Gentle Giant
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7906
Printed Date: February 14 2025 at 11:54
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Gentle Giant
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Subject: Gentle Giant
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:12
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I am not going to get involvled in all this forrum blah blah blah buut GG is my favourite band of all time and unfortunately I was too young to see them live. For those of you out there, I pose the qeustion why do you l ove GENTLE GIANT? ------------- |
Replies:
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:38
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cause they are fricking amazing. I'm currently working on a review for Interview (very underated album) ------------- 
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Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:40
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They are one of the few prog bands that don't need to have epic suites 'n such, because they're songs are so complex are textured that they could be considered epics despite having a shorter length. In other words.... they rock! ------------- 
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:45
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They too are my favourite band of all time, and I too am too young to
have seen them live! I hope and pray that they'll see sense and reform
whilst they still can... I love their precision, their variety of sounds, their creativity, literacy and sense of humour. I love the astounding range of their instruments, their ability to be powerful and heavy or beautiful and delicate, often both within one song and despite their complexity their abundance of memorable tunes. Each and every member is a masterful musician but they lack any kind of individual egos - there has never been a band so tight, so 'togeher' as the incomparable Gentle Giant. Edit: Oh, and they f**king ROCK live! |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:45
Does awesomeness really need an explination??  ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 15:49
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Go to the first page of my wb site and you will see how much I love this band, Vibrationbaby. ------------- |
Posted By: Semprini
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 16:10
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One of the only prog bands that was able to play incredibly complicated
stuff and still manage to be listenable. How these guys didn't make it big is beyond me. With so many people trying to outplay each other they forget the most important thing in music, the song... |
Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:05
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Because. |
Vibrationbaby wrote:Posted By: aegis
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:34
| I saw them live in Newcastle (UK) in 1978 ,I think, in the City Hall. Probably a John Peel session that got me to buy a ticket. There was about 300 people in a hall that held 1500. It made no difference; one of the top 5 gigs of all time for me, still! I knew little of their music, but their musicianship, musicality, energy, showmanship, versatility drove this gig to the edge and back. Their studio work is another dimension; considered, studious, complex; but live, the music transformed into another beast of its own. Coming back to their music again after 20 years has been a joy for me (tear down cheek), it is timeless. Perhaps that's is why you (unkowingly) like them. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:41
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There are so many shades and facets and glimmerings to their music. Did I use words that are not in the Oxford Dictionary? I'm not sure, but GG certainly did things that were in no one's musical dictionary. Their music is like diamonds. From each angle you get a different (and beautiful) reflection. The creme de la creme of prog. The foie gras, baron Rothschild, Dom Perignon from a vintage ... oh well, James Bond would know. You get the picture Their albums never get boring. There are always new places in the music to go.
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 17:51
What a wonderful account, and so true!
Their studio albums are very special, but their live approach is
phenomenal! Two very different sides to the same music. Sounds like
that gig holds some great memories - thanks so much for sharing them! |
Posted By: tempranillo
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 18:12
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I think without a doupt GG really was the best and most professional prog band ever.Unfortunatly,I too,was too young to ever see them live.Although there are a multitude of videos available...I was crazy enough to tatoo the giant's face on my back to remember forever the influence they had on my music perception.I love them because they pushed to the limit .All of the musiciens are multi-instrumentalist and they all sing really well.Can you ask for better?I would like to ad that Gentle Giant is the first band that made me enjoy ballads.It just so much to the edge in every musical way... I think that up to "Interview" every album is a "chef-d'oeuvre" and if you like GG, GET THEM ALL! THE BEST ------------- Why are the seventies over... |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 18:58
I have heard that you need a PhD in music to truly understand what they were doing ... what does that mean ?  ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:01
Oh you don't really... it can just get technical sometimes. Let us know when those CDs arrive! |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:17
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I've heard that many people do not like GG on first, second or even third listen ... that it takes some time to really appreciate ... was this true for you guys? ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:19
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Hehe... not for me! For some people it's a slow thing, for some people
it's instant, for some they can listen to their records for a while,
feel nothing, then one day BLAM! It clicks. The one piece of advice I
can give you is DON'T GIVE UP ON THEM! As you can see from the comments above, they're worth it. |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:22
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are you getting the remasters? ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 19:22
| As soon as I can afford them. |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: June 23 2005 at 20:44
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exactly - they are so black and white for me - i listened for months - nothing! -------------
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Posted By: Manunkind
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:50
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I've only got 'Octopus', but I got into it straight away. If you're buying that one, get ready for one exhilirating ride I won't even bother trying to describe the music from that album. Someone once said that talking about music is like singing about architecture. I agree completely, even more so as when it comes to GG, 'architecture' is the second word that springs to mind after 'music'
------------- "In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun |
. Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:40
From what's been said so far I'm preparing my ears for a real workout ...are there any other bands comparable to GG that I could listen to which might help ?
