more.
As I said last week, Ian displays excellent technical ability, and I feel that over time this will stand him in very good stead.
Last night he played Boccherini's 'Quintet No.4 in D Major', but the amount of footage seen was so limited it was difficult to assess his performance.
The majority of the part shown consisted of rasgueados, which showed his ensemble and listening skills, rather than the areas of the piece designed to show off his guitaristic skills.
I'm not sure if the finals have already taken place, but if they haven't, the advice I would give to Ian is to work on his sound and projection.
.
The concert guitar used, will obviously play a significant part in this, as will nail quality.
That's why nails are so often mentioned in this blog!
It will be interesting to see and hear his choice of concerto for the final.
What Ian has to do, whatever he is performing, is to play with every last ounce of energy he has, and inject that into his performance.
It's no coincidence that musicians come off stage exhilarated but drained.
Whilst in the Academy this week all the students were in the enviable position of observing one of the world's greatest pianists, Lang Lang.
Now that is the sort of stage presence and gravitas which Ian needs to achieve.
Ian does seem very receptive to all the advice in the Academy so far, so, lets hope he can hold Lang Lang's performance in his mind and use it to his advantage.
That's star quality.
So Ian, use that adrenaline to give a feisty and powerful performance, and the very best of luck...
With only five students remaining, it was always going to be a challenge to reduce the number to three, for the final.
Collaboration was the focus of attention this week.
It's an essential requirement for a musician to be able to perform with other musicians.
Not only because it is nearly always necessary at some point in a musical career, but also, because it is a highly desirable stage in a musician's development to experience the synergy and joy of being a team member.
The Academy set up a blues masterclass with jazz star Julian Joseph, and it was within this setting that the students were required to learn the art of collaboration and improvisation.
All the participants entered into the spirit of the challenge with enthusiasm, some realising their limitations more than others, but it must be said that most were uncomfortable in this environment.
All the candidates have undoubtedly worked very hard to achieve their levels of skill on their chosen instruments, but, the ability to cross genres convincingly is achieved by very few.(Chick Corea, Benny Goodman and Wynton Marsalis come to mind).
Most classical musicians are ill at ease with other genres but some will learn over time to be more comfortable.
It's one thing to have the ability to play notes in the right places but another thing completely to feel the music and, of course, to improvise.
However, I'm sure they all gained a lot from the experience, which, after all, is what a masterclass is all about.
The challenge for the week was a tough one.
To perform at London's Southbank Centre, with professional string players, in front of an illustrious audience comprising agents, critics and managers from within the classical music industry.
All credit to the candidates for maintaining their 'cool', given the importance of the situation.
Many a battle worn professional would have found the scenario a difficult one.
We were disappointed with the amount of airtime the classical guitarist Ian had for viewers at home to listen and make their judgement. It seemed less than the other soloists, but, that may have just been our need to hear more.
As I said last week, Ian displays excellent technical ability, and I feel that over time this will stand him in very good stead.
Last night he played Boccherini's 'Quintet No.4 in D Major', but the amount of footage seen was so limited it was difficult to assess his performance.
The majority of the part shown consisted of rasgueados, which showed his ensemble and listening skills, rather than the areas of the piece designed to show off his guitaristic skills.
I'm not sure if the finals have already taken place, but if they haven't, the advice I would give to Ian is to work on his sound and projection.
.
The concert guitar used, will obviously play a significant part in this, as will nail quality.
That's why nails are so often mentioned in this blog!
It will be interesting to see and hear his choice of concerto for the final.
What Ian has to do, whatever he is performing, is to play with every last ounce of energy he has, and inject that into his performance.
It's no coincidence that musicians come off stage exhilarated but drained.
Whilst in the Academy this week all the students were in the enviable position of observing one of the world's greatest pianists, Lang Lang.
Now that is the sort of stage presence and gravitas which Ian needs to achieve.
Ian does seem very receptive to all the advice in the Academy so far, so, lets hope he can hold Lang Lang's performance in his mind and use it to his advantage.
That's star quality.
So Ian, use that adrenaline to give a feisty and powerful performance, and the very best of luck...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Classical Star BBC2
We have been drawn into the BBC2 television programme 'Classical Star'.
I'm not altogether surprised at the lack of coverage it has received from the blog world, many appeared to be hostile to the whole idea, prior to transmission.
