The Concert For Bangladesh (1972 film)

This film was the victim of bad accountancy. The concert, its album and film was meant to generate proceeds that aid Bangladesh refugees as they try to win independence from Pakistan which had liberated itself from India which only 25 years earlier freed itself from Britain. What happened was the concert got the tax classification of a charity benefit, but the accountants forgot to classify the album and film as a tax deduction and it got taxed by the British government well out of 80% of its gross. People thought it was a tax hoax but he got taxed and no money as it was going to go Ravi Shankar's charity. Other than that it is an exceptional concert film. Not the multi-star event of Woodstock, Monterrey or Altamont but for being made on the quick it did well bringing celebrities tanks to George's friends in high places. John couldn't make it because Yoko wasn't welcomed and Paul didn't want to make the appearance as it would heighten reunion rumors. The other bad news was Eric Clapton and Badfinger made it but they didn't take center stage and sing for themselves. What you get is a 20 minute Ravi instrumental which is great but not a great opener. Then George goes into a few songs from his breakthrough album All Things Must Pass. Only the Beatles song "Something" and his duet with Bob Dylan are not from that album. Bob Dylan gets 5 songs. "Just Like A Woman" is the duet. The other 4 likewise came from 1963-1966 well established tunes except the Highway 61 Revisited album track "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." "Blowin' In The Wind" "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall" being the other 3. So from George and Bob you get what you probably already have. That makes the real treasure the song Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, and Leon Russell each got to bring along. Billy does a lively performance of his gospel favorite "That's The Way God Planned It" pure classic. Ringo hops into his 1971 megahit "It Don't Come Easy" (marking Ringo's triumphant return to music after going on a acting stint that would continues to the mid 70s and re-emerge in the early 80s). Leon Russell does a classic rock medley "Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood" which didn't match the tone of the event. Could of had Eric play "Layla" and it would've fitted better. All the same film is good. A bit too rushed and one-sided and I cannot help but wonder how much better it would have been with a just a couple of more guests and a more even distribution of each and player and a broader song catalog.

Dudley Do-Right (1999 film)

Did I ever tell you why as comedians I preferred the Do Not Adjust Your Set, Monty Python members over the At Last The 1948 Show cast members John Cleese and Graham Chapman? It's because Eric, Terry and Michael could just as easily master clever/dumb children's humor as they could crude and/or satirical adult oriented work. And Dudley DoRight fits the former perfectly. And Eric had the greatest knack for giving a Pythonesque tone for a movie in just a short cameo remember National Lampoon's European Vacation and South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. Well this is the family friendly version of that. Goofy narration and thin plot to carry absurd situational humor in all it's dumb glory and Eric doesn't even have to do it alone as Brendan Fraser has already proven his talents as a comedic actor as well as working with fellow MP alumni John Cleese in the other 1950's cartoon tv kid show made into a family film of the 90's George Of The Jungle. I have not seen that one yet as I felt it was more natural to watch this one first as Eric doing live comedy trumps John phoning in voice overs for me. The greatest treasure in this film is watching Eric (the lone prospector; it's a bigger role than his film credit implies he's in half a dozen scenes) trains Brendan (Dudley DoRight) to fight dirty against Alfred Molina (Snidely Whiplash). If you're not laughing by then, then it's apparent the movie is just not your taste but I couldn't imagine why because if nothing else it's something amusing you can watch with your kids.

Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976 album)

It was the mid 1970's and George had found a new love in between his more musical and spiritual days of the early 70's and his film producer days of the 80's and subsequent return to musical focus with the Traveling Wilburys in the late 80's. It was Monty Python. Like his early 80's film producer days with Shanghai Surprise and Time Bandits his late 70s work is sometimes categorized as his lost period in between Living In The Material World and Cloud Nine. But this is a misconception, as his work at from what I can say on this album is just fine. It just goes in a different direction. Instead of overtly spiritual it has humor and tender love songs. The songs "It's What You Value" and "See Yourself" though do plenty enough to give the album moral reflection which George certainly had a knack for at any point of his solo career. But the treasure of this album is the tongue in cheek songs "Crackerbox Palace" and "This Song" with videos featuring his new pals from MP. A deluxe CD/DVD reissue would give this album justice, not that the videos are needed to enjoy the songs but it would lure comedy fans to enjoy what music critics couldn't for some reason. Opening with a rollicking fun track "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" and ending with "Learning How To Love You" it is an easy 40 minute coasting of radio listening as any George album usually is

Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969 television)

