Coming Soon - Kick-Ass

I know that I am alone in saying that I'm fed up with superhero movies.  The Spiderman trilogy has been appalling, Batman overrated, X-Men a mess of story lines and so on, but I really am.  I think that people aren't putting effort into them as they already have millions of followers due to comics who will go and pay for the movie no matter what.

So then, what are the odds that an action comedy spoofing the lives of superheroes, played by kids and also based off a comic (the rights bought before issue #1 was published) will be one of my favourite movies of 2010?  Well, too early to say so far, but as each day draws near the prospect is looking better and better.

The movie centres around a teenage boy named Dave Lizewski who decides to become a superhero; he can't fly but he can kick your ass!  Donning his green and yellow costume, Dave (under the guise of Kick-Ass) heads to the streets to fight crime.  He soon comes across Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) a gun-toting Batman look-a-like and his daughter Hit-Girl who just so happen to be trying to bring down a local drug baron.

We'll have to wait until April to see if it truly delivers, but the trailers have been the most fun to watch since last years Zombieland.  It already has a cult following and will no doubt be a huge success, so here's hoping that it entertains and kicks ass as well.  Until then, enjoy the trailers:

Teaser:

Full Trailer:


Red Band trailer for Hit-Girl (soooo funny):

What are the Most Successful Movies Ever?

Most people will be familiar with the following list of movies:

Rank	Title		Lifetime Gross
1	Titanic		$600,788,188
2	The Dark Knight		$533,345,358
3	Star Wars		$460,998,007
4	Shrek 2		$441,226,247
5	E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial		$435,110,554
6	Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace		$431,088,301
7	Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest		$423,315,812
8	Spider-Man		$403,706,375
9	Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith		$380,270,577
10	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King		$377,027,325

It's the top ten highest grossing movies ever domestically in the US. A quick scan of the lists shows that they are mostly big-budget, special effects blockbusters, designed to rake in money rather than to aim for anything higher. There are a few exceptions, but on the whole, that's what it is. Plus, it's common sense that the movie industry, as well as the music industry, concentrate more on the big money bringers as this is what keeps them alive and it is something relatively easy for them to do, year after year.

Making a critically acclaimed movie (not that us critics' opinions mean anything) is more of a gamble. Will the movie actually be any good? Will the audience enjoy it? Will enough of them go and see it? Fortunately there are still plenty of movies that have more weight to them than the standard 'summer blockbuster' that we get acclimatised to these days and there's a steady balance between the two, although the latter sometimes get overlooked due to a lower budget advertising campaign and release.

What if we were to take the box office figures from all movies and adjust them for inflation? This would give us a clearer look at how movies in the past fared against those in the above list. It also helps to see how commercially successful it was as the standard figures would be hard for us to interpret. For example, back in 1941, Fantasia made $76 million domestically on it's release. Now we know that this figure these days isn't much at all, so to us it isn't that helpful as a figure to show how well it did. If we were to take that figure and adjust it for inflation, though, it makes Fantasia the 20th highest grossing movie ever! That $76 million now becomes $596 million these days, which immediately springs out as a high figure and an indicator as to how well it did.

Now I will show the adjusted top ten in reverse order and offer brief comments on the movie and its position.

10: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs



Year: 1937
Unadjusted Gross: $184,925,486
Adjusted Gross: $782,620,000

It's no surprise that this movie did well. This was the first ever animated feature, Walt Disney's first, and it was presented in glorious Technicolor. I can imagine no other more magical even in the theater in that era other than Wizard of Oz which was released two years later. It went straight to the top of highest grossing movies at that time and kept it's crown for only two years. It really is a beautiful movie and the style of the animation looks great today, probably Disney's best release.

9: The Exorcist



Year: 1973
Unadjusted Gross: $232,671,011
Adjusted Gross: $793,883,100

Again, no surprise here on the success it achieved. This was a highly talked about movie, from people talking about how scary it was, religious groups wanting it banned and stories of accidents during production. The Exorcist was originally banned in the UK on video from 1984 up until 1998. All of these stories made people rush to the cinemas to see it, a lot didn't even last for the whole showing as people were generally terrified by what they saw.

One of the most important horror movies ever made and one of the most unique in the way it was presented, it still holds up very well today and is better than most horrors that were released since.

8: Doctor Zhivago


Year: 1965
Unadjusted Gross: $111,721,910
Adjusted Gross: $891,292,600

This is an odd entry, despite the fact that it was a huge commercial success at the time, it also received many criticisms on it's length and pacing, which director David Lean took into account. He edited around 17 minutes from the final cut but also stated that he wouldn't make any more movies, he did however due to Doctor Zhivago's box office success.

I haven't seen this, it doesn't really interest me as the story didn't do much for me, but please post your opinions of this is you have seen it.

7: Jaws



Year: 1975
Unadjusted Gross: $260,000,000
Adjusted Gross: $919,605,900

The one that started them all, Jaws is the original Summer Blockbuster, it was the movie that put Spielberg on the map as a major player in the movie business and was the first movie to open nationwide, setting the trend for the rest of the big movies since.

Unlike summer movies of today, Jaws is intelligently directed, perfectly building up suspense and scares, mostly due to the technical problems with the shark. The cast is great and John Williams famous score take it to a whole other level. Still a great, entertaining watch to this day, one of Spielberg's best.

6: Titanic

Year: 1997
Unadjusted Gross: $600,788,188
Adjusted Gross: $921,523,500

Paramount studios were worried about Titanic. It famous became the most expensive movie to make at that time and they wondered whether or not it will make any money. Their worries were eased when people flocked to see the tale of the legendary 'ship that couldn't sink', they wanted to see the disaster of the sinking, the groundbreaking special effects and, for some reason, Winslet and DiCaprio getting it on. Months later it crushed it's competition at the Oscars.

Today, Titanic is an ok-ish movie. The effects, by now, are weak in places but do not detract too much. The main weakness is the script. Take away the effects and the fact that it is the Titanic, and we are left with a fairly run-of-the-mill romance that doesn't seem to deliver as much as it should. The acting is ok, but again, could have been a lot stronger. It is still a good watch, but it's length would prevent someone watching it on a whim.

5: The Ten Commandments



Year: 1956
Unadjusted Gross: $65,500,000
Adjusted Gross: $940,580,000

Put a famous biblical account on the big screen and you're already guaranteed a big audience. But when you put something as epic as The Ten Commandments on the big screen then expect one of the biggest movies ever. Everybody wanted to see this epic, especially how it would portray certain events like the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. Throw in Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner and you got a smash on your hands.

It's a very enjoyable movie, despite it's length. It certainly does have that 'epic' feel to it, in scope, production and time. The effects still look good when you think that this is over 50 years old, they don't cut it like the CGI today but you are always wondering how they did everything back then. Glorious colour and a cast of hundreds. Definitely worth seeing once.

