Celebrity Jukebox #131: David Lynch

The owls are not what they seem.

The term "genius" is often mis-applied, but in my book it's never been more appropriately used than when used to describe writer and director David Lynch. 

This whole world's wild at heart and weird on top.

Much will be written about Lynch's legacy in the world of film and TV, and there's little point in me adding to that other than to say that he was responsible for one of my all time favourite TV shows (two if you count the sequel, which was a very different proposition... and a lot of people couldn't get behind that, but I did) and some of the most affecting, thought-provoking and visionary (another term that rarely gets used appropriately) movies I've ever seen. 

Why are there people like Frank? Why is there so much trouble in this world?

His death leaves a big hole. Even though he struggled to get funding to make his films over the last few years, I still held out hope we'd see more from him one way or another. And now he's gone. Another hero of my youth lost to the reaper.

People are frightened by what they don't understand.

Here are some tunes in tribute...

Julee Cruise - Falling

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

David Lynch & Lykke Li - I'm Waiting Here

Car Seat Headrest - David Lynch Versus The Moon

Surfer Blood - Twin Peaks

Surf Curse - Fire Walk With Me

Sharon Van Etten - Tarifa

Bastille - Laura Palmer

Thank you, Mr. Lynch. You made scared, you made me laugh, you made me think, you made me feel. And you made some damn fine coffee.

In Heaven, everything is fine.

Snapshots #379 - A Top Twelve Songs About Different Times Of The Day

What's your favourite time of day?

Whatever your answer, we've got a song for it...

12. Make a liar out of a graduate director.

The director of The Graduate was Mike Nichols. He didn't direct Billy Liar.

Billy Nicholls - Daytime Girl 

11. Baseball playing nun.

Swing Out Sister - Twilight World

10. Join the Anti-RAF ranks and fight for a less confused world!

"Anti-RAF ranks" was an obvious anagram...

Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

9. Carpenter bonds with fifth. 

Karen Carpenter meets the 5th Bond... Timothy Dalton. (For those of you who thought Dalton was the fourth Bond... you forgot David Niven.)

Karen Dalton - In The Evening (It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best)

8. Leaders of the Funky Bunch split up.

Markey Mark was the leader of the Funky Bunch. I'm sure you knew that.

The Mar-Keys - About Noon

Or you could have had...

The Mar-Keys - Last Night

7. A hunting rifle.

Flintlock - Dawn

6.  Majors, Frank, Los Angeles, one laugh, three quarters of a vase.

Damn hard to come up with a clue for her, but... Lee (Majors), Anne (Frank), LA, HA!, Vas-.

Lianne La Havas - Midnight

5. Visit the Taylor & Womack Cleansing Spa.

Let James (Taylor) and Bobby (Womack) Purify you...

James & Bobby Purify - Morning Glory

4. 5c change.

You'll be wanting a nickel back.

Nickelback - This Afternoon

3. Nirvana play one's opus.

Nirvana is heaven. Our #1 act today sang Opus 17.

 Heaven 17 - Sunset Now

2. Throwaway storytelling.

Pulp fiction...

Pulp - Sunrise

1. Artichokes, tomatoes and basil, mushrooms, ham and olives.

All the ingredients of a quattro stagioni... or a four seasons pizza.

I would have allowed...

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Dawn

But the real #1 answer is this...

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night 

More Snapshots next Saturday... from 8.30 in the morning.

Saturday Snapshots #379

I tried to put together a Top Ten Songs About The Simpsons this week, but failed miserably. I did find one song that mentioned Homer and one that mentioned Marge, but then I was stuck with Do The Bartman and after that, a whole lot of not much. D'oh! 

Count yourself lucky then to have the much easier selection below to identify. 

But how are they linked? It's nothing to do with Springfield...

12. Make a liar out of a graduate director.

11. Baseball playing nun.

10. Join the Anti-RAF ranks and fight for a less confused world!

9. Carpenter bonds with fifth. 

8. Leaders of the Funky Bunch split up.

7. A hunting rifle.

6.  Majors, Frank, Los Angeles, one laugh, three quarters of a vase.

5. Visit the Taylor & Womack Cleansing Spa.

4. 5c change.

3. Nirvana play one's opus.

2. Throwaway storytelling.

1. Artichokes, tomatoes and basil, mushrooms, ham and olives.

Answers tomorrow.

Mid-Life Crisis Songs #119: Stumbling Down Memory Lane

I used to have heroes
Now they're dropping like flies
I used to have friends
But they were old school ties
I'm so tired of the ugliness
And I have seen it all
I'm so tired of the hurt in my heart
And I can't stand tall
I must be getting old, I'm missing everything
Don't follow me, I'm stumbling
Down Memory Lane

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Byrsdy jangle of Librarians With Hickeys.

Sequel Songs #1: Two Pints Of Lager

Some time ago, I began making a list of songs which were sequels to earlier songs... occasionally by the artist who did the original, but often by a completely different act. Initially I thought this would make a good Saturday Snapshots, but as the list grew I realised it would be quite a tricky one... and there were far too many good tunes to waste on a throwaway edition of the quiz.

And so, devoid of much inspiration for ways to keep this blog going beyond the tent-pegs on Tuesday and Saturday, I thought I'd make Sequel Songs a series. Starting with Two Pints Of Lager... and a Packet of Crisps.

Of course, everyone here will know the original version by Kentish ambassadors of "punk pathetique", Splodgenessabounds...

   

You're probably also aware that the song inspired a long-running BBC sitcom starring Will Mellor, Sheridan Smith and Ralph Little. 

However, you may not have heard this sequel, released late last year by promising Norwich five-piece Bag of Cans.

Not being a drinker, I don't spend a lot of time in pubs these days (you're far more likely to find me in a coffee shop), but I still think this is a worthy update. Those of you more familiar with propping up a bar or two might find it painfully accurate...