Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: After the Charter

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  • Russell Brown,

    The tie-in with Blockbuster for on-demand movies just announced in the US was also part of today's TiVo NZ briefing -- although they didn't actually say that Blockbuster would be delivering the movies.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I too was struck by the resemblance of the minister to Jonkey (does anyone else hear the PM's name as one word?).

    No, just as I've never heard Helen Clark's name as "Hullen Klark" (said in an uber-butch raspy bass-baritone if you can manage it).

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Missed the lovely Who discussion:

    I'm afraid I would agree with the guy next to you. Someone (don't remember who) once quipped that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles. And how can we ever forgive the execrable "Octopus's Garden?"
    His son though did a great job - no, he's no Keith Moon on drums, but then could anyone ever be?

    Agree on all that Scott - Ringo was the RIGHT drummer for the Beatles, didn't make him a GREAT drummer.
    Zak did a great job but I felt things like Who Am I lacked something of that louche drumming which still managed to drive the song and define it's tempo and feel in the almighty way that Keith did it. Still, bloody good and that may simply have been an artifact of stadium-not-studio sound.
    .
    .
    Re Tivo, very interesting. Feels like a smart play for me - it's testing the boundaries of TVNZ's "we're content, not platform" approach but makes sense to be just one player in order to make it happen.
    Question - is it Freeview terrestrial? i.e. HD?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Re Tivo, very interesting. Feels like a smart play for me - it's testing the boundaries of TVNZ's "we're content, not platform" approach but makes sense to be just one player in order to make it happen.

    Yes, it's a mature platform with a strong brand and good partners.

    Question - is it Freeview terrestrial? i.e. HD?

    Yes, but not satellite.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Someone (don't remember who) once quipped that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles.

    I think that was Lennon.

    I love a lot of Ringo's drumming on Abbey Road. Esp. 'Come Together' - McCartney's bass work on that track too.

    Was in a pub a while back and 'Ticket to Ride' came on over the jukebox and the drumming on that track knocked me sideways too.

    And I've always liked this solo track:

    Oh, and the 'Oo... I gave them a miss. They were perhaps the first band I really got into as a teenager (almost wrapped the folks' car around a fencepost, one afternoon, because 'Who Are You' came on the car radio and it kind of summed up how I felt and I just planted the foot).

    But I sort of feel they'd never live up to the albums, now. (I don't though feel the need to sneer at anyone who does go, esp. if they enjoy themselves. Each to their own. )

    I'm kind of resigned to the fact the only concert I'll be going to this year will be The Wiggles . Which is not as tragic as it sounds: my daughter will love it, and I'll get a real buzz out of seeing that.

    I shall entertain myself, watching Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur. I have long held a suspicion they are more than friends, and will be looking for any signs of this.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    And I've always liked this solo track:

    Check out the original track:

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • stephen walker,

    @3410:
    is there anywhere else to view that Revolution out-take video?
    it's been taken down by ewe-chooob/EMI...

    nagano • Since Nov 2006 • 646 posts Report Reply

  • ScottY,

    But I sort of feel they'd never live up to the albums, now. (I don't though feel the need to sneer at anyone who does go, esp. if they enjoy themselves. Each to their own. )

    Understand. I was actualy pleasantly suprised how good Daltry and Townsend still were on stage. You'd excuse a couple of guys in their 60s if they kind of took it easy and just took the money. But they were filled with energy and played a solid set.

    I'm not pretending they were at their peak (I imagine at their peak they must have been about the best live act ever). But still worth the ridiculous ticket price.

    I'm kind of resigned to the fact the only concert I'll be going to this year will be The Wiggles. Which is not as tragic as it sounds: my daughter will love it, and I'll get a real buzz out of seeing that.

    Thankfully the boy's not into the Wiggles - yet. It's only a matter of time though (sigh...)

    I shall entertain myself, watching Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur. I have long held a suspicion they are more than friends, and will be looking for any signs of this.

    Who knew? Someone should contact Family First

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    @ Stephen W.,
    here

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    I was actualy pleasantly suprised how good Daltry and Townsend still were on stage. You'd excuse a couple of guys in their 60s if they kind of took it easy and just took the money. But they were filled with energy and played a solid set.

    I'm not pretending they were at their peak (I imagine at their peak they must have been about the best live act ever).

    That's pretty much my take on it too. All things considered, we had a great time.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • stephen walker,

    @3410:

    cheers!

    nagano • Since Nov 2006 • 646 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I shall entertain myself, watching Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur. I have long held a suspicion they are more than friends, and will be looking for any signs of this.

