Concert Review : Them Crooked Vultures - Corn Exchange, Edinburgh

This certainly counted as a "bonus" concert as I had made no attempt to buy a ticket for this concert. However, the timing of my son's examination schedule meant I was the lucky recipient of his misfortune.

Unlike many supposed "supergroups", the combination of Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and Josh Homme was kept very much under the radar until the album was ready to be released, and some relatively low key gigs announced.

The album was a thrilling combination of three exceptional talents - indeed, sufficiently so in Jones' case that it rather made me happy that there was no follow up to the Led Zeppelin concert at the O2 as it is somewhat doubtful that it would have been able to match the heights that Them Crooked Vultures have attained.

The gig more than matched the album. The entire album was played along with two new songs (which I trust is a sign that this will not be a one off) giving an 80 minute set. No encore (not really necessary) and no nods to any of the participants other bands.

It was great to see Grohl back behind a drum kit - the man is an absolute monster and handled the complex time signatures of some of the numbers with ease and also demonstrated that he would have been more than capable of filling John Bonham's shoes had that been open to him.

Josh Homme was a remarkably charismatic front man - or, at least, much more so than I had expected. His vocals were excellent, as was his guitar playing.

And then there was John Paul Jones. As cool, calm and collected on stage as was the case in the heyday of Zeppelin, he played a wide range of instruments with ease and was clearly enjoying himself thoroughly. Although the audience was on the whole of a generation not to have enjoyed Zeppelin, it was Jones who got the biggest cheer from the crowd which is only appropriate.

The band were ably supported by Alain Johannes, who has previously worked with Homme in Queens Of The Stone Age, who helped out on guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals throughout the evening. He seems more than talented enough in his own right to justify sharing the stage with the other three.

All in all, a remarkable evening from a remarkable band

Concert Review : Ray Davies - Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Ray Davies turned up at the Concert Hall in Glasgow to provide a masterclass in songwriting, with a set whilst leaning heavily on the old classics still contained a healthy input from his last studio album, Working Man's Cafe.

Starting off acoustically and working through a number of classics before being joined by a full band, including Ian Gibbons who had been the last keyboard player with The Kinks, Davies was in good voice and prefaced many of the songs with amusing anecdotes. During the show he was perhaps a little too keen to test out the singing voices of the audience - I'm all for singing along to well loved choruses but his constant requests to sing louder with reprises of choruses did begin to wear a little.

The high points of the evening were an acoustic reading of Waterloo Sunset, and the full band (but still restrained) performance of Celluloid Heroes. From a lengthy catalogue of timeless classics, I do think these two might just be his best.

Support for the evening was provided by Roddy Hart. I previously saw Roddy supporting Jeff Beck earlier in the year but hadn't really been able to appreciate him fully as I'd slumbered through much of his set. This time round he demonstrated that the fault was my tiredness, rather than any lack of quality on his part. Another fine songwriter, with a strong voice and a confident stage manner, his set was filled with strong melodies that encourage investigation into his two albums. One to catch with his band at some point.

Film Review : The Box

Director Richard Kelly made quite an impression with his debut Donnie Darko which was an extremely satisfying if mystifying movie. Much of the expectation created by that effort was dissipated by his follow-up, Southland Tales, which contained just as much mystery but without the satisfaction.

Someone in Hollywood still loves him though, as he's been let loose on a new film. Based on an old short story from The Twilight Hour, The Box stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who have to decide if they should open the box and receive a million pounds (which, as it happens, is nicely timed as both have just received news that very day that would make such a windfall extremely useful). The downside being that in accepting the money will result in the death of someone who they don't know dying.

Frank Langella plays the mysterious visitor who makes the offer and his presence throughout the movie is marvellously unsettling. This is assisted greatly by a disfigurement to his face which has much of his lower jaw missing.

Needless to say, The Box is duly opened and the story concentrates on the guilt taken on by the couple, along with an ongoing reveal of precisely who Langella is and his motives in making the offer.

Although not as successful a movie as Donnie Darko, this will go much of the way to repairing Kelly's tarnished reputation.

Concert Review : Status Quo/Roy Wood - SECC, Glasgow

If it's December then it must be time for Quo at the SECC. But equally, it's also time for numerous plays of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day as well so it was more than opportune that the support was provided by the legend that is Roy Wood.

Wood has to be one of the finest songwriters this country has ever produced and putting aside his brief involvement in the establishment of the Electric Light Orchestra his work as the mainman in both The Move and Wizzard along with his solo efforts gives him a eclectic back catalogue to be proud of.

He was a name on my list of artists I'd love to see in a live setting but his touring in the past couple of decades has been somewhat limited and also, as far as I am aware at least, lacking in visits to Scotland. The news that he was going to be providing the support to Quo on their 2009 visit to Glasgow was met with considerable enthusiasm.

Backed by a bass, keyboards, drums, a female singer plus a four piece horn section Wood ran through a whole range of the songs that stamped his name as one for the history books. Opening with California Man (and how awesome that was!) and closing, inevitably with I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day and stopping off with I Can Hear The Grass Grow, Fire Brigade, Flowers In The Rain, Blackberry Way, Ball Park Incident, See My Baby Jive, Angel Fingers, Are You Ready To Rock along with two other numbers (at least one of which was new) had me in a position that I'd have left the SECC thoroughly satisfied by the evening's entertainment. It was certainly the first time that I can remember the already full hall on their feet singing and dancing along with a support act.

I do hope that this is a sign of Roy becoming more active, and I'd love to see a full show from him. I might get Brontosaurus then which wasn't played despite my rather loud call for same.

Of course, having been so thoroughly enraptured with Roy Wood there was a danger that Status Quo might be something of an anti-climax. Especially as I knew their set was largely unchanged from last years show - although the reintroduction of Hold You Back got a big thumbs up from me and I was looking forward to this.

Although they have made some rather foolish moves in their career (cover albums, anyone!) Quo have always remained a powerful and consistent live act. I'd also make a case that Francis Rossi is both a superlative songwriter. (And just to leave some clear blue sky between me and other Quo fanatics, I hold no nostalgia for Alan Lancaster who, with only a few exceptions, was usually responsible for the poorest songs on any Quo album.)

Despite the high level of the bar set by Roy Wood, Quo managed to match it although it wasn't without some difficulties. Some earlier gigs on the tour had to be cancelled because of issues with Rossi's voice. These weren't totally resolved and some songs were carried more by the audience than by Francis. However, and it may have been to compensate, the band clicked big time and the power coming from the stage had the air guitarists among the audience in heaven. I'm also sure they were much louder than they had been last year - and that's not a complaint.

