Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The TV Listings (9)

Here's the list of my video postings from the second quarter of 2011. There weren't all that many during this period (perhaps because I was so busy with work, and also was suffering connection speed issues which were making YouTube access extremely difficult), and mostly music - but some very good stuff.



The Comedy/Movie Channel

Noel Coward was never like this  -  some genteel upper-class diners appear to be agreeably titillated by the very rude lyrics in this Eric Idle song from Monty Python's Meaning Of Life.

How to speak with an Irish accent  -  my visiting buddy Little Anthony and I plan to crash the China International Potato Expo. This is all the excuse I need to post a comedy video dissecting Irish culture.



The Music Channel

Be Like A Duck  - a delightful injunction to take it easy, from Keith Boynton et al (the song and video created by his mother, the egregiously talented Sandra Boynton)

Pipa masterclass with Lan Weiwei  -  a stunning demonstration of the techniques of the traditional Chinese lute from one of its greatest living exponents.

I'm Free!  -  I celebrate my escape from a particularly unpleasant work engagement with The Who (from their Live at Leeds album).

Why are you so damned handsome?  -  a fun video from sexy Norwegian girl band VOM (who I saw play in Beijing in June).

Hot In The City  -  the onset of the oppressively steamy Beijing summer seems like a good excuse to revisit this '80s classic from Billy Idol.

The Penis Song  -  Eric Idle's naughty Noel Coward pastiche from Monty Python's Meaning Of Life (brought to mind by this unlikely but disturbing news story), accompanied by a link to another song on a similar theme by comedy C&W performer Rodney Carrington... and a link to some very angry Germans also interested in this subject. (See also above, under Comedy.)

Come Together  - but not the familiar Beatles version of their famous song; oh no, a scarily weird throat-singing version in Russian (possibly?) by Siberian folk group Bugotak.

The Parting Glass  -  my blog-friend JES's posting of a great version of this classic Scots/Irish farewell song by Canadian acapella group The Wailin' Jennies prompts me to root out some other renditions - by Liam Clancy, The Dubliners, and Cara Dillon (and adding a belated link to a really good one [hat tip to the Weeble] by Irish vocal group The Voice Squad).

Abaji  -  two dazzling performance clips of the amiable Lebanese-Armenian world music maestro, who recently played in Beijing: one playing a hybrid harp/guitar created by an instrument-maker friend of his, and one playing blues on slide guitar and Asian flute.



The Sports Channel

Again, no sport. Always the most neglected category. There will be some more again one day, I'm sure.


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