I must say that we weren't intending to like the programme, but, are now keen to see the outcome.
But, it has been highlighting some interesting areas.
Last week the contestants had to play to a 'hostile' audience, made up of peers, with no knowledge or interest in classical music.
All the performers managed to win over the audience with varying degrees of success, and it was an interesting process to observe.
As one member of the audience pointed out, he 'didn't even know that classical music existed,' until his involvement in the programme.
The fact that he, and many others, may well have been exposed to a new area of music, can only be a good thing.
The judges, and Matthew Barley, have all been doing a good job. It's a very difficult task to observe, and find faults, with such young performers.
Sometimes their job is easy, and other times, a lot of thought has to go into each decision.
All the judges, Charles Hazelwood, Jason Lai, Chi-chi Nwanoku and Steve Abbott, have made very good points and brought different perspectives to their decision making process. Whether that be musical ability, content, stage presence or sheer commercial appeal.
Our interests obviously lie with Ian Watt, the 16 year old classical guitarist.
What a position he finds himself in.
He has an obvious passion for the instrument and his technical ability is excellent for one so young.
He also appears to be blossoming under the 'Academy' situation, gaining confidence with each week.
Last night the focus was on recording.
The pressure mounted for each participant as their hour in the studio got closer.
Recording requires a completely different mindset, and, is one that most of the candidates will have had little experience.
Having observed the process, at first hand, many times, I could understand the agonies they were going through.
There really are no hiding places when notes are recorded, and to try and put across the excitement of a performance, in a recording setting is a difficult one.
The guitar is also notoriously difficult to record, but, Ian appeared to get down as much as he could in the required time.
It is difficult to assess each individual when only hearing such small snippets of each performance.
But the judges will be getting a much better overview of each contestant than we are privy to, and fortunately, they seem very able to see and hear each contestant objectively.
This will always be an issue when broadcasting a weeks worth of 'living in the Academy' into just one hour.
It is also very difficult to compare different instruments.
The piano and the guitar, and to a lesser extent the violin, all require multiple note playing, whilst the saxophone and bassoon are strictly monophonic.
Factor in sound quality and the necessary 'star' quality these students will require, and there are some difficult decisions to be taken.
The classical guitar has an up hill struggle in the concert environment, as peoples' perception of the instrument is very different to, say, the violin or piano.
Fortunately, the judges were able to hear Ian's potential and he has made it through to the next round.
We shall continue to watch, and hopefully, the aims of the programme will be achieved.
It remains to be seen whether a 'star' can be found, but, at least the programme has introduced some people to the area of classical music, and also highlighted the dedication required to attain mastery of an instrument.
I'm not altogether surprised at the lack of coverage it has received from the blog world, many appeared to be hostile to the whole idea, prior to transmission.
I must say that we weren't intending to like the programme, but, are now keen to see the outcome.
But, it has been highlighting some interesting areas.
Last week the contestants had to play to a 'hostile' audience, made up of peers, with no knowledge or interest in classical music.
All the performers managed to win over the audience with varying degrees of success, and it was an interesting process to observe.
As one member of the audience pointed out, he 'didn't even know that classical music existed,' until his involvement in the programme.
The fact that he, and many others, may well have been exposed to a new area of music, can only be a good thing.
The judges, and Matthew Barley, have all been doing a good job. It's a very difficult task to observe, and find faults, with such young performers.
Sometimes their job is easy, and other times, a lot of thought has to go into each decision.
All the judges, Charles Hazelwood, Jason Lai, Chi-chi Nwanoku and Steve Abbott, have made very good points and brought different perspectives to their decision making process. Whether that be musical ability, content, stage presence or sheer commercial appeal.
Our interests obviously lie with Ian Watt, the 16 year old classical guitarist.
What a position he finds himself in.
He has an obvious passion for the instrument and his technical ability is excellent for one so young.
He also appears to be blossoming under the 'Academy' situation, gaining confidence with each week.
Last night the focus was on recording.
The pressure mounted for each participant as their hour in the studio got closer.
Recording requires a completely different mindset, and, is one that most of the candidates will have had little experience.
Having observed the process, at first hand, many times, I could understand the agonies they were going through.
There really are no hiding places when notes are recorded, and to try and put across the excitement of a performance, in a recording setting is a difficult one.
The guitar is also notoriously difficult to record, but, Ian appeared to get down as much as he could in the required time.