4: E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial



Year: 1982
Unadjusted Gross: $435,110,554
Adjusted Gross: $1,018,514,100

The first movie on this list to have over $1 Billion. Spielberg, by 1982, had established himself as one of the top Hollywood directors and his previous movies all had great success, but I don't think even he was prepared for how popular E.T. would become. With this movie Spielberg had perfected the formulaic family film that he would go on to replicate numerous times.

A family movie that children could enjoy and learn from and where adults can be taken back to their youth and a movie where, no matter what your age, you end up crying at. One of Spielberg's best 'family' movies, though his later ones tend to tarnish the memory of this somewhat. Check out the original and not the special edition 20th anniversary dvd.

3: The Sound of Music



Year: 1965
Unadjusted Gross: $158,671,368
Adjusted Gross: $1,022,542,400

There's something about this movie, something that will divide an audience, a lot of people hate this movie or find it intensely boring, yet others love it. It seems there are more who love it than hate it which is why it is so high in this chart. It's beautiful scenery and popular tunes direct from the musical drew vast crowds to the theater. It's huge success is said to have saved Fox studio after Cleopatra nearly made it bankrupt. Definitely the most popular and successful movie musical, Sound of Music regularly tops lists of favourite musicals and movies.

2: Star Wars



Year: 1977
Unadjusted Gross: $460,998,007
Adjusted Gross: $1,278,898,700

Not much needs to be said about the original Star Wars. It changed how movies would be made forever, thanks to Industrial Light and Magic, the company that was set up to create the (then) great effects. And this is where the movie shines; audiences had never seen anything like what Star Wars had to offer with it's exciting space battles, weird creatures, cool light sabers and walking carpets. I still think this is badly written and directed, especially compared to the next two sequels, but the vision that Lucas had and the determination to get it made despite not having much financial backing is incredible. John Williams' score catapults it above and beyond what even Lucas could have envisioned.

1: Gone With the Wind



Year: 1939
Unadjusted Gross: $198,676,459
Adjusted Gross: $1,450,680,400

For its time, Gone With the Wind was a beast of a movie, it blew all competition out of the water. It became the highest grossing movie of that time, and now, adjusting for inflation, it is the top of our list. It won ten academy awards, which it held as a record for nearly 20 years.

Another epic movie but this didn't have special effects to blow audiences away, instead it had a story and characters that the audience could love and relate to. It's a big movie to sit through but make sure you do it at least once in your life.

So there we have the list of highest grossing movies ever if adjusted for inflation. Quite a difference from the standard list. I have to say that I do prefer this list; although I don't think that the ten movies are the ten best, they mostly deserve their place and it is easy to see how they warrant their success. this second list seems to be more three-dimensional than the first. They are films that are important, films that people spoke about before and after viewing. They aren't mindless stories written around computer generated action scenes. They have depth and character, yet are all different from one another. For the most part, they are movies which were made with loving care by the directors and producers, some raised the bar for what should follow, others set a new way of making movies and dared others to do better. By doing this, they not only achieved a work of art that would endure, but they also drew audiences in and reaped vast amounts of cash for the studios. Proof that a commercial success doesn't have to be an artistic wasteland.

Let's hope that there will continue to be directors, writers and producers who have the desire to achieve great things, let's hope that they will gain the support of the studios to make their dreams but also to distribute and advertise them well so that people will get a desire to see them.

For a look at the full list you can view it here

Music Review - Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live In Manchester And Dublin (2004)

1. Foc
2. Hola
3. One/Take 5
4. Mr Tang
5. Paris
6. Libertango
7. Captain Casanova
8. One

Well I've finally gotten around to ripping my Rodrigo y Gabriela albums and so I thought I'd give this one a review.

For any not familiar with Rodrigo and Gabriela, they are a Mexican duo who play classical guitar. Despite a lot of their work resembling Spanish flamenco etc, their roots actually stem from thrash metal, a fact that doesn’t surprise after just a short listen.

Dublin is where they moved to and eventually got their foot in the door of the music world.

What is so endearing about Rodrigo y Gabriela is not just the fact they are technically both brilliant guitarists, that cannot be denied, but rather the fact that they give a lot of thought into their compositions. Rather than being happy to wow a crowd by their incredibly fast playing, they obviously take a great deal of time thinking about a song’s structure. Indeed, it may all be flamenco/thrash metal on the outside but dig a little deeper and there are very similar elements to classical music and composition. They certainly have a passion for music and a love for expressing their style as each tune is crafted with care and detail, getting the most out of two guitars as one can.

As if anyone were not convinced by their thrash metal influences and background, they are happy to provide covers of songs such as Orion and One by Metallica, the latter of which appears on this album. Once again, even with the covers, they have taken the time to make it sound as good as it can with beautiful arrangements. One doesn’t lose any of its power in the crossover from electric to classical guitar, all of the notes are present, so are the drums in places and the whole thing builds up wonderfully. One is actually performed twice on here; as the last track with a string accompaniment and as the third track which suddenly blends in to the classic tune Take 5. Throughout the recording you will hear snippets of other tunes including Master of Puppets and Seven Nation Army, and as cheesy as it could be, they actually make it work and fit in perfectly.

This entire album is very enjoyable and very accessible, you don’t have to like thrash and you don’t need to be interested in flamenco. Just put it on and enjoy. Also check out their self-titled album and their new album Live in Japan, though I have yet to get this.

Music Review - Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More From The Road - Deluxe Edition (2001)

1. "Introduction/Workin' for MCA" – 5:32
2. "I Ain't the One" – 3:47
   
3. "Saturday Night Special" – 5:39
4. "Searching" – 4:00
5. "Travellin' Man" – 4:37
6. "Simple Man" (bonus track) – 6:56
7. "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller" – 4:48
8. "The Needle and the Spoon" – 4:35
9. "Gimme Back My Bullets" (bonus track) – 4:01
10. "Tuesday's Gone" – 8:25
11. "Gimme Three Steps" – 5:11
12. "Call Me the Breeze" – 5:50
13. "T for Texas" – 9:14
14. "Sweet Home Alabama" – 7:29
15. "Crossroads" – 4:16
16. "Free Bird" – 14:25
17. "Introduction/Workin' for MCA (alternate & previously unreleased)" – 5:42
18. "I Ain't the One (alternate & previously unreleased)" – 3:52
19. "Searching (alternate & previously unreleased)" – 4:13
20. "Gimme Three Steps (alternate)" – 4:42
21. "Call Me the Breeze (alternate)" – 7:27
22. "Sweet Home Alabama (alternate)" – 5:43
23. "Crossroads (alternate)" – 4:46
24. "Free Bird (alternate)" – 14:55

One More From The Road, recorded at the peak of their short career in 1976 showcases Lynyrd Skynyrd for what they really were; a talented bunch of musicians who were proud of their roots, loved music and loved to perform, never ever taking themselves too seriously.

