'And there in their hundreds are the lads that will never be old'

[tree_and_leaf]

Ninety years ago today, the Battle of the Somme began; the details are too well known to be rehearsed here. A miserable, sad business: sorrow for all those young men, both those who never came home and for those who did, is the dominant note, I think, albeit tinged with pride at the courage shown - and horror at what humanity can do. The best and worst in our natures lies so close together.

Comments

[aervir.livejournal.com]

juno_magic on my f-list has got a post on the same topic with a few quite interesting links here (http://juno-magic.livejournal.com/237441.html).

[tree_and_leaf]

Thanks for the link.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

And completely OT: How was tonight's Doctor Who? Bad? Mediocre? Good? Awesome?

(I don't dare look at any reaction posts right now for fear of spoilers. I know far too much about the finale already.)

[tree_and_leaf]

Good, on the whole, but I'm not sure about the cliff hanger - has potential to be dubious next week. But I'll be interested to hear what you think....

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Don't say that the Cybermen meet Daleks rumours are true...? Wait, don't say anything, whether this is the case or not.

Argh, I can't wait till tomorrow morning. I think I'll go now and console myself by watching The Ribos Operation. At least, there's not too much suspense involved in serials that aired about 35 years ago.

*puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[tree_and_leaf]

And I was thinking I missed the old 6 (or 4) x 30 format.

And I really DON'T care for teasers before the theme tune.

Not that it's as good as the theme tune was in Hartnell's day...

/grumpy old nostalgist.

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[aervir.livejournal.com]

May I voice the probably blasphemous opinion that the old story arcs are all far too long? Too much padding, too little attention span.

But the new series should have more two-parters, really.

Not that it's as good as the theme tune was in Hartnell's day...

/grumpy old nostalgist.

Yeah, back then when the show was truly excellent and you watched all the First Doctor episodes as soon as they were first aired... :) -- Oh wait, you grumpy old nostalgist are actually four months younger than me! Hmph.

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Err, I mean about three months. Unless I want to make myself older than I already am.

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[tree_and_leaf]

To each their own.

But I do genuinely think that the First Doctor theme was musically much better than the current, which is just a mess. Very possibly preferable to the 'eighties one, though (which IS the one I grew up with, so...)

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[tree_and_leaf]

Anyway: it's well known that you can only have quality nostalgia for things you haven't experienced. Cf Vergil, and Arthurian romance.

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[aervir.livejournal.com]

I should go and have a look around for the First Doctor theme as an MP3 then. I haven't heard it yet, as I haven't seen any of the Hartnell stuff so far.

Is it only me (tone-deaf as I am), or did they pick up on the 1980s version in the closing credits theme of the current season?

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[aervir.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Virgil wouldn't have written an epic on founding Rome if he had actually been there, having to build houses on the seven hills... :D

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[tree_and_leaf]

I think the closing credits bit actually was written in the First Doctor era, but that they didn't always use it (depending on running time of episode, etc.)

I'm quite fond of Hartnell, and it's one of the few Who eras I have a ship for (Ian/Barbara, both of who were interesting companions)

Re: *puts her hands in her pockets and whistles*

[aervir.livejournal.com]

I I'm quite fond of Hartnell, and it's one of the few Who eras I have a ship for (Ian/Barbara, both of who were interesting companions).

Heh. I still think your suggestion that the next companion should be the Chestertons' grandkid would be a nice idea.

Delia Derbishire was a genius

[tree_and_leaf]

Am trying to remember where I found an MP3 for the First Doctor theme - I remember it was a bit of a struggle.

It's actually been quite influential on the development of electronic music - it's one of the earliest examples of 'pure' electronic music, and all done by an enthusiastic amatuer fiddling about with radio equipment (oscillators and the like) in a BBC basement in her lunchbreak.

It's wonderfully uncluttered, evocative and sounds, well, like nothing on earth, while still being melodic (as opposed to the modern arrangement, which sounds like rent-a-blockbuster). I bet it absolutely blew them away in 1963.

Tja, da kann man ja nur den FAZ-Artikel zitieren...

[aervir.livejournal.com]

"...proto-technohaft hallende Sirenenfuturität!" Na denn.

*g*