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A Revelation – Review of Genesis Live over Europe 2007

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Yes I really am going to review an album that is nearly 6 years old. I missed it at release and only just discovered it on iTunes recently.

review of genesis live over europe 2007
AlbumCover

I was a big Genesis fan back in the 1980s at the time when Phil Collins had successfully replaced Peter Gabriel as lead singer. The band was in transition from a progressive rock outfit (you know 15 minute songs with long guitar and keyboard instrumental sections) that occasional wrote great pop songs – to a pop group that occasional wrote popier progressive rock songs.

Whilst purists might disagree with my analysis of that transition it’s what appeared to me was happening. I saw Genesis live at Roundhay Park in Leeds in 1987, which was the tour for their very successful and, some would say, most commercially accessible album “Invisible Touch”.

They recorded this album (and the accompanying DVD “When in Rome”) on a reunion tour 20 years later. Even though they had to play the songs in a lower key to compensate for Phil Collins older, less powerful, voice, the result is a band at the height of their powers. It’s amazing that these guys are in their 60s delivering such a powerful and polished performance. The DVD presents one concert in its entirely and the CD gives us the same set list but with recordings from different venues across Europe.

This is a perfect mix of their later pop hits and their earlier rock songs peppered with seamlessly constructed medleys and instrumentals.

Review of Genesis Live over Europe 2007
Behind the Lines

Behind the Lines/Duke’s End – a rousing instrumental opening introducing us to the powerful sound of both Phil Collins and Chester Thompson behind their drum kits.

Turn It On Again – a crowd pleasing hit song. I believe this tour was actually called the “Turn it On Again Tour”.

No Son Of Mine – one of Genesis’s most recent songs and one to sing along to.

Land Of Confusion – I remember the video to this track featuring Spitting Image puppets. Nice to see them reappear in the concert footage on the DVD.

In The Cage/Cinema Show/Duke’s Travels – Since the early 1980s Genesis have included what has become known as the “In The Cage Medley” in their set list. This features a strong rhythm section with Mike Rutherford and the two drummers – an impressive montage which, as always, merges into the next song.

Afterglow – and amazing ballad which Collins nails vocally.

Hold On My Heart – a bit of a bland ballad from the pop era. Not a highlight for me.

Review of Genesis Live over Europe 2007
Home by The Sea

Home By The Sea – this is one of those later Genesis tracks which skilfully merges pop and Prog together. The catchy sing along first half gives way to the thunderous drumming in the instrumental section. On the DVD the images of ghosts and lonely haunted houses bring this song about the supernatural alive.

Follow You Follow Me – a beautiful rendition of this famous single.

Firth Of Fifth (Excerpt) – Another amazing instrumental with Tony Banks keyboard mastery and Daryl Stuermer demonstrating his lead guitar ability. This is probably the sort of track that people hate progressive rock for – but the guitar solo is awesome.

I Know What I Like – one of Genesis’s earliest chart hits. “Me I’m just a lawn mower. You can tell me by the way I walk”.

Mama – a very scary song to listen to.

Ripples – in my opinion one of the best ballads ever recorded and this version is stunning. But just what are the “blue girls” referred to in the lyrics?

Throwing It All Away – audience participation as Collins rips off Freddie Mercury’s Ay-ho from Live Aid.

Domino – Like “Home by the Sea” a song of two halves part ballad part thunderous rocker.

Conversations With 2 Stools – many people cringe at the thought of a drum duet. Here Collins and Thompson start out on electronic drum pads and build up the layers until they are battering hell of their respective drum kits.

Los Endos – usually the closing song of the concert this time Los Endos is not the end.

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight (Excerpt) – Another of the band’s more famous pop songs.

Invisible Touch – their most commercial single and a great up temp finish to the main act.

I Can’t Dance – perhaps a strange choice of song for the encore but the crowd in the DVD seem to love it.

Carpet Crawlers – it might seem strange to close with a ballad – especially one from the 1970s Peter Gabriel era – but this is haunting, atmospheric and Collins nails the vocals.

This album is a show case of nearly three decades of Genesis music taking in pop and rock in equal measure. If like me you were a fan and missed this one, you will love this trip down memory lane. If you are new to Genesis want an accessible way into their back catalogue, this is a good place to jump on.

