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The Traveling Wilburys – Volumes 1 And 3

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The Traveling Wilburys – Volumes 1 And 3

R 1988 THE TRAVELING WILBURYS Volume 1 5* R 1989 Volume 3 4* If it had taken place during the 1970s, the teaming of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne would have towered over supergroups like Blind Faith and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. But in 1988, when Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 appeared, Dylan was perceived as being in decline, Harrison was far removed from his post-Beatles landmark All Things Must Pass, Orbison was ancient history to most fans and Petty had yet to release the career-revitalizing Full Moon Fever. On top of that, the assembled legends deliberately downplayed the whole thing, adopting tongue-in-cheek fake names and subsuming their instantly recognizable styles into the leveling context of Lynne’s production. The formation of the Wilburys was practically an afterthought. Lynne had just finished producing Cloud Nine for Harrison, and Warner Bros. Records asked them to come up with a B-side for the first single. Corraling their friends Petty, Dylan and Orbison, they came up with “Handle With Care,” featuring the swapping of lead vocals from one indelible voice to the next throughout the song, topped off by a rousing blend of those voices in the refrains. This sublime side brought the Traveling Wilburys to life. Recorded in L.A. in just 10 days, the supremely accomplished Volume 1 now seems like a boxful of revelations. Dylan submits to the novelty of placing his unruly voice amid Lynne’s scrupulous, glossy production on “Dirty World,” “Congratulations” and the captivating “Tweeter and the Monkey Man”. Orbison absolutely blows the roof off what would be his last rock aria, “Not Alone Any More”. Petty’s “Last Night,” suffused with bonhomie, and the synth-meets-horns production number “Margarita” exemplify the extremes of his longstanding partnership with Lynne. And the reinvigorated Harrison’s “End of the Line” returns him to the form of his early solo work, while coming off as both more poignant and more life-affirming in retrospect. Orbison died before the rest reconvened for the facetiously titled Vol. 3, and, not surprisingly, it’s a less spirited affair, with uniformly solid performance but only occasionally inspired material, the standout being Dylan’s lilting “If You Belonged To Me,” on which he updates his Blood On The Tracks style, and Petty’s “You Took My Breath Away,” a grand homage to their fallen comrade. But those voices and presences transcend any limitations, making the Wilburys one of rock’s most disarming aberrations. BUD SCOPPA

R 1988

THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

Volume 1

5*

R 1989

Volume 3

4*

If it had taken place during the 1970s, the teaming of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne would have towered over supergroups like Blind Faith and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. But in 1988, when Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 appeared, Dylan was perceived as being in decline, Harrison was far removed from his post-Beatles landmark All Things Must Pass, Orbison was ancient history to most fans and Petty had yet to release the career-revitalizing Full Moon Fever. On top of that, the assembled legends deliberately downplayed the whole thing, adopting tongue-in-cheek fake names and subsuming their instantly recognizable styles into the leveling context of Lynne’s production.

The formation of the Wilburys was practically an afterthought. Lynne had just finished producing Cloud Nine for Harrison, and Warner Bros. Records asked them to come up with a B-side for the first single. Corraling their friends Petty, Dylan and Orbison, they came up with “Handle With Care,” featuring the swapping of lead vocals from one indelible voice to the next throughout the song, topped off by a rousing blend of those voices in the refrains. This sublime side brought the Traveling Wilburys to life.

Recorded in L.A. in just 10 days, the supremely accomplished Volume 1 now seems like a boxful of revelations. Dylan submits to the novelty of placing his unruly voice amid Lynne’s scrupulous, glossy production on “Dirty World,” “Congratulations” and the captivating “Tweeter and the Monkey Man”. Orbison absolutely blows the roof off what would be his last rock aria, “Not Alone Any More”. Petty’s “Last Night,” suffused with bonhomie, and the synth-meets-horns production number “Margarita” exemplify the extremes of his longstanding partnership with Lynne. And the reinvigorated Harrison’s “End of the Line” returns him to the form of his early solo work, while coming off as both more poignant and more life-affirming in retrospect.

Orbison died before the rest reconvened for the facetiously titled Vol. 3, and, not surprisingly, it’s a less spirited affair, with uniformly solid performance but only occasionally inspired material, the standout being Dylan’s lilting “If You Belonged To Me,” on which he updates his Blood On The Tracks style, and Petty’s “You Took My Breath Away,” a grand homage to their fallen comrade. But those voices and presences transcend any limitations, making the Wilburys one of rock’s most disarming aberrations.

BUD SCOPPA

Queens Of The Stone Age – Era Vulgaris

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Queens Of The Stone Age – Era Vulgaris

Halfway through their fifth album, Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme nails what it is to be living in these times. Here everyone wants to party, and everyone wants to try everything. Some people might call it an age of decadence. Queens Of The Stone Age, meanwhile, have called it “Era Vulgaris” – and Josh Homme is the self-appointed spokesman for the generation. This is a band, after all, who have made a virtue of trying everything. A heavy rock band whose personal mythology is built on songs like their excellent Feel Good Hit Of The Summer (essentially a list of drugs Homme had consumed), and whose music has encompassed jazz and polka, Queens are a group whose superb music is the product of enquiring, if hedonistic minds. It’s a policy that has brought them great success (the triumphant Songs For The Deaf Album, anchored around contributions from then-singer Mark Lanegan), and personal upheaval (founder member Nick Oliveri was sacked for transgressing too far into unacceptable behaviour), but this flexible attitude towards nearly everything is maintained rigidly here. Produced by long-time associate and godfather figure of Californian desert rock Chris Goss, there are textbook moments of monolithic rock music here - the hypnotic ‘Turning On The Screw’, the woozy ‘Suture Up Your Future’ and seduction slow jam ‘Make It Witchu’. Perversely, though, Homme calls this a dance record – and Battery ‘Acid” and “Misfit Love” are both shot through with the band’s own noisy interpretation of the genre. Whatever the sources they plunder, though, here Queens Of The Stone Age perform in the same way they have throughout their career: they continue to find some clever ways to do a pretty dumb thing. It’s true, our generation may occasionally be clouded by indecision, and have its palette jaded by too much choice. Era Vulgaris, though, is a demonstration in how originality can still find a way to shine through. DAN MARTIN

Halfway through their fifth album, Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme nails what it is to be living in these times. Here everyone wants to party, and everyone wants to try everything. Some people might call it an age of decadence. Queens Of The Stone Age, meanwhile, have called it “Era Vulgaris” – and Josh Homme is the self-appointed spokesman for the generation.

