Musical Mondays Week 78 Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire

[Cameron H. 23786]

My favorite Blur song:

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

Noel Gallagher

 

[Cam Bert 8145]

I can honestly say I never really got into Oasis. My one friend did have Morning Glory and listened to it a lot and I found the songs catchy I never picked up anything of theirs on my own. Not sure why.

I will second Blur being great and not getting the great they should have. The thing I enjoyed most about Blur was that they were not doing the same thing over and over. They had something hard rocking like Song 2 and then something more mellow like Coffee and TV. They had songs that blended humor and message like Parklife and Boys and Girls that took chances and did things like spoken word and some electronica. I mean this mainly comes from Damon Albarn who would later go on to flex his musical muscles and expand with Gorillaz which I am also a fan of. 

[Cameron H. 23786]

29 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

I can honestly say I never really got into Oasis. My one friend did have Morning Glory and listened to it a lot and I found the songs catchy I never picked up anything of theirs on my own. Not sure why.

I will second Blur being great and not getting the great they should have. The thing I enjoyed most about Blur was that they were not doing the same thing over and over. They had something hard rocking like Song 2 and then something more mellow like Coffee and TV. They had songs that blended humor and message like Parklife and Boys and Girls that took chances and did things like spoken word and some electronica. I mean this mainly comes from Damon Albarn who would later go on to flex his musical muscles and expand with Gorillaz which I am also a fan of. 

Song 2, I feel like, was such a curse for them. It’s a good song, but really unlike their other stuff.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

I probably prefer Pulp to Blur, but it's close and don't want to deny Blur their place. Their last album (The Magic Whip) was great, as is 13. Albarn's other projects go up and down for me, but yea they're always super interesting and worth checking out.

And yea, Oasis is derivative and boring and I'm not a fan, though I've grown to somewhat appreciate Noel -- mainly for playing on the studio recording of "Free Love Freeway" haha.

I tried to watch this week's movie, but the version on Youtube was of such low quality, I couldn't stick with it very far.  The song I heard was pretty bad.

 

 

 

[GrahamS. 803]

I liked Oasis on the radio and bought Morning Glory. I had mixed feelings about it—thought it was well-Made but was so similar to the Beatles that I might as well just listen to the Beatles. Still, I don’t dislike them.

Blur took me longer to warm up to initially but has stuck with me longer. I agree that not everything they—and/or Albarn—do is perfect, but the songs /Albums that I like, I really like. 

By the way, Albarn produced Bobby Womack’s last album and it has some really good stuff on it.

 

[tomspanks 9039]

Let’s face it, the best Blur work is Gorillaz, am I right folks?

[Cam Bert 8145]

6 hours ago, tomspanks said:

Let’s face it, the best Blur work is Gorillaz, am I right folks?

Ooo... I'm torn. I do love Gorillaz but I do love lots of Blur... it is a tough call. I would say Gorillaz is more to my taste overall.

[GrahamS. 803]

I dunno, the only Gorillaz album that works for me the whole way through is Demon Days. The others have their moments—and I really didn’t get into the last two—but I don’t like them as much.

Although The two Del The Funkee  Homosapien tracks on the first album are fucking awesome!

[Cameron H. 23786]

48 minutes ago, GrahamS. said:

I dunno, the only Gorillaz album that works for me the whole way through is Demon Days. The others have their moments—and I really didn’t get into the last two—but I don’t like them as much.

Although The two Del The Funkee  Homosapien tracks on the first album are fucking awesome!

100% agree. Demon Days is one of those rare perfect albums from T to B.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I'm having a hard time conveying intent in written comments lately.  Please take these as neither pro nor con, just commenting.

1) I got a half-hour in the first time then shut it off when the match seemed set but there was still an hour to go.  I also had no captions on and it was very hard to follow.  I rewatched it all the way through with captions and enjoyed it.  I agree with what people were saying about they really went for something.  I viewed it as kind of a Chess-style musical.  Trying to build a world then focus on a few people in it.

