Eliza Carthy On TV Again!

Subject: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Jon Roffey
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 08:41 AM

Eliza Carthy is playing LIVE tonight (Tuesday 14th October) on Later... With Jools Holland at 10pm on BBC2.

She'll be playing songs from Dreams Of Breathing Underwater and will also be on the extended broadcast which goes out on Friday 17th at 11.35pm!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 09:40 AM

Wouldn't miss it for the world.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Stu
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 09:42 AM

Thanks for the heads up!

I'm sitting listening to the signed copy I won in Colin's competition - it's superb.

I'll record the extended version on Friday.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 02:52 PM

Cheers, Jon, thanx - I'd have missed it otherwise. Let's give this thread one more teeeeensy weeeensy little bump...

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 04:12 PM

well done Eliza.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 07:27 PM

Folkies getting on telly ! Almost worth getting a set in, just for Eliza !!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 04:45 AM

I watched this programme last night and have to admit to being profoundly disappointed. Ms Carthy's performance was only marginally more interesting than those of the couple of mindless, cloned, sets of adolescent guitar thrashers she shared the line-up with. I've no idea what her song was about and any sense or meaning was drowned out by the small army of musicians industriously sawing, banging, blowing and hammering around her. And it had nothing whatever to do with folk music. Come on, Eliza - you're much better than that!

I hate to have to say this but I enjoyed Tom Jone's performances much more - especially his first song. I got the sense of a popular singer whose style is still developing and evolving. Unfortunately, he too seemed to need a backing group the size of Cardiff!
I was also struck by his responses to the so-called 'interview' by the idiot gibberer, Holland - particularly the bit about developing your own style and not slavishly copying others. Certainly Eliza Carthy can never be accused of that.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:17 AM

"And it had nothing whatever to do with folk music."

Eliza's latest album is of self-penned material. Those of a delicate nature might wish to stick both fingers in their ears and hide under their pile of Watersons LPs until it's safe to come out again.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:22 AM

what couldn't she be accused of?
slavishly copying, or not slavishly copying....

Jules isn't really an idiot giberer, he just gibbers when he's excited - doesn't take much - a tv camera usually does it.

You are a bit down on musicians Shimrod. No wonder Ringo doesn't want any more fan mail from you.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:24 AM

I did like that lady at the end in the red stilettoes and fishnets, who was like your pissed-up divorced auntie trying to pull at the Christmas party....

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:25 AM

The meaning of Like I Care (Wings) seemed quite self-evident to me but for those who didn't hear them, the lyrics are printed in the booklet which comes with Dreams Of Breathing Underwater.

It had "nothing to do with folk music" (whatever that is). Hadn't it? Didn't you look at the galaxy of musicians in the band and trace a lineage of collaborators and influences? For the second time in her career, Eliza C has sidestepped slightly into releasing an album of her self-written compositions. Are you suggesting that to do so involves abandoning an entire tradition and almost two decades of performance?

Everything about this collection of songs and their arrangements is rooted in her previous experience and deep respect for the tradition she was born into. Maybe you'll feel better when she picks up the violin which hung unplayed on a stand for this one song? Because extracts from the rest of the session are being transmitted in Jools this Friday.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Joseph P
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:40 AM

Poor old Eliza, some do despise her
For playing in funky new ways
But others do cheer
When her songs they hear
And then there are lots of 'hoorays'

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:41 AM

your pissed-up divorced auntie

It was a good object lesson on why people in red knickers really shouldn't cover Kirsty MacColl.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:50 AM

I was like, "Oooh, missus - there's your breakfast!"

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:52 AM

I see the Bard of Bampton is still at it... LOL!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:58 AM

I wondered where on earth Ms Fishnet was going to go from there, as well as lamenting the burial of a quietly funny Kirsty MacColl song under an avalanche of raunch - what the song's saying, surely, is "these shoes give me the perfect opportunity to turn down offers that sound too much like hard work (plus they are a bit sexy)", not "a hubba hubba looka me phwooar looka me in these shoes!" But maybe I'm just an old prude.

