The Chorus

In which we are joined by Mark Banks and several of his personalities as he talks about his new show, Mask About Face; discuss the appeal of getting motherless in the future and do a half-decent job of otherwise keeping it together.

COMEDY: Mark Banks - Mask About Face

BOOKS: Motherland by Paul Theroux, The Future Starts Now edited by Bronwyn Williams & Theo Priestley

MUSIC: Guster - Keep It Together 

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In which we veer from rose-coloured perspectives on arms up cows' bums to blood-coloured perspectives on rather less bucolic scenarios, and from diving into the Greatest Story Ever Told into Dave Grohl's stories, which are also pretty great. Also, Stefan plays with Lego and Bruce wishes Michael Moore was president of everything.

BOOKS: What Is The Bible? by Rob Bell, Storyteller by Dave Grohl

TV & FILM: Happy!, The Harder They Fall, Succession, All Creatures Great And Small, Dexter: New Blood, Ozark

GEAR: Lego Fender Stratocaster 

PODCASTS: Smartless: Michael Moore

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In which we - on our 50th episode! - welcome Malcolm Burroughs, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day (go to www.67blankets.co.za for details of the upcoming Rainbow Nation Blanket Of Hope event) ambassador, cake boss and erstwhile guy-in-bandages in Ultravox videos. We chat about the importance of people who combine giving a toss with good systems, as well as Eddie Vedder (who is in no way a tosser).

GUEST: Malcolm Burroughs, 67 Blankets or Nelson Mandela Day ambassador

BOOKS: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Day Of The Caesars by Simon Scarrow

TV & FILM: Manifest, Army Of Thieves

MUSIC: Earthling by Eddie Vedder, Matter Of Time by Eddie Vedder

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In which we welcome cartoonist, satirist and artist Rico to talk about his work and the sordid state of society. We also return to a giant space tortoise and head both west and backwards in time while considering which bad people are less bad than others.

GUEST: Rico - Madam & Eve: Family Meeting

BOOKS: The First Discworld Novels by Terry Pratchett, Istanbul by Bettany Hughes, Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

TV & FILM: Suicide Squad, Money Heist Season 5, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the latest song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast

In which we look on the bright side, dispatch doubts about the value of art over fame and trip over tropes before landing in music, often The Only Place that makes sense.

FIRST TAKE: The Only Place

BOOKS: Get Back - The Beatles, African Artists From 1882 To Now, 

TV & FILM: The Flight Attendant, Kate, Encanto, The French Dispatch, What We Do In The Shadows

MUSIC: The Lumineers - Brightside, Neil Young - A Band, A Brotherhood, A Barn

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the latest song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast

In which we consider that much is stuffed up, but also that much is not, praise men with lovely voices, focus on the strength of sensitivity and intellect over machismo and are otherwise apparently, like, totes woke.

FIRST TAKE: Purple Heart - released 21 January 2022: stream and download now at https://electromodeza.lnk.to/PurpleHeartAr

BOOKS: Crossroads - Jonathan Franzen, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life - Eric Idle, 50 People Who Stuffed Up The World - Alexander Parker and Tim Richman

TV & FILM: After Life Season 3, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Power Of The Dog, Ballers, Upstart Crow

MUSIC: Jason Isbell - Georgia Blue, Sad Astronauts - Adult Fears, Big Wreck - 7.1

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the latest song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast

In which we are told not to look up but do anyway because Meryl's not our real mom; take eating a level up; sing a song about remembering to rest; travel through Africa in taxis and take our Muthi after a tough year.

FOOD: Level 4 at 54 On Bath

LIVE MUSIC: Blu Piano Social Club

FIRST TAKE: Come Out And Play

BOOKS: Through A Black Iris, We Are The Weather

TV & FILM: Don't Look Up, Death To 2021

MUSIC: Guy Buttery, Jesse Clegg, Cain, Arno Carstens, Zach Williams, Neil Young, Muthi

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the new song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast 

In which, in our final podcast for 2021, we go to Lesotho, Twickenham and Cambridge; deal with Kingsolvers and crime solvers; and watch the Beatles get back and Dave Chapelle move forward.

BOOKS: Wayfarer's Hymns, Animal Vegetable Miracle

TV & FILM: Get Back, Archer, The Closer, The Gentlemen, Professor T

MUSIC: The Beatles, Ron Carter, The Killers

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the new song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast

In which Christmas has arrived on stage, cowboys are bebopping, crows are counting and souls have been collected. Also, Dune is the new Star Wars, movies in general matter, Tenet makes perfect sense and cartoons remind us of the bad times.

THEATRE: Mzansi Ballet's Christmas Show

BOOKS: It Only Comes In Orange Mr Zuma, Family Meeting

TV & FILM: Dune, Cowboy Bebop, Ready Or Not, The Movies That Made Us, Tenet

MUSIC: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Joey Landreth, Guster, Foy Vance, Dan Wilson, Counting Crows

FIRST TAKE: The World I Know - Collective Soul

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the new song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast

In which Stefan falls for Ryan Reynolds - in fairness, who among us has not? - Bruce gets a fresh look at the Good Book, a musical takes centre screen and delays are finally a good thing.

BOOKS: Escaping The Delta, Batman: Master Race, What's In The Bible?

TV & FILM: The Falcon Has Landed, Red Notice, Free Guy, Black Spot, No Time To Die, Tick Tick Boom, Squid Game

MUSIC: Brian Wilson, Muthi Music, Delays

Please give us your comments, suggestions, constructive input and reviews of the new song from our band, The Van Dyke Parks Board, via our Facebook page, please: https://www.facebook.com/TheChorusPodcast