Tuesday 11 April 2017

Top Ten Top Tens


This is an experiment.

I /haven’t had a good list for ages.  So here are my ten best lists, with a starter of one from me in each.  Please submit yours via the comments, and I’ll update.  I’ve set a few of my own ground rules, but feel free to ignore these.

Films (no CGI blockbusters):

Rio Bravo
Local Hero (2)
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
The Quiet Man
4 Weddings and a Funeral (I know, but there it is)
To Have and Have Not
Perhaps something Scandinavian like the one with the knight and death playing chess
Blues Brothers
The big sleep


Albums (no Beatles/Stones/Dylan/Beach Boys/Led Zep):

Janis Ian: Night Rains
Sand andWater - Beth Nielsen Chapman
Solitude Standing - Suzanne Vega
"Whatever people say I am, That's what I'm not" by Arctic Monkeys
The Main Event-Frank Sinatra
Pictures at an Exhibition by ELP

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Gallagher's Irish Tour
Still Crazy After All These Years Paul Simon
Crime of the century - Supertramp


Singles (ditto):

Dion: The Wanderer
Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
Because They're Young - Duane Eddy
"Paradise City" by Guns 'n' Roses
Somewhere Over the Rainbow-Israel Kamakawiwo ole
Will You by Hazel O'Connor (for the sax break)
Old 97's - Designs On You
Teach Your Children Well

Mystery Train Elvis Presley
Drive in Saturday - Bowie

Novels (not over 500ish pages):

Albert Camus: The Outsider
Snow falling on cedars - David Guterson
Billy Liar - Keith Waterhouse
"Behind The Scenes at The Museum" by Kate Akinson.
To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee
Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett
Vanity Fair
Merrilie Watkins Series Phil Rickman
A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich

Non-fiction:

J K Galbraith: The Affluent Society
Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari
Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson
"Pies and Prejudice" by Stuart Maconie
The Shepherd's Life,-James Rebanks
Roger Deakin - Waterlog
Charlie Marx, Das Kapital
Atlases, Maps, and books about maps
The selfish gene -Dawkins

Musicals (no Rodgers and Hammerstein):

West Side Story (2)
We will Rock You - Queen and Ben Elton
"Chicago" (Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb)
Les Miserables

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Oklahoma (obvs)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Foods:

Fresh crab
John Dory with samphire
Sticky toffee pudding
fresh Pacific salmon
Pie, or failing that, big lumps of meat in gravy
I am a greedy git who loves to eat everything
Leek quiche with wholemeal pastry
Bratwürscht
New Season Asparagus
Stew and dumplings

Places:

The Knoll Beach, Studland
Camusdarach, Morar, Highland (Ben's Beach)
Tenby
Paris (2)
York
The Backwaters, Kerala, India
Anything Greek, best on an island
Venice
Everywhere

Journeys:

Through the tunnels, Wisemans Bridge – Saundersfoot
Cycling (e-bike) through the Ardnamurchan caldera between Kilchoan and Sanna Bay, Lochaber
The Way of the Roses c2c bike
Riding the Paris Metro out to Montmartre.
the train from Chester to Wales
Batobus on the Seine
The last bit of a journey to somewhere you love, when you recognise landmarks that mean you're nearly there and become excited

Train rides
JFK to Manhattan
Peterborough to Stansted airport

Machines:

Morris Minor
Electric bike
Raleigh Pioneer 2 (ladies model)
The steam locomotive
Deux chevaux
Vincent Black Shadow
Austin Healey Sprite
Jaguar XJ6 4.2 litre
Landrover
Porsche 911, do not know the version blabla, just pedaltothemedal and blam


18 comments:

  1. Local Hero
    Solitude Standing - Suzanne Vega
    Because They're Young - Duane Eddy
    Billy Liar - Keith Waterhouse
    Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson
    We will Rock You - Queen & Ben Elton
    Tenby
    The Way of the Roses c2c bike
    Raleigh Pioneer 2 (ladies model)


    ReplyDelete
  2. Monty Python & The Holy Grail

    "Whatever people say I am, That's what I'm not" by Arctic Monkeys

    "Paradise City" by Guns 'n' Roses

    "Behind The Scenes at The Museum" by Kate Akinson.

    "Pies & Predjudice" by Stuart Maconie

    "Chicago" (Bob Fosse & Fred Ebb)

    Paris

    Riding the Paris Metro out to Montmartre.

    The steam locomotive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love Stuart Maconie's books but he always gets something profoundly wrong in them which is infuriating. Btw,in P & P, in the Chapter on Crewe (he got the wrong building for the library), the two people eating in the cafe are friends of mine.

      Delete
    2. I spotted an error in "The People's History of Pop". I wonder if he does it on purpose? He did, afterall, start the rumour that Bob Holness had played sax on "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty when he knew perfectly well it wasn't true.

      Delete
  3. Local Hero

    Sand & Water - Beth Nielsen Chapman

    Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley

    Snow falling on cedars - David Guterson

    Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari

    West Side Story

    John Dory with samphire

    Camusdarach, Morar, Highland (Ben's Beach)

    Cycling (e-bike) through the Ardnamurchan caldera between Kilchoan and Sanna Bay, Lochaber

    Electric bike

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Quiet Man, The Main Event-Frank Sinatra, Somewhere Over the Rainbow-Israel Kamakawiwo ole, To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee, The Shepherd's Life,-James Rebanks, Les Miserables, fresh Pacific salmon, York, the train from Chester to Wales, Deux chevaux

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ok I forgot food - unusually!
    Sticky Toffee Pudding

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tim, you need to attend to your hard returns (in your list). Or possibly soft returns, I'm no expert.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or just include Voodoo Child (slight return)

      Delete
    2. Fixed?
      It's a law of Blogger editor that whatever you type or copy in, it will come out looking different.