This is a band, after all, who have made a virtue of trying everything. A heavy rock band whose personal mythology is built on songs like their excellent Feel Good Hit Of The Summer (essentially a list of drugs Homme had consumed), and whose music has encompassed jazz and polka, Queens are a group whose superb music is the product of enquiring, if hedonistic minds.

It’s a policy that has brought them great success (the triumphant Songs For The Deaf Album, anchored around contributions from then-singer Mark Lanegan), and personal upheaval (founder member Nick Oliveri was sacked for transgressing too far into unacceptable behaviour), but this flexible attitude towards nearly everything is maintained rigidly here.

Produced by long-time associate and godfather figure of Californian desert rock Chris Goss, there are textbook moments of monolithic rock music here – the hypnotic ‘Turning On The Screw’, the woozy ‘Suture Up Your Future’ and seduction slow jam ‘Make It Witchu’.

Perversely, though, Homme calls this a dance record – and Battery ‘Acid” and “Misfit Love” are both shot through with the band’s own noisy interpretation of the genre.

Whatever the sources they plunder, though, here Queens Of The Stone Age perform in the same way they have throughout their career: they continue to find some clever ways to do a pretty dumb thing. It’s true, our generation may occasionally be clouded by indecision, and have its palette jaded by too much choice. Era Vulgaris, though, is a demonstration in how originality can still find a way to shine through.

DAN MARTIN

Q&A With QOSTA’s Josh Homme

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Q&A With QOSTA’s Josh Homme

UNCUT: What are you favourite songs on the album? JOSH HOMME: We really tried to put no dogs on the record you know. It’s fast and furious and its tight, even the songs are on top of each other, because that’s of the era. I think `Battery Acid is one of the punkest songs in the last ten years. U: Why do you call this your ‘dance record’? JH: “Ultimately, the thing for an audience and band to create together is a party that you would be willing to do to at someone’s house, that’s what I’ve always been trying to make it. The focus for us is creating a space, what you do want. U: Where did ‘Make It Witchu’ come from? JH: “It’s becoming a tradition, although its not a necessity, to pull something from Desert Sessions (Homme’s “visitors welcome” desert jam band). That’s one of the best songs about fucking that I’ve ever had the pleasure

UNCUT: What are you favourite songs on the album?

JOSH HOMME: We really tried to put no dogs on the record you know. It’s fast and furious and its tight, even the songs are on top of each other, because that’s of the era. I think `Battery Acid is one of the punkest songs in the last ten years.

U: Why do you call this your ‘dance record’?

JH: “Ultimately, the thing for an audience and band to create together is a party that you would be willing to do to at someone’s house, that’s what I’ve always been trying to make it. The focus for us is creating a space, what you do want.

U: Where did ‘Make It Witchu’ come from?

JH: “It’s becoming a tradition, although its not a necessity, to pull something from Desert Sessions (Homme’s “visitors welcome” desert jam band). That’s one of the best songs about fucking that I’ve ever had the pleasure

Q&A With The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn

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Q&A With The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn

UNCUT: What’s it like, looking back? CRAIG FINN: When I moved to New York, I thought I wanted to do something other than music - writing or comedy. Instead I just started drinking. Two years into that, I saw The Last Waltz, and they looked like they were having fun. We just wanted to get together to drink beer once a week. Once we’d played a show or two, we thought we ought to have something to sell. So we made the first record.” U: And Separation Sunday? CF: “Rolling Stone and Spin both named ....Almost Killed Me as the best record you didn’t hear last year. I remember thinking, ‘let’s make the best record people did hear this year’. I thought, there is a lot of truth and beauty in my version of Catholicism and I wanted to create a story that explains some of how I feel. U: You repeat yourself a lot. CF: “You know you have friends that when you get drunk, you always talk about baseball? It’s the stuff I always think about. It rewards heavy listeners! I think Jay-Z calls them ‘chestnuts’.

UNCUT: What’s it like, looking back?

CRAIG FINN: When I moved to New York, I thought I wanted to do something other than music – writing or comedy. Instead I just started drinking. Two years into that, I saw The Last Waltz, and they looked like they were having fun. We just wanted to get together to drink beer once a week. Once we’d played a show or two, we thought we ought to have something to sell. So we made the first record.”

U: And Separation Sunday?

CF: “Rolling Stone and Spin both named ….Almost Killed Me as the best record you didn’t hear last year. I remember thinking, ‘let’s make the best record people did hear this year’. I thought, there is a lot of truth and beauty in my version of Catholicism and I wanted to create a story that explains some of how I feel.

U: You repeat yourself a lot.

CF: “You know you have friends that when you get drunk, you always talk about baseball? It’s the stuff I always think about. It rewards heavy listeners! I think Jay-Z calls them ‘chestnuts’.

The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me / Separation Sunday

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The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me / Separation Sunday

Anyone recently bowled over by The Hold Steady’s bar band fluency will be thrilled to know that there’s more where Boys And Girls In America - their superlative third album - came from. Their debut, 2003’s The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, emerged almost perfectly formed. Compared to the refinements of this year’s model, the nascent ‘Steady are more immediate and irascible. Minneapolitan-turned-Brooklynite singer Craig Finn rails against the posers, the “clever kids” and the ‘80s (“The ‘80s almost killed me/Let’s not remember them quite so fondly,” he snarls at some startled New Ravers). Heroically, Finn inserts “hold steady!” into as many lyrics as he possibly can, drumming up support for his unfashionably excellent band. Veterans of post-hardcore outfits the rest of The Hold Steady pin Finn’s vast screes of words down with the gutsiness of a Cheap Trick or a Thin Lizzy. They come blessed with an innate sense of beery dynamics, and make the altered states of Finn’s lyrics sound like the best times, ever - even when they end in A&E. Introduced on ...Almost Killed Me, Finn’s cast of inelegantly wasted kids - Charlemagne, Holly et al - get their own mini-opera called Separation Sunday, and their lovers’ trysts and users’ antics are played out by a band that sounds bigger and better. Contributing briefly to Almost Killed Me, Franz Nicolai’s piano becomes an essential emotional component of The Hold Steady’s evolving ambitions on ...Sunday, earning the Hold Steady all those comparisons to the E Street Band. In among all the tales of bad love and lapsing consciousness on Separation Sunday, themes of lapsing faith are never far away. There have been few - if any- barbiturate bards as good as Finn, but the spiritual agonising on these two early records move The Hold Steady out of the emergency room, and into instant classic status. KITTY EMPIRE

Anyone recently bowled over by The Hold Steady’s bar band fluency will be thrilled to know that there’s more where Boys And Girls In America – their superlative third album – came from.