Your turn: Are you a Genesis fan. What do you think of this review of Genesis live over Europe 2007? What are your memories of their music and their concerts. Share your thoughts. Click below where it says “Leave a Comment”.

“Run you clever boy, and remember” – Review of Christmas episode of Doctor Who The Snowmen

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Show runner Stephen Moffat chose Christmas Day to reboot Doctor Who with a new title sequence, remixed music, new TARDIS set and a scary, funny, well written romp set in Victorian England. It sets up next year’s 50th anniversary perfectly and left me waiting eagerly for series 7 part two next April.

Review of Christmas episode of Doctor Who The Snowmen
The Snowmen Movie of the Week poster

In keeping with the style of the current run, The Snowmen was a “movie of the week” complete with its own movie poster. And cinematic it was with snow bound London skylines and the BBC’s usual attention to period detail. The BBC do Victorian so well don’t they?

Usually Doctor Who Christmas specials are a little cheesey and removed from the main series story arcs. Whilst The Snowmen displayed all the usual Christmas trappings, it was definitely part of the storyline this time. Matt Smith, as usual, expertly played the role, but this time he was withdrawn from the world and almost Scrooge-like, mourning the loss of his previous companions Rory and Amy. He’s done with saving the world. Done with giant robots and killer Christmas trees. All he wants to do is be miserable and live in the TARDIS he parked on a cloud. A cloud reached by a very Mary Poppins style spiral staircase.

Review of Christmas episode of Doctor Who The Snowmen

But scary snowmen with shark teeth are popping up and devouring Yuletide Londoners. These were well done though I believe earlier versions looked a little too like Rainbow’s Zippy. I would have liked to see them on screen more. Perhaps they could have eaten a few more people. But hey this is a family show.

The villain played by Richard E Grant is using the Great Intelligence to conjure them up whilst searching for the DNA of a nasty governess frozen in a pond.

Cue new companion Clara played by Jenna-Louise Coleman (flitting expertly between posh spoken Miss Montague and her other barmaid persona with a more streetwise way of talking) attempting to suss out the Doctor and persuade him to return to his universe saving ways.

Review of Christmas episode of Doctor Who The Snowmen

Also helping the Doctor (and protecting his current desire for seclusion without agreeing with it) are Madame Vastra (“Good evening. I’m a lizard woman from the dawn of time, and this is my wife”) Jenny and the Sontaran in a butler’s outfit, Strax. The latter gets the funniest lines in the story (“Try to escape and you will be obliterated. Can I take your coat?”)

And I loved the scene when the Doctor asks Strax to go and fetch the memory worm. When Strax comes back empty-handed the Doctor sighs with exasperation, “You forgot the gauntlets!”

Review of Christmas episode of Doctor Who The Snowmen

Despite this great comedy, and despite a slightly underplayed malevolent performance by Grant – though his brief resurrection as a zombie at the end was pretty horrible – the delight of this story really lay in the developing relationship between the Doctor and Clara.

Of course we the audience know he has met her before and when she mentions her love of soufflés the penny starts to drop. She was in the season opener “Asylum of the Daleks” back in September but of course in that one, Matt Smith could only hear her voice and her name was Oswin. Only after saving the city in a typical return to form did the Doctor begin to realise. As she died Clara’s last words were, “Run you clever boy. And remember.” The same as Oswin’s parting words in the earlier adventure.

And on her grave: “Clara Oswin Oswald”.

Matt Smith is now on the run to find his soufflé girl. With a new theme tune, new TARDIS set, new Victorian inspired costume and another fascinating mystery to solve, for the first time in 8 years of Christmas specials, being part of the ongoing storyline, The Snowmen leaves us desperate for the next episodes which are still four months away.

Over to you: Do you agree with my Review of Christmas episode of Doctor Who The Snowmen?Were you right about the Clara/Oswin link and where do you think it will go next? Please share your thoughts or give a link to your own reviews. Click below where it says “Leave a reply”. Go on – share!

Review of Jamie’s Italian Restaurant in York

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I find this Michelin Star restaurant thing a bit pretentious? Obviously they are fabulous accolades to win but as well as good tasty food it seems chefs need to obsess about minute fiddling details. Every cube of carrot is the same size. Plates of the same food must look identical. And they only put a few dribbles of sauce or jus on the dish to complete a pretty picture.

It all gets a bit fussy.