It is difficult to assess each individual when only hearing such small snippets of each performance.
But the judges will be getting a much better overview of each contestant than we are privy to, and fortunately, they seem very able to see and hear each contestant objectively.
This will always be an issue when broadcasting a weeks worth of 'living in the Academy' into just one hour.
It is also very difficult to compare different instruments.
The piano and the guitar, and to a lesser extent the violin, all require multiple note playing, whilst the saxophone and bassoon are strictly monophonic.
Factor in sound quality and the necessary 'star' quality these students will require, and there are some difficult decisions to be taken.
The classical guitar has an up hill struggle in the concert environment, as peoples' perception of the instrument is very different to, say, the violin or piano.
Fortunately, the judges were able to hear Ian's potential and he has made it through to the next round.
We shall continue to watch, and hopefully, the aims of the programme will be achieved.
It remains to be seen whether a 'star' can be found, but, at least the programme has introduced some people to the area of classical music, and also highlighted the dedication required to attain mastery of an instrument.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Classical Guitar on T.V... the QM2 and BBC2 (Classical Stars)
Yesterday, Robin recorded an in house T.V. show which was broadcast today, on the QM2.
I assume, he was discussing his next classical guitar concert, which is on Friday.
Today being Tuesday, means he has a few days off, before his next performance.
However, it doesn't mean that he will be putting his feet up, and relaxing.
Scales and arpeggios have to be done, whether there is a concert that day, or not. He will also be running through the programme at least once a day in preparation.
As the clocks keep changing by an hour every day, he finds himself waking at his usual time, but, discovering no one else around.
He did, very thoughtfully, decide not to start his practise until a more reasonable time of day, and took himself off for a walk instead.
Here, back in the UK, there has been a lot of talk, both in the papers, and the blogosphere, about a new T.V. programme which starts tonight on BBC2, at 9pm.
'Classical Star', aims to find the best classical musician in this country, under the age of 20.
Those involved in the making of the programme, hope to also promote classical music generally, and highlight the dedication required to master an instrument.
To learn more about it read James Rampton's article, 'Classical Star: The next generation tunes up for stardom'.
I will try and watch it, as a classical guitarist called Ian, has made it to this stage. It is such a rare sight to see anyone play the classical guitar on television, that it will be worth watching, for that reason alone.
All contestants needed to have attained a Grade 8 just to apply.
But to perform in public requires more than a certificate.
I just hope they have the charisma to pull it off.
I assume, he was discussing his next classical guitar concert, which is on Friday.
Today being Tuesday, means he has a few days off, before his next performance.
However, it doesn't mean that he will be putting his feet up, and relaxing.
Scales and arpeggios have to be done, whether there is a concert that day, or not. He will also be running through the programme at least once a day in preparation.
As the clocks keep changing by an hour every day, he finds himself waking at his usual time, but, discovering no one else around.
He did, very thoughtfully, decide not to start his practise until a more reasonable time of day, and took himself off for a walk instead.
Here, back in the UK, there has been a lot of talk, both in the papers, and the blogosphere, about a new T.V. programme which starts tonight on BBC2, at 9pm.
'Classical Star', aims to find the best classical musician in this country, under the age of 20.
Those involved in the making of the programme, hope to also promote classical music generally, and highlight the dedication required to master an instrument.
To learn more about it read James Rampton's article, 'Classical Star: The next generation tunes up for stardom'.
I will try and watch it, as a classical guitarist called Ian, has made it to this stage. It is such a rare sight to see anyone play the classical guitar on television, that it will be worth watching, for that reason alone.
All contestants needed to have attained a Grade 8 just to apply.
But to perform in public requires more than a certificate.
I just hope they have the charisma to pull it off.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Robin Hill is Busy and Sgt.Pepper - It Was 40 Years Ago Today...
It's a busy weekend here for us.
Robin is out playing in rather an unusual venue. Some years ago he was asked to perform at Entwistle Remembrance Park, and it went so well, that he has been back every year since.
He now does three dates over the summer, today, Sunday 8th July and the third will be Sunday 5th August.
He is playing outside, which is always a challenge, but the views are spectacular. Just to prove that the north of England isn't all flat caps and clogs, this is where he is.
He has quite a fan base now, who all make a day of it, taking a picnic, and enjoying the weather. They have been remarkably lucky over the years, and only on one occasion has there been a torrential downpour and thunder storm!