Their debut, 2003’s The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, emerged almost perfectly formed. Compared to the refinements of this year’s model, the nascent ‘Steady are more immediate and irascible. Minneapolitan-turned-Brooklynite singer Craig Finn rails against the posers, the “clever kids” and the ‘80s (“The ‘80s almost killed me/Let’s not remember them quite so fondly,” he snarls at some startled New Ravers).

Heroically, Finn inserts “hold steady!” into as many lyrics as he possibly can, drumming up support for his unfashionably excellent band. Veterans of post-hardcore outfits the rest of The Hold Steady pin Finn’s vast screes of words down with the gutsiness of a Cheap Trick or a Thin Lizzy. They come blessed with an innate sense of beery dynamics, and make the altered states of Finn’s lyrics sound like the best times, ever – even when they end in A&E.

Introduced on …Almost Killed Me, Finn’s cast of inelegantly wasted kids – Charlemagne, Holly et al – get their own mini-opera called Separation Sunday, and their lovers’ trysts and users’ antics are played out by a band that sounds bigger and better. Contributing briefly to Almost Killed Me, Franz Nicolai’s piano becomes an essential emotional component of The Hold Steady’s evolving ambitions on …Sunday, earning the Hold Steady all those comparisons to the E Street Band.

In among all the tales of bad love and lapsing consciousness on Separation Sunday, themes of lapsing faith are never far away. There have been few – if any- barbiturate bards as good as Finn, but the spiritual agonising on these two early records move The Hold Steady out of the emergency room, and into instant classic status.

KITTY EMPIRE

Two Gallants – The Scenery Of Farewell

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Two Gallants – The Scenery Of Farewell

White Stripes comparisons dogged this raucous blues duo when their first two albums arrived last year. This acoustic record, borne from a brutal tour schedule that scotched full-scale recording, should cause reassessment. It’s steeped in the ‘70s, especially Led Zeppelin’s folk side and Peckinpah Westerns, converting road song clichés into cowboy laments. Casually ragged structures are draped with woozy cellos, making this more than a demo stopgap. The “proper” new electric album in the autumn will have to go some to beat it. NICK HASTED

White Stripes comparisons dogged this raucous blues duo when their first two albums arrived last year. This acoustic record, borne from a brutal tour schedule that scotched full-scale recording, should cause reassessment.

It’s steeped in the ‘70s, especially Led Zeppelin’s folk side and Peckinpah Westerns, converting road song clichés into cowboy laments. Casually ragged structures are draped with woozy cellos, making this more than a demo stopgap. The “proper” new electric album in the autumn will have to go some to beat it.

NICK HASTED

Manic Street Preachers Announce Second Tour

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Manic Street Preachers Announce Second Tour

The Manic Street Preachers have announced that they will play another UK tour later this year. The trio also have plans to release a second single “Autumnsong” from their latest studio album "Send Away The Tigers" on July 16. Their first single, "Your Love Is Not Alone" featuring The Cardigans' Nina Persson reached number two in the singles charts in recent weeks. The new single release will feature previously unreleased material in three formats. The Maxi CD will feature “The Long Goodbye”, “Morning Comrades” and “1404”. While the two-track CD and 7” will have a cover of McCarthy's 1986 track “Red Sleeping Beauty” and “The Vortices” respectively. Following on from their current 23-date sold out tour, the Manics will play nine further dates this year as follows: Aberdeen, Music Hall (December 2) Edinburgh, Corn Exchange (3) Manchester, Central (formerly G-Mex) (5) Cardiff, International Arena (6) Birmingham, NIA (8) Bournemouth, BIC (9) London, Brixton Academy (11/12) Brighton, Centre (14) Tickets go on sale at 9:30am this Friday (June 8) and are £25 each except London (£26.50). You can also see the Manics at V Festival, Rockness in Inverness and Fflam in Swansea on the summer festival circuit.

The Manic Street Preachers have announced that they will play another UK tour later this year.

The trio also have plans to release a second single “Autumnsong” from their latest studio album “Send Away The Tigers” on July 16.

Their first single, “Your Love Is Not Alone” featuring The Cardigans’ Nina Persson reached number two in the singles charts in recent weeks.

The new single release will feature previously unreleased material in three formats.

The Maxi CD will feature “The Long Goodbye”, “Morning Comrades” and “1404”.

While the two-track CD and 7” will have a cover of McCarthy’s 1986 track “Red Sleeping Beauty” and “The Vortices” respectively.

Following on from their current 23-date sold out tour, the Manics will play nine further dates this year as follows:

Aberdeen, Music Hall (December 2)

Edinburgh, Corn Exchange (3)

Manchester, Central (formerly G-Mex) (5)

Cardiff, International Arena (6)

Birmingham, NIA (8)

Bournemouth, BIC (9)

London, Brixton Academy (11/12)

Brighton, Centre (14)

Tickets go on sale at 9:30am this Friday (June 8) and are £25 each except London (£26.50).

You can also see the Manics at V Festival, Rockness in Inverness and Fflam in Swansea on the summer festival circuit.

Iron Maiden Broadcast Live From Download

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Iron Maiden Broadcast Live From Download

Iron Maiden are to broadcast their Download headline performance live this Sunday (June 10). The free live stream via Ironmaiden.com will give fans unable to attend the rock fest an opportunity to watch the band's fourth Download appearance. Maiden's manager, Rob Smallwood has said that Bruce Dickinson and co decided to stream the performance due to the limited number of shows they are playing this summer. He says: "It will be a great way for our fans in territories we are not playing to have means of seeing this show". In addition, frontman Bruce Dickinson will broadcast reports from the festival including interviews with bands backstage, in his BBC6 Music Radio show on Saturday June 9 between 9pm and midnight, the night before Maiden's festival closing set. Other festival goodies include an exclusive podcast via the official website... Go to downloadfestival.co.uk here for interviews with Maiden, Linkin Park, Machine Head, Enter Shikari and Gallows Uncut.co.uk will be updating you with news and blogs as the weekend progresses... we can't wait to see Marilyn Manson, My Chemical Romance and Mastodon. TV highlights of this weekend's activities in black will be shown on Channel 4 next weekend - June 16 and 17. Artist highlights of the festival line-up are: Friday 8 June Main Stage My Chemical Romance Velvet Revolver Wolfmother DragonForce Megadeth Hinder Buckcherry Dimebag Darrell - 2nd Stage Korn Enter Shikari From Autumn To Ashes Turbonegro ANJ Tuborg - 3rd Stage Hayseed Dixie I Was A Cub Scout Job For A Cowboy This Et Al Saturday 9 June Main Stage Linkin Park Marilyn Manson Slayer Machine Head Bowling For Soup 30 Seconds To Mars Aiden Shadows Fall HELLYEAH Turisas 2nd Stage Mötley Crüe Biffy Clyro Gallows Bring Me The Horizon Bloodsimple 3rd Stage Necro Lez Zeppelin Beyond All Reason Sunday 10 June Main Stage Iron Maiden Evanescence Killswitch Engage Stone Sour Lamb Of God Mastodon Papa Roach Chimaira Reuben 2nd Stage Billy Talent Dream Theater Dimmu Borgir Within Temptation Devil Driver Unearth 3rd Stage Reel Big Fish Between The Trees Kids In Glass Houses Hardcore Superstar Drive By Argument