One of the Quo songs which seems to elicit most negative comment is Burning Bridges. Being a contrarian, it's one of my favourites and I hadn't been expecting it to be played (as per setlists from earlier gigs) but there must be something about Glasgow as they played it as their first encore. (It's always seems to get played here - must be the sight of me jumping up and down during the jiggy bit that gives them a laugh!). This was in addition to the usual encore numbers, so we still got Paper Plane, Junior's Wailing and Rock And Roll Music/Bye Bye Johnny to bring the evening to a hugely entertaining close.

Quo are an undervalued gem of the British music scene, but for all those that all too easily put them down they are still capable of pulling large crowds on their annual jaunts which speaks volumes. Roll on next year!

Concert Review : Porcupine Tree - ABC1, Glasgow

In an age where Prog no longer seems to be a dirty word, Porcupine Tree find themselves as the standard bearers for the genre in the UK. Whilst their last two albums, Fear Of A Blank Planet and The Incident, have received almost universal praise I've yet to be convinced that they are on a par with the albums that preceded them.

Notwithstanding that the band remain a powerful live act and the ABC in Glasgow was treated to the final date on their 2009 tour in support of The Incident. (Ironically, we were the recipients of the opening night of the tour for the prior album).

The first half of the show was a performance of The Incident itself which is a 55-minute piece which takes up the first CD of the new set. Although I'm becoming more familiar with the piece I can't help but feel that this contains too much in the way of filler material to join the songs together. (Let's not kid ourselves on that this is actually a single piece of music - like many such prog epics, it is no more and no less than a bunch of songs with some additional material to link it together to make it appear as one continuous piece). Overall, I think it's a couple of good songs short of totally hitting the mark.

Seeing it performed live only tended to reinforce that opinion, and whilst it's an considerable achievement in some respects I do think they are not quite hitting the peaks of their earlier albums which concentrated on strong songs and was not encumbered by the epic tag to quite the same extent.

The second half was promised by Steven Wilson to be filled with the "ones we know". By and large, that wasn't the case as the band played some seldom played songs from their earlier career along with the less obvious selections from their recent albums. That's not a criticism by any manner of means as I do like to see bands that mix up their setlists. One of the delights of seeing Porcupine Tree in the last six or seven years has been that they have never allowed the setlist to get stale and each one is usually significantly different from the last (more than the mere presence of a new album would justify). It was only at encore time when the duo of The Sound Of Muzak and Trains from In Absentia (much, much better than either of the last two!) brought proceedings to a close.

There is a danger that this review sounds a bit whingy and negative but it's all a question of degree. Porcupine Tree remain an awesome live proposition and seem like they will remain so for some time to come.

Film Review : A Serious Man

Having been on good terms with box office success with the Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men and the exuberant Burn After Reading, the Coen Brothers throw one to their core audience (all seventeen of us) with their latest film.


Based largely on their childhood experiences but without being autobiographical (which is either quirkily typical of the Coens or an attempt to keep the lawyers at bay), A Serious Man observes the life of an upstanding member of the Jewish community as he faces a turning point in his career (with the opportunity of tenure at the University where he lectures) and his life (where his wife is leaving him to his considerable shock).

Unusually, the film does not use any of the recognised members of the Coen fraternity. The titular character is played by Michael Stuhlbarg who does an excellent job belying the supporting roles that have been his career to date.

As a man of faith who has undoubtedly done all the right things in life, he seeks the advice of his local rabbis. Needless to say, they all in their different ways seem unable to assist. The whole thrust of the film is how these men with such a significant and crucial role in the Jewish community are able to cope (or not) with the everyday concerns of the members of their congregation.

This is a funny movie but more in the fashion of some of the earlier, darker movies rather than the more accessible Burn After Reading. For those of you that don't like those earlier Coen Brothers movies (Barton Fink might be the best barometer for comparison purposes) you may find it difficult to get above the general air of depression that surrounds the film. But the rest of you will cherish that the Coen Brothers can still produce this type of film despite their wider success.

Concert Review : Steve Hackett - The Ferry, Glasgow

It's been about 20 years since Steve Hackett last performed in Glasgow, but the packed Ferry showed that he's still got a lot of loyal and committed fans in these parts. This seems to be very much the time for Hackett with all things prog being something approaching fashionable and also having a very strong album to promote in Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth which neatly covers all of the bases of his solo material in fine fashion.

Hackett fronts an extremely powerful band which means that the songs do come over as much more muscular and dynamic that they can appear on album. That is not a bad thing!

Featuring the new album in its' entirety alongside an eclectic range of material from his previous solo albums alongside some classics from his days in Genesis. The latter included a fine performance of Firth Of Fifth along with the inevitable Horizons. What was a surprise was the version of Blood On The Rooftops from the underrated Wind And Wuthering album.

However, Hackett has long since put his Genesis days behind him and the set concentrated largely on his excellent solo career. I've always found it difficult to work out where Steve lands in the bigger picture. It's not unusual to find blank stares when his name is mentioned but the large crowd tonight showed that his work is reaching a significant audience.

The range of Hackett's solo work suggests that it's always going to be unlikely that he'll be able to appeal to the masses, but it's that selfsame diversity that will make those already on his side will continue to be so.

Let's hope he doesn't leave another 20 years to return.

Film Review : The Men Who Stare At Goats

This is another film based on a book much loved by its' readers. In the case, the book is not a work of fiction but a study of the somewhat unusual methods used in some sections of the CIA to gain advantages of their enemy of the moment.

I've not read the book but it's clear from other comments that the film is a very different take on this topic from the book. Whilst the book appears to be a serious study of the more ludicrous end of CIA activities, the film plays things pretty much for laughs coming across as Coen-lite.

Not that the end result is anything other than an enjoyable film. George Clooney plays the charming and committed idiot whose earnestness and dedication to the task more than overwhelms the absurdity of the situation he finds himself in.

Ewan McGregor plays an equally gormless journalist who decides to follow the story all the way to a middle eastern warzone as a means of proving himself to his wife. You can imagine how that works out.

Whilst both these characters demonstrate an amusing gullibility, Kevin Spacey adds a touch of ambition to the mix. Seemingly always bested by Clooney, his focus means he ends up floating to the top of the tree for the film's climax.

However, the film is pretty much stolen by Jeff Bridges as the soldier who sets the whole shebang up. If you can imagine The Big Lebowski's Dude in charge of a CIA operation then you'll love this performance.

As mentioned before, this is very much Coen-lite and makes the whole idea of what the CIA were doing an object of some ridicule rather than as something sinister (which is how I suspect its' presented in the source material). But if you can't laugh at some of these things that are done supposedly in our name, there'd only be one alternative.

