Category Archives: TV

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison: Living in the Material World is a return to form for director Martin Scorsese following the 2008 release of Shine a Light, his rather lacklustre concert film about The Rolling Stones. Fortunately, his depiction of the Beatle known as The Quiet One has more in common with Scorsese’s 2005 film about Bob Dylan. No Direction Home was over 200 minutes long and in two parts, but still managed to only cover Dylan’s career up to 1966. Living in the Material World is also a two-parter and is similar in length to the Dylan one, but manages to cover the whole of Harrison’s life up to his death on November 29th, 2001. A major strength of No Direction Home was its newly-recorded interviews with an extremely open and talkative Dylan. Living in the Material World makes up for the loss of its protagonist by drawing on a range of interviews with Harrison at various points in his career. It opens by chatting to two of his uncles who talk about the younger George growing up in Liverpool and also draws upon letters written by George to his parents. These are voiced by an actor and would have been more effective if he sounded like Harrison or, at least, adopted a Scouse accent. Visually, the lack of film footage from this period is nicely balanced by a simple but effective use of black & white photographs. Many of these appeared to be newly discovered and we also get to see a lot of unseen footage from his days with The Beatles

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Possibly Maybe

It’s the final episode of the current season of Later with Jools Holland this week and it features another half dozen artists from around the world. The Red Hot Chili Peppers put out their tenth studio album (and their first in five years) in August. It’s called I’m With You and sees lead guitarist John Frusciante being replaced by Josh Klinghoffer. Frusciante did play on the band’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground on 1989′s Mother’s Milk album. It’s been four years since Bjork released her previous studio album and Biophilia is her eight and most recent one. Ruby Baby was written by Leiber and Stoller, was first a hit for The Drifters in 1956 and again six years later for Dion. It’s been three years since Oasis released their sixth (and possibly final) album. Guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher has just released his first solo record and it’s called Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, which is also the name of his band. He draws on his Irish and Mancunian heritage on his live version of the classic from The Smiths. Gillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter who performs within the country and bluegrass genres. She makes music with her partner David Rawlings and they released their first album since 2003 earlier this year. She might not be an obvious choice to sing a Radiohead tune, but her take on Black Star doesn’t seem out of place in her repertoire. Michael Kiwanuka is a British songwriter of Ugandan parentage who grew up in London. You can hear soul and jazz influences in Tell Me a Tale, the title track of one of two EPs he’s released this year. Spector are a five-piece from London and the indie sound of What You Wanted is nothing new, but worth a listen. This season’s final instalment of Later goes out tonight and Friday on BBC Two

Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder cover) – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Ruby Baby (Drifters cover) – Bjork

There is a Light That Never Goes Out (Smiths cover) – Noel Gallagher

Black Star (Radiohead cover) – Gillian Welch

Tell Me a Tale – Michael Kiwanaku

What You Wanted – Spector

Clockwise from top left: Gillian Welch, Bjork, Michael Kiwanuka, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Spector, Noel Gallagher

Endless Cycle

This week’s Later with Jools Holland features performances from the interesting collaboration between Lou Reed and Metallica. This seemingly unusual partnership has just released a concept album called Lulu. It’s not about the life of the Scottish singer, but is based on a couple of plays by a German playwright named Frank Wedekind. Texan musician, Steve Earle, will be playing songs from his most recent release, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive. The T-Bone Burnett-produced record takes its name from a Hank Williams song and is also the name of his first novel, which was published this year as well. Earle will be backed by The Dukes, featuring his wife, Allison Moorer. From New Orleans, Aaron Neville will be going back to his roots as he delivers songs from his latest album, I Know I’ve Been Changed. Let’s hope that London-based Various Cruelties sound more interesting than their name. After I had written the post, I learned that Hollie Cook and Keb’ Mo’ have also been added to this week’s bill. Later goes out every Tuesday and Friday on BBC Two

Foot of Pride (Bob Dylan cover) – Lou Reed

53rd & 3rd (Ramones cover) – Metallica

Willin’ (Little Feat cover) – Steve Earle

Marie (Randy Newman cover) – Allison Moorer

Ain’t No Cure for Love (Leonard Cohen cover) – Aaron Neville

Don’t Want To Waste Your Time – Various Cruelties

Clockwise from top left: Various Cruelties, Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, Lou Reed & Metallica, Aaron Neville