Iron Maiden are to broadcast their Download headline performance live this Sunday (June 10).

The free live stream via Ironmaiden.com will give fans unable to attend the rock fest an opportunity to watch the band’s fourth Download appearance.

Maiden’s manager, Rob Smallwood has said that Bruce Dickinson and co decided to stream the performance due to the limited number of shows they are playing this summer. He says: “It will be a great way for our fans in territories we are not playing to have means of seeing this show”.

In addition, frontman Bruce Dickinson will broadcast reports from the festival including interviews with bands backstage, in his BBC6 Music Radio show on Saturday June 9 between 9pm and midnight, the night before Maiden’s festival closing set.

Other festival goodies include an exclusive podcast via the official website… Go to downloadfestival.co.uk here for interviews with Maiden, Linkin Park, Machine Head, Enter Shikari and Gallows

Uncut.co.uk will be updating you with news and blogs as the weekend progresses… we can’t wait to see Marilyn Manson, My Chemical Romance and Mastodon.

TV highlights of this weekend’s activities in black will be shown on Channel 4 next weekend – June 16 and 17.

Artist highlights of the festival line-up are:

Friday 8 June

Main Stage

My Chemical Romance

Velvet Revolver

Wolfmother

DragonForce

Megadeth

Hinder

Buckcherry

Dimebag Darrell – 2nd Stage

Korn

Enter Shikari

From Autumn To Ashes

Turbonegro

ANJ

Tuborg – 3rd Stage

Hayseed Dixie

I Was A Cub Scout

Job For A Cowboy

This Et Al

Saturday 9 June

Main Stage

Linkin Park

Marilyn Manson

Slayer

Machine Head

Bowling For Soup

30 Seconds To Mars

Aiden

Shadows Fall

HELLYEAH

Turisas

2nd Stage

Mötley Crüe

Biffy Clyro

Gallows

Bring Me The Horizon

Bloodsimple

3rd Stage

Necro

Lez Zeppelin

Beyond All Reason

Sunday 10 June

Main Stage

Iron Maiden

Evanescence

Killswitch Engage

Stone Sour

Lamb Of God

Mastodon

Papa Roach

Chimaira

Reuben

2nd Stage

Billy Talent

Dream Theater

Dimmu Borgir

Within Temptation

Devil Driver

Unearth

3rd Stage

Reel Big Fish

Between The Trees

Kids In Glass Houses

Hardcore Superstar

Drive By Argument

Devendra Banhart Confirmed For Green Man Festival

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Devendra Banhart Confirmed For Green Man Festival

Devendra Banhart and Thee, Stranded Horse are the two latest artists to be added to the bill for the fifth annual Green Man Festival. They join headliners former Zeppelin Robert Plant and Joanna Newsom, at the three day event taking place in the Brecon Beacons, Wales from August 17-19. Other artists playing at the larger than ever capacity parkland festival include Bill Callahan, Stephen Malkmus and Super Furry member Gruff Rhys. The second stage has been expanded and a DJ tent added to accomodate the 95+ artsists playing this year's festival. Tickets for the Green Man are £98 for the weekend, with under 12s going free. Full details about the event and to book tickets are available here from the official website The Green Man office telephone line is: 01874 - 611 129 The full line-up now looks like this: Robert Plant & the Strange Sensation Joanna Newsom Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Devendra Banhart Dead Meadow Fridge Daimh Gruff Rhys Thee, Stranded Horse Bill Callahan Vetiver Fanfarlo Arborea Men-An-Tol The Earlies Monkey Swallows The Universe Alela Diane Andrew Hockey Steve Adey Gilbert Stephen Duffy & the Lilac Time Richmond Fontaine Euros Childs John Power Gareth Pearson Vashti Bunyan Tunng Jill Barber Rachel Unthank My Brightest Diamond Six Organs of Admittance The Threatmantics James Yorkston Misty's Big Adventure Lisa Knapp Findlay Brown The Moon Music Orchestra Starless and Bible Black Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love Malcolm Middleton Alasdair Roberts Emmy The Great Diane Cluck Seasick Steve Arctic Circle Indigo Moss The Aliens Gethin Pearson & The Scenery Julie Murphy The Broken Family Band Richard James Pamela Wyn Shannon North Sea Radio Orchestra Ellis Island Sound The General and Duchess Collins Richard Swift John Renbourn Wizz Jones The Yellow Moon Band Cate Le Bon Nancy Elizabeth Charlotte Greig Jane Weaver 9Bach Sweet Baboo The Gentle Good Battles Alun Tan Lan The Eugene Francis Junior and the Juniors Gwildor Johnny Flynn The Beep Seals Christopher Rees John Smith Thistletown Pete Molinari Clinic Victoria Williams PG Six Connan & The Mockasins Pete & The Pirates

Devendra Banhart and Thee, Stranded Horse are the two latest artists to be added to the bill for the fifth annual Green Man Festival.

They join headliners former Zeppelin Robert Plant and Joanna Newsom, at the three day event taking place in the Brecon Beacons, Wales from August 17-19.

Other artists playing at the larger than ever capacity parkland festival include Bill Callahan, Stephen Malkmus and Super Furry member Gruff Rhys.

The second stage has been expanded and a DJ tent added to accomodate the 95+ artsists playing this year’s festival.

Tickets for the Green Man are £98 for the weekend, with under 12s going free.