Concert Review : Deep Purple - Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

Now that we're in a situation where Steve Morse has played more gigs as a member of Deep Purple than Ritchie Blackmore, it's probably long past the situation to consider him the "new boy" but it's always apparent from reading the views of fans that the spectre of Blackmore continues to loom large in their thoughts and opinions of the band.

Any new Purple material is always subject to comparison to their classic period and often held to be inferior. Notwithstanding that precisely the same standard if applied to the Blackmore-era reunion albums would result in the same conclusion. Indeed, if pressed I'd suggest that the best album by any post-reunion album would be the Morse-era debut Purpendicular. A better, fresher album than its' only near competitor Perfect Strangers.

That these two albums represent the first offerings of the respective line-ups from their respective time periods probably says something about the challenge faced by Purple. They do seem to find it hard to sustain a consistent level of creativity to match the burst that produced In Rock, Fireball and Machine Head in the 1970's.

That's not a unique problem to Purple - many bands of a similar age fact the same issues but it does mean that in the case of Deep Purple it is difficult for them to step out of the shadow of the Man In Black.

That leaves live performance as the main arena in which the band can continue to breathe and thrive. And they continue to do so as this performance in Glasgow on 11th November demonstrated.

Whilst the band were reinvigorated by the addition of Steve Morse, they have over recent years had a tendency to slip into the old bad habit of resting too heavily on familiar material and especially Machine Head. This time around the setlist showed some more variation with some welcome additions in No One Came (from Fireball) along with the return of the one true classic from the Morse era which genuinely stands shoulder to shoulder with anything from Purple's heyday in Sometime I Feel Like Screaming. We also got Wasted Sunsets and Not Responsible from Perfect Strangers - not necessarily the top of anyones list of songs they'd like to hear performed but welcome for that lack of obviousness.

The band played as well as I've seen for a while, although Gillan was clearly struggling with some of the higher notes. This is not uncommon in recent shows, but I'm at a loss why he continues to attempt to scream when his voice in normal register remains so strong.

Morse clearly continues to enjoy playing the old material and avoids simply replicating Blackmore's style bringing a different style to the songs. The other new boy, Don Airey is now being more adventurous having taken a few years to settle comfortably into the position previously held by Jon Lord. Nowadays, the band switch between keyboard and guitar rather as they did in their earlier years, before Blackmore's domination chipped away at that magic ingredient.

Paice and Glover continue to be the rock rhythm section par excellence. One notable item missing was Paice's drum solo - not necessarily a bad thing as drum solos are often an indulgence despite the excellence of the player - but I would equally have welcomed the absence of the guitar and keyboard solo slots in favour of a couple more songs.

Ian Gillan told us that the band would be recording a new album in 2010. It's five years since Rapture Of The Deep which was an enjoyable but not essential album. I'd like to hope that the gap can result in stronger material that can produce an album that can rival Purpendicular.

Film Review : Harry Brown

Much publicised as possibly Michael Caine's last movie, this is a gritty tale of modern life in an urban wasteland. An additional appeal is that the story is set in the same part of London where Caine himself was brought up.

As such, he undoubtedly brings an emotional strength to the role of Harry who is a recently bereaved widower who also loses a friend who was murdered by the local gangs. These events result in his growing anger at what is happening all around to boil over, and the quiet retired man turns vigilante using the skills he learnt from his long service with the services.

Caine is compelling as you would expect, but you do feel that this is a role he has played many times before. However, the very clear emotional connection he has with the material does add punch to the tale.

Emily Mortimer plays a police sergeant out of her depth amongst the amoral behaviour all around. You suspect that, in real life such a well meaning person would simply not survive in such an environment but in the film, she is the one who sets the moral compass around which the tale revolves.

It's very easy to describe this as a British Gran Torino, and whilst there are many similarities in the tale it is, as you might expect, a more realistic and bleak picture of a crumbling urban environment.

It's also worth saying that whilst this isn't by any manner of means a happy-clappy film, it's not as unremittingly bleak as some of this style of movie can be. It was even enjoyed by my wife, and I lost my bet that she wouldn't enjoy it.

Concert Review : Andy Fairweather Low - The Ferry, Glasgow

One of the great joys for me over the past few years has been the return of Andy Fairweather Low to the live arena in his own right. Having put his solo endeavours to one side after the failure of Mega Shebang to make a meaningful impression on the world, he spent the years since then acting as guitar for hire. Given that this included long term engagements with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters suggests the skill and talent that he brought to that role.

Of course, those of us of a certain age remember AFL as the teen idol lead singer with Amen Corner, whilst those less chronologically challenged will recall his biggest solo hit Wide Eyed And Legless which is a condition I well recognise from my younger years. Of course, his previous career never really gave a hint of what a fine guitarist he is.

I've written previously on this blog about AFL, and it will be no great surprise to find me waxing ecstatically about his latest appearance in Glasgow on 6th November. Whilst much of the set was familiar, the songs were given a different twist in that the keyboards were replaced with a horn player which gave them a different feel.

What was different - indeed, almost a month later it still strikes me as astonishing - was the size of the crowd. The previous gigs at The Ferry had been reasonably well attended but left no doubt that the boat was in no danger of loosening itself from its' moorings. This time, however, the place was packed. Not full by any manner of means, but the audience had increased by about three time since the last show.

I'm not sure what's happened in the interim. The tour he is on, and the gig at The Ferry in particular, was no better advertised than happened previously. There's no new album to have generated any more of a profile.

What was clear was that all the "new" folk in the audience were more than familiar with the songs that were played. Hell, there was even three women who started screaming - yes, screaming - when he played Hello Susie, the first of the old Amen Corner songs played in the set.

It made it quite a thrilling evening for me as AFL is someone I'm happy to continue to champion as, in my (admittedly not very humble) opinion, not enough people recognise his worth. It was clearly just as thrilling to Andy and his band who were visibly quite taken aback with the reception which started at noisy and built from there.

All the hits from Amen Corner, Fairweather and solo segments of his career were played along with a number of songs from his excellent last album Sweet Soul Music. As he has done since his comeback, the set also contained a sprinkling of old blues, gospel and country tunes that provided a grand potted history of the key styles of the last 60 years. Most enjoyable and touching was his tribute to the recently departed Les Paul, playing the song Just Because which was his first ever released record way back in the 1960's.

Encoring with Bend Me Shape Me and (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice had The Ferry in singalong mood. Bend Me Shape Me was always a favourite of mine and it's been marvellous to be able to hear AFL perform this live over the past couple of years.

I did notice that AFL will be supporting the Robert Cray Band on their British tour in the summer of 2010. Hopefully, that will help to (re)introduce Andy to a wider audience which can only be a good thing.