As far as studio albums go, they never did any better than their 1973 debut “pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd “ which is a great album. However, when you hear the songs played live, the studio pressing always seem a little flat in comparison. It is this reason that One More From The Road is Skynyrd’s best album. The 2001 deluxe edition is fantastic, offering more tracks and some alternate versions, but also super sound. It contains everything I love and look for in a live album; great sound, great crowd, atmosphere, fun and brilliant tunes.

We kick off with them being introduced to the stage and straight away they plunge in with the opener to Working For MCA, immediately demonstrating that the sound quality is perfect for a live album. All instruments are clearly heard, each lead guitar is discernable which is often not the case on the studio recordings. And this is so important with bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd. Every member with an instrument is so underrated and often overlooked that it is tragic. The three lead guitarists all have the skill and talent to front a band of their own and they complement each other so well. During live shows they clearly love playing alongside each other making performances so electric and vibrant, often extending solos by improvising and feeding off each other’s performance. Not to mention that the piano is clearly heard throughout and also stands its own ground against the guitars, adding yet another wonderful layer to the songs and also an element that many rock groups overlook.

My own personal highlights of the album are:

Simple Man- A track I overlooked on their debut album, but this really stood out on the live album. A simple song about the advice that Ronnie Van Zant got from his mother and grandmother, overlayed with a simple yet catch guitar riff.

Tuesdays Gone- I’ve always thought that this was a good song but too long for what it was. Here it is just as long but seems more fleshed out. I adore the guitar tones at the beginning of the song, Powell’s piano sounds wonderful and I love the harmonica over the verse. Definitely ignites a song that fell flat on the debut.

Gimme Three Steps- An underrated Skynyrd song, this is what they are all about. It’s a fun song, full of energy, with catchy guitar parts all about dancing with a girl only to have her partner come in and thinks she’s cheating on him.

Call Me The Breeze- Brilliant cover of JJ Cale’s song, once again full of energy and brilliant showmanship by the guitars and piano. This almost feels like the perfect jamming track, none of the band seems to want this song to end as the rip through it.

Free Bird- Yeah, I actually like Free Bird, maybe because it is actually a good song and just because it’s always played it doesn’t mean that it’s no good. On this album we have two versions, both over 14 minutes long, but the extra time isn’t solely because of extended guitar solos in the second half as one would imagine. Although the solo is longer, there is also an extended piano solo before the second verse. In fact, it is this very interpretation of the song on piano that got Billy Powell a spot in the band.

If you are unfamiliar with Skynyrd then this album is the best place to start. As I have said, the songs here are so much better than their studio equivalents, so even if you have heard their albums this is still something you should check out.

A year later Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashed killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, lead guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, the assistant road manager and both pilots. Lead guitarist Allen Collins was badly injured and nearly had an arm amputated. Gary Rossington, lead guitarist, broke both arms and pelvis as well as numerous other injuries. Pianist Billy Powell nearly had his nose ripped off as his face suffered many cuts.

The plane that crashed had been inspected only a few months before by Aerosmith who rejected the plane feeling that it wasn't sfae and that the crew weren't fit to pilot.

Obviously, the crash pretty much ended the band. The classic line-up was gone and the surviving members didn't play for years. These days Lynyrd Skynyrd are touring again, albeit with a hugely different look. Ronnie's brother Johnny is now lead vocals and Billy Powell and Gary Rossington are the only original members to still play in the group.

Despite only lasting four years, Lynyrd Skynyrd left their own mark on music, helping to define 'Southern rock', causing the most clichéd and annoying jokes in music ('play Free Bird') and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Were they the best band ever? Not by a long shot but they certainly had a lot of talent and technical expertise but they chose to have fun and enjoy themselves instead of following the route that a lot of others took. Not to overlook the fact that they were more entertaining than a lot of rock acts from their time and they put on one hell of a show, which they seemed to enjoy just as well as the crowd. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I only drink from my own mug.

Top Five - Time Travel Movies

Ever since H.G. Wells wrote about a machine that could travel in time, the whole concept of time travel has captured the minds of millions. Needless to say, this concept has been used in countless books, movies, TV shows etc.

For this edition of Top Five I have narrowed down my favourite movies that use the time travel concept and as you will see, they all handle it differently. In thinking up this list I decided not to include movies where a character is frozen and re-awakes in the future, such as Planet of the Apes, as this isn't strictly time travel.

5. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure



First off, this film takes all the conflicting theories about time travel and decides it could have more fun without them. Worried about paradoxes? Don't worry, it's perfectly ok to grab Beethoven, Socrates, Billy the Kid et al and bring them back to the present for the sole purposes of a school report. After all, Bill and Ted are already in a paradox. Their music saves the world in the future and are worshiped like gods, but how can they succeed without the help of Rufus from the future? Who cares? All we want is comedy, historical figures out of their depths, aerobic teaching Joan of Arcs, skateboarding Genghis Khans and watersliding Napoleans.

4. Groundhog Day



Whilst not as an original concept as most think (12:01 was also made that same year), Groundhog Day is a highly inventive and charming look at a man trapped in a loop. Every day he wakes up to the same tune on the radio, sees people doing exactly what they did the previous day, knowing that things will be the same tomorrow. What really lifts this movie well above what it could have been is the journey the character takes; at first he hates the town he is stuck in, then he uses his predicament to get what he wants, then after all that is exhausted he uses it to help people. His situation eventually gets him to see people in a loving way and to help them out, not just a few but nearly the entire population. He uses it to better himself and, in the end, he is a person that the whole town and his colleagues love. It's a touching story that piles on the laughs and is a worthy addition to the genre.

3. Terminator/Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Here are two excellent movies about time travel. The first see a man being sent from the future to protect a woman who will give birth to a great man. Also being sent back is a cyborg bent on terminating her before she can give birth to him. Once these two beings arrive there is no more physical time travel but the implications and paradoxes continue throughout. Sarah Conner is at first a timid mullet wearing woman who is thrust into a situation where she is being hunted and where she is told that she will train her son to be a great soldier. She is told of the destruction of the majority of Earth's population, she knows the date. She is told of a war that happens afterwards between the machines and the survivors of mankind.

In the second movie another terminator has been sent back to kill the son who is 12 years old, and to protect him another terminator, captured and 'tamed' has been sent back to protect him. Once again no more time travel is used once they arrive but the foreknowledge of events to come drive the story. Can they prevent the war? Can they stop the machines from becoming what they are? Does killing the man solely responsible for this make them any better than the machines? All this is dealt with in a way which is entertaining to an audience, we can enjoy this purely as an action movie, but if we wish, we can also look into the deeper messages.