Full details about the event and to book tickets are available here from the official website

The Green Man office telephone line is: 01874 – 611 129

The full line-up now looks like this:

Robert Plant & the Strange Sensation

Joanna Newsom

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Devendra Banhart

Dead Meadow

Fridge

Daimh

Gruff Rhys

Thee, Stranded Horse

Bill Callahan

Vetiver

Fanfarlo

Arborea

Men-An-Tol

The Earlies

Monkey Swallows The Universe

Alela Diane

Andrew Hockey

Steve Adey

Gilbert

Stephen Duffy & the Lilac Time

Richmond Fontaine

Euros Childs

John Power

Gareth Pearson

Vashti Bunyan

Tunng

Jill Barber

Rachel Unthank

My Brightest Diamond

Six Organs of Admittance

The Threatmantics

James Yorkston

Misty’s Big Adventure

Lisa Knapp

Findlay Brown

The Moon Music Orchestra

Starless and Bible Black

Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love

Malcolm Middleton

Alasdair Roberts

Emmy The Great

Diane Cluck

Seasick Steve

Arctic Circle

Indigo Moss

The Aliens

Gethin Pearson & The Scenery

Julie Murphy

The Broken Family Band

Richard James

Pamela Wyn Shannon

North Sea Radio Orchestra

Ellis Island Sound

The General and Duchess Collins

Richard Swift

John Renbourn

Wizz Jones

The Yellow Moon Band

Cate Le Bon

Nancy Elizabeth

Charlotte Greig

Jane Weaver

9Bach

Sweet Baboo

The Gentle Good

Battles

Alun Tan Lan

The Eugene Francis Junior and the Juniors

Gwildor

Johnny Flynn

The Beep Seals

Christopher Rees

John Smith

Thistletown

Pete Molinari

Clinic

Victoria Williams

PG Six

Connan & The Mockasins

Pete & The Pirates

Clooney, Pitt and Pacino — how Ocean’s 13 saves the multiplex this month

Michael Bonner
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It ends, pretty much, with fireworks and Sinatra, somewhat appropriate, you would think, for a film series that privileges Vegas cool over substance like the Oceans movies do. And that's not a criticism, not by any means. Regular readers of this blog might have picked up recently on my gripes directed at this year's batch of blockbusters -- particularly Spiderman 3 and Pirates Of The Caribbean 3. The red mist has risen somewhat at the filmmakers' risible attempts to bring gravitas and mythic stature to what, essentially, are 4-colour comic book characters or theme park rides. Stephen Soderbergh's Oceans movies, thankfully, have never attempted to be anything other than gossamer-light brain candy: cool people in expensive clothes doing wonderful things in beautiful locations. Chin, chin, and pass the olives. There's something incredibly refreshing about watching George Clooney and Brad Pitt, dressed to the hilt in retro-lounge wear, swanning round Vegas as they plan to rip-off Al Pacino's nasty casino owner. They're clearly having a hoot, and at no point does anyone dwell on anything more profound than working out where the next Martini is coming from. There's a great scene in an earlier Oceans movie that finds George and Brad watching an episode of Happy Days dubbed into a foreign language. In what appears to be a natty bit of improvisation, they start to dissect the cultural relevance of dubbed Seventies' sitcoms. You could, frankly, watch them do this kind of thing all day, such is the charming, easy-going cameraderie that passes between them. In fact, it would make a brilliant TV show in its own right: each week, George and Brad watch an episode of a classic sitcom in real time and their thoughts and observations are beamed into homes around the world. I'd watch it. Beats Orlando Bloom's rather bloodless attempts at swashing a buckle in Pirates any day. There's a comparable scene in Ocean's Thirteen, where Brad walks into George's hotel room to find him wiping a tear from his eye. Turns out, he's watching Oprah on TV, and soon the two men -- icons of contemporary cinematic cool, no less -- are blubbing like babies as a particularly heartwrenching tale of human tragedy unfolds before their eyes on the television screen. It's these moments that make the Oceans movies. Sure there's a plot, but I'm damned if I can remember a thing about it. It's all about watching these people have fun, with a warmth that brings you into their orbit. If Ocean's Twelve lacked the polish and wit of its predecessor, this is a return to the freewheeling fun of Soderbergh's original. Pacino finds himself in one scene opposite both Andy Garcia, his Godfather 3 co-star and Ellen Barkin, who he played opposite in Sea Of Love. It's a nice little movie joke touch, and one of the many things that adds to the warmth and humour of this movie. Ocean's Thirteen opens this Friday in the UK

It ends, pretty much, with fireworks and Sinatra, somewhat appropriate, you would think, for a film series that privileges Vegas cool over substance like the Oceans movies do.

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Oakley Hall, last night

John Mulvey
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To Cargo in East London last night, for the long-awaited UK debut (by me, at least) of Oakley Hall. If you've not come across them before, Oakley Hall are a six-piece from Brooklyn who play a kind of driving, euphoric country psych. The two albums they released last year indicated that they were probably a pretty roistering live band. And fortunately, they are. They begin with a pounding motorik beat, two needling guitars running rings round each other, a leaping fiddle, and some very Gram'n'Emmylou harmonies. The song is "Volume Rambler" from the "Second Guessing" album, if memory serves, and as usual at this point, I'd be quite keen for it to go on for another 20 minutes. Oakley Hall have a bunch of songs like this - "Hiway", "If I Was In El Dorado" - but they're also getting better at ballads, too. There's a great one they play which will apparently be on the new album, out in August in the States. We've been championing the band for a year and a half now, and have placed a couple of songs on our free CDs. They haven't got a UK deal for the new album yet, though things seem to be happening in the States. The new one is coming out on Merge, home to The Arcade Fire and Lambchop, and frontman Pat Sullivan tells me that they've just come off a big tour supporting Bright Eyes and the wonderful Gillian Welch. Conor Oberst, he says, would spend three minutes each night telling the audience that Oakley Hall were his favourite band. And frankly, you can see his point. Sullivan reckons they'll be back in the autumn, when hopefully the album will be out over here. Oh yeah, I just remembered my shit pun: Neu! Riders Of The Purple Sage. I'll go now.

To Cargo in East London last night, for the long-awaited UK debut (by me, at least) of Oakley Hall. If you’ve not come across them before, Oakley Hall are a six-piece from Brooklyn who play a kind of driving, euphoric country psych. The two albums they released last year indicated that they were probably a pretty roistering live band.