Who’s Next

Later with Jools Holland reaches episode seven of its nine-week run tonight and features the usual eclectic mix of musicians from around the globe. Most of the performers, however, will be very familiar with London. Florence Welch was born there and her band, Florence + the Machine, will be playing songs from their second album, Ceremonials. Former Suede frontman, Brett Anderson, will be promoting his fourth solo album, Black Rainbows. Pete Townshend is, of course, better known as guitarist and songwriter for The Who. Last month, Pink Floyd released a 38th anniversary edition of Dark Side of the Moon. It’s also 38 years since The Who released Quadrophenia and Townshend will be playing songs to celebrate its re-release. I wonder why they couldn’t have waited until 2013. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, My Morning Jacket have been going for over a decade. Circuital is the title of their sixth studio release since 1999. Agadez is the name of the region in Niger where the singer and guitarist named Bombino grew up. It also gives its name to his first collection of songs that he released earlier this year. London-based Cold Specks sing about Holland on their debut single. The band is led by Canadian singer Al Spx and her voice and music are heavily influenced by the blues. Later goes out live every Tuesday on BBC Two and is followed by a recorded show every Friday

Oh Darling (The Beatles cover) – Florence + the Machine

Oceans Burning (The Horrors cover) – Brett Anderson

Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan cover) – Pete Townshend

All The Best (John Prine cover) – My Morning Jacket

Tar Hani – Bombino

Holland – Cold Specks

Clockwise from top left: Brett Anderson, My Morning Jacket, Cold Specks, Bombino, Pete Townshend, Florence

Don’t Bang the Drum

The hour-long version of this week’s Later with Jools Holland will go out tonight on BBC Two. The shorter live version was shown on Tuesday and one of its highlights was the performance of Mad As the Mist & Snow by Mike Scott & The Waterboys. This is the Sea is one of my favourite albums, though its follow-up, Fisherman’s Blues, was more of a commercial success. That album included a song called The Stolen Child, which was based on a poem written by WB Yeats. Mad As the Mist and Snow is taken from the band’s tenth release in three decades, a whole album of the Irish poet’s work called An Appointment with Mr Yeats. The prolific North Carolina songwriter Ryan Adams has released over a dozen albums in the last decade and Ashes & Fire is his latest. The former Whiskeytown member performed a solo acoustic version of Lucky Now on the show. Camille from Paris made a return appearance to play a track from her fourth album, Ilo Veyou. She performed a quirky and amusing number called Mars Is No Fun that could’ve been written from the perspective of an offspring of the narrator of Bowie’s Life on Mars. All the way from Wellington in New Zealand, The Phoenix Foundation performed a catchy tune called Buffalo. That’s also the title of their 2010 album and it’s their fourth since forming in 1997. Emeli Sandé has already been on Later this season and she came back to perform Read All About It with London rapper Professor Green. It will appear on his second album, At Your Inconvenience. I skipped through Coldplay‘s two songs that bookended the show as I’m not a fan. However, I do like Lady GaGa’s version of one of their songs. Later goes out every Tuesday and Friday on BBC Two

The Stolen Child (WB Yeats) – The Waterboys

Lovesick Blues (Hank Williams Sr cover) – Ryan Adams

Pretty Face – Camille

Pot – The Phoenix Foundation

Viva La Vida (Coldplay cover) – Lady Gaga

Clockwise from top left: Professor Green, Coldplay, Mike Scott, Camille, The Phoenix Foundation, Ryan Adams

Bon Hiver

This week’s episode of Later with Jools Holland doesn’t feature too many big names, but at least a couple of the acts will be worth watching. The Canadian singer, Feist, has released her fourth album and it’s called Metals. She co-wrote Brandy Alexander with fellow Canadian, Ron Sexsmith, for her third record and recorded his composition, Secret Heart, on her second one. The version below is from a radio session. Feist has performed with the Wisconsin musician Justin Vernon in the past. He is better known as Bon Iver and received a ton of critical praise for his debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. His self-titled follow-up was released earlier this year. Below, he sings a Feist song that appeared on an Australian radio session. Ben l’Oncle Soul is the pseudonym of Benjamin Duterde from France. He followed up the 2009 mini-album Soul Wash with a self-titled debut last year. His soulful rendition of Seven Nation Army appears on both. Londoner Lianne La Havas brings a little bit of soul to Final Form by Manchester’s Everything Everything. You can also download four free live songs from her website. And now for something completely different. It’s not often that metal bands appear on Later, but Mastodon are a metal band that hail from Atlanta, Georgia and don’t sound too bad on their lengthy version of Orion by Metallica. Some normality is restored by a former member of the Rat Pack named Buddy Greco, a singer and pianist who shares his birthday with yours truly. He’s promoting the very first release of Live at the Sands, recorded in Las Vegas in 1967. I’m in Love had been a hit for him earlier that decade. Later goes out every Tuesday and Friday night on BBC Two