2. 12 Monkeys



I love this movie, though I never at first. To me this agrees with my own theories on time travel; you cannot prevent what has already happened from happening.

Mankind has been enduring a virus that has killed off most people. The survivors live underground but scientists can send back James Cole to the past to gather information on the virus and maybe even obtain a sample of it in it's pure form so that a cure can be made. He also has to track down the army of the 12 monkeys who may have started all of this.

Unfortunately, time travel screws with your mind and being sent back to a strange time can lead you to being caught and put in a nut house if you aren't careful. Guess what? Cole wasn't careful. Throughout the story, Cole is treat as a mental patient, his story isn't believed, he is on the run from the law. His psychiatrist begins to slowly believe him but just as we the audience start to get our doubts. This movie deals with time travel but also insanity. Is Cole really from the future or is he insane? Perhaps it's both? He is also reminded of a dream he keeps having which may or may not be a memory of when he was a boy. A memory that gradually seems to be coming true as the story progresses, the characters becoming the people Cole is around.

There is a lot to get from this movie. A first viewing may or may not make you like it, but you definitely need to watch this at least twice because you will start to pick more things up, more paradoxes, more questions, more theories and more headaches. It truly does get greater with each viewing and cannot be justified in this post.

1. Back to the Future Trilogy



Not only is this one of the best time travel movies, it is one of the best movies ever, period. The script is incredible in it's comedy, plot arch and characters. This is all brought to life by brilliant directing, effects and a perfect cast.

Time travel in this movie works this way: You can change anything that has happened in the past, but it will have severe consequences on the future. The last thing you want to do is prevent your own birth...which is what Marty McFly does within his first few hours of arriving back in 1955. The movie is a race against time to get his young mum and dad together before he fades away out of memory. The second two movies, although not planned at all during the making of the first, brilliantly add on to this story. We see Marty go back, yet again, to 1955, where he has to avoid his past self whilst interacting with the events we witnessed in the first movie. Not only that, we see a glimpse of the future, 2015, and get a lesson in paradoxes when a character from 2015 goes back to 1955 and changes history. We see how this effects the present, and also the character in the future (he quickly fades away after coming back from the past).

Some people dismiss this as confusing and not as good as the first. While the latter is true, the second movie is still hugely entertaining and explains time travel and paradoxes in a way that no other movie has been able to do (who can forget Doc's diagram on the blackboard?).

The third movie, only deals slightly with the issues that the first two did, but is still a great movie, entertaining in the same vein as the others and a great way to end the trilogy.

So, what are YOUR favourite movies that deal with time travel? No doubt you will disagree with my list but it would be enjoyable to see what you think of it and to name your own. Feel free to put all thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

Music Review - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2006)

Disc: 1

1. Thunder Road
2. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
3. Spirit In The Night
4. Lost In The Flood
5. She’s The One
6. Born To Run
7. The E Street Shuffle
8. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
9. Backstreets

Disc: 2
1. Kitty’s Back
2. Jungleland
3. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
4. 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
5. Detroit Medley
6. For You
7. Quarter To Three

During their career Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have made a name for themselves as one of the live acts to see. Their peak of popularity and success came in the mid 80s and it all started around here. Recorded on 18th November 1975, just three months after the breakthrough album Born To Run, Springsteen and his band had yet to carve their reputation in stone. Here we have a real treat for the audience, who would mostly know of him and his records, but have yet to hear about and experience the magic made when performing on stage. This was the start of Springsteen trying to break into the UK and Europe.

We open with Thunder Road, one of Bruce’s best loved and well known songs, but here everything is stripped down to a piano and vocals. Roy Bittan really is a great pianist and here is no exception, it’s a beautiful rendition of the song, often sounding like something Jim Steinman would write. A very laid back start to the album.

Tenth Avenue Freeze-out comes next, delivering the energy that, these days, we come to expect from the band. I never really liked this track on Born to Run, but when I first heard it live it changed my opinion of it. The band seem to have a lot of fun with this track and put a lot of energy in it. The best version is on Live In New York, but this one is still great to listen to.

From here on the party never really lulls, the energy is kept cranked up, all members are on full form and are each allowed to shine, especially Clarence Clemons on saxophone enjoying the chance for some solos of his own.

The only downside to a live album such as this, recorded so early in an artist’s career, is that there are a lot of favourite not on here due to them not being created yet. Having said that though, they certainly make the most of what they have, often improving on some of the ‘flatter’ tracks (Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out as already stated).

All-in-all this is a very enjoyable album, even for those not familiar with some of the tracks. This does not read as a ‘best of’ like later live albums would be, but it certainly is an interesting look at the beginning of Springsteen’s career and the birth of his live reputation.

Classic Scene- The Sixth Sense

div style="text-align: justify;">In 1999 The Sixth Sense became a huge success making writer and director M. Night Shyamalan almost a household name, if only people knew how to pronounce it.

One of the big factors in it's popularity was the big twist at the end which, for me, ruined the movie slightly. I thought the twist was unnecessary as the movie was solid without it, and the twist was also a bit daft. The rest of the movie, though, was hugely entertaining, scary at times, directed brilliantly and actually had a kid who could act and not be annoying.

Haley Joel Osment was only ten or eleven when he made this, but he managed to stand up alongside Bruce Willis (who also did a good job) and add the critical depth to one of the most important characters.

In this scene, towards the end of the movie (it should have finished around this scene really) we see Cole (Osment) and his mum(Toni Collette) stuck in a traffic jam after an accident. Up until this point Cole hasn't spoken too much to her, especially regarding his secret which led to him having to see a shrink.

I love this scene, it's one of the ones that make me cry even after watching it again just now (dammit) it just does so much in 5 minutes and yet it's pure dialogue.

Music Review - The Beatles-Abbey Road (1969)

I cannot say anything new about Abbey Road, it has had nearly four decades of reviews and praise. Just think about it, this work of art is nearly fourty years old. Compare it to the 'best' albums of last year. It still feels fresh and original and outranks anything that last year had to offer.

This was the last album recorded by the Beatles, after a stunning career of sublime hits and wondrous works of art they top it all off by one of their best efforts and one of the best albums ever. My favourite has always been Revolver but Abbey Road has always been second place only just. These days I think this album my just be my favourite Beatles Album.

This is such an iconic work of the twentieth century, from the famous and often imitated cover, to the fabulous melodies and lyrics. Which brings me to ask: Why are you reading this? If it is because you do not own this album, or even worse, have never heard it then quickly get it ordered and downloaded before someone sees you. Everyone should own this, in fact, in England you are sent it in the post once you become of age. It is that important to everyday life. That may be over the top but it certainly is essential to everyone's music collection, even if you only have a few albums.

