"Some People Can Do What They Like" (1976) and "Double Fun (1978) by ROBERT PALMER - A Review Of His 3rd and 4th Solo Albums – Now Reissued And Remastered By Edsel Of The UK In 2013 - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 145 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

MORE THAN A FEELING 

1976

Your All-Genres Guide To 

Exceptional CD Reissues & Remasters

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs

Just Click Below To Purchase (No Cut and Paste Crap)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MORE-THAN-FEELING-All-Guide-Exceptional-ebook/dp/B0BGT69MVZ?crid=1RTTPB6MEK9Y7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aCLqQD_0x4Xc4Kd7CEKllFnbfqhZ11PdMT_72etNzX9uk4_p_dYzE7ix7BD2qIIrl8-pAv90HElKfIB-_ZesIaS7TKJ-pDCFTgEP2k9aFX6a08GeBKgOKqyKHE6gcf0WacJEY4AKfVHlvo1EyZXb-psq6hf7c8WNvfvSSQUcNdP73WQfDavTWOHn5u81XeWCHJ47XMXWJqovt2Cx2c7BHgnvhCDYy23xFnpilpsAe90.T6uf-EhIxX_KJ8LfLu5E7Pk739m39vwP0A9sw0LfGno&dib_tag=se&keywords=more+than+a+feeling+mark&qid=1717663975&sprefix=more+than+a+feeling+mark%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-4&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=02abe7807076077061be2311e2d581b1&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

"...Takes Every Kinda People..."

After stints with THE ALAN BOWN in the Sixties, DADA in 1970 and three albums with VINEGAR JOE (featuring Elkie Brooks) between 1972 and 1973 – ROBERT PALMER was finally ready to go Solo. 

I've already reviewed his 1974 debut "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley" and its sexy 1976 follow up "Pressure Drop". This 2CD reissue on Demon's Edsel label celebrates the next stage – his 3rd and 4th solo albums from 1976 and 1978.

UK released 26 August 2013 - "Some People Can Do What They Want/Double Fun" by ROBERT PALMER on Edsel EDSK 7038 (Barcode 740155703837) is a 2CD Compilation that offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD - it breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (38:41 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 3rd Solo LP "Some People Can Do What They Like" – UK released October 1976 on Island ILPS 9420

Disc 2 (35:01 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 9 are his 4th Solo LP "Double Fun" – UK released March 1978 on Island ILPS 9476

The outer card wrap is generic to all these Edsel reissues and certainly gives the whole thing a classy feel. Fans will also know that outside of the "Gold" anthology on Universal – Palmer's Island catalogue has been languishing without remasters for decades. Although it doesn't say who remastered these album at Universal – the sound quality is great – a huge improvement over the dull Eighties discs we'd had for years. 

One reviewer is ranting on about MP3 files but I don't hear anything of the sort - and if these are sourced from Universal's remasters for "Gold" then they are vast improvements on what we had before. The 28-page booklet is substantial – pictures of the albums and rare singles, studio shots, colour publicity stuff, lyrics to both albums, affectionate and knowledgeable liner notes by CHRIS JONES – it's a bang-up job done.  

Having relocated to the Bahamas and with his 2nd album "Pressure Drop" only just released to the shops in April of 1976 – Palmer was already under pressure to produce another album immediately. Hence only two songs on "Some People…" are originals – the other 8 are hastily worked out covers. But cobbled out of nothing – the album is brilliant - and perhaps one of the great lost Funk-Rock nuggets of the mid Seventies.

It opens with a Bill Payne original (of Little Feat) "One Last Look" and not surprisingly Palmer makes a return to the mighty Feat on Lowell George's fab "Spanish Moon". Two absolute belters however come in the shape of drummers – his pal Alan Powell (the backbeat behind Vinegar Joe) co-writes the brilliantly funky "Gotta Get A Grip On You (Part II)" while legendary Kansas sticks man James Gadson (Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, The Jungle Brothers and later with Beck and Paul McCartney) gives us the stunning "What Can You Bring Me". An old Harry Belafonte Calypso hit "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" was funked up and lifted as a single on Island WIP 6345 but it made few inroads. The album ends on a high note though with his own fabulously groovy "Some People Can Do What They Like" featuring Old Grey Whistle Test Theme type harmonica wailing from Greg Carroll. The album scraped the Top 100 in the USA. Commercially things fared better next time around…

I recall first hearing the stunning groove of "Every Kinda People" – a song penned by Andy Fraser of Free (lyrics above). I bought the single immediately and played it to distraction (there is a Remix of "Every Kinda People" on the 1999 Universal CD compilation that is not included here – would have made a good bonus track). With a two year layoff Palmer contributed 7 originals to the superbly crafted 10-track "Double Fun" album – the other two covers being "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks and "Night People" - a new contribution from his old New Orleans pal and genius songwriter Allen Toussaint.