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Exclusive White Stripes Track Available Free Today

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Exclusive White Stripes Track Available Free Today

A special 7" red-vinyl pressing of The White Stripes' first new single "Rag And Bone" is available exclusively from today, free, with sister publication NME. "Rag And Bone" is the first single to be taken from Jack and Meg White's new studio album "Icky Thump" and a 7" white vinyl version, also with a unique etching will be available to buy in normal record stores. The disc from the NME comes in special collector's edition double-gatefold packaging, with space for the two versions. Managing director of The White Stripes' label Ben Beardsworth says the deal with the NME is exciting, enabling so many people to get hold of the duo's new material ahead of the album's release next week (June 11). He said: "There's something quite magical about getting such a strong track, on such a stunningly presented piece of vinyl, directly in to the hands of such a vast number of people." The June 9 issue of the NME is available from today. For more details go here for nme.com/magazine

A special 7″ red-vinyl pressing of The White Stripes’ first new single “Rag And Bone” is available exclusively from today, free, with sister publication NME.

“Rag And Bone” is the first single to be taken from Jack and Meg White’s new studio album “Icky Thump” and a 7″ white vinyl version, also with a unique etching will be available to buy in normal record stores.

The disc from the NME comes in special collector’s edition double-gatefold packaging, with space for the two versions.

Managing director of The White Stripes’ label Ben Beardsworth says the deal with the NME is exciting, enabling so many people to get hold of the duo’s new material ahead of the album’s release next week (June 11).

He said: “There’s something quite magical about getting such a strong track, on such a stunningly presented piece of vinyl, directly in to the hands of such a vast number of people.”

The June 9 issue of the NME is available from today.

For more details go here for nme.com/magazine

The Sex Pistols’ Jubilee Boat Trip

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Over the weekend, I watched the new BBC documentary series, Seven Ages Of Rock, which on Saturday night was dedicated to punk. A lot of it seemed inevitably familiar, but I perked up as I always do with the footage of The Sex Pistols' Jubilee boat trip, which I was on, standing about four feet in front of Johnny Rotten as a heaving crowd went hysterical and police launches surrounded us as the Pistols hammered out a defiant "Anarchy In The UK" as we cruised past the Houses Of Parliament. I'd just done a cover story on the Pistols and the release of "God Save The Queen" for what used to be Melody Maker, almost getting arrested in Ladbroke Grove with them on the way back from a photo-shoot. Evidently, this was enough to secure an invitation to the boat trip that followed on Monday, June 7, Jubilee Day itself. We left Charing Cross Pier in the early afternoon on a boat called The Queen Elizabeth, setting sail beneath brooding, overcast skies, a whipping wind coming off the Thames. There's a surly on-board mood, a ton of sulphate around, most of it being washed down by can after can of lager, a lot of people ripped off their tits before the boat reaches Greenwich, where we turn around and head back towards Chelsea Bridge. Tempers are fraying badly by now and there's an ugly scuffle, a photogrpaher getting kicked around the deck by someone we're told is Jah Wobble. We're heading towards Charing Cross and Parliament when the first police launches appear, coincidentally around the time the Pistols start playing - "Pretty Vacant" giving way to "No Fun" as we pull alongside Parliament. The police launches are circling us now, searchlights aimed at us, someone with a megaphone shouting at us, presumably ordering us back to the pier, where ranks of surly coppers are waiting, the thought of kicking punk ass an entertaining notion after a long day on Jubilee duty. Whoever's in charge boards the Queen Elizabeth when we dock at Charing Cross, and we're told that if we don't quit the boat immediately the police will remove us with as much force as they deem necessary. You can see truncheons being unbuckled, and things start getting ugly in a hurry, the police now thundering up the gangplanks, swarming into the crowd. Paul Cook is still hammering on his drums at this point, and Rotten is screaming "No fun! No fun!". The power's off, so you can't hear Steve Jones and Sid appears to have vanished. There'sd a lot of punching and kicking as we're herded on to the Embankment. Malcolm Mclraen goes down in front of me, and a couple of us scoop him up before the police close in on him. "You fucking fascist bastards!" he yells at them, and is promptly dragged behind a souvenir kiosk, beaten up and arrested, one of 11 people from the boat trip who end up that night in jail. Police vans roar around me as I stand on the Embankment, blood in the gutter and on the wall behind me, torn Jubilee bunting hanging from railings and lamposts, sirens in the distance, the sound of England screaming.

Over the weekend, I watched the new BBC documentary series, Seven Ages Of Rock, which on Saturday night was dedicated to punk. A lot of it seemed inevitably familiar, but I perked up as I always do with the footage of The Sex Pistols’ Jubilee boat trip, which I was on, standing about four feet in front of Johnny Rotten as a heaving crowd went hysterical and police launches surrounded us as the Pistols hammered out a defiant “Anarchy In The UK” as we cruised past the Houses Of Parliament.

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Return to The White Stripes and “Icky Thump”, and other business

John Mulvey
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What seems like several months since I heard The White Stripes' "Icky Thump", I finally had a few more listens to it over the weekend. Reassuringly, my usual hysterical over-excitement seems to have been pretty justified. "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" remains my favourite track, which I've decided this morning is a striking fusion of "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Ziggy Stardust". Phil, who sits behind me in the office, tried to spoil it all be pointing out the song's similarity to "Centerfold" by the J Geils Band, but he can't hurt me. In fact, I guess that comparison only reinforces my hunch that this may be the song to really launch the Stripes into the American heartland. It's curious that a lot of early reviews of the record have concentrated on perceived difficulties and eccentricities (the mariachi metal of "Conquest", the crazed Scottish pair of "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" and "St Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)"), when what strikes me about plenty of "Icky Thump" is its bigness and accessibility. I think The White Stripes are one of those bands who prove that record labels and journalists can underestimate the listening public: if something unexpected happens on a record (a spluttery synth solo, say, or a swirl of bagpipe), does that automatically make it uncommercial? I don't think so, and I suspect Jack White - though he'd never admit that his music is either commercial or uncommercial - doesn't either. Anyway, a quick plug for our brothers and sisters at NME, who are giving away "Rag And Bone" (maybe the weakest song on the album, I'd say now, but still good) on a free seven-inch with this week's issue. Pretty nice. And while we're on the subject of business affairs, some interesting messages were posted here about the new issue of Uncut. I know this is going to sound trite, but we really are interested in the artists we write features about - I saw few better gigs last year than The Rolling Stones at Twickenham. For what it's worth, I'm glad that many of you seem to be able to see beyond the cover star and understand that our mag strives to cover the widest range of bands possible: from the artists Penelope calls "dinosaurs" but we call the biggest and most significant in rock history, to newcomers like, I dunno, Wooden Wand and forgotten heroes like some of those who figure on the "Fill Your Head With Prog". And of course it'd be churlish of me to deny that there are commercial practicalities involved, too: putting The Rolling Stones on the cover of Uncut will draw potentially thousands of new readers to the magazine, who - currently - may have a very different relationship to music and the mag compared with regular readers of this blog. If we can turn on more people to so much great music, is another Stones cover too much to bear? Thanks for the feedback, though - we are genuinely interested, I promise you. Shop talk over. One more thing: my grumbles about the Comets On Fire gig last week have been explained by the link that James posts here. I was actually stood behind the soundbooth and saw this happen, bizarrely.