One of the joys is that each member of the band seems to be at their best on this album. Even Ringo proves his critics wrong by showing them up with a great drum solo during the album's closing medley. Paul belts out some cracking vocals, very powerful stuff, John rocks like never before and George presents some of his finest songs ever. Individually they all shine in their own right and when they come together (pardon the pun) they shake the earth with their brilliance.

This album has the traits of genius running all the way through it from beginning to end. It is the trait that binds every song together to deliver the world a package of true beauty that continues to inspire and move people even after all these years.

There are a few weak tracks, mainly novelty songs, but these are merely small blips on an otherwise shining record. The highs are certainly well worth the lows.

Buy it now. Listen to it forever. You will never tire of it and neither will your neighbours if you turn it up.

Come Together- Paul's bass line opens the album, then kick in the crazy lyrics. This is a good track but I wouldn't place it in say their top 10 songs. It is just missing something to take it beyond the norm.....for a Beatles track anyway, which means it's still pretty good.

Something- A simple beautiful song, George Harrison really knows how to write a moving song whilst keeping it simple, even the brilliant guitar solo is just a simple and wonderful piece of music. Absolutely nothing over the top about this track. One of the best Harrison songs.

Maxwell's Silver Hammer-The first novelty song. A tale of a serial killer who hits people over the head, told in a light and amusing way. This song is ok, it's fine....the first few times. After a while it is certainly a track that you are going to want to skip. Even Lennon didn't like it!

Oh! Darling-Sung by McCartney I think his voice sounds great on this, even if Lennon thought that he should have recorded this instead.

Octopus's Garden-Whilst being quite catchy, I really do not like this song. It sounds too cheesy, childish lyrics, adequate vocals and nothing more.

I Want You (She's So Heavy)-Overly long. That's the first thought that comes into my head. It has some good moments but not enough to keep it interesting for 7:47. The guitar intro is great as are some little jam moments, the vocals are also very good throughout. But there is also too much that just doesn't work.

Here Comes The Sun- An amazing song, once again written by George Harrison. From the very start it's beauty grabs you. The guitar throughout is pure perfection, the lyrics shine and gradually the song blossoms into the work of genius that it is. It is both optimistic and uplifting.

Because- It is not the best track, though a very solid one, on the album but it is a great showcase for the band. Stripped of all the trimmings that a lot of bands need to sound good, the fab four deliver amazing vocals and harmonies, only bettered by the Beach Boys. After all, the Beatles were primarily a vocal band and this song clearly reminds us of this. A fine performance.

You Never Give Me Your Money- A lovely song, sung in McCartney's best voice. The piano in the first half is great, the harmony in the second half very pretty and the guitar is once again brilliant yet not overdone.

Sun King- Sit back and relax, here comes the mid-album chill out zone. The first minute sounds similar to Fleetwood Mac's Albatross.

Mean Mr Mustard- Despite being a novelty song, it is much better than the previous two. Plus, it is only a minute long. Quite catchy, silly lyrics, nothing terrible here and nice little jaunt that quickly leads into...

Polythene Pam- One of the few times I actually notice John's accent. A daft song with a great intro that bursts open from the end of the previous track. Again, only a short song but very catchy.

She Came In Through the Bathroom Window- Written by Paul about a fan that did what the title says. This is a great follow on from Polythene Pam, the change is fantastic.

Golden Slumbers- Soaring strings, soft piano, gentle bass; a wonderful start to this song. Then we get Paul's top-notch vocals come in during the chorus. Another gentle dip and then it goes straight into...

Carry That Weight- 'You never give me your money' makes a comeback halfway in, with different lyrics, then back to Carry That Weight and then, without looking backwards we plunge into....

The End- The band on flawless form; guitars, vocals, melody and Ringo all merge into one great showmanship of their abilities. The last great piece of music they laid down. For many this is the highlight of the entire album and it is kind of hard to disagree with them.

Her Majesty- 23 seconds long and a novelty song once again. I don't see the point of this and certainly it's position on the album. We've just heard a magnificent medley of several songs and then the last track would have been an awesome and perfect end to the album and then this gets put in right at the end.

Classic Scene- Good Will Hunting

Here is a movie from 1997, which put Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the map (for good or for worse). They co-wrote the screenplay and won the Oscar for it. Damon plays a kid genius who is always in trouble with the law and so is sent to a psychiatrist (Williams) and tutored in Mathematics as part of his 'get out of jail free' clause.

The first meeting with the shrink doesn't go well, when Damon sees a paint-by-numbers picture and proceeds to psychologically de-construct the shrinks life, touching on his dead wife.

This scene is their next meeting and shows Robin Williams in perhaps his best role (he won an Oscar for this also). This is were their relationship really starts as Williams shows that Damon, despite bing a genius and despite having read many books on many topics, really knows nothing about life, love and death. It is a great monologue and performed wonderfully.

Music Review - Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

OK, so I have set myself the task of reviewing the second most overrated albums of the 90's (the first being OK Computer) whilst trying not to offend anyone and also trying to be fair. It has been quite some time since I have listened to Nevermind all the way through. Back in the day I listened to it endlessly and loved it. It is a great album, certainly a very important album, maybe the most important of the 90's. However, it is also a very ‘cool' album. Many people give this top marks without thinking about it because it's cool to like Nirvana isn't it? Cobain was such a tortured genius wasn't he? My friends will think less of me if I don't like this album won't they?

I personally am not bothered about what is cool, what is not, about being pretentious etc. If I like something then I like it, not because I'm expected to like it. The same goes for if I dislike something.

Having said all that, I really enjoy this album. It is a very solid piece of work; there are no problems at all with running through this from beginning to end, each song ranges from good to great and the power and energy runs throughout. Add that to the nostalgia I feel, remembering listening to it as an 11 year old, then a few years later when everyone started listening again after Cobain's death, then it surpasses being just an album; it becomes part of my coming of age.

Smells Like Teen Spirit- Straight off the bat we get a cool riff and then BAM, the power hits us. Like the album, this track is overrated and overplayed. We shouldn't let this detract from the fact that it is still a fantastic anthem, which the so-called Generation X embraced. A very powerful opener for an album, everybody's attention was grabbed and all eyes were on Seattle.

In Bloom- This next track is as every bit as good as Teen Spirit. Cobain's guttural vocals, a big fat baseline and a great solo combine to bring us a superb song that sometimes gets forgotten, wedged between two better known titles.

Come As You Are- Featuring some of the best lyrics on the album and a hugely famous intro, Come As You Are is only second to Teen Spirit when it comes to popularity and fame amongst the Nirvana catalogue. For me this is the best track on the album, Nirvana's best song in fact. Absolutely incredible.