We also have to prepare for Robin setting off tomorrow, to join the QM2 in Southampton, on its way to New York. He'll be performing a couple of concerts on board, so more of that as the week unfolds.
Last night Robin didn't get home until after midnight, and as we relaxed for a while before bed, we decided to watch a programme I'd recorded earlier in the evening, 'Sgt Pepper -It was 40 Years Ago Today...' on BBC2.
As we are both massive Beatles fans, we thought we would give it 5 minutes, before turning off in disgust at what had been done to such fantastic music.
It wasn't the case. We were so drawn into it, that it was gone 2am, before we finally went to bed. (Not ideal with a concert the next day...)
Now, I know this isn't classical music, but bare with me...
The Beatles original engineer, Geoff Emerick, steered some modern day bands through the pieces, using the original analogue valve equipment.
First in were 'Kaiser Chiefs'. After their initial shock at the restrictions of 4 track recording, and acknowledging that we should, 'respect our elders', regarding analogue recording, as the 'sound is much better', they went on to give an excellent performance of 'Getting Better'.
We had been concerned how these modern bands would approach these classic pieces, but we were soon put at are ease.
Especially after hearing front man, Ricky Wilson say:
"Musically it's like having a big brother, you get the benefit of learning from them, but then again, you get the things about the fact that they always get there first, and everythings pretty much a hand-me-down after The Beatles."
For such a successful band to be 'big' enough to acknowledge the past, was very refreshing.
Next came Bryan Adams, with a fabulous version of 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band'. He really put his heart and soul into the song, and, gave the impression that he must be a big fan.
3rd on, The Fray, America's most downloaded band, with their version of 'Fixing a Hole'. They passionately wanted to be faithful to the original, and, were therefore rather nervous about the whole thing. But they needn't have been. With the use of some good old fashioned English tea towels over the drums, they came up with an excellent version.
4th, was 'Magic Numbers' with the only track that The Beatles didn't play any instruments. 'She's Leaving Home' was written by Paul McCartney after reading a newspaper report about a runaway. Magic Numbers put the vocals on to a string section with a very pleasant result.
5th, 'Razorlight' playing, 'With a Little Help From My Friends'.
They recognised The Beatles tradition of Ringo singing one track on every album, and therefore Razorlight's drummer, Andy Burrows, took on the challenge. It had a great laid back feel throughout, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has gained much confidence as a vocalist.
6th on were 'Travis', with 'Lovely Rita'. In true Beatles style, they decided to experiment and the result was half the band recording in the studio, whilst the other half were in a stairwell as it had excellent reverb! They even tackled playing the comb and paper, all in the name of The Beatles famous adlibs. Again, a great achievement.
Finally, on this part of the programme, 'Stereophonics' arrived. Unfortunately they had been told they were recording Sgt. Pepper intro, but it became clear, they were in fact meant to be doing the Reprise version. All credit to them, they took it in their stride, and performed a high energy version to compliment the original.
So, as you can see, despite ourselves, we really enjoyed the whole programme.
The attitude of the bands involved showed that they weren't trying to compete, merely show their respect, for the past recording.
Really, this is no different to the approach that classical musicians take every day. Here, the tradition is to recreate a masterpiece from the past, and this is exactly what these bands achieved.
After all, the original tracks can take it.
For Robin to enjoy, and respect, the results of this programme, is quite an achievement.
When Sgt.Pepper was originally released, Robin was a young boy, on holiday with a friend, and spent most of the time at the piano in the hotel, trying to recreate the songs. They have been in is head, all the time, ever since.
Robin is out playing in rather an unusual venue. Some years ago he was asked to perform at Entwistle Remembrance Park, and it went so well, that he has been back every year since.
He now does three dates over the summer, today, Sunday 8th July and the third will be Sunday 5th August.
He is playing outside, which is always a challenge, but the views are spectacular. Just to prove that the north of England isn't all flat caps and clogs, this is where he is.
He has quite a fan base now, who all make a day of it, taking a picnic, and enjoying the weather. They have been remarkably lucky over the years, and only on one occasion has there been a torrential downpour and thunder storm!
We also have to prepare for Robin setting off tomorrow, to join the QM2 in Southampton, on its way to New York. He'll be performing a couple of concerts on board, so more of that as the week unfolds.
