Notable

Notable

By NotableArtsMusicPerforming ArtsMusic History
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Notable episodes

  • Notable: I predict a riot - with Stravinsky and Bob Dylan.
    Stuart and Elizabeth are determined to end season one of Notable with a riot - or two in fact. First up is the tale of the notorious opening night of Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring', followed by the story of the angry reception Bob Dylan received from the folk music militia for having the audacity to go electric.

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    35 min
  • Rochdale, Rock City/Quartet for the End of Time
    Quite the contrast this week. Elizabeth waxes lyrical about the giddy years when her home town of Rochdale punched above its musical weight, partly thanks to the attentions of John Peel. Stuart, meanwhile, tells the extra-ordinary story of the premiere of one of the great classical pieces of the twentieth century - 'Quatuor Pour le fin du Temps' - which took place in the prisoner of war camp where its composer, Messiaen, was being held captive by the Nazis. Throw in a heated debate about the merits of Mike Harding's multi-coloured poncho and you've all the makings of a classic 'Notable'. .

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    29 min
  • Turbojugend/Gesualdo
    This week Elizabeth tells the fabulous tale of the global Turbojugend subculture, centring around the death-punk band Turbonegro and built upon progressive ideals and a bold denim aesthetic. Prizes are available to anyone who can guess the warrior names Stuart and Elizabeth anoint themselves with - and of course we've another Notable exception to enjoy. Stuart rounds things off with the story of visionary Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo, whose haunting music will forever be associated with the terrible murder its creator perpetrated.

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    22 min
  • Elvis in Scotland/Freud's Musical Influence
    Stuart recounts the tale of Elvis Presley's only (or was it?) visit to these Isles, when he landed at Prestwick airport on his way home from serving in the army in Germany. Elizabeth, meanwhile, makes the bold argument that pretty much all music that came after him was influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud - and yes, that does include Jedward.

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    36 min
  • Batley Varieties Club/Pierre Henry's Liverpool Mass
    Elizabeth and Stuart return with two more tales plundered from music's well-stocked historical attic. First up is Stuart with the incredible story of the variety club in a northern wool town that played host to some of the world's biggest entertainers, then Elizabeth charts the creation of the world's first electronic mass to mark the opening of Liverpool's Catholic Cathedral.

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    33 min
  • Is Paul Dead?/The Greatest Year in Jazz

    Elizabeth and Stuart return with two more tales from the hinterlands of musical history. Stuart makes the case for 1959 as the highpoint in jazz thanks to a slew of innovative albums from some of the genre's greatest exponents, while Elizabeth wonders how a rumour that Paul McCartney died in the early years of The Beatles ever gained traction. The episode also features the one and only recording of our plucky pair playing music together, appropriately enough introducing the exciting* new 'Notable Exception' feature.

    (*mildly diverting)


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    32 min
  • Notable: Christmas Special

    "Elizabeth, it's Christmas!"

    "I know, Stuart, it's brilliant!"

    "Yes but we've only had one episode out, we've no business putting out a Christmas Special all about Phil Spector's Christmas album and the history of the Christmas Carol Service."

    "You're right Stuart, that would be daft. Shall we do it anyway?"

    "Go on then, Elizabeth. Merry Christmas!"


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    25 min
  • Notable: Bickershaw and the birth of the Theremin
    Elizabeth Alker and Stuart Maconie invite you to prick up your ears and listen to the first in their new podcast series, 'Notable'. In each episode, they'll take turns to tell one another extra-ordinary tales from music history, spanning genres and centuries with wit, charm and effortless ease. Sort of. In this their maiden voyage, Elizabeth regales Stuart with the story of the birth of the Theremin, the unlikely offshoot of the Soviet espionage machine, while he describes for her the wonders of the Bickenshaw Festival, when the likes of Captain Beefheart and The Grateful Dead graced a muddy Lancashire field.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min

About Notable

From the publisher's feed

Stuart Maconie and Elizabeth Alker meet up to tell each other extra-ordinary tales from 400 years of musical history.

From a murderous 16th Century madrigal composer to Batley Variety Club -…