That fucking Amarillo song

[Dudie]

By the way I've just been re-reading Adrian Mole from Minor to Major and there is definitely certain similarities to some posts on here. Maybe SophieBloke you should write in to the BBC. The name of the bloke Adrian writes to is John Tydeman.

[Tim]

aldo said:

Can you please get over the fact that not everybody agrees with you? If you're all as mature as you claim to be, stop throwing hissy fits like 6 year old girls just cos someone has another opinion.

I can't see anyone having a hissy fit, aldo. What we're having is a debate. And we're conducting it in a far more mature way than the grownups do in parliament so there's nothing of the six year old about it (why it should specifically be a six year old girl I'm not quite sure). Just not agreeing or disagreeing is not the issue. An opinion unchallenged isn't an opinion at all. I want to know the reasons behind people's opinions so I question and challenge.
Why did Sophie disappear and come back as a newly named guest?

[Dudie]

Tim said:

I
Why did Sophie disappear and come back as a newly named guest?

Maybe it's a cunning disguise.

[Chris]

Has she left?

[BabyClyde]

Tim said:

Well, I'd heard of him. Someone on this board even got very excited that he was touring

That would be me Timbo and I'm really excited. Lucked out and got some cancellations. 3 really good tickets right in the middle Row 5. Going on the 7th of April. Apparently it's been sold out for weeks.

Tony Christie is genius. He sings songs with stories about revenge killings (I Did What I Did For Maria) and drunk driving (Drive Safely Darling). What more could you want. Britains greatest ever male artist in my opinion (And I'm not being ironic)

[jud]

BabyClyde said:

Tony Christie is genius. He sings songs with stories about revenge killings (I Did What I Did For Maria) and drunk driving (Drive Safely Darling). What more could you want. Britains greatest ever male artist in my opinion (And I'm not being ironic)

Track listings for Tony Christie's current 'Definitive Collection' album -

1. (Is This The Way To) Amarillo (Single Version)
2. Avenues And Alleyways
3. Las Vegas
4. Solitaire
5. Happy Birthday Baby
6. I Did What I Did For Maria (Single Version)
7. Drive Safely Darlin'
8. On This Night Of A Thousand Stars
9. Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast
10. Most Beautiful Girl
11. Don't Go Down To Reno
12. The Way We Were
13. So Deep Is The Night
14. Didn't We
15. You've Lost That Loving Feelin'
16. Home Loving Man
17. Walk Like A Panther (7" Version)
18. Vienna Sunday
19. Loving You
20. Almost in love
21. A Street Of Broken Dreams

[aldo]

I've re-read this whole topic, and I just wanted to note, me and Sophie are arguing about totally different things

My argument: The Office is bollocks

Her argument: Something unclear about being clever (?)

Just so that nobody gets too confused, wanted to make it clear.

[Mr Subways]

I think British comedy just annoys me in general, I can't fucking STAND Little Britian (it's just guys dressed as idiots talking with thier tounge hanging out thier mouth!), I'd love to punch Peter Kay, Ricky Gervais irritates me, and thier TV shows just bored me to very long, hot tears!

I have no idea why this is, and I'll wait for your comments about having no sense of humour.

[SuperFunTastic]

Mr said:

I think British comedy just annoys me in general, I can't fucking STAND Little Britian (it's just guys dressed as idiots talking with thier tounge hanging out thier mouth!), I'd love to punch Peter Kay, Ricky Gervais irritates me, and thier TV shows just bored me to very long, hot tears!

I have no idea why this is, and I'll wait for your comments about having no sense of humour.

All British comedy? I mean, I love Little Britain, think Peter Kay is pretty funny etc., but I can see why it wouldn't appeal to some people's taste/sense of humour. But you truly don't have a sense of humour if you don't find anything funny in (and are annoyed by) Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Not the Nine O Clock News, Hancock's Half Hour, Monty Python... and all other British comedy ever made.

Oh wait and to bring something of the topic back into this message - I bought the Amarillo song and think it is very good.

[Tim]

Mr said:

I think British comedy just annoys me in general, I can't fucking STAND Little Britian (it's just guys dressed as idiots talking with thier tounge hanging out thier mouth!), I'd love to punch Peter Kay, Ricky Gervais irritates me, and thier TV shows just bored me to very long, hot tears!

I have no idea why this is, and I'll wait for your comments about having no sense of humour.

Do you think it's possible you may have been born without a certain nerve connection to whatever it is that makes us laugh at comedy? Many people have it with music - just a complete disconnection where they're unable to be moved by it. There's a fantastic Marge Simpson quote: "Music is none of my business". But it's less common with comedy.
The people who don't enjoy the popular comedies always tend to break them down to what they see as the core components to explain why they don't find it funny. But it's possible to do that with everything and make it seem rubbish: Eating = just chewing up a load of plants and animal bits till they're small enough to drop into our stomachs, what's that all about? Reading = just looking at lists of words that someone else has written about things that probably didn't happen, what's the point? Sex = just a load of . . . well anyway, you get the idea.
Why is it funny when Del Boy falls through the bar? It isn't funny if you write down what happens. But when it happens on TV it is - to most of us. And in a very instinctive and gut based way. Comedy unlike music doesn't define us or link us to a social group so I think the responses to it are usually more genuine and honest than those to music.
To enjoy comedy it's essential to be able to suspend your disbelief and enter into a receptiveness of the ideas, concepts, surprises, patterns and rhythms.
The comedy you describe that you hate works on so many levels. The instant gratification of slapstick or the comforting laughs of recognition right through to the laughs that stem from both pathos and malice. And on top of all that the joy at invention and creation which is where all three of those you mentioned excel. Sometimes I find myself just laughing in wonder at their minds. I think it's a real shame you don't feel any of that. All they're trying to do is make you laugh and instead you feel hatred and violent urges toward them. That's quite peculiar don't you think? And a true mystery.

