Book Notes: Unchained America by Dave Gorman

Although this book was a jolly enough little read, I came away feeling a little underwhelmed by it. The English comedian Dave Gorman is a humorous fellow, and his radio shows like Genius on BBC R4 is always worth a laugh or two. On Genius, members of the public submit their less-than-serious ideas for adjudication by Gorman and a guest celeb. I once submitted an idea to the programme, and ten months later the BBC invited me to come to the programme. I had to decline however, as by that stage I had completely forgotten what my idea was, and had to write back declining their invite with the frank admission that I may be many things, but obviously not a Genius.

Somehow though this book failed to live up to my expectations.

Perhaps my expectation were too high. For a start I like the author (even when I disagree with him), and quirky humorous travel writing is a genre I enjoy. I also thought the idea behind the book sounded interesting - which was to try and drive across the USA using only independent business for food, fuel and accommodation. Having driven extensively in the States a couple of years ago and experienced some wonderfully unique family hotels, stores and business and endured the drab uniformity of the chain-stores, chain-hotels too - I thought this concept for a book was a good one. In addition to that, Gorman's actual route took him along many of the same roads we drove, and through the same towns and landscapes. What then was there not to like?

In truth, I didn't actually dislike very much of it, it was, as I said an amusing piece of writing with which to fill odd moments. It kept me reading, turning the pages and on a couple of occasions chuckling. Perhaps I thought the adventure described would be more madcap, or that Gorman would deliver more incisive social comment or more laughs. Instead, Unchained America gave me several moments of entertained knowing recognition, much wry smiling and a general sense of amusement; and the feeling that I had perhaps expected just a bit too much of the book. No doubt my over-expectation wasn't helped by the blurb writers whose cover spiel contributed to this process. The book ultimately seems to fade out, rather than end with a grand conclusion.

Entertaining but not quite what I had hoped. 

Book Notes: Mark Steel's in Town by Mark Steel

One of the highlights of recent Radio 4 comedy has been "Mark Steel's in Town" in which the radical and acerbic stand-up satirist visits a town, researches and writes a comedy routine based on the place - and then delivers it to an audience of locals. The format has worked really well on the radio for three series, as Steel brilliantly dissects the quirky, weird, odd, or wonderful aspects of a place and its people, drawing on his experiences today or on the history of the places. Each show features his entertaining monologue - (much of which he we invariably delivery in a cod version of the local accent), the local crowd reaction to this outsider affectionately teasing their foibles with laughter, cheers, boos or hoots of derision; and an interview with a colourful local character who seems to personify one of the town's most endearing eccentricities. Most of the last series has been excellent, and listening to it usually provokes a wry grin, and occasional peals of laughter.

The book based on the series contains a lot of material which will be familiar to the Radio 4 audience, such as the chapter on Douglas in the Isle of Man where he accuses the residents of basically being tax dodgers. It's written in Steel's distinctive tone, and is packed for of Steels trademark radicalism, disdain for the establishment, wonderful sense of irony and delicious use of ludicrous comparisons. He quotes lovely stories from the archives of the places he visits too, in Basingstoke he describes the way in which the droll and quietly spoken cricket commentator John Arlott got the better of a verbose colleague who concluded his description of the ground by "telling listeners he could see the sun setting in the West. When Arlott came on he said slowly, 'you can be rest assured that if the sun starts to set in the East I'll be the first to let yo know.'" And then in Wigan he discovered that local 1940s 'cheeky' banjolele songster George Formby  "toured pre-apartheid South Africa and upset his hosts by refusing to play segregated venues. As a result, a black member of one audience presented Formby's wife Beryl with a box of chocolates, and George gave the man a hug. National Party leader Daniel Francois Malan, who would introduce apartheid two years later, heard about this and phoned Beryl to complain, to which she replied, 'Why don't you p*** off, you horrible little man?'

While analysing London and rejoicing in its colourful ethnic diversity, Steel says: 

"My son once introduced me to a new friend, saying, 'This is Ernest, he's Polish. Don't worry, I don't miss any opportunity to remind him that his lot had to be saved by us in the war.'

I said, 'What?'

He said, "Everyday I remind him that his country would have been stuffed without us in the Second World War.'

I said, 'Listen, you know that aeroplane battle at the start of the war, over Kent, that meant that Hitler had no chance of invading?'

'Oh yeah, the Battle of Britain'

'Yes, the Battle of Britain. Well, do you know where a fifth of pilots on the Allied side came from?  They were from Poland!'

He turned straight to his mate and said, 'See, you were nicking our jobs even back then'.

Now who wouldn't want to live in a city like that?