Film Review : The Fantastic Mr Fox

The world is made up of two types of people or, at least, two types of film fan. Those who "get" Wes Anderson and love his films and those who most certainly don't and who would rather watch X-Factor than suffer one of his films. (Mind you, that does suggest that a very large number of people form the latter category!). I fall into the former category although it would be fair to say that there's a sameness to his movies that has the potential to pall somewhat. (And that might be aimed at you, Jason Schwartzman!).

This films marks something of a break with his other movies in that whilst featuring many of his regular ensemble, the principle parts of Mr and Mrs Fox are voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep respectively. The other significant break is indicated by the use of the term "voiced" - this is an animated feature. Not just any old animated feature, mind you. In an era of photo-realistic digital extravaganzas, The Fantastic Mr Fox is made using good old-fashioned stop-motion animation which gives it a unique style amongst its' peers.

Ironically, this does provide something of a hurdle for the viewer - well, it did for me! - as we are now so used to the latest technologies lighting up our screens that the decidedly old school feel of the visuals take a while to settle in. That they do is as a result of the tale based on Roald Dahl's book which like all of his work reveals a more challenging world than the apparently childlike veneer.

The titular character is a charming and over-confident fox whose bravado sets his family and their community at peril to local farmers who seek to rid themselves of the pests who are ruining their business. Being a Wes Anderson movie, the family and other members of the community are an angst-riddled bunch whose various foibles both assist and restrain Mr Fox in his endeavours to defeat his foes.

Clooney is his usual charming, debonair self as Mr Fox, whilst Meryl Streep plays his loving but long-suffering wife to perfection. With a certain air of predictability, the aforementioned Mr Schwartzman plays the young Fox, and the playing out of his issues with both family and friends forms the moral core of this tale.

It's worth pointing out this isn't really a children's movie - there's nothing inherently problematic about the film being seen by youngsters, but it does play as reasonably hard-core Anderson may make it a little incomprehensible to some. Indeed, that may make it incomprehensible to some adults as well, but that's why I like his movies.

This is an extremely enjoyable movie, and one that I hope will allow Anderson himself to recharge his creative batteries after The Darjeeling Limited which I thought was little disappointing and showed him to be in danger of parodying himself.

Concert Review : Wishbone Ash - The Ferry, Glasgow

Fading a little into the distance, but Wishbone Ash played their second gig of the year at The Ferry on Thursday 22nd October. For the past number of years they have playing twice a year and although they are managing to retain the audience numbers you can't help but feel that the frequency might be a little too often.

I'd checked out the setlists from some of the earlier dates in the tour and had been disappointed to see that the numbers played were, with a couple of exceptions, pretty much the same as had been played at their last visit. I suspect that feedback of this nature may have worked its' way back to the band as we were treated to a reshaped set by the time they landed in Glasgow. Certainly, if they are going to make such regular appearances then continual recycling of the setlist is an absolute must otherwise there has to be a risk that both the band and the audience will get somewhat jaded.

New additions to the set from last time included Front Page News and Lady Jay whilst Vas Dis now took the opening slot. Runaway and Right Or Wrong were retained and these songs in particular allowed Muddy's funky rhythm playing to shine.

As ever, it's difficult if not impossible for the band to avoid Argus, but I would be glad to have a set that was devoid of Blowing Free. A great song it may be, but it's one I've heard just a time or two too often. Unfortunately, it was also combined with Bad Weather Blues - if I have to hear this song, I'd much rather hear it with its' own rather excellent ending than being contaminated with this workaday twelve bar.

On the guitar front, it was Muddy Manninen's turn to shine tonight. I've often found him to be too quite and a little too submerged in the overall sound. This was not the case tonight and he rather outshone Andy Powell who was solid enough but unable to match his partner's fire.

On the vocal front Andy Powell, who has never been the strongest of vocalists, seemed to struggle through many of the songs. Indeed, it was notable that Manninen seemed to mirroring some of the melody lines being sung as if to provide some further support. Anything that hit the higher register seemed to be a struggle. Perhaps he was carrying a cold but there was no indication that this might be the case.

I had been pleased to see that Errors Of My Way was marked down as one of the encore numbers, but unfortunately this wasn't played. I'd have been more than happy to have heard this rather than the Blowing Free/Bad Weather Blues combination mentioned earlier.

The issues between Powell and his erstwhile bandmate Martin Turner are well documented. One of Powell's claims is that he has been the one to have carried the band to this juncture including the recording of new music. He does rather undermine this claim by only having one song from any of the albums since Strange Affair. Also in the set is the extremely mediocre Engine Overheat from the execrable Twin Barrels Burning album. Powell seems to recognise in some way that the core of the band remains, as it always has, the series of classic albums from their debut through to Just Testing. Even taking into account the two reunion albums, it is always songs from these earlier albums that set the pulses racing.

That suggests a certain logical action. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it'll be happening any time soon which is a shame

I've Been Away.....

Circumstances have meant that I've not been able to post as regularly as I would have wished but will be attempting to catch up over the next week.

Whilst my posting has been missing, my activities haven't so hope to be sharing my thoughts on The Fantastic Mr Fox and The Men Who Stare At Goats, as well as concerts featuring Wishbone Ash, Andy Fairweather Low and Deep Purple.

Film Review : The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

Terry Gilliam's film career has generally never been one to court the easy option or to produce an "easy" movie. Where he's attempted the latter (e.g. The Brothers Grimm) it's usually been a bit of a failure. His best movies have tended to be the ones that have allowed his imagination full flow onto the screen - Brazil, in its intended form, being perhaps the best evidence of that.

Occasionally, the mainstream and Gilliam have crossed paths and both The Fisher King and Twelve Monkeys are examples of imaginative and popular cinema that we perhaps don't see enough of these days.

His latest film has received more publicity than most given that its' star, Heath Ledger, passed away during the shoot. Most people were probably ready to put this down as another piece of bad luck of the type that seemingly has nothing better to do than follow Gilliam around. After some thought, Gilliam decided that there was a way to finish the film (as appeared to be the desire of the others involved in the production) without impinging on the credibility of either film or Ledger's memory.

I'm delighted to report that this has been achieved with some distinction. The movie is full of the surrealism and imagination that we've come to expect from Gilliam, but the tale itself is remarkably linear. Certainly, those who perhaps enjoy the visual aspects of Gilliam in full flight but find themselves scratching their heads in puzzlement at what it all meant will find this to be a pleasure.

Ledger's absence was dealt with (as has been more than adequately reported elsewhere) by his character being played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The general idea of looks being transformed when you step behind the mirror into Doctor Parnassus imagination is set early on so it's no surprise when Ledger's transformation into his three friends occurs.