Secret Heart (Ron Sexsmith cover) – Feist

The Park (Feist cover) – Bon Iver

Seven Nation Army (White Stripes cover) – Ben l’Oncle Soul

Final Form (Everything Everything cover) – Lianne La Havas

Orion (Metallica cover) – Mastodon

I’m In Love – Buddy Greco

Clockwise from top left: Ben l’Oncle Soul, Feist, Bon Iver, Buddy Greco, Lianne La Havas, Mastodon

Games Without Frontiers

Nine years after his only other appearance on Later with Jools Holland, Peter Gabriel returns this week to promote his latest release, New Blood. It’s a follow-up to last year’s Scratch My Back, in which he delivered a whole album of orchestral versions of other people’s songs. New Blood fulfils a similar function, as he orchestrates over a dozen songs from his own back catalogue. His version of Suzanne (below) is taken from a 1995 tribute to Leonard Cohen called Tower of Song. Noah & the Whale make their first appearance on Later and will play some songs from their third album, Last Night on Earth. Their version of Paul Simon’s You Can Me Al appeared as a b-side in 2008 and I think it’s pretty good. The Horrors have been going as long as Noah & the Whale and also released their third album earlier this year. The band’s lead singer, Faris Badwan, has a solo project named Lumina and his cover of The Black Lips’ I’ll Be With You appeared as the flip side to The Lips’ Drugs single from 2009. The Horrors were unsuccessful Mercury Prize nominees that year and this year Ghostpoet found himself in the same position. Peanut Butter & Melancholy Jam is the title of his only album and Cash & Carry Me Home was its first single. Lana del Rey is the pseudonym of London-based New Yorker Elizabeth Grant. She’ll be making her first television appearance on Later and I look forward to hearing her perform Video Games. Later goes out every Tuesday and Friday on BBC Two

Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover) – Peter Gabriel

You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover) – Noah & the Whale

I’ll Be With You (Black Lips cover) – Lumina

Cash & Carry Me Home – Ghostpoet

Video Games – Lana del Rey

Clockwise from top left: Noah & the Whale; The Horrors; Lana del Rey; Peter Gabriel; Ghostpoet

Back in the Night

The second episode of the current season of Later with Jools Holland would appear to be a slight improvement on last week’s opener. I’m mostly looking forward to seeing Wilko Johnson, the founding member of Dr. Feelgood and amateur astronomer. Johnson can be seen at his best in Julien Temple’s Feelgood documentary, Oil City Confidential, which you should check out if you haven’t already. His bluesy take on One After 909 is from a tribute to Let It Be put out by Mojo magazine last year. I’m not terribly familiar with the English singer, James Morrison, though his version of the Kings of Leon track isn’t too bad. I fast-forwarded through Snow Patrol’s performance last week and this week I’ll be skipping past Kasabian. You may choose to do the same with their rather ineffective attempt at a ska favourite. Emeli Sandé was a guest last week and she joins one of this week’s performers below on a track named The Underdog Law. He goes by the moniker of Wretch 32, the pseudonym of a London rapper named Jermaine Scott. The African country of Mali has produced such renowned musicians as Ali Farka Touré, Salif Keita and Tinariwen and today’s show features another. Fatoumata Diawara was born in the Ivory Coast to parents from Mali and has just released her debut album on World Circuit Records. The title track of her previously released EP is available as a free download from Bandcamp. Neil Finn from New Zealand has found success as a member of Split Enz, Crowded House and as a solo artist. His latest project is called Pajama Club and includes his wife Sharon amongst its members. Two of the songs from their eponymous debut can be downloaded for free from their site. Later with Jools Holland goes out every Tuesday and Friday on BBC Two

One After 909 (Beatles cover) – Wilko Johnson

Sex On Fire (Kings of Leon cover) – James Morrison

Too Much Too Young (Specials cover) – Kasabian

The Underdog Law – Wretch 32 & Emeli Sandé

Kanou – Fatoumata Diawara

From a Friend to a Friend – Pajama Club

Clockwise from top left: Wilko Johnson; Kasabian; Fatoumata Diawara; James Morrison; Pajama Club; Wretch 32