sidewinder

PM coming on: Conte Candoli and Lee Morgan, Double or Nothin' (Fresh Sound) $10 NOW $7 Louis Hayes, Quintessential Lou (TCB) $8 NOW $6

Lene Lovich Wreckless Eric Tenpole Tudor

Likely no-one would be prepared to invest the major £ required from such a series in the current environment - unless it was a 'period' Jane Austen drama that the trans-Atlantics would buy and that the masses would watch. No place for quality minority drama at present - shame. Oh - talking about overcooked period drama I see that they are just about to 'launch' yet another 'Tess of the D'Urbevilles' (yawn). Heck, they would even have trouble coming up with something as well made and witty as, say, 'Boys From The Blackstuff'. Now there's a topical series that is fit for a remake in these troubled times !

Latest batch: Donald Byrd Band & Voices 'A New Perspective' (BN NY USA mono) John Coltrane 'More Lasting Than Bronze' (Prestige 24000-series twofer, mono) Jazztet 'Big City Sounds' (Japanese Baybridge, mono) Jack McDuff 'Rock Candy' (Prestige twofer, mono)

Totally agree with your comments re: Parts II and III and the resulting lack of credibility with the characters centre-stage in national events. We don't live in a subtle age !

Lenny Breau Sonny Greenwich Reg Schwager

Interesting take on it, Big Beat Steve Thankfully, the version of 'Heimat' that was shown over here was in German with subtitles - I dread to think how it would have turned out dubbed. Also no commercial breaks so the presentation was excellent. Hear what you say re: the tendency to put the big national events centre-stage. I think the reason series 1 worked so well was that these events were a backdrop influencing the various lives and that characters were seen to develop over many years. The action also slowed almost to a crawl at times to bring out some very subtle observations - that change of pace could be very powerful. Something you rarely see on TV these days and which they were good at in the 70s and 80s. TV drama on the whole has speeded up a lot in pace as people now are impatient to see immediate 'action' - to its great detriment, I think. Same thing happened with BBC Drama. Not much German TV drama gets on UK TV. 'Das Boot' and 'Heimat' are the only ones I can recall ever seeing, sadly. Nevertheless, both got massive critical ratings over here.

Or brought on Chas 'n' Dave with a cockney singalong on the ol' joanna (aka 'Oily Rags' for the non-Brit Oliver Nelson Flying Dutchman fans out there) The lads with Theresa Brewer -

Went past the area some years ago in a car drive. Looked very under-populated, densely forested, with wind-swept wooded hills as in the series. The Frankfurt satellite airport 'Frankfurt - Hahn' beloved of Ryanair etc. is not too far away.

Wayne Gretzky Marc Messier Craig MacTavish

I hope not. A national embarrassment. And to think that people actually got paid a bucket-load for 'conceiving' that rubbish. Egads !

Really sorry to hear this, Alexander. Hang in there and don't blame yourself. Sounds like you have got absolutely the right focus on priorities ie. the well-being of your daughter. What is it about the other sex and the crazy desire to throw money at houses as a cure-all? With the economy the way it is at the moment you are well out of that particular trap. Wishing you well with all this and hope things work themselves out OK. Time is a great healer in all of this, even though it must feel like pergatory at the moment.

German TV did 2 truly great series back in the 1980s - 'Heimat 1' and 'Das Boot'. I've seen all 3 series of Edgar Reisz's Heimat and really liked them all - although 'Heimat 1' was the masterpiece I think. Would like to get all 3 series on DVD. Zweitausendeins usually has reasonable deals on them but so far no really good sale prices on this one. If anyone sees a great sales deal, let me know. Caught all of them on the BBC but the original transmission of 'Heimat 1' (on BBC2 I think) was the most memorable. Around 1987/88 I think. All 3 series totally different in focus - the first series centered on Paul/Maria Simon and life in the Hunsruck around WW2, the second series largely on Maria's Munich-based avane-garde composer son and the 60s arts scene and the 3rd series on the next generation and the years around reunification time.

A Very Happy 75th Birthday to Mr Shorter !!! :party: Fortuitously diggin' listening to The Man last night on the 'Plugged Nickel' set. Fantastic playing !

Still looks like somebody doing something to somebody else! Certainly does. When that flag with the logo on it went up into the roof of the stadium I nearly fell off my seat laughing !

Deep Deep Thought Computer Marvin

After the precision and splendour of the Chinese host nation closing ceremony, this .. Is it just me or was this 8-minute fiasco devised on the back of a cigarette packet in between pints by some 'trendy' London wannabees? London bus with blacked out chav windows - tick. Dancing hoodies - tick. Female singer who nobody knows miming with Jimmy Page - tick. Beckham with his ball - tick. And that bl***dy logo ! Jeez...

Ian Carr & Nucleus 'Alley Cat' (Vertigo, stereo)

Yep, it was, the slide was just inches from my head ! JJ could have moved the slide away but made a point of keeping it in place with absolute precision. Probably chuckled to himself as I sweated away every time the slide went over.

Excellent stuff. I think mine's in the mail.. :rsmile:

Whoahh ! He's got a stash of Mosaics in the radiogram..

Henry Lowther 'Child Song' (Deram, stereo)

BeBe Winans Jim Florentine Father Dougal Father Ted Father Jack Bishop Brennan

Thanks for posting that, Sidewinder. Perhaps I should look at the Telegraph more often! No problem. As it was, I found it just by chance !