The boppin' "Best Of Both Worlds" sees Reggae seeping into his funky style – the same with "Love Can Run Faster" only featuring more piano. Again Richie Hayward, Bill Payne and Paul Barrere of Little Feat are all over the tracks on Drums, Keyboards and Guitars respectively. Things take a string-plucked change with the lovely "You Overwhelm Me" – a great Palmer melody.  And it ends well with the "Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor Doctor)" funk-rock of "You're Going To Get What's Coming" which is just great.

I’ve always thought Robert Palmer was a class act – not just as singer – but also as a vessel for other people’s songs. On this reissue you get a whole lot of both. Bluntly there's a hunk of quality Seventies Funk-Rock-Soul-Reggae on offer here for not a lot of your hard earned.

Get this fabulous double-CD in your life and you’ll find yourself sneakin’ those other titles into your shopping basket too. I miss him…

"The Innocent Age" by DAN FOGELBERG - November 1981 Double-Album on Full Moon and Epic Records with Joni Mitchell as a Guest (September 2012 UK Beat Goes On 2CD Remaster of the 1981 Double-Album) - A Review by Mark Barry...

<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B0096Q54J6&asins=B0096Q54J6&linkId=2d53915a07ebe43fe99b046bbc9690da&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

<iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B0BZL1MX5Y&asins=B0BZL1MX5Y&linkId=af56fb38e3fc6d43bd49fe788dfb0500&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

This Review and 209 more are in my E-Book

Available on AMAZON 

LET'S GO CRAZY - 80ts Music On CD

Your All-Genres Guide To Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters

Classic Albums, Compilations, 45s

All In-Depth Reviews from the Discs Themselves

Over 1,650 e-Pages of Info

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"...Wealthy The Spirit…"

I purchased these superb sounding Dan Fogelberg 2CD reissues by Beat Goes On Records of England way back and have been meaning to review them ever since. 

I've covered Volume 1 "Home Free" (1972) / "Souvenirs" (1974), Volume 2 "Captured Angel" (1975) / "Nether Lands" (1977) and Volume 3 "Twin Sons Of Different Mothers" (1978) / "Phoenix" (1980) in separate reviews. Here are the details for Volume 4 that deals with his expansive and brilliant double-album from 1981 that featured a rare guest spot by Joni Mitchell on duet vocals. To details...

UK released 10 September 2012 - "The Innocent Age" by DAN FOGELBERG on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1073 (Barcode 5017261210739) is a 2CD set of Remasters that make up the 17 tracks of his 7th vinyl album (a 2LP set) "The Innocent Age" - first issued November 1981 in the USA on Full Moon KE2 37393 and in the UK on Epic EPC 88533.

Discs 1 (39:40 minutes):

1. Nexus [Side 1]

2. The Innocent Age

3. The sand And The Foam

4. In The Passage

5. Lost In The Sun [Side 2]

6. Run For The Roses

7. Leader Of The Band

8. Same Old Lang Syne

Disc 2 (40:50 minutes):

1. Stolen Moments [Side 3]

2. The Lion's Share

3. Only The Heart May Know

4. The Reach

5. Aireshire Lament [Side 4]

6. Times Like These

7. Hard To Say

8. Empty Cages

9. Ghosts

Like the other reissues in this superb series - the packed 24-page booklet is excellent - all artwork reproduced, lyrics, full credits and liner notes in this case by noted writer DAVID WELLS. With the lovely outer card wrap/slipcase it automatically feels like a classy presentation. But the big news for fans is the fabulous remasters. ANDREW THOMPSON at Sound Performance in London has done the deed (he's handled large numbers of BGO's reissues) and his transfers on this 2CD set are beautifully handled. On to the music...

It opens with a belter "Nexus" and a rare cameo appearance on duet 'descant' vocals by JONI MITCHELL. The guitar solo in the song combined with the vocals still sends me to this day (lyrics above). Respectfully dedicated to the Buffalo Springfield, track 2 "The Innocent Age" is pure Fogelberg magic where he plays all the instruments and employs lovely harmony vocals from BF original band member RICHIE FURAY.