The story itself is a morality tale involving the Devil (excellently played by Tom Waits) , the titular Doctor (Christopher Plummer in top form) and his daughter (played by relative newcomer Lily Cole - there's no doubt we'll be seeing more of her in the future). Parnassus having previously made a deal with the Devil to gain immortality had entered into a subsequent deal which allowed him to capture the woman of his dreams. As with all such deals this came at a price, and that involved any offspring from the union to become the property of the Devil on their 16th birthday. Needless to say, the story commences a few days before this event.

Ledger is introduced into the tale as a mysterious stranger who was found seemingly hanged. Who is he, and why was he found in that condition? Is he a friend sent to assist Parnassus, or a trick of the Devil to make sure that the consequences of the pact comes to fruition?

Parnassus moves around London with a travelling circus which allows people to enter his imagination via a mirror, and it is by entering this that the other characters covering Ledgers' part come into play. Each time a different element of the character is revealed until the truth is revealed about his life.

It would appear that all of Ledgers' shots were concerned with the "real" world before his untimely death, and the transformations to the other actors works extremely well and seems well in fitting with the story.

Ledger's performance is very good but not quite as all encompassing as his Joker. It is nevertheless clear that the film world lost an actor of the highest calibre with his untimely passing.

This is a wonderfully imaginative film that, whilst not quite up there with Gilliam's best, should do extremely well on the back of the unwanted publicity that it has received. Hopefully, it will encourage others to investigate some of the more challenging areas of Gilliam's canon.

Concert Review : Pallas - The Ferry, Glasgow

There are times you might feel a bit short changed when the support act only plays three songs. But when two of them are fifteen minutes each, and the other is twenty minutes long then that can only mean one thing.

Said support act were Abel Ganz, a local prog band of some repute but which I hadn't heard until this evenings show. Short songs were clearly at a premium, but they had interesting and diverse instrumentation with strong vocals. From my perspective, they ticked the right box as melody and structure was prominent, with technical ability to the rear. (I always prefer musicians with the technical ability to appreciate that less is often better).

With a new album out (four tracks - what else would you expect!) they will probably be subject to closer investigation by these ears.

Headline act for the evening was the Aberdeen-based Pallas. The band made a bit of a splash in the early 1980's but whilst aware of them I never heard during this period. Reconvening in the mid-90's the band have made a series of fine albums, most notably The Cross And The Crucible which was my entry point into their world.

Since then, I've heard their 1980's albums and would suggest that they are a much better band now. Not least, because the music is shorn of some of the 1980's production values which are evident on both The Sentinel and The Wedge which, at least in retrospect, does nothing to enhance the music.

Original singer Euan Lowson left the band after The Sentinel - a powerful singer who also seemed to suggest that it was necessary for prog bands of that era to be fronted by a psychotic Scotsman - he was replaced by the diminutive Alan Reed who brought a very different style of voice to the band. That line-up remains intact to this day and they present a very powerful show that would easily transfer to a larger stage.

The performance included three new songs from their forthcoming album (written but yet to be recorded) which suggests that their fine run of form is likely to be maintained. The set featured recent material more strongly but still found room for some earlier material, including Euan Lowson featuring on a couple of songs.

It's probably usual to regret how a band of such obvious quality aren't able to reach a wider audience. However, the balance is that I suspect is that the quality of what they do is also a result of the band not being the be-all and end-all of their lives. The band have "serious" jobs which means that whilst their musical adventures have to be secondary - but that could well be the secret ingredient that makes what they produce when they are able to play all the better for it. And for that we should be grateful.

Film Review : Up

I've always been a fan of the Pixar movies as they have never forgotten the primacy of the tale in their productions. They make great use of the latest technologies but not at the expense of a story you can commit to regardless of age.

This continues with their tenth film Up which has proven to be a runaway success in the United States where it was released in the early summer. That will almost certainly be repeated here in the United Kingdom following its' belated release last Friday.

Where it does move into fresh territory is in featuring a grumpy old widower in his seventies struggling to cope with the death of his childhood sweetheart. The first ten minutes of the movie presents a snapshot of the key milestones in their life together, and if you get to the end of this without a lump in your throat then you do need to check if you are the owner of a heart, lonely or otherwise.

This sequence has attracted some criticism for one particular scene where it shows that the couple were unable to have children. I'd got the impression that this was laid on somewhat thickly and have seen it described as overly manipulative but it didn't strike me that way at all. On the contrary, it seemed to provide a necessary understanding to why the lead character Carl found it difficult to build a relationship with young Russell when he appeared on the scene - an older man with a family would have been able to empathise much more readily than occurred in our tale.

Whilst the introduction is very serious and emotional (but without becoming too sentimental) the film moves on to the main story. Carl seeks to revisit the dreams of his youth and, in particular, to make the trip that he'd promised his late wife and to try and expunge some of the guilt he feels about his apparent failure for not being able to fulfil this whilst she was alive.

Needless to say, the inevitable children and animals are called in to support the tale, with Christopher Plummer voicing the villain in disgraced explorer Charles Muntz in grand style.

The film is primarily a 3-D movie (or, at least, in the Cineworld in Glasgow you can see it regularly in 3-D but only once a day in 2-D) and this is well done providing a real sense of depth and perspective. It's very light on tricks and a lot better for this in my opinion.

Next up for Pixar is Toy Story 3 which will be out next summer - the trailer looks enticing and there's no sign of the Pixar bubble bursting any time soon.

Concert Review : Man - The Inn At Lathones

It's been a turbulent period for the Manband with the band disintegrating during the recording of a new album. The end result was that Martin Ace, Phil Ryan and Josh Ace have regrouped bringing in James Beck on guitar and Rene Robrahn on drums. The ejected George Jones and Bob Richards are looking to regroup themselves with some new musicians as well, but it's the new version of the Manband that have proven to be first out of the traps to hit the road.

Following the sessions which precipitated the split, the album was resurrected and with the addition of a couple of new tracks and the replacement and/or removal of George's guitar parts was issued earlier this year as Kingdom Of Noise (Bob remained on all bar the two newer tracks). The album shows every sign of its' difficult gestation and struggles to really cohere as a collection of songs. Perhaps most disappointingly was the seeming absence of Phil Ryan on the composing front, and the more background role he seemed to be playing on the keyboards.

The band toured Germany earlier on this year and bravely (or foolishly depending on your view) built their set very firmly around the new album and put some of the classic Man songs to one side, but also perhaps some of the style that I've come to admire went with it too. The recordings I heard certainly indicated a more than competent band but what was missing was that magic spark that has singled out the Manband in all its' varieties over the decades.