As for Eliza F. C., I thought it was a great performance - she was in good voice & seemed to be having a lot of fun with the song. And Diane's right - she hasn't moved *that* far from the tradition[s]. This album of her own compositions may be the first step on a rocky road that will end with platinum-selling albums produced by Timbaland, West End musicals co-written with Gary Barlow and a new career as presenter of Strictly Get Folked on BBC3, in which case I'll remember Shimrod's admonishments and heave a regretful sigh. But I doubt it.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Joseph P
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:59 AM

Yes. I dedicate that one to the beard of the landlord of the Morris Clown.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:01 AM

Well, I enjoyed Elizas bit.
And Tom Jones too (Wierd hair though)
Have to agree, the strange woman daring to cover (well, not exactly cover, if you get my drift!) a Kirsty McColl song. Desparately awful.
Eliza is allowed to explore all avenues anyway. isn't she?
Oh and E if you read this...I covet your Red Strummy thing!!!
Can I have one?
Does it come in green?

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: mattkeen
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:01 AM

I quite like the album myself and anything a folk musician does (especially one of Eliza's experience) is intrinsically connected to folk music and its development. You don't just become somebody else or jetison all you have absorbed just cos you've decided to work in an extended/different area for a while

Great to see her on the telly

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:03 AM

Joe, you are VERY funny.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:09 AM

BTW: Tom Jones looked like a garden gnome after a chemical peel with Cuprinol. Though that still doesn't explain the hair.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Will Fly
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:14 AM

"
BTW: Tom Jones looked like a garden gnome after a chemical peel with Cuprinol. Though that still doesn't explain the hair."

I kept wanting to pop an apple in his mouth.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:14 AM

When last heard of, Eliza was visibly with child. Any news on that?

I missed the programme cos I fell asleep.

LTS

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Will Fly
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:18 AM

"I missed the programme cos I fell asleep."

You can see it on the BBB iPlayer at:
Later with Jools Holland

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Joseph P
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:18 AM

I only saw a tiny bit - recorded it and will watch properly later today, but I too liked the red guitary thing, balanced on the bump!

I find the new album really uplifting, someone who 'feels' the music they perform seems to be a rare thing to see on TV. Good stuff!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:23 AM

Well I didn't like it! And I am entitled to that opinion - unfashionable though it may be.

As for originality - just because you achieve an original sound doesn't necessarily mean it's a good one.

As for: "It had "nothing to do with folk music" (whatever that is). Hadn't it? Didn't you look at the galaxy of musicians in the band and trace a lineage of collaborators and influences?"

Well, no! What has "tracing lineages" got to do with anything? I didn't think we were 'allowed' to live in the past!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:33 AM

Well if you're not allowed to live in the past, what are you doing with folk music?!

LTS

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:40 AM

Living In The Past...
Wasn't that a single by Jethro Tull?

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:52 AM

Yes, and thank you Ralphie, I shall be humming that all sodding day now!

LTS

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: selby
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:58 AM

Good for Eliza she put our music on mainstream telly, personnaly and I stress personnaly first hearing of her new album did not like it at all, then a couple of songs got there hooks into me and it is growing on me. equally there are a couple at the moment I still hate (right word) and I skip past them. But I have never made a CD and put my work up for critisism so I fully support Eliza and any other singers or muscian who have made a CD at least they had the guts to put there work in the public domainup to be assessed and wish them all well.
I also liked the look of the red stringy thing she was playing was it an Electric Uke?
Keith

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 07:47 AM

I didn't see the programme, but have seen the red stringy thing (I think) - isn't it a tenor guitar???

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,surreysinger at work
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 07:52 AM

Aaargh - that last was me... I did see some of the programme - a rather weird looking Tom Jones for instance... but not the Eliza Carthy bit!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,John Robinson
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 08:02 AM

Mother!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7NZ5Sqg6Hk

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 08:17 AM

I've just watched a few more of Shoe Lady's Youtubes - she's like a low-rent Dita Von Teese.

The cat impressions in this one are frankly weird:

A good man is hard...to find

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 08:42 AM

Camille O'Sullivan is definitely different. I like her and really enjoyed seeing her last night (does that say more about me or more about her? LOL).

I always enjoy Eliza Carthy, I've seen her live a few times and you certainly get your money's worth. She's an interesting performer.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 09:34 AM

I havent seen the programme,but would like to congratulate Eliza on getting on television.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,JM
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 10:14 AM

I had to mute the sound when Camille O'Sullivan was on. But then again, while her rendition of "In These Shoes" was merely unpleasant she really should be put to misery for this - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7BoHtm-Lw-Q&feature=related

I liked Barney's particularly crazed wobbly-dance during Eliza's segment though and I'm looking forward to Friday.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 10:25 AM

I'm pleased to note that all of Mudcat's fearsome critical standards are alive and well on this thread1

- You are not allowed to comment negatively on a performance because the performer 'has-had-the-guts-to-put-their-work-up-there-in-the-public-domain' and, has, therefore, presumably, put their work beyond criticism (?)

