This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Mon BBCR3 22.30 ~ 23.00
* Artist Focus
The genre busting Brodsky Quartet are featured

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Death & Taxes
Beatles, Prince Buster and Bukka White feature in this week's themed show; by turns surreal, funny and informative.

* Jazz Library
Art Ensemble Of Chicago
Fri BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00

* Jazz On Three
Sessions from groups based around James Allsopp and Tim Giles.


TV For Grown-Ups

Tues BBC2 23.20 ~ 23.50
* The Beatles In Help!
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Fabs' second Richard Lester-directed film. (The movie is shown on BBC2 on Saturday at 19.50pm.) Not generally revered here at MfGU, but this is from a simpler, more optimistic and innocent time and does feature some of the Four's better tunes, especially the Dylan-esque You Got To Hide Your Love Away.

Tues BBC4 22.30 ~ 23.45
* New York Doll
A repeat of probably the best music-related programme I have ever seen. It follows the almost childlike Arthur 'Killer' Kane coming together with the remaining members of The New York Dolls to play Morrissey's Meltdown Festival a couple of years ago. Sadly funny, life-affirming and ultimately sadder than sad, you don't have to be a fan of The NYDs (and I'm not) to enjoy this. Please trust me here, this is superb and if you're not weeping by the end, you've a heart harder than Maggie Thatcher.

Tues BBC4 223.45 ~ 01.20
* Gimme Shelter
The shocking events at Altamont end, and ultimately define, the ‘60s. The Rolling Stones watch shocked as events unfurl before them and spiral out of their control.

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 20.30
* European Roots
1920s sword dancing from Czechoslvakia is looked at and brought up-to-date.

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Transatlantic Sessions 3
Last in the series; one can't help but feel that perhaps it's run its course. Many seem terribly smug and content to coast. Paul Brady's voice is no longer what it was. Phil Cunningham does his best, as does the ever-smiling Sharon Shannon, and Michael McGoldrick looks interested. My crack about Joan Osbourne in the first preview of this series has turned round to haunt me: she has been by far the best of the lot with impassioned vocal performances.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
Legends: Jacques Brel ~ Ne Me Quitte Pas.
The intense Belgian singer/songwriter is the subject of this week's doc in the excellent Legends strand. Long feted by rock stars such as Bowie, Scott Walker, Marc Almond, Alex Harvey and, er, Petula Clark, his songs were dark, odd and mesmeric.



BONUS TRACKS: this week's best non-music broadcasts

The Sopranos (E4, Sundays and repeats Tuesdays) reaches the end of its seven year road. It will be long remembered as one of the best, if not THE best, TV drama series ever screened.

Tuesday ~ the last Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe (BBC FOUR) for this series; he'll have a best of year at Xmas. One of the funniest shows on TV. Also, of course, HIGNFY on Friday evenings is still essential viewing (though I prefer Saturday's repeat with an extra 10 minutes).

Tuesday BBC1 11.45pm ~ Walter Hill-directed The Long Riders is pick of the week's movies ~ a re-telling of the Jesse James legend, with a score from Ry Cooder.