There are plenty of laughs in the book, but despite this I couldn't help feeling that it failed to live up to the Radio show. In fact, its a lot less funny and enjoyable than its Radio equivalent despite the fact that so much of it is the Radio show scripts. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that Steel has to tone his language down for the BBC, whereas his publishers allows him to barrage the reader with expletives which become wearisome. The second is that so much of the humour comes from Steel's delivery, and mimicry of local voices, or bursting into song, and interaction with the live audience - something which doesn't translate to the page. The result is that while the book is wryly amusing, it doesn't deliver the laughs like the Radio show. Fans of the show will feel somewhat underwhelmed by the book, I suspect.

۞۞

Book Notes: Surviving Spike Milligan by John Antrobus

After Spike Milligan's death, a small library of books were produced by all manner of people who either knew him, or researched him. Some of these are serious biographies, some are expose's - John Antrobus' "Surviving Spike Milligan" is something else, quite different altogether.

Antrobus was a writing-partner of Milligan's, collaborating with Spike on numerous projects from Goon-Show scripts, at Associated London Scripts, and on-and-off throughout Milligan's life. The book he has produced neither tells the story of the man's life - nor seeks to dig the dirt; rather it confronts the reader with the experience of life with The Milligan, which was in turns hilarious, disturbing, perplexing, insane and heartbreaking. Antrobus manages to capture the enigma that was Milligan, through stories, anecdotes, snippets from scripts, recollections of dialogue and examples of some of the flights of imagination that could characterise their writing sessions. What gives this book its charm is the way in which Antrobus writes. He approaches this book, not as a detached, dispassionate historian, rather as a fellow-conspirator in Milligan's rapid-firing quest to expose and ridicule the lunacy of life.

Milligan strangely managed to maintain his status of being a national treasure, despite the fact that everyone who met him points out how appalling he could actually be at times. Antrobus' book doesn't hide this either - but with great affection (and I suppose grace) he doesn't let this side of Milligan's character to lessen his appreciation and indeed love for the great man. Milligan's eccentric comic genius is almost universally acknowledged; his frequent bouts of extreme mental illness is equally well-known. Antrobus, reflects on the hilarious times, as well as the dark moments, when the sign "I am very ill" would appear on Milligan's office door, and he would shut himself in for days - or check into a clinic for sedation, when life was just too painful to face.

This book contains numerous asides about the author himself, but it's well-written, so it hardly matters. it also contains many, many hilarious moments, nostalgic recollections, and moments of genuinely deep sadness. Milligan emerges as not just the mad-cap, rapier witted comic known from his many radio and TV appearances, but as a complex and most unusual personality. Staggeringly crushed and yet monstrously egotistical; frivolously generous but shockingly selfish; an insane man raging at the insanity of it all - all can be said of Milligan.

What comes out most strongly though, was Milligan's restlessly brilliant comic mind, which could dissect any situation instantly, in order to raid its comic potential. Nothing was easier prey than social mores and taboos, which might usually be politely negotiated - but through which Milligan would deliberately crash, where he thought they were mad. Who cannot help but laugh when they read that Milligan greeted the news of the death of his old friend, the comic and singer Harry Secombe; with the words, "I'm glad he died before me - otherwise I would have had to have him singing at my funeral". In The Dustbin Dance, Milligan takes the famous "there may be trouble ahead - let's face the music and dance" motif; but in his twisted mind it is lunatics who face the miseries of life by leaping into dustbins and dancing. Naturally Milligan casts himself in the lead-bin.

Of all the Milligan books, this one I think is perhaps my favourite, as it so brilliantly explores the man's mind - without pages of analysis, but with many bizarre recollections and observations. I conclude with a quote from the book, (p61), Antrobus' recollections of a mealtime conversation between Milligan and Harry Secombe, a lovely picture of Goon-ish humour.

Harry Secombe comes in blowing a large raspberry.

"It's all in the mind, folks! I've just been to the doctor about this terrible wind! He issued a Force Nine gale warning to all shipping and prescribed three tins of baked beans daily... take one every half-mile. So at least I'm getting excercise...."

He blew another raspberry and sat down at the table, full of giggles. Spike looked indignant.

"You'll get us thrown out of this restaurant, you mad fool!"

"I've just been thrown into it, Spike. A strange co-incidence, wouldn't you say?"

Harry blew another raspberry. Spike crossed his eyes.

"I will inform the management it's dangerous to feed you."

"That's alright. I brought a sandwhich. Do you know what's inside it?"

Spike: Yes - everything that's not outside it. Including me.

Harry: Correct!

Spike: You force me to eat elsewhere

Harry: I thought this was elsewhere. A moment ago I said, I'm going elsewhere - and I came here.

Spike: As soon as you go somewhere else, it stops being elsewhere.

Harry: That's terrifying. You mean.... as soon as I get there, it's here?

Spike: Exactly. The only way to keep somewhere elsewhere, is never to go there.

Harry: How fascinating! So it's all here then? The whole damn thing?

