Top Ten In Between Songs

I'm in between a great many things at the moment. In between jobs. In between ages (hey, kids - Rol's life begins on March 19th... apparently!). In between... oh, I'm sure I'm in between some other stuff. Just go with it, will you? It's ten great songs, that's all you need to know.

10. Idlewild - The Space Between All Things

There's something about the lyrics to this particular Idlewild track that reminds me of Lloyd Cole. It's got that same sophisticated sadness.

All the walls of your house were painted in deep blue
You're at that indecisive age to choose colours that reflect you
And everything and nothing is in the space between all things

The best thing about Idlewild will always be their lead singer's name though. Roddie Woomble. Genius.

9. Rufus Wainwright - Between My Legs

Rufus gets all gynaecological. I can handle the notion that he's "wearing his heart between his legs" but I get the juvenile sniggers when he sings "And I shed a tear between my legs". What, like doing a wee?

8. Mary McGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers

Written by Peter of ...Paul & Mary fame, and inspired by Dr. Zhivago. You didn't know that, did you? You did? Smart arse.

I love this picture of Mary McGregor I found on wikipedia. It's so fresh-faced and 70s. She could be an Angel, Charlie.

7. The Melting Ice Caps - Between Eros & Agape

The Melting Ice Caps are ace. Which seems like a rather unecological thing to say. But the band are literate, sensitive, tuneful and witty. What else do you want from your lyricists? This track (along with a bunch of their other excellent singles) is available to download free from their website. Go do it now!

6. The Persuaders - A Thin Line Between Love & Hate

No, not Roger Moore and Tony Curtis.

"Four of the hottest young men in the business - and by 'hot', I mean they're really doing it, and doing it out of sight."

With an intro like that, how could you resist?

Great late night soul. And if Samuel L. Jackson ever formed a band...

The Pretenders did a pretty mean cover too.

5. The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations

She was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a Christian
She was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend
He likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration
Most nights are crystal clear but tonight it's like he's stuck between stations

And that is why The Hold Steady rock my world.

Plus, the video looks like it was made by Tony Hart and Morph.

4. Donald Fagen - Walk Between The Raindrops

More great late night listening. Hey man, don't dis (one half of) The Dan.

3. Billy Bragg - Between The Wars

Watch Steve Wright try to pretend he understands Billy Bragg as he introduces this song on vintage TOTP. Then watch a 12 year old Billy sing his heart out. Was he ever that young? Were any of us...?

2. Sleeper - Inbetweener

In remembering Britpop, Sleeper often seem to slip through the cracks. Which is a shame, because Louise Wener wrote some nice, sub-Cocker lyrics and had the sexy popstar pout down well. I recently discovered their debut album had been re-issued as a 2-disc set with b-sides and live tracks thrown in. Well worth a re-appraisal.

1. The Cure - In Between Days

Yeah, like it could have been anything else.




Tip of the hat to The Go-Betweens... but which is your favourite in between song?

Movie Review - The Inbetweeners

A lot of movie comedies leave me cold. I find I enjoy the performances but wish the script could be sharper to match. The worst offender is often big screen adaptations of successful TV sitcoms. What works well in tight 30 minute slices often feels stretched and bloated to fill 2 hours. So I went into The Inbetweeners movie expecting the chuckles to be as sparse as the sexual conquests. Thankfully, the lads blew my expectations. This is one funny film... as long as The Inbetweeners is your kind of funny.

Like the TV show that spawned it, The Inbetweeners is immature, indecent, icky and idiotic. Much has been written about why the adventures of four sexist and sexually inept Sixth Formers should have captured the nation's heart so, but the reasons are obvious. We all knew lads like this at school - hell, many of us were lads like this at school... and probably still wish we could be. There's the pedantic geek (guilty), the lovestruck sap, the inveterate bullshitter and the big dumb oaf with a heart of gold. We all love a loser - because that's how most of us felt in high school. But by the time we hit the Sixth Form, we'd usually found our niche - and mates who'd stay with us forever.

Much of the Inbetweeners humour is near-the-knuckle or downright crude, but it's rarely cruel. It kicks political correctness in the goolies yet never feels offensive. Largely that's because our four straight white male heroes are buffoons, so we're laughing at their attitudes and opinions as much as their antics. And for all their gross-out sex-talk and objectification of women, the girls they encounter are usually smarter, sassier and cooler than any of the Inbetweeners could ever hope to be.

I never went on an 18-30 holiday with my mates, but this film is exactly how I'd imagine such an experience. (People I know who did say it's spot on.) It's hideous... yet also heartwarming. These are the very best of times, and the worst, and The Inbetweeners movie captures that sense of joyful camaraderie you'll either fondly recall from your schooldays... or wish wholeheartedly you could have experienced. Sprinkle liberally with graphic jokes about masturbation, deviation, regurgitation and defecation - plus lashings of humiliation - and it's an experience you'll remember for the rest of your life.

My only real complaint was that we didn't get more of Head of Sixth Form Mr. Gilbert. Greg Davies' opening speech must echo the unspoken thoughts of teachers across the land with its frank "I never liked any of you" message. Fortunately this isn't the very last we see of Mr. Gilbert... but maybe he could get his own spin off show now?