The album was a smash (it hit Number 6 on the charts - rare for a double) and spawned 4 hit singles - "Same Old Lang Syne", "Hard To Say", "Leader Of The Band" and "Run For The Roses" (with Al Perkins on Steel Guitar). Other favorites include the Emitt Rhodes acoustic funk of "Stolen Moments" and the gorgeous ballad "Only The Heart May Know" featuring an aching vocal duet with EMMYLOU HARRIS. "The Reach" is equally as beautiful ("it's father and son...it's the way it's been done...") - the melody and lyrics reduce me to tears every time. Wonderful stuff really - all of it...

I posted a note on Dan Fogelberg's website when he sadly succumbed to cancer in December 2007 - yet another teenage hero of mine gone to the great gig in the sky.

Luckily this and all the other beautiful-sounding 2CD reissues in this superb Beat Goes On series do his musical legacy proud. Well done to all involved and RIP you lovely songsmith...

"Somewhere In Time - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by JOHN BARRY (1994 Beat Goes On CD Remaster - Reissued In 2013) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...The Journey Back In Time...."

Jeannot Szwarc's "Somewhere In Time" has been both a filmic and musical cult since its release in 1980 - and a mere twenty seconds into the opening theme and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why. The film is gushingly romantic in a way that might be called 'soppy' these days (starring Christopher Reeves, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer) and John Barry's score is simply sublime - beautiful icing on an already very tasty cake.

Remastered by Beat Goes On from the original tapes and released July 1994 on BGOCD222 (use Barcode 5017261202222 in the Amazon Search Bar) - "Somewhere In Time - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by JOHN BARRY has been reissued at last in September 2013 using the same version as before (31:53 minutes).

Disappointingly the gatefold slip of paper that is laughably referred to as 'restored original artwork' on the silver sticker that accompanies these reissues is 'technically' right. Front and back cover and that's it. But it offers up nothing new - and it's a shame that Beat Goes On (BGO) didn't take this reissue opportunity to spread the wings a bit and fit the insert out with some proper celebratory liner notes (especially given Christopher Reeves sad demise).

1. Somewhere In Time [Side 1]

2. The Old Woman

3. The Journey Back In Time

4. A Day Together

5. Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini [Side 2]

6. Is He The One

7. The Man Of My Dreams

8. Return To The Present

9. Theme From "Somewhere In Time"

Tracks 1 to 9 are the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to "Somewhere In Time" by JOHN BARRY - released October 1980 in the USA on MCA Records MCA-5154 and October 1986 (belatedly) in the UK on MCA Records MCF 3333. All music composed by JOHN BARRY except "Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini" by Rachmaninoff. Piano solo on "Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini" played by Chet Swiatkowski - Piano solo on "Theme From "Somewhere In Time"" played by Roger Williams.

What matters is the music and it sounds gorgeous and lush - quiet when it needs to be - full of presence and warmth too and not just ratcheted up for the sake of volume (probably done by the resident Audio Engineer Andrew Thompson although it doesn’t say so). With most soundtracks the 'theme' or 'refrain' is repeated in varying guises throughout - and it's no different here. But frankly the main "Somewhere In Time" theme is so incredibly haunting and poignant that any amount of variations is welcome news as far as I'm concerned.

A rather nice deviation is "Rhapsody On A Theme..." with a deft Piano Solo from Chet Swiatkowsky. And it all ends on Track 9 with a final performance of the 'theme' by piano soloist Roger Williams. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to "Somewhere In Time" may be short for sure compared to today's 20 and 24-track releases (it only just nudges over 30-minutes) - but it is 'oh so sweet' and more measured for it.

I've been a lifelong Barry fan (and its not just because of the surname) and at one time had over 30 of his original soundtrack albums. But even by his lofty "Out Of Africa" and "Diamonds Are Forever" masterpiece standards - "Somewhere In Time" is exceptional in its entirety.

Get this solid gold star in your reasonably priced car as soon as possible. And it's a lifetime regret that I never saw the Maestro live (my brother did and talks about it today). Oh well - gotta settle for the next best thing...

PS: There is also an extended 19-track re-recording version of "Somewhere In Time" from 1998 done by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by John Debney (with John Barry's permission). Although it's not the original soundtrack per say - Varese Sarabande VSD-5911 (Barcode 030206591125) comes recommended by many fans and has beautiful 20-bit digital audio. If you want only the original music - there is also a further reissue of the original 9-track album in Japan-only on MCA Records. It's an Audiophile K2-HD Mastering CD version remastered in 2013 by Takeshi Hakamata from original US tapes (use Barcode 0602488963350 to locate a copy). 