Breed- Grohl's drums propel Breed throughout the next three minutes. Cobain is great on vocals, the lyrics are once again very good and a middle eight that loses none of the songs fire and tempo.

Lithium- ‘I'm so happy cos today I've found my friends, they're in my head. I'm so ugly, that's ok cos so are you' are my favourite lyrics from the album. The chorus is the very essence of the grunge movement. One of the best crafted songs on Nevermind.

Polly- Not as innocent as it first sounds, this acoustic track has darker undertones. A slight change in mood here as we have a softer song with no loud moments, just Kurt, his guitar and minimal background.

Territorial Pissings- Pure energy is the only way to describe this song. The drums, guitar and vocals all strain together to give this odd and almost novelty song a brute force that almost smashes it's way through the speakers.

Drain You- Another underrated track on an album with so many highlights. The balance between all elements is spot on, including the brilliant lyrics.

Lounge Act- The intro starts with a big fat meaty bass line and then the track develops quite an upbeat tempo. The vocals show off both sides of Kurt's abilities; in the first half we get his singing voice which is low and rough, then in the second half we get his scream and yell which makes his voice even more gravelly. His voice IS grunge.

Stay Away- ‘Rather be dead than cool' perhaps the most fitting and revealing lyrics that Kurt Cobain penned. A good solid track with brilliant drumming by Dave Grohl.

On A Plain- One of my favourite nirvana songs; everything about it, once again, fits together just right. I just love the way the lyrics kick in at the start.

Something In The Way- We started off with a heavy anthem but know we end the album on a quiet note. This is even more laid back than Polly and it is so much better. A very simple tune with a very simple yet beautiful harmony on the chorus, this is the most understated track on the album and, hence, the most underrated.

There is a hidden track called ‘Endless, Nameless'. It doesn't really fit with the rest of the album and isn't a great track, however there is some good musicianship going on and a few good melodies intertwined with the rawness of the singing.

Top Five-Bad Hollywood Remakes

5. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

It's a typical remake. A perfect excuse to get the computers running on overtime to animate the end of the world. Keanu Reeves is his normal wooden self as alien Klaatu trying to sap all the energy out of this movie. There is a common downfall to this movie that occurs in a lot of remakes they seem to forget the message that the original was trying to convey. The original movie made in 1951 was a wonderful look at mankind and it's violent tendencies which is even more apt these days. Yet, the remake only makes vague references to this, only using it as the aliens' excuse to destroy the planet. The movie, despite having a lot of destruction and pretty effects is quite boring compared to other similar movies and even the pure beauty of Jennifer Connelly cannot help this poor attempt.

4. Psycho (1998)

Oh dear! If there was ever a movie that didn't need a remake, it was Psycho. One of my most favourite movies ever, directed by one of the most influential people, with a superb performance by Anthony Perkins, everything was just right.

So along comes Gus Van Sant, fresh off directing the brilliant Good Will Hunting and decides, not only to remake Psycho, but also to do it almost shot for shot! But this time, let's get an inferior actor (Vaughn) to play the iconic role, let's slip some daft 'subliminal' shots in random places and generally ruin a perfect movie.

This isn't even a movie that has big special effects etc, which is usually the excuse for a remake. Overall this is not only a pathetic remake, but an unnecessary one.

3. I Am Legend (2007)

Now this is a half-decent movie, but again it fell into the aforementioned trap of failing to grasp and convey they message. Not only did it do this but ti also completely changed the ending of the original novel and hence completely changed (or discarded) the whole point that the book was making. Even the alternate ending was a bad attempt at trying to rectify this. The title of this movie makes no sense whatsoever with the changes they made.

What makes this so frustrating is that this remake was in various hands for well over a decade, at one point James Cameron was to direct Arnie. All this time to go on, the opportunity of a fantastic novel to base the screenplay around, and yet it ends up in the hands of the guy who is writing the Oldboy remake!

Add that to that fact that the creatures in the movie (are they vampires or zombies? it doesn't make it clear. They are supposed to be vampires) are so badly made that they look like something out of Doctor Who or Primeval. The whole movie looks like an excuse to show New York deserted and derelict (which looks amazing) and have Will Smith moping around and getting his shirt off (which looks amazing *cough*) and have a Bob Marley soundtrack.

There are plenty of people who loved this movie. To those I say read the novel by Richard Matheson and watch The Last Man on Earth (1964). Not only is the book a highly important work of art in it's genre, but it an intelligent look at the vampire mythos with attempts to understand them from a scientific standpoint. Not only that but the 'twist' totally changes how we see the vampires and als the protagonist.

Dam, even The Omega Man (1971) did a better job.

2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I'll start this by saying I'm not really a fan of the Burton/Depp joint projects. I think Burton has too much style and no substance and that Depp is wasted on quirky characters, he's a great actor. But when I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory it made me think a whole lot less of the pair.

They took a magical kids film and sucked all of the magic out of it. In fact, they sucked all the fun out also. This was not enjoyable at all; the songs were crap and forgettable, the oompa-lumpa's were just awful, Depp sounded like he was doing a bad impression of Dr Evil and, once again, the message of the original was completely lost.

In the original one it's made clear to children that Charlie won because he was innocent and he was a good natured kid, even when Willy Wonka turns out to be Willy Wanker (or so we are lead to believe). His refusal to hand in the gobstopper to Wonka's so-called competition was his final test. So, as in all of Roald Dhals stories, it is a fun story with a little lesson for the kids. Here, however, we have just under two hours of boring, non-magical and non-fun drivel, with terrible performances and dire directing, and the audience comes away with nothing from it.

1. King King (2005)

Well, here we have number one, the worst remake ever, in my opinion. King Kong, everyone's favourite movie about inferred bestiality.

Peter Jackson claimed that this was his favourite movie (the original, that is) and always wanted to remake it. Now, first of all, why on earth would you want to remake your favourite movie? Secondly, why would you then, given the opportunity, completely destroy the legacy of King Kong and replace with a drawn out, badly acted and directed, badly paced, badly CGI'd mess of a movie?

The extended edition is 201 minutes long. I like a long movie, if i'm enjoying it then I wanna see the longest edit possible. But King Kong had so much crap in it, and unnecessary crap at that, he could have easily shortened it to two hours tops. Naomi Watts is a brilliant actress, but for some reason she is terrible in this. Adrian Brody is good also and yet in this he is bland. Jack Black is crap and annoying, yet he doesnt break his trend in this movie.

King Kong himself was brilliant animated, but it looks like too much focus was placed on this as other effects looked awful, especially the scene when they are running down the canyon with the dinosaurs. Scenes just dragged for too long, the battle of the dinosaurs with king kong, I didnt care about anything apart from how numb my arse was getting.