How freakishly overwhelming! 45 classic episodes. Okay so here's the math because my opinions mean nothing without empirical evidence so I'm backing it up, but there's too many funny bits to list everyone that never fails and then explain why so I'll mention 2 sketches per episode and then you can watch them on youtube or at your public library (if you still have one) and assuming both sketches make you laugh in all 45 episodes we can probably assume it is the most consistent sketch comedy show ever.
1) Arthur Two Sheds Jacksons/Funniest Joke In The World
2) Marriage Guidance Counselor/The Mouse Problem
3) Restaurant Sketch/Nudge Nudge
4) Self Defense Against Fresh Fruit/Secret Service Dentists
5) Confuse A Cat/Police Raid
6) Crunchy Frog/Twentieth Century Vole
7) Camel Spotting/Science Fiction Sketch
8) Buying A Bed/Dead Parrot
9) The Lumberjack Song/The Visitors
10) Bank Robber In A Lingerie Shop/Vocational Guidance Counselor
11) Literary Football Interviews/Interesting People
12) Upper Class Twit Of The Year/Ken Shabby
13) Restaurant Abuse/Albatross
14) The Ministry Of Silly Walks/Piranha Brothers
15) Spanish Inquisition/Court Charades
16) Flying Lessons/Hijacked Plane
17) Architect's Sketch/Chemist Sketch
18) Blackmail/Accidents Sketch
19) Raymond Luxury Yacht (Throat Warbler Mangrove interview)/Election Night
20) Killer Sheep/The Idiot In Rural Society
21) Poofy Judges/Beethoven's Mynah Bird
22) Bruces/Exploding Penguin on the TV Set
23) Scott of the Sahara/Conrad Poohs and His Dancing Teeth
24) Crackpot Religions/How Not To Be Seen
25) Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook/Spam
26) Lifeboat/Undertaker's Sketch
27) Multiple Murder Court Scene/Eric Njorl Court Scene
28) "Life of Tschaikowsky"/Fish Slapping Dance
29) Money Song/Argument Sketch
30) Merchant Banker/Mary Recruitment Officer
31) Language Laboratory/Travel Agent
32) Gumby Brain Specialist/Molluscs - "Live" TV Documentary
33) Biggles Dictates A Letter/Cheese Shop
34) Trotsky/Firing Squad
35) Mystico and Janet - Flats Built by Hypnosis/Bull-fighting
36) Pornographic Bookshop/Thripshaw's Disease
37) Dennis Moore/Prejudice
38) Frontiers of Medicine - Penguins/Spot the Looney
39) The Oscar Wilde Sketch/Blood Donor
40) The Montgolfier Brothers/Zeppelin
41) Buying An Ant/Ant Poetry Contest
42) Trivializing the War/Woody and Tinny Words
43) Bogus Psychiatrists/Piston Engine (a Bargain)
44) Teddy Salad/Bombing
45) Most Awful Family In Britain/Patient Abuse

Double Fantasy (1980 album)

Four John/Yoko albums made, four John/Yoko albums fall short of gold and the fifth Double Fantasy came after John took a 5 year hiatus from the industry. From that it doesn't sound like the album would be a success, yet it was a colossal hit getting notice very quickly. It's a very morbid question of how John's death affected this album and it's plain rude but the thought comes up. True his senseless violent death made fans want to go back reminisce in the brilliance of John's idealogical world and his dream's struggle. And certainly Double Fantasy added the overtly romantic side of his world, but the songs were catching on as hits in their own right in the three weeks between the album's release and John's death, however that is not that long a time to suppose what would have happened. It would have been one of the greatest comebacks ever as the public openly embraced this tender side of John Lennon and even embraced Yoko. this wasn't their first attempt to make pop music together although their first three albums weren't strictly musical. Some Time In New York City saw how they work well together as it had them working together and it involved issues bigger than their own little idealogical world except that other people should join them. Double Fantasy works on the personal level of marital bliss and (sometimes strife) in the form of one complimenting the other as this album was created as a "Heart Play". Some songs like "I'm Losing You" and "I'm Moving On" play like straight back to back monologues in their own drama. The album is highly noted though for it's high points of marital bliss which thankfully in their aged journey included many aspects of marriage. The second honeymoon "(Just Like) Starting Over", the blessedness of childrearing "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" unconditional support "Woman" completeness "Dear Yoko" fulfillment "Yes I'm Your Angel" "Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him" and triumph "Hard Times Are Over". However this all seemed like the set up to one of the cruelest jokes in history as John finally found his family that he lost as a child only to suddenly lose it again. Thankfully we can live through John until we all find a family we belong to.