    I'm not sure about Dorothy, but the person playing Captain Feathersword has changed a couple of times. Originally it was the blue Wiggle, Antony, then it was an actor, and I think it's changed again. Maybe Dorothy's into feathers?

    Spot the parent that knows more about the Wiggles than his own actual favourite bands.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Any opinion on Hi5?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Agree on all that Scott - Ringo was the RIGHT drummer for the Beatles, didn't make him a GREAT drummer.

    Others disagree:

    Drummer Steve Smith said:
    “ Before Ringo, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Ringo's popularity brought forth a new paradigm in how the public saw drummers. We started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect. One of Ringo's great qualities was that he composed unique, stylistic drum parts for The Beatles songs. His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song.”

    Many drummers list Starr as an influence, including Dave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters, Orri Páll Dýrason of Sigur Rós,Max Weinberg of the E Street Band, Danny Carey of Tool, Liberty DeVitto of Billy Joel's band, Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden, Eric Carr of Kiss, Phil Rudd of AC/DC, Phil Collins, Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater and others. According to Collins, "Starr is vastly underrated. The drum fills on the song "A Day in the Life" are very complex things. You could take a great drummer today and say, 'I want it like that.' He wouldn't know what to do."

    There was a John Bonham quote years back too as to how he didn't think he'd ever play as well as Ringo, but buggered if I can find it.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Check out the original track

    That original vocal demo (which I think is the same backing track as the Starr version) goes pretty well to the argument that Ringo is underated: that intro, the guitar and then the drum roll, even if you'd never heard it before, could only possibly be Harrison and Starr. That roll is utterly distinctive.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Interesting Simon, some of that stuff is what I was partly meaning by being the RIGHT drummer - his work fitted in beautifully to the songs.

    I do know a couple of (very very good) drummers who may commit harikiri if you ever find that Bonham quote though =)

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    There's also the point that Ringo became a Beatle because he was one of the hottest drummers in Liverpool at the time, when George Martin wanted Pete Best gone because he wasn't good enough (in George's opinion). What Starr is not is a stunning vocalist, but that's not what he was there for.

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    A lot of Ringo's uniqueness is due to his playing left-handed on a right-handed kit, meaning that a tom roll is led by the left hand, rather than the right, which is the more orthodox way.

    So a top-to-bottom (ie left-to-right) tom roll "ba-dah, ba-dah, ba-dah..." goes "L-R, L-R, L-R.." instead of the normal "R-L, R-L, R-L...". This results in subtle timing issues between each "ba-dah" as the left hand struggles to get underneath the previous right "-dah" for the next "ba-", whereas a right-leading drummer has no such issue, since the hands do not cross.

    Any opinion on Hi5?

    I like Kellie the most, but feel that Charli, especially, would be a tiger.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Spot the parent that knows more about the Wiggles than his own actual favourite bands.

    I know the syndrome well.

    Did you know if you play 'Big Red Car' backwards you can hear them telling the kids to eat their brocolli?

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I'm feeling some Ringo-love vindication right about now. Hooray.

    Coincidentally, the other night we discovered and purchased this poster. It makes me laugh every. single. time. I look at it. If we hang it by the TV I could do myself an injury.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • JackElder,

    We bought our tickets to the Wiggles on the first day they became available. I'm genuinely very excited about it. I've heard that it's a really good vibe at their concerts, and any mosh pit full of preschoolers has got to be big fun. Anyone else seen that live concert footage where halfway through, they do "Eagle Rock" with Captain Feathersword flying around the stage? Classic, absolutely classic.

    Though the Wiggles won't be the only concert I've been to this year - I'm pretty much a regular at the Klezmer Rebs concerts, due to being married to the violinist. And we take the children - kids love klezmer, folks! Particularly the really rude songs (my daughter's favourite song is a spectactularly filthy bit of Russian ska).

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 709 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Anyone else seen that live concert footage where halfway through, they do "Eagle Rock" with Captain Feathersword flying around the stage? Classic, absolutely classic.

    I have indeed. It's on 'The Wiggly Big Show', a concept album, where they took the band in a new and exciting direction.

    Although aspects of the cover art led to a 'Anthony is Dead' rumour spreading amongst fans.

    More seriously, the original 'Eagle Rock' came on the TV music channel a few months back: my daughter heard it from her room and hurtled into the lounge crying 'Captain Feathersword!' when she heard the opening chords. She was most disappointed when Daddy Cool's lead singer cried 'Now listen!'

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Heather W.,

    Any opinion on Hi5?
    I like Kellie the most, but feel that Charli, especially, would be a tiger.

    Cast list has changed, neither is a current member of Hi5.

    North Shore • Since Nov 2008 • 189 posts Report Reply

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