Ken Russell's ABC of British Music Backdrop Blur
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music Poster

Ken Russell's ABC of British Music

A feat that fully matches its title, an alphabetical trawl through both the history of British music and Russell's own likes and dislikes, the latter summed up by a scene in which he takes a phone call and listens for a bit before concluding that 'it's either an obscene call or the beginning of Michael Tippett's Fourth Symphony.' Gleefully exploiting an already contrived format, Russell uses alphabetical coincidence as an excuse to throw wildly disparate material together: Elgar is fused with Elton John, Holst with Heavy Metal and Punk with Purcell.

Top Cast

  • Ken Russell

    Ken Russell

    Himself

  • Edward Elgar

    Edward Elgar

    Self (archive)

  • Benjamin Britten

    Benjamin Britten

    Self (archive)

  • John Lennon

    John Lennon

    Self (archive)

  • Janet Baker

    Janet Baker

    Self (archive)

  • Vernon Handley

    Vernon Handley

    Self (archive)

  • Noël Coward

    Noël Coward

    Self (archive)

  • Elton John

    Elton John

    Self (archive)

  • Thomas Dolby

    Thomas Dolby

    Self (archive)

Overview

A feat that fully matches its title, an alphabetical trawl through both the history of British music and Russell's own likes and dislikes, the latter summed up by a scene in which he takes a phone call and listens for a bit before concluding that 'it's either an obscene call or the beginning of Michael Tippett's Fourth Symphony.' Gleefully exploiting an already contrived format, Russell uses alphabetical coincidence as an excuse to throw wildly disparate material together: Elgar is fused with Elton John, Holst with Heavy Metal and Punk with Purcell.

Rating

10.0 / 10
1 Reviews
0 Popular

Recommendations

One Direction: This Is Us

"One Direction: This Is Us" is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it's really like to be One Direction.

One Direction: This Is Us

8.2 2013