[Dudie]

I heard that they have just released their own 'the Office' in the States and that it was apparently very good and the audience found it very funny. I wondered if it would translate over there as appreciation of irony is less strong (to put it nicely).

I agree with Tim. There are so many facets to the classic comedies such as Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses etc I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get any of them.

[Tim]

Dudie said:

I heard that they have just released their own 'the Office' in the States and that it was apparently very good and the audience found it very funny. I wondered if it would translate over there as appreciation of irony is less strong (to put it nicely).

Everyone in the UK has been slagging it off. I saw the pilot months ago and think it's just fine. Obviously it doesn't come close to the original but if you'd never seen that then you'd be thinking "Hey, here's a really great new US sitcom in the tradition of Larry Sanders and Curb Your Enthusiasm." All they've changed are the cultural references, the character names and a couple of characters where there was no US equivalent (Gareth for example is just an uptight guy rather than the wonderful complex fan of tiny tanks and talking biscuit barrels). But the scripts are the same, the timing is the same, even the shots have been matched fairly closely. The jelly scene was identical in tension as they all stand around trying to think of new puns. It was almost spooky because it was so familiar yet, at the same time, new. I think the internet critics have been overly harsh. It's as good as it could be under the circumstances.
That said, I can't see it working over there because it's just too subtle. The only people who'd get it would already be fans of the UK version, rendering the remake redundant.
They have the glorious Arrested Development though so they don't need it.

[audrey potnoodlehorne]

I read today that the first airing of the US Office was pretty successful. It sounds rather cool, I'd really like to see it. The stereotype that Americans don't 'do' irony really makes me cringe. It's the kind of thing people say in the pub when they can't think of anything else to say. There's some amazing American comedy, obviously Seinfield and Curb are at the top of the pile, but their sitcoms regularly rule ass (apart from ones starring Brandy).

There's a lot of British comedy I can't be bothered with, there have been some pretty rubbish excuses for sit coms in my time and of course Jasper Carrot in general, but there is also a plethora of rib-ticklin' magnificence.

This might sound a bit cheesy, but making people laugh is the mark of a genius as far as I'm concerned (although I wouldn't want Matt Lucas to perform surgery on me or Vic Reeves to teach my non-existent kids quantum physics).

Hmm I do think that Peter Kay has become a bit of a one-trick pony with his "oh isn't old skool working class culture great?" approach, but he does have his moments... in fact he's good at showing off the rest of the cast, hats off to that.

[Chris]

Everyone seems to hate it over at IMDB and it was panned by critics as a poor imitation of the BBC original but if it gets the rating's I guess NBC (desperate for hits now Friends/Frasier are gone) won't mind.

[jacko]

It sold another 260k this week, so over 1/2 million in 2 weeks, love or hate it, its good news for Comic Relief.

[BabyClyde]

audrey said:

It sounds rather cool, I'd really like to see it.

Apparently it's going to be on BBC3 in a few weeks.

[audrey potnoodlehorne]

Can I just say though that I'd rather have Tony Christie belting out Amarillo and Peter Kay bouncing around than be subjected to ANOTHER FUCKING ELVIS SINGLE. I mean, we've heard them all before, from what I can deduce it's a cynical marketing thing. Credit where it's due to 'Vis etc but it's getting a bit tedious week after week.

Not a fan of the re-release as a concept, but if it has to be done, it helps if it's not something I've heard a zillion times before anyway and that everyone who's buying it already owns.

[Ms Pouty McPout Pout]

My Grandma loves Tony Christie. She wants my Mum to go to the used CD store and buy his Greatest Hits for her.

My Grandma's old, she loves Tony Christie. Therefore Tony Christie must be old.

I know I contributed nothing to the discussion, but I felt I should say that.

And I know nothing about this song. I've heard it once, and that was when it was No.1 and they showed the video on CD:UK (which we get here).

[Miss Mackenzie]

Amarillo is ace. It's one of those skanky old songs that your mum listened to that you never thought you'd hear again, and it's now acceptable to hum it to yourself on the bus because everyone knows what you're singing. It's also great for karaoke, I have tried and tested this theory in the last two weeks.

And if we're discussing comedy value as well- Peter Kay i a comic genius and to anyone who thinks otherwise may I suggest you all go out and buy the Phoenix Nights Series 1 and 2 DVD boxset. Ta.

[nicole]

I hate this song now! It was good back when it was first released but now its been so overplayed it's annoying

[lysdexic]

I heard a good joke today..

Doctor: What's the problem Mrs Smith?

Mrs Smith: Everytime I use the toilet, as soon as I pull down my panties, all I hear is "Is this the way to Amarillo" coming from 'down there'

Doctor: Don't worry about it. Every cunt is humming that now.

[flum]

And what was the good joke you heard?

[Pierre]

I quite like the song, to be honest. But I only hear 1 minute of it every week at the end of TOTP so it's not exactly overplayed for me.

(The Happy Mondays look a bit ridiculous on the video though)