Last night Robin didn't get home until after midnight, and as we relaxed for a while before bed, we decided to watch a programme I'd recorded earlier in the evening, 'Sgt Pepper -It was 40 Years Ago Today...' on BBC2.
As we are both massive Beatles fans, we thought we would give it 5 minutes, before turning off in disgust at what had been done to such fantastic music.
It wasn't the case. We were so drawn into it, that it was gone 2am, before we finally went to bed. (Not ideal with a concert the next day...)
Now, I know this isn't classical music, but bare with me...
The Beatles original engineer, Geoff Emerick, steered some modern day bands through the pieces, using the original analogue valve equipment.
First in were 'Kaiser Chiefs'. After their initial shock at the restrictions of 4 track recording, and acknowledging that we should, 'respect our elders', regarding analogue recording, as the 'sound is much better', they went on to give an excellent performance of 'Getting Better'.
We had been concerned how these modern bands would approach these classic pieces, but we were soon put at are ease.
Especially after hearing front man, Ricky Wilson say:
"Musically it's like having a big brother, you get the benefit of learning from them, but then again, you get the things about the fact that they always get there first, and everythings pretty much a hand-me-down after The Beatles."
For such a successful band to be 'big' enough to acknowledge the past, was very refreshing.
Next came Bryan Adams, with a fabulous version of 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band'. He really put his heart and soul into the song, and, gave the impression that he must be a big fan.
3rd on, The Fray, America's most downloaded band, with their version of 'Fixing a Hole'. They passionately wanted to be faithful to the original, and, were therefore rather nervous about the whole thing. But they needn't have been. With the use of some good old fashioned English tea towels over the drums, they came up with an excellent version.
4th, was 'Magic Numbers' with the only track that The Beatles didn't play any instruments. 'She's Leaving Home' was written by Paul McCartney after reading a newspaper report about a runaway. Magic Numbers put the vocals on to a string section with a very pleasant result.
5th, 'Razorlight' playing, 'With a Little Help From My Friends'.
They recognised The Beatles tradition of Ringo singing one track on every album, and therefore Razorlight's drummer, Andy Burrows, took on the challenge. It had a great laid back feel throughout, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has gained much confidence as a vocalist.
6th on were 'Travis', with 'Lovely Rita'. In true Beatles style, they decided to experiment and the result was half the band recording in the studio, whilst the other half were in a stairwell as it had excellent reverb! They even tackled playing the comb and paper, all in the name of The Beatles famous adlibs. Again, a great achievement.
Finally, on this part of the programme, 'Stereophonics' arrived. Unfortunately they had been told they were recording Sgt. Pepper intro, but it became clear, they were in fact meant to be doing the Reprise version. All credit to them, they took it in their stride, and performed a high energy version to compliment the original.
So, as you can see, despite ourselves, we really enjoyed the whole programme.
The attitude of the bands involved showed that they weren't trying to compete, merely show their respect, for the past recording.
Really, this is no different to the approach that classical musicians take every day. Here, the tradition is to recreate a masterpiece from the past, and this is exactly what these bands achieved.
After all, the original tracks can take it.
For Robin to enjoy, and respect, the results of this programme, is quite an achievement.
When Sgt.Pepper was originally released, Robin was a young boy, on holiday with a friend, and spent most of the time at the piano in the hotel, trying to recreate the songs. They have been in is head, all the time, ever since.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Beatles, Sgt Pepper -Segovia -The Zimmers - Rosslyn Chapel
The Beatles were one of the factors that decided Robin's fate in life, (Bach, 'Chaconne' was another, but I'll save that one for now.)
The Beatles themselves recognised the importance of classical music and George Harrison once said that, "Segovia is the Daddy of us all."
On hearing this, Segovia's response was, "These pop stars might be nice boys, but what they are doing is obscene and a disease."
Sorry Segovia, I just have to disagree with you, on that one. Maybe he just wasn't quite ready for The Beatles.
Celebrations are underway to acknowledge that 40 years have elapsed since the recording and release of 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
This incredible album, which sounds as fresh as the day it was released, is being re-recorded by various artists, Bryan Adams, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, to name a few.
Read Robert Sandall's report, 'It was 40 years ago today', for the full story.
Whilst I can't imagine anyone bettering The Beatles own performance, I'll be watching BBC2 on Saturday at 10.45pm, to see what's going on.