------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:00
Nope - like Yes, Gentle Giant are a band to compare other bands to,
not the other way round. There is no major group one can compare them
to. |
Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:07
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Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:13
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Get these remasters people, the sound quality on these, is stunning . Plus you get a few live bonus tracks as well. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000850IHW/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-9052069-0917602?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=music" onclick="return amz_js_PopWin'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000850IHW/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-9052069-0917602?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=music','AmazonHelp','width=570,height=600,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=1,status=1';" target="AmazonHelp">  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000850IHC/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-9052069-0917602?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=music" onclick="return amz_js_PopWin'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000850IHC/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-9052069-0917602?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=music','AmazonHelp','width=570,height=600,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=1,status=1';" target="AmazonHelp">  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0009NZ3B4/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-9052069-0917602?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=music" onclick="return amz_js_PopWin'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0009NZ3B4/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-9052069-0917602?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=music','AmazonHelp','width=570,height=600,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=1,status=1';" target="AmazonHelp">  ------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:16
Oi Velv! Do you have to tease me? 
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Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:21
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Sorry but they really are amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just avoid the INTERVIEW remaster, there´s something wrong with that one: From AMAZON. The mistake is that what you are listening to is a remaster of the RIGHT CHANNEL ONLY, playing in mono panned to the center. I did A/B tests with the BGD issue of Interview and had a couple of friends who dig GG listen to it with me to confirm my suspicion. The way GG produced their albums was very unique, with interlocking layers often kind of corresponding with each other from speaker to speaker. This means that on this particular issue, you're only getting half of the layers, since the other half are on the missing left channel. For instance, the MAIN GUITAR RIFF that carries the last four minutes of "I Lost My Head" is COMPLETELY GONE. Half of the vocal layers on "Empty City" are COMPLETELY GONE. "Another Show" sounds the most confused due to this mistake--it sounds like you're listening to half a band. Derek--PLEASE REMEDY THIS SITUATION!!! I have been wanting a definitive master of this album since getting into it a few years ago, and this ain't it! So far, the other three reissues sound AMAZING, LIGHT YEARS better than any other issue released beforehand. Please fix Interview !! ------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:24
 ! They'll have to sort that, pronto!
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Posted By: Manunkind
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:27
This isn't 100% true. There was an obscure American band called Yezda Urfa sporting a similar sound and according to the mp3 I heard http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=355 - http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAN D.asp?band_id=355 and the reviews I read the 2 albums they released are a match for GG's best. Gentle Giant are also the main source of inspiration for the Polish band Gargantua http://www.gargantua.abc.pl/ - http://www.gargantua.abc.pl/ (mp3s available on the site) and while the pupil hasn't surpassed the teacher, neither definitely needs to be ashamed ------------- "In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun |
Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:27
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Yup
------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:29
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All should get this DVD + CD as well. http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0002Q9V3Y.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg"> 
------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:34
Oh I agree! I could name a dozen bands with strong GG influences. The point I was making is that GG did it first - there's no MAJOR band that made comparable music, only obscure groups who dig the sound and take it in their own directions. |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:41
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hey TP ... I am getting the remasters (currently in transit from USA) if (god forbid) I don't like them, maybe we can do a deal ... ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:46
Ha! No, you've got to give those albums plenty of time if you don't like them at first - by which time I'll have hopefully gathered the cash to get 'em myself!  |
Posted By: Manunkind
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:48
You're right, GG was there first, but Felona was asking for a bands with a comparable sound to get herself prepared for GG, so I obliged ------------- "In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:55
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T'was very much appreciated Manunkind ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: Manunkind
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 07:57
 aw shucks...------------- "In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun |
Posted By: John Gargo
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 08:15
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These remasters came out of nowhere... I saw two of them in Best Buy of all places. Are they planning on remastering the earlier albums or are we just getting these three (four when they fix the INTERVIEW disc)? |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 08:18
| Playing The Fool, The Missing Piece, Giant for a Day and Civilian are also due to be released. The other, alas, were released by Vertigo and it looks like they're not being cleared for remastering... Who knows, though? |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 08:29
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Just in case you didn't know... Lasers Edge is selling remasters for $11.50 ... look under new arrivals ... http://www.lasercd.com/default.asp - http://www.lasercd.com/default.asp
------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 08:34
| I find this band painful: too much breaks, rythm changes, bad singing...overrated in my opinion. |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 08:40
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Sssssh! keep your voice down ... d'you want to get flamed ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 08:43
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Ha ha ! i know this is provocation.