Plea For A Little Help

If anyone is reading my blog and would like to help me acquire something to review on the Beatles and/or Monty Python I would most appreciate being given one of these rare products I have had no luck in finding or at least obtaining. I would be forever gracious to any who would assist in my effort to complete this blog review of all things Beatles/Monty Python. Preferably CD or DVD format over LP, cassette or VHS formats if possible thank you


(send through snail mail to 261 Lantis Dr. Carlisle, OH 45005) I'm not worried about the dangers of posting this on the internet because I won't be letting people hand deliver anything and if someone wanted to use the address info for nefarious purposes I figure there are a lot more convenient locales for the theoretical criminal as anyone who had the opportunity to utilize the locale would have to be acquainted with its details. Thank you all very much for any help you able to provide and thanks for noticing my blog.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988 film)

Why did it take me so long to do a review of A Fish Called Wanda you might wonder? It is a good movie so that's a good question. The reason is there are a few good reasons I didn't like this as much as other people do namely Roger Ebert. He gave this film 4 stars (the highest rating on his scale) and yet he didn't get The Meaning Of Life or Fierce Creatures giving them the thumbs down equivalent of 2.5 thumbs. Hell Life Of Brian only barely got a thumbs up with 3 stars along with And Now For Something Completely Different. In this respect I think A Fish Called Wanda is really overhyped. Secondly of all the "vulgar" sexual humor critics hate (i.e. the sex education scene to The Meaning Of Life) critics are far from offended if one derives humor or drama from adultery. Somehow self-proclaimed artsy folk find it "romantic" not that I don't like Woody Allen films but in films like Manhattan, Hannah And Her Sisters, Crimes And Misdemeanors, Husbands And Wives etc you at least get a realistically dramatic look at what disloyalty does and gives the characters broader depth giving reality to the situation. Third and lastly only one scene with John Cleese and Michael Palin what a rip off (granted Time Bandits didn't even have that). Anyway they both had hysterical scenes in the film all the same but the Dead Parrot pair are always a treat together. Kevin Kline did wonderful as comic fonder to Cleese and Curtis as Kline was a jealous but manipulated lover of Curtis. The plot revolves around Curtis, Kline, Palin and Georgeson robbing a bank and a lawyer defending Georgeson naively thinking he's innocent and Curtis is trying to make sure Georgeson is out to get them for ratting him out in an anonymous call to the police. While Curtis is taking care of Cleese and Kline is spying on Curtis, Palin is off on facial based physical absurd comedy trying to knock the only witness to the bank robbing. It's hysterical so I won't ruin it as well as to say Michael Palin does a great stutter playing a man with what appears to be a social situated based stutter rather than a just a physical tic as it heightens in uncomfortable confrontation to nearly disappearing altogether when people leave. But for the most part his only face to face interaction with dialog comes in two scenes when Kline is trying to intimidate him into saying where the money is hidden (how effective) and when Cleese comes running in wondering where Kline went ending up in charades (classic). And here's where the spoiler alert comes in Curtis leaves her manipulated but jealous jerk of a boyfriend (Kline) and Cleese leaves his overbearing unsympathetic wife who portrayed far too two-dimensional for a realistic dramatic comedy.

Revolver (1966 album)

A glimpse into the solo careers of George and Paul and to a lesser extent John and Ringo. Musically more diverse than Rubber Soul thanks to Paul's blossoming compositional talents. It corresponded with John's lyrical growth which is why Rubber Soul and Revolver although very different seem to so well compliment each other, along with George's renewed ambition in songwriting. Paul wrote "Eleanor Rigby" almost as if a response to one up Lennon's "Nowhere Man" and while "Eleanor Rigby" is no more or less genuine than "Nowhere Man" it is more ambitious. Paul developed his balladeering skills with the sentimental, sweet "Here, There And Everywhere" and a good R&B styled tune "Got To Get You Into My Life" with a powerful horn section carrying the tune. The latter two songs typified Paul's 70's catalog to large extent. Meanwhile he also had the classic "Good Day Sunshine" which set the tone for Lennon's "Good Morning Good Morning" and George's "Here Comes The Sun" in albums yet to come. "Yellow Submarine" has become a trademark song of theirs and a real take off for Ringo's career. "For No One" is a tune perhaps the least impressive of Paul's works here but nevertheless was good enough for the film Give My Regards To Broad Street. Of the 5 songs Lennon predominated 3 were cut from the American edition. "And Your Bird Can Sing" a goofy light fun song, "I'm Only Sleeping" a wonderfully hazy relaxing song of self-seclusion and "Doctor Robert" about a doctor who freely gives out stronger prescriptions than needed resulting in surprise an influx of clientèle. The two tunes kept are actually less commercial with "She Said She Said" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" particularly the latter as it gives a great trippy closing to the album. As far as openers George makes a strong statement (in songwriting talent) with "Taxman" and follows into a growing style of psychedelic Indian music with "Love You To" and "I Want To Tell You" a refreshing up tempo psychedelic pop song. All in all Revolver is a mini White Album.