Spike: It was here all the time.

Harry: You're right!.... (Shouts) Waiter! Waiter damn you! Set fire to your trousers and bring me a menu immediately!

The waiter approaches with a menu, smiling, in the game.

Waiter: Yes, Sir. Coming Mr Secombe.

Harry: I haven't got time to eat today. I'll just have a bill, please.

Waiter: How big would you like it, Mr Secombe, sir?

Harry: What would you suggest?

Waiter: Twenty-Seven pounds velly good today.

Harry: Splendid. That's sounds right to me. I'll have that. And while I'm waiting I'll have lunch.

Heartbreak Radio

More often than not, when the "afternoon play" comes on Radio 4, I switch off a few minutes into the show. I have always appreciated R4, but have had an aversion to their plays since I was a child. A recent exception was the profoundly disturbing Afternoon Play yesterday. This slot is billed as presenting plays that will "delight and surprise" - but this did neither, rather it was unsettling, infuriating and appalling - for all the right reasons.

The Jonestown Letters told the true story of two sisters who ended their lives in the People Temple mass suicide of 1978, through letters sent between the sisters and their parents (who were not cult members and harboured some suspicions about Jim Jones and his organisation). The story of how two normal, happy, well-intentioned young people became recruited and devotees of the cult is shocking; their absolute unquestioning devotion to Jones deeply frightening - and the horrible end to the story is deeply, deeply sad.

The editing and reading of these letters (as well as real interviews with the 3rd sister who did not get involved) was done very well indeed; the complexity and humanity of the girls shone through, even as the plot descended into ever more impenetrable darkness. The final scene, which uses the infamous audio recording of Jones' from the suicide itself was chilling.

While obvious lessons about the need for questioning, the danger of self-promoters and personality cults, mind-control, and cults with weird doctrines are there -this play wasn't primarily about such judgements. Rather, it lamented the bereaved, the lost, the suffering, and the tragedy of the whole affair. Quite compelling radio, on the BBC iPlayer for six more days.

Call Me Cynical But.....

So Russel Brand has quit, and Jonathan Ross is suspended following their on-air schoolboy prank which got a bit out of hand, at the weekend. Full of regret and remorse, they have issued apologies which their victim has accepted. Their explanation is that they are zany live performers, who are edgy, daring, creative and given to outbursts of uncontrollable wildness - wherever it leads.

But wait a minute. Isn't there more likely to be another side to this?

Why is it that Elton John can walk through an airport terminal completely calmly, without having a tantrum at journalists - except when he has a new album out? Simply because it propels him and his new product onto the front pages.

Brand, for his part has built his career on being ousted from jobs for being too outrageous, only to be offered bigger jobs once the furore has died down. Quietly putting out a weekly show on Radio 2 for a few years was never going to be his next career move, in fact it would have destroyed the volatile image he is trying to project. As for Jonathan Ross, I don't think I am being too cynical to suggest that this was merely a shocking piece of marketing. The day before this piece was recorded, Ross released a new book entitled "Why do I say these things?" the cover of which features a monkey putting its hand over his mouth to prevent him getting into trouble. I don't think I am being too cynical to suggest that the timing of this little scandal and the release of his scandal-book are entirely unrelated. The fact that the offending sections were pre-recorded, passed by editors and spliced into a live programme, demonstrates the extent of the planning involved in the whole thing. The fact that it has escalated to being mentioned in parliament, and is on the front page of every Tabloid, must be making Ross chuckle - as Tesco's heavily market his £25/hardback in shiny display packaging at the entrances to all their stores.

So if you thought Brand and Ross' stunts were rather pathetic. Don't start by writing to the BBC, don't complain to your MP, just avoid buying the wretched tie-in book.

Links

Lins has posted a couple of links related to the Garry Brotherston song I posted (below), but as you may have seen from the comments page the links were unmanageably long.

The links he was trying to post are as follows:

Garry's Album Reviewed: here

&

An article about Garry: here.

thanks Lins!

Perspective in two seconds

Elaine Storkey's "Thought for the Day" on Radio 4 caught me by surprise. I was driving somewhere and waited for the usual bland thoughtfortheday platitudes to wash over me, but was surprised when the message was different from the standard 'on the whole it's better to be nice' and 'being nasty isn't a good idea' excercises in S.B.O.* which are their standard fare. Storkey, who is the President of TEARfund spoke about the 'economics of enough' - and the text of her talk is here.

Two things have made me unable to forget Storkey's talk. The first is that during the summer, one of our church members was inspired by it to research the area further and base a service around it, adding not just a lot more facts, but biblical and theological reflection on it too. The second is that I have just discovered a website which brings a sense of perspective to these issues in two seconds flat. The Global Rich List is a simple but effective little device. You type your income and currency in, and the graphic shows you where you are in the world's wealth ladder. The results, although I suppose predictable, are a quick and shocking restoration of perspective at a time when accelerating inflation, rising taxes, fuel, food and utility bills and falling assets, make us overly concerned with our own margins at the expense of the bigger picture.