I like Peter Jackson, I liked his earlier worked and I love the LOTR trilogy. It was a great achievement to get it made and it mostly stands up well. Therefore, it baffles me just how he managed to make this so bad, not just bad, but soooooo bad. $207 million went into this, and it mostly went on geeks sat at a computer. For less than half of that they could have tightened the script, shortened the movie (and hence the number of effects) and made a better movie.

The original is famous for the quote 'It was beauty killed the beast' well, in the remake it was the fat beast that killed the beauty.

Music Review - Paul Wellar - Stanley Road (1995)

With Stanley Road Paul Weller has managed to prove to his fans and his critics that he is still an important musician even in his solo days. He hasn't just written 12 good songs, instead, he's written one great album. A factor in any great album is the overall feel that perpetuates each song, making them all feel as though they deserve their place and complimenting the songs that come before and after them.

A mostly guitar driven album, Weller fuses good solos and riffs with his usual effective lyrics, often ending a song with a long instrumental that gently ushers in the next song, which gladly and competently carries the album along. However, there is the occasional song that primarily uses the piano evoking another great feel. Though these songs are quite different from the guitar based ones, they seem to come at just the right points in the album so that, not only are they a nice change of direction, but also they effortlessly fit in. To truly appreciate this fine album start at the beginning and just let it play on to the end. It far outweighs the sum of its parts, and as these parts are so good, you're in for a great journey.

The Changing Man- This was a hit in the UK and is a good indication into how this album will sound. There are some great little examples of guitar work going on here, more will follow throughout the rest of the tracks.

Porcelain Gods- This songs brings the mellow vibe with its gentle electric guitar opening. The highlights are the lyrics; 'How disappointed I was to turn out after all, just a porcelain god, that shatters when it falls'.

Walk On Guilded Splinters- Another slow bluesy track that follows on nicely from the previous. Again, the lyrics shine above all in this song. Wellar really does have a way of writing some interesting lyrics and his delivery of them are always great. The track ends with a slow jam that trickles to the end. Not a great tune, more of a little jam session that made it onto the album.

You Do Something To Me-From the beautiful piano intro we immediately know that we are going to hear something different in this song than wat was heard in the previous tracks. Simple and effective lyrics and likewise in the piano and guitars make this song so beautiful. A major standout on the album, absolutely heaven.

Woodcutter's Son-Back with a rocking guitar intro, a piano quickly joins in and we're back with a more upbeat tempo. This tune is quite catchy, and Wellars gruff voice shines throughout. Again, another track that ends with a long jam.

Time Passes-A lovely intro, great lyrics and a lovely mellow feel to it. I always forget about this track whenever I think about this album, but when it comes on I just fall in love with it all over again.

Stanley Road-The intro will have you tappin your feat to the piano and drum, another catchy little number. Despite the fact that this is the title song, it isn't anything too special. There is nothing wrong with it but there isn't that certain somethin that makes it stand out.

Broken Stones-Broken Stones is another simple yet beautiful track. Wellar can write great songs with great guitar parts that rock and groove but songs like this prove he can strip it all down and write a track that has the beauty and passion that other artists can.

Out Of The Sinking-A very bluesy song and once again some good lyrics. This song really suits Wellar's style of singing, I find he has a really underrated voice.

Pink On White Walls-I really like this song, though it is by no means one of the best on this album. It surely is underrated, it is borderline mediocre but i think it just manages to get on the right sode of the line.

Whirlpools' End-Overral I dont rate this song, but there are some good parts to it. I find it really gets good about 2 minutes in. I do love the jam that appears at the end for at least 4 minutes. Would be nice to play along in the studio.

Wings Of Speed-The final song is a strange one to end with, it has a gospek feel and almost sounds like nothing else on the album, save for the piano that was present in some of the songs. I really love this song, again simplistic and beautiful, Paul's voice holds it's own and the background singing is just fabulous. This song is too short, it needs to have a few more minutes of it. I just love it.

Movie Review- Coming to America

The 1980's; a time when Eddie Murphy movies were funny and none more so, in my opinion, than Coming to America (1988).

Based on a story by Murphy himself, this classic comedy was directed by John Landis, who had success with Murphy in Trading Places. Whilst that movie concerned Murphy's character going from rags to riches, this movie is almost the opposite.

Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, heir to the throne of Zamunda, in Africa He is pampered 24 hours a day, from a small string section playing music to wake him up, to the three servants who sprinkle rose petals in front of him as he walks. Unlike his father the King, played by the almighty James Earl Jones, Akeem is growing tired of this lifestyle and thinks even less to the prospect of marrying someone he is only going to meet later that day.

Akeem decides to travel to America with his friend and servant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to look for a woman he can fall in love with and marry. They end up in Queens, New York (where better to find a wife for a king?) and Akeem tells Semmi that they are to live as everyone else does, nobody is to know of their wealth; Akeem wants a woman to love him for who he is, not because of his power or money.

Coming to America, however, does not really enter the familiar territory of a 'fish out of water' scenario. Sure, there are situations that Akeem does not understand ('what does dumb fuck mean?') but mostly the pair settle in to the New York way of like, Akeem embracing the challenges and Semmi loathing them.

Blending in with the New Yorkers

Akeem eventually finds a woman named Lisa, whose father owns a fast-food restaurant named McDowell's, and decides that she could be a woman suitable for him. Akeem and Semmi get a job working for Mr McDowell, mopping the floor and taking out the garbage, so that Akeem can get to know Lisa, despite the fact that she is going out with rich boyfriend Darryl (ER's Eriq La Salle).

As the movie progresses Akeem and Lisa get close, especially when she breaks up with Darryl, but Lisa still thinks that he is just a goat herder from Africa. Akeem is trying to find the right occasion to tell her the truth when his parents suddenly arrive and threaten to ruin everything before Akeem can do it his own way.

It's a simple and cute story which is handled more than adequately, however this is a comedy and, as such, relies more on laughs than story. It surely does deliver on that front and it's main triumph are the characters.

Despite being the protagonist in a comedy, Akeem isn't that funny. He is a very warm and likable guy who is sincere in wanting to find true love and cares not about what he has back home. But, he doesn't get much opportunity to make us the audience laugh, save for the occasional struggles with Western culture. For example, to initiate small talk about football he states 'Oh sir, the Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". It was a most ripping victory.'

Other than these small occurrences, we laugh more about his situations rather than what he says or does. Eddie Murphy is not redundant on the comedy side, though, as this is the first time where he plays multiple characters, which has become common these days but never any better than here.