What seems like several months since I heard The White Stripes‘ “Icky Thump”, I finally had a few more listens to it over the weekend. Reassuringly, my usual hysterical over-excitement seems to have been pretty justified.

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Isle Of Wight Full Line Up Revealed

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Isle Of Wight Full Line Up Revealed

The Rolling Stones are preparing themselves for their 50, 000 capacity sold-out Isle of Wight Festival this Sunday (June 10). Playing their first festival since their legendary Knebworth appearance in August 1979, the performance comes as part of their Bigger Bang European Tour. This week the Stones play Belgium (June 5) and Holland (8) this week prior to their stop off in the UK. The Bigger Bang Tour was recently named the best-selling concert tour of all-time. Also headlining this weekend are Snow Patrol on Friday (8 )and Muse (9). Joining them on stage over the three-day Newport event, will be: Echo and the Bunnymen, recent Ivor Novello winner Amy Winehouse and former Clash man Mick Jones’ new band Carbon/Silicon, as featured in last month’s Uncut. The complete line-up for the Isle of Wight festival is now confirmed as the following: Friday 8th June Snow Patrol Groove Armada The Feeling Echo and the Bunnymen Koopa Saturday 9th June Muse Kasabian Ash Wolfmother Amy Winehouse Donovan Arno Carstens Carbon Silicon The Thirst The Menschen Sunday 10th June Rolling Stones Keane Fratellis Paolo Nutini James Morrison Melanie C Country Joe McDonald The Hedrons Siniez Check back here to www.uncut.co.uk for blog and news updates from the Isle Of Wight over the weekend TV highlights of the Rolling Stones and more will also be made available on Channel 4.

The Rolling Stones are preparing themselves for their 50, 000 capacity sold-out Isle of Wight Festival this Sunday (June 10).

Playing their first festival since their legendary Knebworth appearance in August 1979, the performance comes as part of their Bigger Bang European Tour. This week the Stones play Belgium (June 5) and Holland (8) this week prior to their stop off in the UK.

The Bigger Bang Tour was recently named the best-selling concert tour of all-time.

Also headlining this weekend are Snow Patrol on Friday (8 )and Muse (9).

Joining them on stage over the three-day Newport event, will be: Echo and the Bunnymen, recent Ivor Novello winner Amy Winehouse and former Clash man Mick Jones’ new band Carbon/Silicon, as featured in last month’s Uncut.

The complete line-up for the Isle of Wight festival is now confirmed as the following:

Friday 8th June

Snow Patrol

Groove Armada

The Feeling

Echo and the Bunnymen

Koopa

Saturday 9th June

Muse

Kasabian

Ash

Wolfmother

Amy Winehouse

Donovan

Arno Carstens

Carbon Silicon

The Thirst

The Menschen

Sunday 10th June

Rolling Stones

Keane

Fratellis

Paolo Nutini

James Morrison

Melanie C

Country Joe McDonald

The Hedrons

Siniez

Check back here to www.uncut.co.uk for blog and news updates from the Isle Of Wight over the weekend

TV highlights of the Rolling Stones and more will also be made available on Channel 4.

UB40 Sue Paris Hilton Over Copyright

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UB40 Sue Paris Hilton Over Copyright

UB40’s record label, The Sparta Florida Music Group, are suing V2 Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music and Paris Hilton’s songwriter/producer for £250,000 in damages in London's High Court. The band claim that their classic song “Kingston Town” features heavily in Paris Hilton’s debut single “Stars Are Blind” and are suing her for breaching copyright laws. The Sparta Music Group are going to use information from the internet and a musicologist, to prove that “Stars Are Blind” used a large amount of the UB40 1990 single. UB40’s “Kingston Town”, written by Kendrick Patrick, reached number 4 in UK charts while “Stars Are Blind” released last year, reached number 5. As Paris Hilton has been dropped from her record label, Warner Bros, she isn’t being sued directly. However, she is still in the wrong side of the law as she starts her 23-week sentence in Century Regional Detention Facility in Los Angeles today (June 4). Click here for UB40's Kingston Town video promo and here for Paris Hilton's song Stars Are Blind - what do you think? YouTube user Superchorneur has helpfully laid out both tracks side by side here, just in case it wasn't abundantly clear Pic credit: Rex Features

UB40’s record label, The Sparta Florida Music Group, are suing V2 Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music and Paris Hilton’s songwriter/producer for £250,000 in damages in London’s High Court.

The band claim that their classic song “Kingston Town” features heavily in Paris Hilton’s debut single “Stars Are Blind” and are suing her for breaching copyright laws.

The Sparta Music Group are going to use information from the internet and a musicologist, to prove that “Stars Are Blind” used a large amount of the UB40 1990 single.

UB40’s “Kingston Town”, written by Kendrick Patrick, reached number 4 in UK charts while “Stars Are Blind” released last year, reached number 5.

As Paris Hilton has been dropped from her record label, Warner Bros, she isn’t being sued directly. However, she is still in the wrong side of the law as she starts her 23-week sentence in Century Regional Detention Facility in Los Angeles today (June 4).

Click here for UB40’s Kingston Town video promo

and here for Paris Hilton’s song Stars Are Blind – what do you think?