A brief British tour was announced for late September/early October and part of the schedule was a gig at The Inn At Lathones. This is actually about seven miles outside of St Andrews in Fife. Certainly, my initial intentions had been to give this a miss as it represented about a four hour round trip there and back from Paisley, and the combination of the albums and the earlier recordings rather made me feel that this wasn't worth the effort. A far cry from the times when I'd happily drive to Swansea for the once regular Christmas Parties!!

However, the indications from the earlier gigs (Lathones was the last date in the tour) were that the band had reinstated some of the older classics but, more importantly, were approaching the material with a fresh eye and consequently were playing with some vigour and purpose. From reports from a number of gigs came similar reports so I was forced to reconsider my position.

I am happy to report that I am extremely glad that I did. The performance was excellent and the familiar numbers had been sharpened up with some fresh arrangements - many of the changes were minor but had the impact of catching the ear turning, as an example, opener The Price into a much more substantial number than it had ever previously seemed to be. Similarly, the rhythms on Mad On Her were subtly amended which made it just a little less of a straight forward rock song.

Of course, the biggest questions would be answered by how the classics were tackled - the setlist included C'Mon, Spunk Rock (unusually in midset), Many Are Called But Few Get Up and, as part of the encore, Bananas. All were more than recognisable but there was no attempt to mimic what had gone before, and in doing so made the songs sound remarkably fresh instead of the almost 40 year old warhorses that they are.

Of the recent album, only three tracks remain and they held up remarkably well. They showed some fine tuning from the recorded versions - they probably reflected three of the four best songs on the album - which suggests that the band might have been better served by working this material out on the road before recording them.

New guitarist James Beck was impressive and seems to have stamped his authority on the songs, without ever stooping to attempting to copy or match what we've been used to by the Jones family. I've no doubt he feels a little overawed by the legacy he has taken in but he certainly gave the impression of wearing this lightly.

Josh Ace gave the most assured performance I've seen from him and his singing was the strongest I've heard from him. He's much more of a no-nonsense player than others in the band, and doesn't appear to have inherited any of his father's more extrovert genes.

New drummer Rene Robrahn adds a very different feel to his immediate predecessors. He can be as direct as we'd become used to by Messrs Richard and Weathers but also seems to be able to play at the lighter end of the scale when needed and, as such, is perhaps the closest the band have had to the style of the peerless Terry Williams.

Old hands Ace and Ryan weren't allowing the younger members to have it all their own way and gave every impression of thoroughly enjoying themselves. The older numbers in particular were used as jumping off points for some jamming and Phil made full use of his solos to impress.

Also worth mentioning are the vocals. There are now four voices in the band and many of the songs were enhanced by making full use of these. Phil also sang a delightful Dream Away which was impeccably delivered.

The venue itself was based in a pretty high end hotel and was formerly the stables in bygone days. It only held about 36 people and allowed for a wonderfully intimate experience. As a consequence none of the instruments were miked up via the PA but the sound was more than fine for all that. Lathones does seem to be a few miles beyond the middle of nowhere, but the surroundings make it more likely that I'll be seeking out some other suitable gigs there.

Following the recent splits, it's been far from certain what the future held for Man. Musically, last night showed that there is life left in the old dog yet and I'll certainly be looking forward to seeing this lineup again in the future.

No pictures from last night, I'm afraid, but there are plenty from recent gigs on the Manband Archive.

Music Review : Rod Stewart - The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998

Despite some of their sins over the years, most of the major artists of the 1960's and 1970's have tended to have their reputations rekindled in their later years. Elton John is in a fine vein of rich form (although I usually think the quality of his albums are in direct relation to how hard Bernie Taupin works on his lyrics) and Eric Clapton seems to turn up at many gigs like everyones favourite uncle. An exception to this appears to be Rod Stewart who, despite remaining very popular, has never been on anyones list of credible rockstars probably since he left The Faces.

It's always been way to easy to suggest that Rod lost his way after the break-up of The Faces. Certainly, Atlantic Crossing was a weak album with watered down rockers on the one hand with some asinine ballads on the other. On the other hand, it did contain a superb reading of Danny Whitten's I Don't Want To Talk About It which (just) managed to keep on the right side of the saccharine line. However, once he got his touring band together and used them for his albums the quality level increased markedly. Unfortunately, this coincided with his squiring of Britt Ekland and his seeming efforts to look as ridiculous as possible.

Topping and tailing that period with Do You Think I'm Sexy which suffered from the twin sin of utilising a disco rhythm as well as being the polar opposite of his earlier guise as just one of the lads.

Like many artists of his vintage, much of the 1980's were a time of poor choices and poorer production values (although it's hard to beat Dylan in this regard for plumbing the depths in this decade) but since then he's reverted to sound choices of covers and his albums recovered an aura of consistent if not outstanding quality.

It does seem that the days of Stewart the songwriter are gone but he does remain a superb interpreter of the right material. Although much maligned by many, I thoroughly enjoyed the American Songbook series (although he was stretching it at four volumes) but I was already a convert to the quality of the songs from that era.

To counter that, his album of classic rock covers Still The Same really was scraping the bottom of a very mucky barrel with most of the songs barely qualifying as rock and almost none of them worthy of the use of the word "classic"

Whilst there has been much talk of a reunion of the surviving Faces (and this proceeding or not seems to be entirely down to Rod) he is continuing his endeavours with a new album Soulbook featuring his interpretations of a number of soul classics. Many of the songs selected for this look like they might be good choices for him but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

All of this is a long introduction to the four disc set that's just been issued covering sessions from 1971 through to 1998 of outtakes, demos and alternative versions as well as some songs that never saw the light of day. This appears to be a precursor to a wider release programme for his post Faces material - Atlantic Crossing and A Night On The Town have already appeared in special editions.

Like many of these kinds of collections, there is a range of material on this set. Some that you really enjoy hearing, and others that you wonder why they were allowed to see the light of day. In the latter category is included an early version of Maggie May which opens the set. That's early as in before he'd really settled on a melody or written any words for it! It's no more than Stewart extemporising over the backing track clearly seeking to come to terms with what the song might later become. It really doesn't add anything to your appreciation of the finished article, or have anything much to offer in its' own right.

However, there is much to enjoy on this album. By its very nature, the versions here are less produced than they might otherwise have been and that's usually to the benefit of the performance. As we progress through the years, there's a greater preponderance of songs that didn't appear on albums and in many cases these seem to be truer to his spirit. You can't help but feel that this is better material than was issued, and that he was on the end of some poor advice about where he should be heading. Perhaps too keen to put out something modern sounding rather than good listening!

