EDITED BY MATT YATES

JOHN LENNON THE PIED PIPER DVD & YOKO ONO OF HÜTZOVINA Give Peace A Song SLINGSHOT ★★★★★ FABULOUS FILMS/FREMANTLE HOME ENT ★★★★★ GYPSY-PUNK STAR FENDS OFF THE STORY OF THEIR 1969 FILM-MAKER’S ADVANCES. MONTREAL “BED-IN”. In 2005, mustachioed Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz Against a backdrop of war in went on an Eastern European Vietnam and civil unrest on the jaunt in search of his Romany streets of the US, on 26 May roots with Czech fi lm-maker 1969, John and Yoko staged Pavla Fleischer. Although it is a week-long “bed-in” for peace interesting to see the Third in a Montreal hotel room in front World conditions in Ukraine’s of the world’s media. Made for Gypsy camps and Hütz Canadian TV, this documentary performing impressive recalls the event using a impromptu sets with local balanced mix of archive footage musicians, the fi lm offers little and reminiscing talking heads, insight into Hütz himself. His including Yoko herself. reluctance to give away too Ultimately all that came out of much might be because the event was the song Give Fleischer spends much of the Peace A Chance. But whether fi lm going on about how much an act of well-intentioned she fancies him – meaning naivety or self-serving media she’s less Nick Broomfi eld, manipulation, the message still more Bridget Jones – making Scott Walker: pork holds good – more’s the pity. this an opportunity missed. percussionist just EXTRAS: Interviews, press EXTRAS: Making Of out of shot. conference. ■ PETER KANE doc. ■ PHIL MONGREDIEN

ROY ORBISON THE PINK RESPECT THE ROLLING SCOTT WALKER In Dreams FLOYD AND SYD YOURSELF STONES 30 Century Man SONY/BMG VERVE PICTURES ★★★★★ BARRETT STORY The Stax Record Story The Biggest Bang ★★★★★ Q RECOMMENDS ALL-STAR TRIBUTE MVD VISUAL UNIVERSAL RST QUALITY DOCUMENTARY ★★★★★ Q RECOMMENDS ★★★★★ TO THE BIG O. ★★★★★ Q RECOMMENDS OF THE CULT SINGER. As befi ts a documentary where EVOCATIVE PORTRAIT OF ART- THE GREAT SOUL LABEL’S RAGS- FOUR-DISC DOCUMENT OF A few years ago you’d never Orbison’s widow and second ROCK’S ORIGINAL LOST BOY. TO-RICHES-TO-RAGS STORY. THEIR LATEST TOUR. have believed it; the mythical wife Barbara is executive The somewhat unpsychedelic Founded by white brother and The most reliable business Scott Walker, not only chatting producer, this is the tale of presence of Newsnight’s Kirsty sister Jim Stewart and Estelle in rock, The Rolling Stones genially about his work but a gentle, kindly soul, told in Wark as narrator betrays this Axton in Memphis 50 years ago, grossed more than $500 million letting a camera crew into the sanitised fashion. So, while fi lm’s origins as part of the BBC’s Stax rose from its inception from their A Bigger Bang Tour. studio while his percussionist the fi rst Mrs Orbison’s fatal Omnibus strand. No UFO-style as a tiny country label to In every sense, they are a punches a side of pork for last U2: ‘The world’s motorcycle crash is passed over freakout, then, but it tells the become the soundtrack of black singular phenomenon. The year’s The Drift album. But here greatest showband.’ in a brief montage of newspaper story of “The” Pink Floyd’s late consciousness. Its story of love, Biggest Bang holds fast to their it is, a smartly assembled, cuttings, more time is given founder member and reclusive trust, respect, guns, excess, long-held ethos that bigger careful retelling of how a golden- to various parties revealing cult drug casualty Syd Barrett betrayal and bankruptcy is is indeed better. Four discs voiced titan of ‘60s pop made just how great Barbara is. Even in touchingly sober detail. All liberally garnished with amazing stretching to a cheek-numbing four stunning solo albums, lost so, Orbison’s voice remains of Pink Floyd recall their absent live footage of acts such as The fi ve hours-plus running time, it his nerve and went MOR, and uniquely affecting and he bandmate, while Graham Staple Singers, Otis Redding and includes three complete gigs (a fi nally elected to descend to the dominates his own posthumous Coxon and Robyn Hitchcock Isaac Hayes. Everyone denies it free show to two million people underworld of the avant-garde. U2 show, one where Bono sounds offer loving fan perspectives was their fault Stax went under, on Rio’s Copacabana Beach With lashings of archival footage atypically humble, Bruce on the beautiful madcap. but to their credit no one denies among them) and a slick, if and interviews with such EXTRAS: Extended interviews exploiting the gravy train. Two unrevealing tour documentary. PopMart Live From Mexico City ISLAND Springsteen awestruck and collaborators and admirers as Robert Plant gives vocal credit with Roger Waters and Dave extra discs feature the stunning As has become the Stones’ David Bowie and Jarvis Cocker, where vocal credit is due. Gilmour, performances from Stax revue tour from 1967 and an norm, the whole is precision- it’s highly recommended. ★★★★★ Q RECOMMENDS EXTRAS: An eight-track CD Hitchcock and Coxon, Barrett extended biography of Redding. drilled but perfunctory. EXTRAS: Director’s featuring Orbison at Batley biography, reproduction Quality viewing. EXTRAS: Additional footage commentary, interviews, full ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The one starring a giant lemon. Better than you remember. Variety Club. JOHN AIZLEWOOD memorabilia. VICTORIA SEGAL EXTRAS: None. ANDY FYFE and extra tracks. PAUL REES song animation. IAN HARRISON