      Delete
  7. Film - 4 Weddings & a Funeral (I know, but there it is)
    Album - Pictures at an Exhibition by ELP
    Single - Will You by Hazel O'Connor (for the sax break)
    Novel - Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett
    Musical - Rocky Horror Picture Show
    Food - Pie, or failing that, big lumps of meat in gravy
    Place - Paris
    Journey - Batobus on the Seine
    Machine - Vincent Black Shadow

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd like to congratulate Kippy on an excellent book choice. I wish I'd thought of "To Kill a Mocking Bird" - it's a much better novel than the one I picked.

    I've realised that also forgot to name a favourite food. I'm going to claim that is because I am a greedy git who loves to eat everything.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Z sent me.


    Films
    Die Kinder des Olymp
    Then follows a lot of nothing. Perhaps something Scandinavian like the one with the knight and death playing chess. Something Kaurismäki.

    Albums (no Beatles/Stones/Dylan/Beach Boys/Led Zep):
    I am old. I am still living with albums, like Gallagher's Irish Tour. Sorry.

    Singles (ditto):
    Can't think of something, perhaps "Teach Your Children Well". Sorry.

    Novels (not over 500ish pages):
    I'm not kind of a reader ... some stuff that impressed me by the German author BÖLL. Short stories by HAMMETT. Small things by SCHMIDT. Basically anything by Arno SCHMIDT. Some stuff by lesser known German authors, like SCHIMMANG,
    There is a very good text by Wolfdietrixh SCHNURRE titled "Der Schattenfotograf", it is not translateable, as is with anything Schmidt, in the end. Sorry.

    Non-fiction:
    Charlie Marx, Das Kapital.

    Musicals (no Rodgers and Hammerstein):
    I hate this.

    Foods:
    Kloß mit Soß - sorry, I'm Franconian.
    Nürnberger Bratwürscht
    Coburger Bratwürscht

    I am a greedy git who loves to eat everything - Exactly.

    Places:
    Some places in Franconia I can not describe.
    Paphos
    Anything Greek, best on an island

    Journeys:
    Train rides

    Machines:
    DS - the President one, in the last seat
    Porsche 911, do not know the version blabla, just pedaltothemedal and blam
    Kawasaki 1200 six cylinder - I think it's better than a Rocket, a little bit more sophisticated. Just saying.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Films

    Godfather 2
    Animal House
    Blues Brothers
    Forrest Gump
    A Bronx Tale
    Dirty Dancing

    Albums

    Tapestry Carole King
    Live in London Leonard Cohen
    Still Crazy After All These Years Paul Simon
    Modern Art Tom Russell
    AND ANYTHING BY Willie Nelson, James Taylor and Johnny Cash

    Singles

    Mystery Train Elvis Presley
    Hey Baby Bruce Chanel
    Come up and see me Cockney Rebel
    La vie en rose Edith Piaf
    Bridge over troubled water Simon |& Garfunkel
    New York state of mind Billy Joel

    Fiction

    Merrilie Watkins Series Phil Rickman
    The Stand Stephen King
    The Mighty Walzer Howard Jacobson
    Various British Detective series, too numerous to mention

    Non Fiction

    Atlases, Maps, and books about maps.
    British History up to Stuart period.
    Jerusalem Simon Sebag-Montefiori
    Roots Schmoots Howard Jacobson
    Bury my heart at Wounded Knee

    Musicals

    West Side Story
    Carousel
    Hair
    Oklahoma
    Rocky Horror Show
    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

    Food

    Escargot
    Merguez
    Boeuf Bourgignon
    Grilled Sole
    Steak au Poivre
    New Season Asparagus
    Jersey Royals
    Lobster

    Places

    NYC
    Venice
    Brighton
    Cote d'azure
    Alassio
    Liverpool
    Mousehole

    Journeys

    London to Alassio by car
    JFK to Manhattan
    Boulogne to Blankenberg
    Any channel crossing
    Home from anywhere

    Machine

    Triumph Spitfire
    Jaguar XJ6 4.2 litre
    Nissan Patrol 4 litr





    ReplyDelete
  11. I should also have said, in the food section, any properly cooked "Sunday Roast Dinner",Home made Chicken Soup, with vegetables, chicken and butter or haricot beans, Salt Beef sandwiches on Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds, and hot English Mustard.

    Actually the food section should, bt rights, be monstrously long, so I will just say that I am not to keen on chocolate, and my perfect pudding is either a mousse, fool or panna cotta made with fruit, or anything that includes fruit, cream and/or confectioner's custard.

    ReplyDelete
  12. To Have and Have Not
    Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
    Old 97's - Designs On You
    Vanity Fair
    Roger Deakin - Waterlog
    Oklahoma (obvs)
    Leek quiche with wholemeal pastry
    The Backwaters, Kerala, India
    The last bit of a journey to somewhere you love, when you recognise landmarks that mean you're nearly there and become excited.
    Austin Healey Sprite

    ReplyDelete
  13. OK, this is nearly there. To those of you who offered more than one item under any category, I've made a fairly arbitrary selection from your list, applying criteria that I made up as I went along.
    Watch this space for what happens next.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The big sleep
    Crime of the century - Supertramp
    Drive in Saturday - Bowie
    A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich
    The selfish gene -Dawkins
    ?????
    Stew and dumplings
    Everywhere
    Peterborough to Stansted airport
    Landrover

    ReplyDelete