The set ends with a delicious version of the late John Martyn's May You Never. You only need a cursory knowledge of the song to know that this is the type of song that Rod could readily make his own.

If you're a casual fan, this is certainly not going to be of interest to you. However, for those who have loved Rod and perhaps those who wondered where it all went wrong, this provides an interesting alternative history that suggests the last thirty years have been perhaps unfairly maligned.

Now, Rod - do the decent thing. Stop fannying around and get back with Ronnie, Mac and Kenny!

Film Review : Pandorum

This will be brief and to the point. This film is pure and utter drivel with a story that would like to be admirably complex but is in fact ineffably stupid.

Dennis Quaid should be ashamed of himself for associating with such tosh.

I've already wasted a couple of hours of my life - it doesn't deserve to take any more

Music Review : King Crimson - Red

It's 40 years since King Crimson helped to create the genre known as prog by releasing the seminal In The Court Of The Crimson King. To commemorate this, the KC catalogue is receiving yet another brush up and the equally seminal Red is the first to be released.

This is an album whose reputation has grown over the years, and it's clear when you listen to many of today's prog bands (and particularly at the heavier, more dynamic end of the spectrum) that they've taken a lot from this collection.

The third album from the second major phase of Crimson's career (and, yes, that means I'm counting the first four albums as phase 1 to which I know some would suggest should be split into two or three!) the momentum was somewhat dissipated when guitarist (and undoubtedly leader) Robert Fripp decided to disband meaning that the music was never able to develop further in live performance.

The band has slimmed down to a three-piece with Fripp being joined by the excellent Bill Bruford on drums and percussion with John Wetton on bass and vocals. Wetton's vocals talents came to the fore for the first time in Crimson and he adds a weight of authority to the songs performed. They are augmented by a bunch of others on the album who help to spice up the sound without getting in the way of the dominant trio

Weight, of course, is something that certainly isn't lacking in the music on this album. The songs that made up the original side 1 of the album form a trilogy (of course, they would. It's prog after all!) with crashing riffs, great dynamics and some melodious singing from Wetton. This music still sounds very modern not least because there's so many bands now trying to recreate the power and authority of this music - although many of these attempts are worthy, they all fail to reach the high water mark set by this album.

Side 2 contains two longer tracks one edited down from a longer in-concert improvisation, and the second being the utterly peerless Starless which brings dignity, poise and grace to one of Crimson's most distinguished creations.

In addition to the original album, we are also treated to bonus tracks from the sessions, and also the full version of the aforementioned improvisation. And on top of all that, the album is also available on DVD with a 5.1 surround mix from Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson and some old video of the band featuring some songs from the previous two albums.

The series continues with the classic debut itself (and which comes in a variety of packages including a 5 disc set including rehearsals and new mixes) and Lizard, their third album. Lizard was actually the first Crimson album I heard - I was fourteen at the time - and it was as astonishing then as it is now.

Throughout their history and the many line-ups, Fripp has maintained Crimson at the cutting edge of the times. With prog now being in danger of being hip once again, it's a great time to introduce yourself to one of the genuinely innovative and challenging bands to bear that trademark.

Music Review : Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky

Undoubtedly an influential band, but if they had been able to turn that kudos into cash in the form of record sales when they were in their heyday, how would history be rewritten? Perhaps no need for Tom Petty. Certainly, no room for Teenage Fanclub either. And Cheap Trick might never have got out of Rockford, never mind travelled to the Budokan in Japan.

More crucially, would Chris Bell have risen above his troubles, and been able to avoid his fateful path to an early grave? Would Alex Chilton have been able to remain fully focused and avoided becoming the erratic maverick that he has become?

So many questions, and no answers that can be given with any certainty as we aren't granted the gift of knowing our alternative futures when we turn left instead of veering to the right. What is certain is that this much loved band couldn't sell shit when they were around, although their reputation was still quite high at that time.

I can't even claim myself to be one of the few who were into the band when they were nothing! My first encounter with Big Star was buying a 2-for-1 set which featured their first two albums - that must have been around 1978.

This boxset covers almost everything you might need from Big Star. All of the songs from their three albums from the 1970's are included, alongside other unreleased or hard to find songs from predecessor bands and solo activities. Most notable in the latter category are the tracks from Chris Bell's posthumous album. To cap this all of, the fourth disc features the three piece band in concert which, despite being a guitar down, still captures the verve of the songs perfectly as well as featuring a bunch of interesting covers.

I do say almost everything - whilst all of the songs are present in the case of #1 Record and Radio City some of the versions are alternative mixes or versions to that which appeared on the original album. Needless to say, the original albums have also been reissued so if you're feeling completist then these are needed purchases as well.

The music sounds terrific with the electric material having a bite and attack missing from previous versions, with the acoustic songs having a brightness and depth which makes them sound extremely contemporary.

The third album still has the ability to generate opposing views. In one sense, it's very different from the band that recorded the first two albums but, on the other, it remains a compulsive listen. Certainly, over the years Alex Chilton has struggled to even hint at the quality contained here. Poor Chris Bell didn't have the chance of a tilt at failure.

What's not included are the recent reunion album, In Space, or the previously released live material. This may offend the completist, but I think the golden era of the band is best served by keeping a little distance from material that, however enjoyable, doesn't compare in quality to their 1970's work.

Listening to the albums now, it does seem apparent that there was always an edge to the band which would always just knock the edge off mainstream appeal. That's probably where the longevity in these albums is sourced, and which made it less likely that there was much hope in them scaling the heights when the albums were first issued.

Film Review : The Soloist

There are some things outside of the tale itself that you can take from this film.

Firstly, that three films into his career on the big screen suggests that Joe Wright is a seriously major talent that we can look forward to delivering terrific movies over many years to come.

Secondly, that sobriety suits Robert Downey Jr who continues a fine run of great performances in this movie as journalist Steve Lopez.

And finally, that Jamie Foxx is an astonishing actor who has the gift of inhabiting the characters that he plays. In a role where cliche and stereotype might hover uneasily in the background, he creates a powerful and affecting portrayal of a man of great talents who is also blighted by mental illness.

The story itself revolves around the relationship between journalist Lopez and his chance meeting with Nathaniel Ayers, played by Jamie Foxx. Lopez' attention is grabbed by Ayers playing some repetitive but haunting music on a two string violin, and subsequently includes him in his regular column in the LA Times.

As Lopez finds out more about Ayers past, the story moves into the ambiguity about the growing relationship - with growing interest in his abilities via the reports, where is the line that crosses over into exploitation? And are the efforts to help him going to help Nathaniel, or does he even welcome them?