Meanwhile, 'The Zimmers', continue to take the world by storm.
They have now had a complete makeover. Read,'From Gran to Glam - Zimmer's new look is a huge hit' , by Hilary Alexander.
Also, you can watch this short video clip, 'Rosslyn chapel: making the stonework sing', to see just how the code was cracked.
The Beatles themselves recognised the importance of classical music and George Harrison once said that, "Segovia is the Daddy of us all."
On hearing this, Segovia's response was, "These pop stars might be nice boys, but what they are doing is obscene and a disease."
Sorry Segovia, I just have to disagree with you, on that one. Maybe he just wasn't quite ready for The Beatles.
Celebrations are underway to acknowledge that 40 years have elapsed since the recording and release of 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
This incredible album, which sounds as fresh as the day it was released, is being re-recorded by various artists, Bryan Adams, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, to name a few.
Read Robert Sandall's report, 'It was 40 years ago today', for the full story.
Whilst I can't imagine anyone bettering The Beatles own performance, I'll be watching BBC2 on Saturday at 10.45pm, to see what's going on.
Meanwhile, 'The Zimmers', continue to take the world by storm.
They have now had a complete makeover. Read,'From Gran to Glam - Zimmer's new look is a huge hit' , by Hilary Alexander.
Also, you can watch this short video clip, 'Rosslyn chapel: making the stonework sing', to see just how the code was cracked.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Who Are You?
As requested, I did tape, 'The Seven Ages of Rock', on BBC2 last night, and when Robin got home, we settled down to watch.
It was great, full of fantastic vintage Hendrix footage, with comments from various musicians, journalists, biographers and the late Chas Chandler, Jimi's manager and former member of the Animals.
There were also some great clips of Cream, the Who, the Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and many more.
By the time we had finished watching it was gone 1 am, so, Robin was banned from getting out his Stratocaster and blasting out 'Purple Haze', for fear of waking children and neighbours.
However, his sub-conscious must have been dwelling on all this as he slept, because this is a poem he wrote on waking this morning:
WHO ARE YOU?*
Messrs. Entwistle, Daltrey, Townsend and Moon,
Turn down a side street - the time is mid-June,
The 16 year old with huge head of hair,
Is calming himself with a pint of foam beer,
His heroes have finally come into town,
In a Ford Transit van of mighty renown,
In less than an hour they will be live on the stage,
At the end of their set they give vent to their rage,
Drum kits will fly, guitars they will splinter,
Is this in fact an artistic winter?
Not in the least - these guys are on top,
They're zeitgeist, their muse is unlikely to stop,
There's no substitute for my generation,
No wonder we hold them in great veneration.
ROBIN HILL May 2007
* When Robin was 16 the Who performed at what was then the Casino Club (it's currently a Quick Save supermarket....) on Crompton Way in Bolton. He still occasionally drives past the side street they would have taken to get to the stage door, and always looks, and remembers, their concert.
It was great, full of fantastic vintage Hendrix footage, with comments from various musicians, journalists, biographers and the late Chas Chandler, Jimi's manager and former member of the Animals.
There were also some great clips of Cream, the Who, the Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and many more.
By the time we had finished watching it was gone 1 am, so, Robin was banned from getting out his Stratocaster and blasting out 'Purple Haze', for fear of waking children and neighbours.
However, his sub-conscious must have been dwelling on all this as he slept, because this is a poem he wrote on waking this morning:
WHO ARE YOU?*
Messrs. Entwistle, Daltrey, Townsend and Moon,
Turn down a side street - the time is mid-June,
The 16 year old with huge head of hair,
Is calming himself with a pint of foam beer,
His heroes have finally come into town,
In a Ford Transit van of mighty renown,
In less than an hour they will be live on the stage,
At the end of their set they give vent to their rage,
Drum kits will fly, guitars they will splinter,
Is this in fact an artistic winter?
Not in the least - these guys are on top,
They're zeitgeist, their muse is unlikely to stop,
There's no substitute for my generation,
No wonder we hold them in great veneration.
ROBIN HILL May 2007
* When Robin was 16 the Who performed at what was then the Casino Club (it's currently a Quick Save supermarket....) on Crompton Way in Bolton. He still occasionally drives past the side street they would have taken to get to the stage door, and always looks, and remembers, their concert.
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