But i'm sincere when i say it's bad! |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 09:25
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The fact that you don't like, doesn't make it bad does it! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 10:14
Hear, he'll do it all for you, you will see it, ------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 10:18
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... are those GG lyrics ? ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 10:43
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^So Sincere, from Power and the Glory! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 11:23
| A killer song live - transformed from being a quirky little curioso on the album to a 20th avant garde classical song bursting into an insane rock workout and concluding with a completely gratuitous five-man percussion session. Bloody good lyrics too! |
Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 17:43
PRETENTIOUS FOR THE SAKE OF IT.  ------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:00
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------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: jojim
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:25
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I bought SPOCKS BEARD and after that PFM (Italy). They both try to
imitate once in a while GENTLE GIANT. This sounds only ridicilous to
me. I would say: GENESIS. YES and GENTLE GIANT introduced such a new
compository quality to Rock music that all the bands afterwards tried
to copy. There are only a few bands that had their own thing in prog music. The rest are "eclectists" (does this word have a meaning in English?). Yeah, GENTLE GIANT are great. Unforgetable. |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:29
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Add ELP. In fact most of the italian prog bands sound like ELP. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:35
They take the good bits of ELP, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Tull etc to varying degrees, swish it around with a mediterrean vibe and MAKE IT WORK. Italian Prog is gorgeous and you're missing out if you don't appreciate it. Btw, Moog - one of my favourite GG photos ever!  that cello! |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:42
For me ITALIAN is the Caviar of prog ...er, that can't be right, I hate Caviar ... ok, then ts the champagne of Prog ...  ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:47
I think you'll find it's certainly a genre that is favoured by (without wanting to sound up my own arse, but inevitably doing so, especially having now drawn attention to the fact...) conneisseurs of the genre. Likewise Gentle Giant is very much in favour with people who've listened to prog regularly for some time and know the ins and outs of the movement. Italian, Canterbury, Krautrock, the more sophisticated Symphonic groups, and avant prog are the areas of prog which often take time to appreciate, but they're worth the effort. It's just a case of Acquiring the Taste! Note: Apologies for being a snob. I blame it on exam stress and sleep deprivation. |
Posted By: goose
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:49
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If you listen to it to much you end up doing stupid things and feeling sick?
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:51
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Apologising for being a snob?...You are stressed and tired! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:52
I certainly do... I remember the night I listened to every album from the debut right up to the Missing Piece without stopping. I woke up under a hedge in nothing but a bin liner with a semi-thawed chicken and a corkscrew... That was some evening. |
Posted By: goose
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:53
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No no, it's Italian prog that's like champagne, not GG! |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:54
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I do agree with you there TP *motherly hug* so go and get some sleep .... and good luck in those exams ... which ones? Comedy ones? ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:56
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------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:57
If only... I've been avoiding revising Brechtian theatre theories all day. That man was such a hypocrite! Still, at least he made people realise that realism in theatre wasn't ALWAYS a necessity. |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 18:59
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hey, I might try that sometime ... perhaps with a semi-thawed koala ...and a tinny of Fosters... ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:06
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Brecht!!! That'd give me a headache ... d'you study Harold Pinter ? I like Pinter ... MMmmmm. ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:09
Alas no, but I'm a huge fan of his work. Went to see a smallish production of A Slight Ache and The Lover at my local arts centre recently - it was a mixed bag of good and bad ideas (the direction/acting decisions, not the plays themselves, obv!) but overall I enjoyed it. The chap who played the chap in A Slight Ache was fab. The chap who played the chap in The Lover was f**king useless. Anyway - MAJOR DEVIATION! |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:15
ah ... I'm sorry I haven't a clue! ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:17
Just a Minute, surely? |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:24
yes you're right!! you can tell I've been out of the Mother Country for a while ... I really don't have a clue do I? ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:28
Oh, I'm sure you love it there really! I must admit it's sounding like hell to me though - no marmite, no radio 4... what's a teenage 50 year old to do?! |
Posted By: felona
Date Posted: June 24 2005 at 19:36
Yes, its not that bad actually ... you can listen to to radio 4 via streaming audio from the internet with an Fm modulator ... it transmits out a radio signal from your PC to your radio ... so you can be listening to PM with your brekkie ... a scrape of rationed marmite on toast ------------- I was never really sure what I was waiting for. When the moment came I was looking away ...... The Church "After Everything Now This" |