YouTube user Superchorneur has helpfully laid out both tracks side by side here, just in case it wasn’t abundantly clear

Pic credit: Rex Features

Listen To Kanye West Sing The Poop Song

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Listen To Kanye West Sing The Poop Song

Check out Kanye West's version of Los Angeles-based comedian Sarah Silverman's 'Poop Song.' The unexpected burst of song from the Rockefella/Def Jam artist came as he was being interviewed by Uncut and other British media at the Heineken Thirst Studio Sessions weekend in Las Vegas last Saturday (May 25). In response to Loaded magazine's question about what his all-time favourite song lyrics were, Kanye responded at first with the verse from Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love Of All" singing us the lines: "I believe the children are our future/ Teach them well and let them lead the way/Show them all the beauty they possess inside/ Give them a sense of pride to make it easier/ Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be." Unexpectedly, Kanye carried on saying that actually another great lyric is the Sarah Silverman penned "Poop Song." Silverman amongst other things has appeared in Something About Mary and has her own show on US TV station Comedy Central. He went on to give us quite a chunk of it! Amazing. The entire Global Thirst Sessions interview with Kanye West will be streamed via Uncut.co.uk this week. Listen to the exclusive Kanye West version of the 'Poop Song' here

Check out Kanye West’s version of Los Angeles-based comedian Sarah Silverman’s ‘Poop Song.’

The unexpected burst of song from the Rockefella/Def Jam artist came as he was being interviewed by Uncut and other British media at the Heineken Thirst Studio Sessions weekend in Las Vegas last Saturday (May 25).

In response to Loaded magazine’s question about what his all-time favourite song lyrics were, Kanye responded at first with the verse from Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love Of All” singing us the lines:

“I believe the children are our future/ Teach them well and let them lead the way/Show them all the beauty they possess inside/ Give them a sense of pride to make it easier/ Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.”

Unexpectedly, Kanye carried on saying that actually another great lyric is the Sarah Silverman penned “Poop Song.” Silverman amongst other things has appeared in Something About Mary and has her own show on US TV station Comedy Central.

He went on to give us quite a chunk of it! Amazing.

The entire Global Thirst Sessions interview with Kanye West will be streamed via Uncut.co.uk this week.

Listen to the exclusive Kanye West version of the ‘Poop Song’ here

New Rave ’97: The Lo-Fidelity All Stars revisited

John Mulvey
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In these heady days of New Rave and such, it was heartening to be reminded this morning of the last time British bands tried to pull off that trick. "Warming Up The Brain Farm: The Best Of The Lo-Fidelity All Stars" turned up in the post. And amazingly, ten years on, it sounds great. The Lo-Fis, if you missed them first time, were a bunch of faintly shady gents who sloped out of the big beat scene with a kind of malign, acid-tinged brand of indie-dance. It was easy to be a sceptic about them, not least because they were fronted by a chronically paranoid man called Dave who adopted a moody street poet persona and went by the name of The Wrekked Train. We didn't call them New Rave back then, of course. Someone at NME came up with the idea of summoning up a scene around them and the often hilarious Campag Velocet. Skunk Rock, we called it. The indie nation, however, were far too busy listening to Travis and the Stereophonics at the time, probably. History, I would have guessed, couldn't have been kind to them. But as I write, "Blisters On My Brain" is playing, a propulsive disco rant that samples the Breeders' "Cannonball" and is fantastic. Next up is "Battleflag", their intense hijacking of an old Pigeonhed track, which I remember being obsessed with back in the day, and which I suspect I'm going to be hammering for the next week or two. The late '90s was a weird time for music, I seem to remember, because while there were just as many good records as ever, most of them were very hard to write about for the music weeklies. The Lo-Fis were a gift to us, because they had massive self-conscious attitude, very daft names and music that fused the current dance scene with rock'n'roll classicism in a very seductive way. As a result, plenty of people were very keen to dismiss them as hyped chancers. The Wrekked Train skulked off just as they were edging towards popularity, leaving his bandmates to soldier on and do implausibly well in America without him. They made another album, which I don't remember as being much good. When I get to the tracks from it on this comp, maybe that'll prove to be a revelation too. But how nice to discover that something which seemed so ephemeral, a daft fad, has aged so well. Have a good weekend, everyone; I know I promised a bunch of previews this week (notably Robert Wyatt) that I haven't got round to writing. Next week, trust me, I'll do my best. The Super Furry Animals album is meant to be on its way, too.

In these heady days of New Rave and such, it was heartening to be reminded this morning of the last time British bands tried to pull off that trick. “Warming Up The Brain Farm: The Best Of The Lo-Fidelity All Stars” turned up in the post. And amazingly, ten years on, it sounds great.

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Notes On A Scandal

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Notes On A Scandal

A gossipy Zoe Heller novel is transformed into a sleek, taut, cerebral thriller by Patrick Marber’s screenplay, a Philip Glass score and a right catfight between bitter, lonely teacher Barbara (Judi Dench) and the victim of her infatuation, arty-chic Sheba (Cate Blanchett). When Sheba cheats on Bill Nighy with a student, Babs has her fate in her greedy palm. A quality team turn soap to strychnine. EXTRAS: 4* Director’s commentary; 3 featurettes including Behind The Scenes; 3 webisodes including Judi And Cate; 4 conversations with Blanchett and Nighy. CHRIS ROBERTS

A gossipy Zoe Heller novel is transformed into a sleek, taut, cerebral thriller by Patrick Marber’s screenplay, a Philip Glass score and a right catfight between bitter, lonely teacher Barbara (Judi Dench) and the victim of her infatuation, arty-chic Sheba (Cate Blanchett).

When Sheba cheats on Bill Nighy with a student, Babs has her fate in her greedy palm. A quality team turn soap to strychnine.

EXTRAS: 4*

Director’s commentary; 3 featurettes including Behind The Scenes; 3 webisodes including Judi And Cate; 4 conversations with Blanchett and Nighy.

CHRIS ROBERTS

Bobby

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Bobby

Emilio Estevez’ writing/directing labour of love - a homage to Bobby Kennedy - is undoubtedly well-intentioned, and boasts a fine ensemble cast (Anthony Hopkins, Martin Sheen, Demi Moore and Sharon Stone). In aiming for an Altmanesque web of inter-weaving characters he just takes on too much, and cracks show before the climactic tragedy. Yet there’s much to admire here, not least Demi’s drunken diva fits. EXTRAS: 4* Making Of Bobby; eyewitness accounts from scene of 1968 assassination. CHRIS ROBERTS

Emilio Estevez’ writing/directing labour of love – a homage to Bobby Kennedy – is undoubtedly well-intentioned, and boasts a fine ensemble cast (Anthony Hopkins, Martin Sheen, Demi Moore and Sharon Stone).

In aiming for an Altmanesque web of inter-weaving characters he just takes on too much, and cracks show before the climactic tragedy. Yet there’s much to admire here, not least Demi’s drunken diva fits.

EXTRAS: 4*

Making Of Bobby; eyewitness accounts from scene of 1968 assassination.

CHRIS ROBERTS

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