he overblown tour of an underachieving is best exemplifi ed by its 40-foot high mirror- doubtless many of the audience appreciated. album, PopMart is the elephant in U2’s ball lemon, out of which the four members Pop songs such as Gone and Last Night On TELEVISION MUSIC ON THE BOX THIS MONTH Troom. Nothing is surer to put Bono on the of U2 would emerge each night (except in Earth benefi t from muscular treatment, while defensive or to send Larry Mullen’s eyes rolling Sydney, Oslo and Osaka, when the hydraulics there are the usual U2 live staples of cringe Marc Bolan: Singing With The Enemy than mention of their band’s 1997/8 world tour, jammed). When pitched at such a gargantuan (Bono: “Thank you for giving us a good life”), BBC Three, 25 September 20th Century Boy ★★★★★ a monumentally ambitious scale, rock’n’roll inevitably courts poignancy (One dedicated to the then ITV1, TBC ★★★★★ MUSIC MEETS REALITY TV. production that cost $250,000 Fact File the farcical elements so acutely recently deceased Michael Hutchence) and This six-part series is the music equivalent of Wife MR GLAM ROCK EULOGISED. a day, featured the world’s parodied by Spinal Tap; U2’s the sheer euphoria that occurs when the Swap. A “wholesome all-girl pop band” are forced KEY TRACKS: This month marks the 30th anniversary of glam to collaborate with a “misogynistic death metal largest video screen and saw Pop Muzik saving grace here is their world’s greatest showband hits its stride. rock pin-up Marc Bolan’s untimely death in a car group”; a “sleazy sex-obsessed punk band” share its architects taking hits Last Night On Earth willingness to acknowledge the For all the contention their success accident. This documentary features interviews a house with “an evangelical Christian group”; and, Discothèque with producer Tony Visconti, early manager Simon to both pocket and ego. absurdity of the scheme. On provokes, when the surface dazzle subsides, perhaps most amusingly, East London Nathan EXTRAS: Bonus disc with Napier-Bell, son Rolan Bolan and long-term Insuffi ciently rehearsed for a Lemon For Sale, one of Disc 2’s U2 stand or fall on their ability to punch Barley types meet a boy band centred on the extra tracks, docs, promo girlfriend Gloria Jones, driver on that fateful night. cousin of Antony Costa from Blue. tour of an album that was never clips, DVD-ROM features. bonus documentaries, potential above their weight as a harder-working- properly fi nished, this chastening RELEASE DATE: new owners are sought for the than-most rock group. Which means that 10 September Mercury Prize Transmission With experience profoundly now redundant mechanical fruit. even a merely fair U2 concert fi lm is better BBC 4, 4 September infl uenced U2’s subsequent “It takes three adults and a child,” than most. ■ KEITH CAMERON ★★★★★ T-Mobile musical direction, but the sense that both says the ever mischievous Adam Clayton. HIGH-PROFILE AWARDS CEREMONY REVAMPED. Channel 4, TBC Pop and PopMart are ripe for reappraisal has Key Scene Jo Whiley and Jools Holland present live coverage ★★★★★ lingered in certain corners of the band’s camp. ven on this reduced scale, PopMart from this year’s Mercury Prize. In a departure from POST-PUB FRIDAY NIGHT VIEWING. Midway through an previous events, nearly all the shortlisted bands Steve Jones and Lauren Laverne return to host It seems clearer than ever from this two- Live… is a perspective-scrambling orgy acoustic version of Desire, Bono forgets the words. will perform prior to the announcement of the the second series of this late-night music disc DVD that in their haste to trump 1992/3’s Eof smoke, mirrors, silly costumes and Edge starts laughing but winner. With Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, magazine programme featuring live performances Zoo TV extravaganza, U2 erred on the side of very bright lights. The visual gags, like the continues until Bono The View and Klaxons all nominated, there’s and interviews. Previous guests include The View, surface dazzle. For all its pretensions to ironic ascent of man from ape to supermarket- eventually gives up. potential for a show-stopping line-up. Can Alex Kasabian, The Fratellis and a memorably caustic Marc Bolan: there goes [52mins 53secs] Turner’s mob do the double? interview with Fall frontman Mark E Smith. another fl amingo.

social comment on consumer culture, the show trolley-pushing drone, are smarter than REX,PA PHOTO

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