“Glory” on BLU RAY - A Review Of The MASTERED IN 4K Release…

Here is a link to Amazon UK to buy this issue at the best price (£9 as of March 2014):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D6AAS94

First things first - I don't own a 4K TV - nor do I own the Sony BDPS6200 BLU RAY player with built in 4K upscaling. So I suppose this review of "Glory Mastered In 4K" is compromised on 2 fronts. However I have what I suspect most film lovers have - a good Plasma TV and a half-decent BLU RAY player. But even with machines as lowly as these - I'm compelled to review...

Is Mastered In 4K a gimmick? No it's not. The new format on BLU RAY is in its infancy for sure as far as releases and market interest is concerned - but judging on what I'm seeing on my television - that isn't going to last long. Once you set your eyes on the quality of the picture and what can be done - immediate upgrades on all your favourites is going to make you very excited - and your bank manager very nervous.

"Glory" has had a convoluted and patchy history with regard to reissue - most notorious of all was the DVD - slammed as being awful - with its BLU RAY follow up not a whole lot better. And this powerful 1989 Edward Zwick movie about the 54th Massachusettes regiment in the American Civil War (the first Black military unit and their extraordinary bravery) means a lot to many. So Sony seem to have gone to some lengths to change this with their new format baby because "Glory" is being hailed as a sort of flagship release to show what can be achieved  - even with older and sometimes degraded elements.

It's defaulted to 1.85:1 aspect ratio so it naturally fills the full screen and has a huge impact for doing so. The picture isn't perfect by any means or stretch of the imagination - and there are shocking 'grain' spikes at times. The most famous of these is where Colonel Robert Shaw (a huge performance from Matthew Broderick) is in a ballroom talking to a general - when it cuts to the general the picture is gorgeous - but when it cuts back to Broderick's face - it looks awful - twice. And on many other occasions the natural grain of filming is evident like a very faint shimmer - but even in the darker night sequences in tents when Denzel Washington, Andre Braugher and Morgan Freeman are talking - the picture is amazingly clean, rich and rock solid.

But it's when the camera moves to the drill marches, the towns they pass through and especially the battle encampments and the fields of battle - it looks gorgeous to a degree that is breath-taking. Bloody wounds, muddy shirts, the blue uniforms they covet so much, Denzel standing tall and defiant and hurting as he takes the lashes on the wheel for insubordination - it all looks incredibly rich and deep. Throughout the film this kicked in maybe 30 or 40 times which is impressive despite the grain moments in between.

The best way to describe the picture is 'cinematic' - there's an almost 3D depth to some shots - a real 'movie-in-your-home' sense of distances. And the James Horner soundtrack is given full reign too by the 5.1 True HD mix (English and Spanish) as are and sounds of rifle gunfire, canon blasts, rain on tarpaulin and men screaming in pain in tents as surgeons saw off limbs.

Presentation - Subtitles are in English, English for The Hard of hearing, Hindi, Polish and Spanish. Each release comes in a pretty blue card slipcase on the outside with the BLU RAY MASTERED IN 4K logo across the top - but unfortunately little else. There are literally no extras of any kind - which feels like a huge missed opportunity especially on such a rich film as "Glory" (3 Oscar wins - Best Supporting Actor for Denzel, Best Cinematography and Best Sound).

And as you can see from the list below - the initial vanguard of titles in 4K is hardly enticing - and in some cases - why even bother (the truly dreadful "The Other Guys" and the underwhelming "Moneyball")? And these titles were issued (Region Free) in the States between April and July 2013 with no further names since? Hardly a rip-roaring start...

Having said all that - I'm impressed. I'm even tempted now by "Taxi Driver", Ghostbusters" and "Godzilla" which have received similar glowing reviews on the improvement front.

The truth I suspect is that `4K' is an advancement for film fans that we're going to want more of once we clap our beady eyes on the screen - and that can only spell joy and pain in equal measure.

Here we go again...

Titles MASTERED IN 4K as of March 2014 are:

1. Angels And Demons (2009)

2. Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

3. Ghostbusters (1984)

4. Glory (1989)

5. Godzilla (1998)

6. The Karate Kid (2010)

7. Men In Black (1997)

8. Moneyball (2011)

9. The Other Guys (2010)

10. Pineapple Express (2008)

11. Spider-Man (2002)

12. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

13. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

14. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

15. Taxi Driver (1976)

16. Total Recall (2012)

"Anonymous" on BLU RAY - A Review Of The 2011 Film By Roland Emmerich and John Orloff...

Here is a link to Amazon UK to buy this BLU RAY at the best price:
(March 2014 - part of their '2 for £10' BLU RAY offer)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00594HF0A

"...And Yet?"

