Nick’s choices: Thursday 13th June 2023
Theme: *Boyhood*
READ: The Gift of a Radio (2022) by Justin Webb
Turns out HBG contains many Justin Webb fans and some who had never heard of the man. His childhood memoir is fascinating, grim, compelling and redemptive and he has quite the tale. Few could match Justin Webb's family for weirdness complete with a smothering, snobbish mother and a mentally ill stepfather. Only child Justin was perpetually walking on eggshells whilst going to great pains to please. Things did not improve when he arrived at Sidcot, the private Quaker boarding school, which was even more grim than his home life
It’s incredible that Justin Webb managed to create a generally light and compelling childhood memoir out of all this uber-weirdness.
Thankfully Justin was thrown a lifeline and got himself together. He is a survivor and it's incredible how he went on to thrive in journalism and broadcasting.
As the scores below will attest, some enjoyed it more than others but even Hamish, who doesn’t like biographies, and has no interest in Justin Webb, found sufficient to consider it a worthwhile use of his precious time.
Nick 8 / Tristan 5 / Nigel 8 / Keith 7 / Roland 8 / Robin 6 / Hamish 5
LISTEN: 20 Golden Greats (1976) by The Beach Boys
Talk about divisive, who would guess that The Beach Boys could inspire such wide ranging emotional responses?
Some in HBG will grab you by the arm and earnestly explain that the greatest purveyor of pure pop, the stuff you want to mainline, was Brian Wilson. Furthermore that this collection of Beach Boys hits remains a genuinely thrilling collection of fabulous pop songs that fill the listener with joy and make their hearts soar. To them, The Beach Boys are one of the greatest pop groups there ever was with harmonies that will never get old.
Others in HBG, will look at you with disgust at the mention of The Beach Boys and tell you they are vacuous rubbish with no more merit than a bucket of musical candy floss.
Nick 9 / Tristan 1 / Nigel 10 / Keith 5 / Roland 7.5 / Robin 9 / Hamish 0
WATCH: Boyhood (2014) dir by Richard Linklater
Most of us adored this original, bravura, well acted, beautiful, family, almost cinéma vérité, Linklater masterclass.
Nick 9 / Tristan 3-6 (based on 9 yr memory) / Nigel 9 / Keith 5 / Roland 10 / Robin 9 / Hamish 9
HBG endorse it: 16 June 2023 -> 13 July 2023
Pulp live (Music)
Sideways (BBC Sounds)
Tony Blair The Musical
Anthony Trollope (Novelist)
The Change sitcom (C4) (Television)
Nile Rodgers and Chic live (Music)
Rude Mechanical Theatre Company (Outdoor Touring Theatre Company)
Wham! (Netflix documentary)
Grace Jones live (Music)
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances by Eddie Piller (Book)
David Byrne: The 60 Minutes Interview (YouTube)
The Ratline (2020) by Philippe Sands (Book)
Add To Playlist: Anna Phoebe and Neil Brand journey from Brighton to Beirut (BBC Sounds) (BBC Radio 4 Podcast)