2) The song "Supersonic Sam's Cosmic Cafe" was my favorite song overall.  Like others I had trouble with the strobe lighting and everyone constantly looking down at their video screens even as they're singing and dancing in unison.  Seemed to be a very small cafe but busy so I guess Sam was happy.  No snooker table visible so where did Billy go practice?

3) Billy was very engaging and earnest.  Even when he was sitting back during the match he was trying to show the character's thoughts.  I like Alun Armstrong (GBV) as an actor (more on that later) but he varied for me.  Early it seemed like he was overacting (especially during the reporter's interview) but then toned it down and I actually cared how he felt about things.

4) I laughed internally that, after all the talk about the high price of tickets and the large crowds watching this match, the final room was just big enough for the opposing "sides" (the Sam's video crowd and the rich snobs).  No cameras visible so how were people watching on TV?

5) I was jarred by T.O.'s introduction.  It seemed like he was just a side story not Billy's manager and mate.  If we had a scene where he left a conversation with Billy and then headed to pay his debts it would have made more sense.  I knew the movie was about snooker so a card-based side story was confusing.

6) Lastly, back to Alun Armstrong.  I first became acquainted with him since he played Thenardier in the London Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert.  He played the role perfectly and I would have liked to see him in the full show.  I've seen him here and there but most recently in The Hollow Crown, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.  He has the sort of face that I'll recognize him instantly.  His performances are usually that I can watch the role and not constantly think I'm watching a specific actor.  Once the scene shifted to "I'll Bite Back" he stopped being Alun so much.

Here's Alun as Thenardier in the concert.  (Added: Alun was in Les Mis or preparing for it around the time of Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire.)

 

[tomspanks 9039]

5 hours ago, Cinco DeNio said:

I'm having a hard time conveying intent in written comments lately.  Please take these as neither pro nor con, just commenting.

1) I got a half-hour in the first time then shut it off when the match seemed set but there was still an hour to go.  I also had no captions on and it was very hard to follow.  I rewatched it all the way through with captions and enjoyed it.  I agree with what people were saying about they really went for something.  I viewed it as kind of a Chess-style musical.  Trying to build a world then focus on a few people in it.

 

I watched with captions and it didn’t help me. Like I knew they were speaking English, but I couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

[Cam Bert 8145]

1 minute ago, tomspanks said:

I watched with captions and it didn’t help me. Like I knew they were speaking English, but I couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

Have all those episodes of Bake Off not helped your comprehension?

[tomspanks 9039]

1 hour ago, Cam Bert said:

Have all those episodes of Bake Off not helped your comprehension?

Not once did the green baize vampire mention a soggy bottom

[Cam Bert 8145]

I now work with one British guy and am very close friends with a few more that live here in Japan. I was explaining this movie to them, none of them had heard of it, but most thought it sounded like a ploy to get a typical pub going musical avoiding type of gentlemen interested in musicals. 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

On 10/24/2019 at 12:34 AM, Cam Bert said:

I now work with one British guy and am very close friends with a few more that live here in Japan. I was explaining this movie to them, none of them had heard of it, but most thought it sounded like a ploy to get a typical pub going musical avoiding type of gentlemen interested in musicals. 

But what did they think about the snooker parts?

[tomspanks 9039]

On 10/24/2019 at 12:34 AM, Cam Bert said:

I now work with one British guy and am very close friends with a few more that live here in Japan. I was explaining this movie to them, none of them had heard of it, but most thought it sounded like a ploy to get a typical pub going musical avoiding type of gentlemen interested in musicals. 

Are they gonna watch it??

[Cam Bert 8145]

6 hours ago, Cinco DeNio said:

But what did they think about the snooker parts?

They prefer billiards. One said they'd be more interested if it was about darts.

3 hours ago, tomspanks said:

Are they gonna watch it??

Actually one might. I'm slowly getting them into enjoying bad movies.

[tomspanks 9039]

3 hours ago, Cam Bert said:

They prefer billiards. One said they'd be more interested if it was about darts.

Actually one might. I'm slowly getting them into enjoying bad movies.

Yaaaaaas, bring him to the dark side