- Tom Jones can't possibly be a good singer because he's got weird hair.

- People in sparkly red knickers, who do Kirsty MacColl songs, should sound like Kirsty MacColl.

- People from a folk music lineage are automatically qualified as folk singers no matter what material they decide to perform ("...anything a folk musician does (especially one of Eliza's experience) is intrinsically connected to folk music and its development").

- We should automatically embrace the new (and reject the old?) - even if we don't happen to like it

- Objecting to massed ranks of musicians drowning out the sound of a singer's voice with a blanket of sound means that you're 'anti-musician'.

Come back Kenneth Tynan and find out where you were going wrong all those years!

Let's get one thing straight. I think that Eliza Carthy is one of the most exciting talents to come along in years. At a festival a few years ago her music blew my socks off (it is reported that my smouldering footwear was found two counties away!). Nevertheless, last night's performance left me cold and, for that reason disappointed me. I'm sorry if that upsets anyone (well, I hope it doesn't upset Ms Carthy - you lot can look after yourselves!) but I'm not going to express false enthusiasm over something I don't particularly like.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Bizibod
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 11:18 AM

It wasn't just me then?
I found it really difficult to "hear" both Eliza Carthy and Tom Jones- a problem I'd not encountered before.It seemed to me that the music was in front of the singers , not behind them, a very peculiar mix.
Will listen in again on Friday in the hopes that something got sorted.
Hope so, because she's a favourite of mine.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 11:39 AM

I reckon the 'red strummy thing' was an electric tenor guitar. And if it wasn't, then it was an electric baritone uke. Tenor guitars and plectrum guitars were developed to give tenor- and plectrum banjo players a chance to get in on the popularity of the guitar, and had a fairly short period of popularity - late '20s/ early '30s - but seem to be enjoying something of a renaissance in the folk world at present.
And yes, LTS, Eliza looks pretty preggers to me!
John Kelly

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,ldt
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 11:50 AM

"It wasn't just me then?
I found it really difficult to "hear" both Eliza Carthy and Tom Jones- a problem I'd not encountered before."

Oh I thought that was just the sound on my tv going wrong again.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 11:59 AM

HH
As I said before - tenor guitar... if it's the red stringy thingy she usually uses !! It's what she's credited as playing on the latest CD release.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,JoeP
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 03:35 PM

on second listening the accordion seemed to not quite fit with the rest, making it sound a bit odd!

The woman in the sparkly knickers wasnt sexy, or ironic or whatever she was meant to be.

The other band that did the 80s sounding thing were absolutely shockingly awful.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 03:37 PM

I `ad young that Eliza in my cab the other day and she looked well down in the dumps.
She said, "`Morning Jim, would you take me to Paddington please?"
I said, "What`s up Ducks, you look a bit glum. I see they`re all talking about you on that Mudcat again and in general you`ve got their seal of approval although it`s a funny old, ennit? You can never please `em all"
She said, "Yeah, I know. I try, Lord knows I try!"
I said, "Not to worry Flower. You can larf all the way to the bank".
She said, "No I can`t Jim. I done the lot in Rekyavik Mutual!!"

Whaddam I like??

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Jane Bird
Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:21 PM

I thought that Camille O'Sullivan was stunningly funny (although some of the crit on her above is funnier), and you certainly have to hand it to her for going for it!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: Marje
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 08:54 AM

Well, I think that settles the questions about the stringy thing she played on her belly - it was obviously a maternity guitar!

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: bubblyrat
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 09:16 AM

Wot ?? No fiddle? I felt ( as does WFD ) that it was both mediocre and bland. A great disappointment compared to a lot of her other performances.

Subject: RE: Eliza Carthy On TV Again!
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 16 Oct 08 - 09:39 AM

As mentioned above, the violin was there onstage on a stand and as further exerpts from the Jools session are due for TX tomorrow, it may be featured then. Unless, of course, a piece where she plays a 1-row melodeon or ukelele part is broadcast . . .

Would you be equally up in arms if Ms Carthy had sat a a piano, an instrument she's played for far longer than said violin?

Bland? Bland?

I've no fear of choice but fear of choosing
No fear of loss but fear of losing
and fear of bruising my head whenever I've tried it . . .

Go back and listen. Bland it is not.