When John Lennon put out the single Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) in February 1970, to the outside world he was still a member of The Beatles, despite having unofficially left the previous year, while to the casual observer the group still existed, with McCartney’s headline announcement that he was in fact “quitting theContinue reading “Why John Lennon’s Instant Karma! could be his best solo single”
Author Archives: therockandrollguy
Man In A Suitcase – TV drama’s great step forward?
When I wrote a recent entry: “Appraising television’s ultimate masterpiece – The Prisoner” https://therockandrollguy.com/2021/03/13/appraising-televisions-ultimate-masterpiece-the-prisoner/ I realised afterwards that in saying that Patrick McGoohan and Edward Woodward were two leading actors of an era I could think of off-hand capable of conveying controlled intensity, I was doing one other essential protagonist a disservice. I’m talking about theContinue reading “Man In A Suitcase – TV drama’s great step forward?”
Tony Hancock was a genius… but what about Galton and Simpson?
Tony Hancock is often referred to as a ‘genius’ and I believe the appraisal to be accurate and I am going to attempt to explain why, using a particular example of his radio work which I think showcases his talent beautifully. Before I do, I want to make one more bold statement about the writersContinue reading “Tony Hancock was a genius… but what about Galton and Simpson?”
William Shatner is 90 – so here’s 90 great lines from the Star Trek films, delivered by him as only he can…
These are quotes of a Star Trek legend… William Shatner’s James T Kirk. Canadian William Shatner has graced our screens for decades in a variety of roles and is an instantly recognisable star. He’s also done music, hosted fascinating interviews, written books and put in numerous personal appearances, including his one man show (which IContinue reading “William Shatner is 90 – so here’s 90 great lines from the Star Trek films, delivered by him as only he can…”
Appraising television’s ultimate masterpiece – The Prisoner
While the medium of television has produced the full range of shows along the quality spectrum in the many years it has been with us, from the outstanding to the truly appalling, there is one piece of work which, to therockandrollguy.com, exists in a hallowed place all of its own. The Prisoner is the showContinue reading “Appraising television’s ultimate masterpiece – The Prisoner”
Beatles 60s album openers compared with Dylan’s… a subjective list!
Just for fun, I thought I’d consider the UK Beatles LPs from the 1960s in terms of their opening tracks and see which ones I thought worked best as ‘openers’, in other words, not necessarily thinking about which are the best songs, by some subjective set of criteria, but rather which ones grab attention theContinue reading “Beatles 60s album openers compared with Dylan’s… a subjective list!”
Six reasons why Roger McGuinn is an inspiration
For this post I had intended to explore some of Bob Dylan’s live output from the 60s and its lasting impact… but I find I’m having to postpone that for another day because I want to take this opportunity to thank one of rock’n’roll’s pioneers and (as the rock and roll guy recently discovered, kindContinue reading “Six reasons why Roger McGuinn is an inspiration”
The most subversive record of the 70s?
Musically, the year 1973 instantly brings to mind The Dark Side Of The Moon, album-wise. It was also the year Slade conquered the singles charts, most notably with that song at Christmas. What were the other big LPs from around that time? Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Goats Head Soup, Aladdin Sane, Quadrophenia… yes it wasContinue reading “The most subversive record of the 70s?”
Rating Oasis albums – with a surprise near the top!
It’s all about the music. With that in mind – and because someone suggested it – how does the rock and roll guy rate the original studio LP output of the mighty juggernaut that was Oasis? Like this: 7. Dig Out Your Soul (2008) This was their last album of original material and for me,Continue reading “Rating Oasis albums – with a surprise near the top!”
Licence to be subjective – Bond films reappraised
The Bond films. What a topic. Everyone has their favourites. There are numerous rankings and lists available to view online and each has its merits. The general consensus tends to be fairly predictable. Connery was the best, Lazenby wasn’t an actor, Moore was a joker, Dalton very serious, Brosnan tapered-off towards the end and CraigContinue reading “Licence to be subjective – Bond films reappraised”
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