That’s why I find Jamie Oliver so refreshing. He just chucks food on a plate and whilst it looks beautiful it also looks individual. He won’t cut a carrot into identical cubes he’ll rip them into pieces with his hands. You won’t find a dribble of sauce but a great big dollop.

Review of Jamie's Italian Restaurant in York

So it was good to go to lunch at Jamie’s Italian in York recently. They have converted an old wine merchants building and created an authentic rustic atmosphere inside. You’ll find cured meats hanging from hooks and the walls adorned with wooden serving platters. The chefs work in full view surrounded by fresh produce.

Review of Jamie's Italian Restaurant in York

I started with Posh Garlic Mushrooms on Toast: Charred wholemeal levain rubbed with garlic & olive oil, topped with pan-fried wild mushrooms, chilli & flat-leaf parsley.

This was delicious and packed a hidden punch because they had hidden some quite vicious chilli peppers among the mushrooms.

Review of Jamie's Italian Restaurant in York

I followed this with Free Range Chicken: Grilled garlic & rosemary chicken with a tomato, olive, chilli & caper sauce.

With a tasty crispy skin the chicken was moist, succulent and floated on top of a very generous Italian sauce.

My sides were – Flash Cooked Greens: With lemon, garlic & olive oil and Funky Chips: With fresh garlic & parsley. I realised I was close to over-dosing on garlic but didn’t care because it tasted so good.

It was a great lunch and came in at a reasonable £25 per head including drinks.

Here’s the thing though.

Jamie’s Italian is a brand. They use the same menu in all 20 or so of their restaurants. So it’s formulaic. A franchise like KFC but obviously posher and backed by a well-known celebrity chef. For me though it is gloriously free from the fiddling detail associated with other famous faces and it is outstanding for it.

Over to you: Have you eaten in a Jamie’s Italian? Let me know what you thought of the food and the atmosphere – please share your thoughts by leaving a comment. If you enjoyed this review of Jamie’s Italian restaurant in York, please tweet it by clicking here.

Plane Crash TV and the Goldfish Effect

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I just watched a TV programme on C4 called Plane Crash. I’d seen the trailers and it looked fascinating. They were going to crash a real Boeing 727and watch the effects on the dummies inside.

Plane Crash TV and the Goldfish Effect
 
But the show ended up driving me mad. It was on for two hours with an ad break every 10 minutes. Before every break they summarised where we had got to. After the ad break they summarised where we had got to again.

Do the producers of shows like this think that we all have the memory spans of goldfish?

Actually that is unfair on goldfish. People believe that goldfish can only remember things for three seconds. so don’t worry about putting them in small bowls because by the time they’ve swum round they have forgotten where they started from. Of course scientists have proven that goldfish do in fact have quite good memories and tests show that they can learn what time of day they .

Plane Crash TV and the Goldfish Effect
photo credit: chefranden via photopin cc

Hence why my mother’s goldfish congregate at 4pm every day in the left corner of the tank – wide eyes and gaping mouths silently saying, “Come on then”.

But there seems to be a goldfish trend emerging in documentary TV shows. The next time you watch one just look at the narrative flow.

Take a clothes make over show. The intro will go something along these lines. “This week we meet Jane. She has no self-confidence. Over the next hour we are going to completely change her life. First thing we are going to do is give her a make over.

Then 10 minutes later as we approach the first ad break they’ll say, “So now Jane has had a full make over and although she started out the programme with no self-confidence she is well on her way to completely changing her life. Join us after the break when we move into stage two and revamp her wardrobe.

After nipping off to make a cup of tea during the adverts you return to the sofa to the reminder, “Before the break we met Jane who has no self-confidence but we have made a great start in completely changing her life by giving her a complete make over. Now it is time to have a look at her wardrobe.

Plane Crash TV and the Goldfish Effect
photo credit: Stephan Geyer via photopin cc

And so it goes on. Even the BBC with no ad breaks to fit this structure round are increasingly guilty of such recaps and “coming up” spots every ten minutes or so.

I have always been an advocate of the “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you have told them” approach. But do the TV programmes take it too far? They tell you what they are going to tell you then tell you a bit of it. Next they remind you of what they are going to tell you and the bit they’ve already told you, and so on.

Cut out all this summarising and recapping and the show would be half as long.

So rather than thrilling me, Plane Crash just made me want to go and do something relaxing like swimming round and round in a pool.

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