So try it - click here and see where you fall in the world's rich-list, it takes about 2 seconds.

* stating the bleedin' obvious

Ancient History

Having studied so much Modern History, my knowledge of Ancient History is rather woeful. Once in a while though I come across something about the ancient world which grabs my attention. This week's In Our Time, about the findings of the archaeological dig which revealed the remains of the Great Library of Nineveh - was brilliant. While 90% of this, the ancient world's greatest collection of books, was destroyed when the Assyrian Empire fell to the Medes and the Babylonians - some has survived. It seems that the Medes (who cared little for such things) burned the palaces in which the library was kept. In so doing they burnt the wax-covered boards on which most of the texts were etched. However, they also inadvertently fired the soft clay tablets on which around 10% of the works were imprinted, saving them for posterity under the rubble.

These were discovered in 1849 by Henry Lanyard a English amateur archaeologist, who couldn't read the texts but shipped them to London. Here the language was deciphered which unlocked enormous new insights into several ancient civilisations, unlocking how they viewed the world, magic, religion, medicine, kingship and government, agriculture, mythology.. which are surveyed in 40 very good minutes of radio. The perfect accompaniment to my Dopiaza!

Listen Again/podcast etc here (Next week it's "Black Death!")

More Pod Fuel!

I posted recently on a number of good things available as podcasts these days and how much I was enjoying several of them, here. Recent weeks has led to the addition of a number of useful subscriptions (all free I might add!). In what is listed I have added direct links to the provider - but all of these listed as podcasts can be found directly through iTunes too.

The BBC has the usually excellent, "From Our Own Correspondent" now available, this week featuring more from Iraq - on the quality of daily life being experienced by ordinary Baghdadi's.

Great Speeches in History, is an excellent little podcast which raids the sound archives every fortnight to add a, sometimes crackly recording, of a momentous speech. Recently they have made available the iconic "I have a dream" from Martin Luther King Jr, Churchill's first public broadcast as Prime Minister, vowing to resist Nazi oppression as German tanks roll across an as yet still resisting France, and the speech at the UN inaugurating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All fascinating stuff.

Endlessly Restless drew my attention to one of the Sunday sermons given at HTB in London (the place my wife and I attended The Marriage Course training) - and there's been some things of interest there.

The BBC is now podcasting not only news bulletins,but also local and regional news bulletins too. Tayside and Central has its own regular five minute news summary, and BBC Radio Scotland has its outdoors programme Scotland Outdoors up there too.

Not on the podcast front, but free audio downloads, Tim Keller in New York has a new series of talks outlining his approach to Christian Apologetics, which are the basis of his new book, "Reason for God". These are a thoughtful and considered discussion of Christian orthodoxy, and why he finds it coherent - in the light of the cultural questions posed by post modernity. The download page is here.

Podcasts

The Onion News Network produces news coverage of this quality every day! Their high-quality investigative reporting is now available on podcast too, so I look forward to their insights being delivered to my computer regularly.

I have also discovered thay there a number of other good podcasts around, which I use to top-up my iPod for long journeys, here'a a few I have enjoyed recently:

"Radio 4 Friday Night Comedy": The 6:30pm slot on radio 4 is bundled as a single podcast, and the current series it downloads is "The Newsquiz". Many laughs this week including this from Jeremy Hardy: "I was told I should live every day as if it were my last....... so I have spent most of today lying in bed, gently drifting in and out of consciousness!"

A number of Radio4's documentary and factual programmea are now downloadable as well, including Thinking Allowed, and In Our Time - both of which are time well spent. Sadly R4 have decided not to podcast Michael Rosen's charming Word of Mouth series nor the scurrillous Down the Line.

A good new-music podcast that I subscribe to is "Three from Leith". Every week, from his home in Leith, Grant Mason previews the work of new or unsigned bands, and strings it together with his personal ramblings.

The Blogs of War

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/pip/ruqlt/

The BBC has broadcast a deeply revealing documentary on Radio 4 called "Iraq Online". It reveals the way that the present ghastly conflict in Iraq is being reported daily by soldiers blogging from the front line - a completely new development in the long history of war-reporting.

Some of the soldiers blogs are factual, some political, some subversive and shut down by the military. I was not surprised to hear these, what shocked me was some of the gung-ho patriotic bloggers whose appetite for violence was admitted without any self-censorship, let alone shame.

This is worth listening to while it is still avaiable on the BBC's 'listen-again' service. Many of the blogs featured in the programme can be found by typing 'Iraq Blog' into Google.

Iraq's pain is captured all over the internet. Photos such as these are too distressing to comprehend.