The positive response to the stories in Lopez column generate additional interest in Ayers, and Lopez seeks to assist him in pursuing his undoubted talent for music - he dropped out of Julliard when his mental illness overtook during his second year of study, retreating from his family and living a life on the streets with his possessions (and his life) contained in a shopping basket.

The developing relationship between the two characters is the fulcrum around which the story relates. It has the potential to be too maudlin or sentimental but it avoids this by avoiding any suggestion that there are easy answers to dealing with Ayers condition, and by making clear the many frustrations faced by Lopez as he attempts to do what he sees as the best thing for his welfare.

This film has not done well in America but it's easy to see why. There are no nice and comfortable happy endings (although the film does resolve itself but in a less overt manner) and it shines an uncomfortable light on the plight of the homeless and disadvantaged in American society, although this is a point that's not overly laboured (and more powerful for that).

This picture is based on a real life and Ayers sister has established the Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation For The Gifted Mentally Ill. As you will see from the site, the story is a relatively recent one but no less powerful for that. I think the book on which the film is based beckons now.

Film Review : Surrogates

Occasionally you see a film where a couple of days contemplation allows you to consider the hidden depths in the ideas expressed, and to perhaps feel that a second viewing might be necessary to understand the complexities of the gripping story line. Surrogates isn't one of those films.

Which is not to say that it's not a perfectly servicable popcorn movie - but it's one that you can safely disengage the more distant parts of your brain when watching.

Bruce Willis plays.........well, he plays Bruce Willis as a police detective in a world where real life has been replaced by a virtual reality played through robots...or surrogates....which allow people to live their lives and do just what they want to do in a society that is almost crime-free.

Needless to say (and you can see this coming, can't you) things are not quite so straight-forward and real humans find themselves being killed via their surrogates, which had not been thought possible. Of course, Bruce is required to solve the mystery in typical Bruce fashion.

As seems to be a contractual obligation, Bruce's marriage is a little shaky and this (along with the protaginists reasons for his actions) form the human element of the story. However, what the film doesn't really attempt to do (and which might have run the risk of making it a bit too cerebral) was to consider the impact on the individual of living your life as what amounts to no more and no less than a fantasy. The human element revolves around two family deaths but which in themselves are no different from the tragedies we need to deal with in our own reality.

Having said that, the film was a perfectly enjoyable hour and a half of my life that I can't feel too bitter at having lost but it simply doesn't wrestle with enough challenging (or even unchallenging) ideas to raise it above that.

Film Review : Creation

There has been a considerable profile to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, and the 150th of his landmark book "On The Origin Of Species". Being the modern world that we live in, these events could not possibly be allowed to pass without a film being made. And so it has come to pass.....

Creation is a film less about the theories expounded in Darwin's book or the longer progression of his studies to reach the conclusion that he ultimately reached. It concentrates more on his family life and, in particular, the death of his daughter at ten years of age. This all happened when his studies were at an advanced stage, and seemingly played a large part in his reluctance to publish the book at all.

Whilst it is a very human tale - Darwin drowning his grief by retreating into science, whilst his wife does so by retreating into religion. It doesn't any kind of genius to see the familial tensions to be built up against the backdrop of Darwin's then controversial conclusions.

The Darwins are played by real life couple Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connolly and they play their parts well, with Bettany in particular excelling at communicating the torment that he feels. The real crux lies in the fact that they were cousins, and Darwin believes that this is a contributory factor to their daughters early death.

There's an engrossing tale to be told here but I'm afraid that this movie, whilst enjoyable enough, really doesn't engage sufficiently to really grab. There's insufficient backstory of Darwin's progression to this point, so at times the movie degrades into a science v religion tale which serves an injustice to the characters portrayed.

Music Review : Small Faces, Big Footprints

Of all the classic British bands from the 1960's perhaps the band who have been dealt the most unfair deck has been the Small Faces. Rather unjustly viewed as a mere forerunner for Humble Pie and The Faces by many, or just a vehicle of convenience for two of the finest singers to have been produced in these isles in Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott, their own more than ample achievements seem to lie unrecognised.

Although there has been ample footage of the band from their prime, it is only now that we are able to see a quality DVD which brings all of these together. (Of course, YouTube has made much of this familiar along with DVD-R's shared amongst fans). My point about their status as part of the bigger picture is rather confirmed by the fact that this appears as part of a series under the heading of "British Invasion" (alongside acts like Dusty Springfield, Herman's Hermits and Gerry And The Pacemakers - you see what I mean?). Nevertheless, beggars can't be choosers and this is a superb and long anticipated addition to my collection.

Made up of TV appearances (both live and mimed) including their now legendary appearance on Colour Me Pop playing the thematically linked songs from Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, it's a thrilling reminder of just how innovative and experimental the band were and just how many excellent songs they have committed to eternal memory.

The quality of the songs simply reminds you that the records (and primarily those recorded for Immediate Records) deserve to be recognised as amongst the best of the era. And sonically, they have aged extremely well - certainly better than much of the early Stones as well as The Kinks (who always did suffer from sub-standard production in their 60's pomp).

Regarded by some as perhaps a little insubstantial owing to songs like Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday, their case is much strengthened by songs like Tin Soldier, Song Of A Baker and Afterglow. All great slices of psychedelia at its' peak.

The great tragedy of the band is that in an era where older bands can tread the boards with dignity and respect that we won't get to see them again. Steve Marriott was killed in a house fire in 1991, whilst Ronnie Lane died of pneumonia in 1997 following many years fighting multiple sclerocis. They would both just have been in their early sixties had they lived.

Nevertheless, their bandmates Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones continue to wave the flag and talk both movingly and passionately about their departed colleagues. (I did get to see McLagan perform last year with his Bump Band at King Tut's in Glasgow. A superb evening including more than a few Ronnie Lane songs, and ending with my meeting the man to scribble his name on his most recent album. Ian's had his share of tragedy in the last few years having lost his wife Kim to a needless road accident).

The Small Faces matter. Get this DVD, and then get the albums. You won't regret it.

Read Even More About It...

I mentioned in my previous review of Sci-Fi/Fantasy magazines that DeathRay had encourgaed my interest in checking out its' sister publication Filmstar. (How do you tell if another publication is a sister or brother of its' companion? Answers on a postcard, please).

I had been well impressed with the approach and style of DeathRay and it looked as if many of the same, positive features were shared by Filmstar. Having bought and read most of the latest edition, I am pleased to confirm that it's every bit as good. I think the review and articles are fuller and more substantial than Empire (and that puts it miles beyond Total Film) and whilst it needs to maintain that quality has the potential to stand proudly alongside Empire with every possibility of overtaking it.

I'm not yet ready to drop Empire so this will be yet another magazine to add to the monthly haul, but it is a welcome addition.