What's New 5

 Hello all!

Welcome to 2022, a year that, let's be honest, we all hope will smash the last couple into oblivion as we continue to live the 'new normal'. 

I haven't done any of this for a while as life really tends to get in the way but I'm going to knuckle and get writing. I've also got a few other bits in the pipeline that I'm trying to get off the ground including a podcast and YouTube mini series but as this kind of stuff is only a hobby things take time but watch this space!

As with my other 'What's New' posts I tend to write about what's new in my life from a media perspective. It may not be that the record or book I'm writing about is newly released but it's something that's just cropped up on my radar and feel worthy of sharing. This whole blogging, twitter thing is for me is about the social side and I do appreciate all the responses and emails. I've had bands message me in the past about reviewing their material and that's great please keep that coming and I'll do as much as I can. As always stay safe and I hope you enjoy the read:

Album: Miles Kane - Change The Show

Early MK was all about guitar riffs and sing a long choruses "Rearrange, Don't Forget Who You Are, Come Closer etc" whereas here we are treated to a much more sophisticated record. I guess, like his mate and regular collaborator Alex Turner it's a good thing to move with the times and push buttons that you aren't used to. Change The Show is a record that's hard to pin down. There's the obvious element of  Kane's indie past here but also a swagger into Motown AND a duet with Corinne Bailey-Rae. Who saw that coming?

The record as a whole floats along nicely but doesn't really pack much of a punch and leaves me thinking where does MK go from here? Fair play he's put himself out there and taken some risks with certain elements here but I didn't listen to this and think wow Miles Kane has arrived it's just a decent enough record.   

Stand out tracks are: Tears Are Falling, See You When I See Ya and Coming Of Age.   

Podcast: Cinematic Universe

I bloody love a podcast and while I was binging all the Marvel movies (chronologically obviously) during lockdown 1.0 I was on the hunt for a podcast that took a deep dive into these movies. I tried a few different ones out but Cinematic Universe was the one that I really took too and have religiously listened to ever since. Started seven years ago the current hosts Joe, James and Rhys really do have insightful thoughtful discussions about anything and everything comic book related and do have a real knowledge on their subjects and aren't afraid to disagree with each other.  With some episodes reaching over three hours there's a lot to chew on but if you're looking for a pod to help you dissect the latest Marvel movie or Disney plus series then I highly recommend giving this one a go. Find the guys on twitter @cine_verse and the pod is available through all your usual places.     

Book:  Dave Grohl - The Storyteller

At this moment in time do you know Dave Grohl as the drummer from Nirvana or the front man of the Foo Fighters? (there's a great anecdote in this book about where he got that name)

I think it's fair to say that Grohl has well and truly established himself as one of our generations greatest frontmen but even he couldn't see this coming. Dave Grohl - The Storyteller is a truly enjoyable heart-warming book written but a guy that seems the nicest bloke on earth and that really doees shine through between his words. We're guided through his early life as a teenage punk in Virginia, a misfit who's sole ambition was to play music which in turn put him on the path to stardom via his first band Scream. 

We all know what follows with the early Nirvana/Kurt years and then the formation of the Foos and as the book opens up we see a side to Grohl we don't really know about in being a parent and the juggle with his rock star life. This book is feel good, there's no drugs or rehab just a god old fashioned rock star who likes a beer and knows his way around a drum set and guitar.    

TV/Film: The Beatles - Get Back

What do you get if you let super fan Peter Jackson (LOTR) loose with hundreds of hours of un-seen Beatles footage? Answer - A whopping eight hour long Disney plus show!   

The 60's was The Beatles. With movies, tv shows and a album release pretty much every year they were the biggest band in the world. But what were they like off camera? This slightly drawn out series gives us a good a look as any as to the fractious recording of their live Let It Be album and their final EVER live performance.

The dynamic of the group at this stage in their career is interesting as we see Harrison really struggling with his position as effectively third in command. He cuts a frustrated figure at times with McCartney and Lennon leading both the lyrical and musical front and ultimately quits the band during the middle of recording. This is clearly a band pulling in different directions and there's numerous chats about solo work with John even admitting he's sought out his own representation. Maybe if their work load wasn't so ridiculous we'd of had another ten years of the band but ultimately their demise came roughly a year after these recordings. 

If you're a musician or aspiring to be you have to appreciate the abundance of talent within the group and it's a fascinating watch seeing the numbers being played over and over again being fine tuned, picking holes in chord progressions and lyrics and producing these hits. Get Back - although long winded is a must watch as Jackson takes us behind the scenes and into the rehearsal space of the biggest band the world has ever seen and quite frankly the genius of The Beatles...     

 

Just for a bit of fun I'll be putting together a monthly playlist of what music I've been listening to. January is up and it's my pinned tweet. Find me at @AdBartTheSecond

AB