He plays a old barber named Clarence, who enjoys arguing with his old friends about boxing, 'every time I start talkin 'bout boxing, a white man got to pull Rocky Marciano out their ass', and whether or not he met Martin Luther King. He plays Randy Watson, a terrible front man for Sexual Chocolate, who play a hilarious version of 'The Greatest Love of All' at a Black Awareness meeting, and he also plays Saul, an old white Jew were he is barely recognizable. All of these roles allow Murphy to shine with his energetic comedy and pile on the laughs, in stark contrast to Akeem who is almost a straight man.

Oy vey! It's Eddie Murphy

Arsenio Hall steals the show, though. Despite his huge success in 80's America, he is not so well known outside of the states, but here he truely does come into a world of his own. His main character, Semmi, is almost the opposite to Akeem; he is sex mad, hates living in the poor conditions in New York and despises having to work. It is not long before he is flaunting his money and endangers giving up Akeem's secret. He lives for fun and is never afraid to reveal his joker-like smile, and big gums.

Hall also gets to play other characters alongside Murphy's. His first we meet is a one of the old folks in the barbers having the boxing argument, 'his mamma call him Clay, imma call him Clay', his second is Reverend Brown, perhaps the most disturbing minister ever in cinema. He is both disgusting and amusing as he is checking out the beauty pageant contestants and, despite only occuring in two scenes, he is one of the most memorable characters throughout the entire movie.

Most of these characters and the scenes in which they appear add little, if nothing to the movie plot-wise. Despite this, it detracts nothing at all as they are hugely entertaining and funny and acted out excellently by both Murphy and Hall, with some great support by various actors; a special shout out to Clint Smith is needed who is great and stands his own as Sweets in the barber shop.

There are so many wonderful moments in this movie, from the hilarious Soul Glow advert that keeps raising it's head, to the scene were Akeem and Semmi go out to meet women in a club, only to find they are all a bit odd (including one scary woman who is Arsenio in drag). There are also many quoatable lines which is a bonus for any comedy movie, 'Believe me. I tied my own shoes once. It is an overrated experience. '

Eddie Murphy believes the children are our future

The direction by Landis is also good, especially in the scenes with Murphy and Hall's multiple characters. Landis does this seamlessly and, thanks to Rick Baker's fantastic make-up effects, it is easy to forget that you are watching the same people. In fact some viewers fail to notice that some characters are played by Murphy or Hall.

It's hard to think that Coming to America is almost 2 hours in length, it just flies past and feels like any 90 minute comedy. It is a great portrayal of both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall's comedic and character acting ability with fully realised characters, showing that a good comedy doesn't always need a completely ridiculous plot for the laughs to come. Instead it shows that it can be done by using a simple premise and getting the laughs out of the characters themselves.

Best Line:
Now let's see if you can defend yourself, you sweat from a baboon's balls.

Star Turn:
Arsenio Hall, a joy to watch and his other characters are so funny

Best Moment:
Sexual Chocolate

Music Review - Kula Shaker - K (1996)

If a group of people were to start reeling off names of British bands that had hits in the mid-nineties, it would probably be a while before Kula Shaker got a mention, if at all. However, the four piece band fronted by Crispian Mills (son of actress Hayley Mills) released K in 1996 and it became the fastest selling debut album in Britain since Oasis. Despite it's acheivement a decade later it has become a hidden gem of the 'Brit-pop' movement.

A mixture of rock and Indian influences bring about a very interesting album and one that should be more well known and appreciated than it sadly is today. Clear influences are felt throughout, especially from The Beatles' later work and The Greatful Dead. Mills' vocals are nothing amazing but they are good throughout and have their really good moments. The band are also well adept, especially using some great guitar riffs and melodies, at times sounding almost like a Jimmi Hendrix tribute act but in a good way. This is a very enjoyable album, and whilst not the first time to mix popular music with an Eastern flavour, it certainly does it in a way that really works.

Hey Dude- A fine intro, the drums and guitar kick off and show how the 'rockin' side of this album will feel. A very catchy song with interesting lyrics, great guitar work and one of the rare songs where I like the verses more than the chorus.

Knight On The Town- Guitars once again lead this song, the main riff opens the tune and slight Indian tones are felt for the first time in this album as well as a prog-rock feel as the track goes on.

Temple Of Everlasting Light-A more trippy and Indian song next. I don't like the first half of this but once it builds up and the extra voices kick in then I am fully there even when it mellows back and resumes its semi-trippy vibe.

Govinda-This is where we get into full traditional Indian music mode. A surprise hit back in the day, it is the only top ten hit in Britain to be sung entirely in Sanskrit. however, it is very catchy and it certainly rocks out in the second half. This song shows how two styles of music can mix and still be brilliant, the guitars go so well with the beat and the tamboura etc and the public embraced it, even if they didnt know what they were singing.

Smart Dogs-We're back with rock, though the vocal melody retains the Indian vibe. Yet another great guitar riff as it whails its way through the track, lyrically it is weak but this song is more about fun than meaningful messages.

Magic Theatre-A more mellow track follows. Some people will like this, but i don't really care for it much. I feel it is not only in the wrong place, but it spoils the mood that has been set up by the previous tracks.

Into The Deep-Probably my favourite track on the album. I love the piano intro, love the middle eight, love everything about the track.


Sleeping Jiva-This is a purely instrumental tune, purely made up of traditional Indian instruments. It's kind of ok but not really my thing, its more of a lead up to the next song but feels slightly too long for it's purpose.

Tattva-Another hit here in the UK, this time with English lyrics in the verses. Slightly less catchy than Govinda, but still a really good song.

Grateful When You're Dead/Jerry Was There-A clear reference to one of this album's greatest influences. Another great guitar riff leads the song in, good lyrics, a strong vocal perfomance and a catchy 'Ba ba baaaaa, ba ba baaaa' in the chorus. This is another fun song. Unfortunately, the second half, a tribute to Jerry Garcia fro the Greatful Dead, is the opposite. It is another slow, trippy track that just plods it way to the end. Nothing exciting here, which is a shame as the first part of this combo is great.

303-Here we have some very cheesy and cliche lyrics and yet the song is catchy, fun and full of energy and life. This song is nothing amazing, but when it comes on it's hardly one to skip. Enjoy it for what it is, don't spend time thinking about the words, especially if you do not like them. Great guitar work throughout though and a very good peformance on the vocals.

Start All Over-I really like this track, it must be a bit understated as I always forget about it until it plays. Good lyrics, good performance by the band. There's something missing that prevents it being a great song, but not all dongs need to be great. The song is perfectly placed in the running lost, fits fantastically with the feel and mood that the album bathes itself in.

Hollow Man-We close with a slow intro, piano based. This is a lovely gentle two and a half minutes which leads into the songs acoustic guitar and vocals. After a simple song the electric guitars make their final appearance on the album, bringing it to a rocking end, not as catchy as the better songs but still pretty good. There is a thirteen minute silence followed by a brief recording of a holy man speaking about his guru.....not worth the wait.