No no GC hasn’t gone all Pete Tong. Welcome to my guide to things in life you really can’t miss out on. Ok so my taste isn’t to everybody else’s, but frankly I’m pretty cool and you can be to if you follow these few recommendations.
You should be listening to: Jamie Cullum – These are the days/ Frontin.
Everybody’s on about the pop jazz pixie at the moment and he’s on the crest of the new jazz wave. He’s good and his first commercial single release, a double A-side monumentally confirms this fact. You could buy it for These are the days, a smooth upbeat pop orientated number written by his brother Ben. Or you could and should buy it for Jamie’s version of Pharrell Williams’s Frontin. If you haven’t heard this yet (it was
Key Cullum Songs: Frontin. Lover You Should Have. What A Difference A Day Makes. High And Dry.
You should be watching: I’m Alan Partridge Series 1 and 2.
Yes I know, I know, you are probably well aware of the comic genius that’s Steve Coogans career high point. But it’s been a while since Series 2 aired and the DVD’s are probably sat on your Ikea storage system gathering dust. So why not reacquaint yourself with Mr saddddddddd and the voice of Norfolk Nights. My whole renewed obsession with Alan started on New Years Day when unable to move from the sofa for fear of my body falling apart after the previous evenings mayhem, (think drink and 2 foot of snow in Leeds city centre), Alan’s box set got stuck on the DVD for a 8 hour marathon viewing session accompanied by left over booze and kettle chips. Since then it’s been on at least once a week, even to the point where I like to fall asleep to it. Why is this? Simply because it’s just one of the best comedies to have graced our television screens in the last decade. Take particular notice of Alan’s long suffering assistant Lynn’s facial expressions in most of the episodes or Alan’s nonchalance at losing his Dolmio Pasta Gravy Sauce deal …”Let it go”. These little subtleties go almost unnoticed against the more obvious jokes but they make the show for me. Aim to insert into every conversation an Alananism, “Jackanackanory” or “Kiss my face” particularly bemuse. Special recognition goes to the episode in Series 2 entitled The Colour Of Alan. Rejoice as Alan falls off a sofa “You gotta laugh”, gets offended at a South African’s colourful language “Well there’s no need for that” and gravely injures himself “Lynn I’ve pierced me foot on a spike”.
Delight your partner by presenting them with some scatter love cushions or a Daily Express “Oooo it’s a good paper” and if they don’t get it then dump them promptly for you know it would never work.
Key Coogan Moments: The Day Today. I’m Alan Partridge Series one and two.
You should be reading: Bill Bryson.
I can’t recommend Mr Bryson enough. To say I’m a big fan is well… accurate. I guess my favourite book would be Notes From A Small Island, the first work of Bill’s that I purchased some years back. It’s depiction of nuances and filled with obscure facts about this little island we inhabit and it should strike home with anybody who’s travelled sufficiently enough round Britain to “get” what Bill’s going on about. Even if your knowledge of the UK extends to the end of your street then you should find it amusing and possibly inspiring enough to make you want to see the places for yourself. Of course it’s all done with an incredible sardonic style that you don’t normally expect to find in an American. Well Bill did live here for some twenty years, most recently in North Yorkshire before he and his family moved back to New England and his affection for all things British is clear in his ramblings. Be amused at his opinions on the rampant consumer advertising and sponsorship here…for instance one day we can look forward to “Mitsubishi Corporation proudly presents Regents Park”. Agree vehemently at his disgust and I’m with Bill on this one, with the proximity of Milton Keynes train station to Milton Keynes centre. In fact does Milton Keynes even have a centre? Discuss at length amongst yourselves.
Whether you’ve travelled extensively or not, even if you think you wouldn’t like “travel literature” I urge you to pick up one of his many works if you haven’t already. For this isn’t really travel literature in the strictest sense, more the amusing musings of a man who is par excellence at observing the foibles of human nature and the environments around it.
Key Bryson Works: Notes From A Small Island. The Lost Continent. Down Under.
You Should Worship: Owen Wilson
He may have starred in Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights with the “amusing” martial artiste that is Jackie Chan, but despite this he’s still cool. He may have appeared alongside the Affleck in preposterous end of world cheese fest Armageddon, but he’s still cool. His nose has been broken several times and his hair is unfeasably blonde, he dated Sheryl Crow yet you can forgive him this for his part in the Royal Tenenbaums which he also co-wrote and produced. Yes he’s uber cool. He was kicked out of school in Texas during tenth grade for being a trouble maker and went on to sign up for classes in playwriting where he subsequently met friend and writing partner Wes Anderson. Thank the lord for this as we may never have enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums or the equally excellent Rushmore and can you get any cooler than playing streetwise cop Hutch opposite pal Ben Stiller in the big screen remake of Starksy and Hutch.
Wilson tends to bring a quirky edginess to the characters he plays. See his role in underrated thriller The Minus Man for proof and his ability to freewheel with scripts is well documented. We can talk about the likes of George Clooney being the new generation of Hollywood Players, but Owen is quietly getting on with it the background. Personally I can’t wait for the upcoming Around The World In 80 Days, now in postproduction, in which Owen stars with our very own Steve Coogan (playing Phileas himself) and yet again…Jackie Chan. How cool is that going to be?
Key Wilson Works: Permanent Midnight. Rushmore. The Minus Man. Zoolander. The Royal Tenenbaums.
Izzy Brooks.
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