A German filmmaker (famous for special effects extravaganzas) messing with the status of the godlike British playwright William Shakespeare is bound to produce hissy fits amongst historians, be labelled abomination by academics and booed off the screen by snarling patrons. And yet…

I saw knob to all the naysayers. Roland Emmerich's "Anonymous" which re-writes the bard’s life is a fantastically well-made and well-written film - and while it isn’t as crowd-pleasing as say "Shakespeare In Love" – it’s just as good and even more sumptuous to look at. And it puts forward ideas that are not just tempting but frighteningly believable. First some facts about this astounding giant of literature…

Born the son of cobbler in April 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England, William Shakespeare became an actor first - then a playwright. He died in 1616 aged 52 survived by a wife and two daughters. His written works are the most performed in history – 38 plays, 154 sonnets and some other poems. "We happy few…we band of brothers…" and "to thine own self be true…" – are just some of the phrases that pepper the very fabric of how we speak and think. Shakespeare quotes are second only to The Bible. And yet in 400 years there isn’t a single page or document in his handwriting and there are said to be only two images of him - one of which is disputed. This leaves the most revered writers in the known Universe open to 'interpretation'.

Enter Roland Emmerich and his writer John Orloff. They purport that a moneyed aristocrat the 17th Earl Of Oxford Edward De Vere (played brilliantly by Rhys Ifans) was in fact the real author – and the actor William Shakespeare was just an opportunist who stepped up as 'author' on the night “Henry The 5th” was played for the first time.

Edward De Vere was married to the daughter of William Cecil (David Thewlis)  – a powerful manipulator in the court of the ageing Queen Elizabeth 1. Edward may have had a ‘thing’ with the young Queen 40 years earlier and her ‘bastard’ son would be heir to the Tudor throne (clever casting of mother and daughter Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson as the old and young queen). But there are plans to crown the Scotsman James instead. Edward De Vere determines to use words to sway the minds of the people and protect the young man. But he needs a puppet – enter playwright Ben Johnson who is jailed because the powers that be view all writers as seditionists.

The huge number of great actors given meaty material makes every scene sparkle with talent and intelligence. Xavier Samuel, Edward Hogg, Jamie Campbell Bower all stand up against the bigger names – with Rhys Ifans superb as the aristocrat with a heart, a brain and a quill that won’t quit. And on it goes to the end and very satisfying reasons as to why no documents exist to this day and why the most famous writer in the world can still be such an enigma and mystery.

A word about the picture quality on the BLU RAY of “Anonymous” – it’s glorious. Full on Hollywood production values are brought to every single scene – the planks on muddy wet streets, ink on fingers, dirty ruffles around the neck, the rotten teeth of the aging Queen, the dank stinking jails, the mazes in gardens full of roses – it looks incredible all the time. And the actors have a proper script to work with – no 1980s slip-ups here. Phrases like "all art is political…" and "plays are the spawn of the devil…and acts of sedition…" fill the heavy dialogue passages with sparkle and menace.

Extras include:
1. A Commentary With Director Roland Emmerich and Writer John Orloff
2. Deleted Scenes
3. Who is The Real William Shakespeare?
4. Extended Scenes
5. Speak The Speech
6. More Than Special Effects (4 to 5 exclusive to BLU RAY)

Subtitles English, English For The Hard Of Hearing, Hindi, Italian and Spanish

"Anonymous" isn’t going to bother an Oscar committee any day soon – but it is an intelligent and brilliantly presented movie – an alternative point of view and a reminder of just how beautiful and powerful words can be. Get it in your life and wallow in all that iambic excellence.

PS: Did you know that the name of William Shakespeare’s wife was Anne Hathaway? It really was!
You think you know someone and it turns out they’re just another bloody good actor…

“What’s Your Number?” on BLU RAY. A Review Of The 2012 Film...

You have to worry about poor Chris Evans when he's around the ladies. The man can't help himself. He has an effect on them. And if Chris has his shirt off (and I can assure the makers of “The Devil Wears Prada” and “27 Dresses” make him expose his ripped torso as much as is indecently possible) – Chris is frankly irresistible to the opposite sex. A little like me on a Monday morning in a Walthamstow urinal…

Like most - I hadn’t expected much from "What's Your Number?" – yet it actually sparkles when so many other rom-coms don’t. It’s a genuinely funny and entertaining ride.

A huge part of its success has to go to ANNA FARIS who goes after this rom-com role like Katherine Heigl on speed. Her character Ally is all mouth and attitude, juggling a manic work life and occasionally stopping to have sex when the mood takes and the menu looks right. But in a kiss-and-tell cocktail chat with some bitchy friends – she realizes that her previous-partner-count has in fact topped 19 - and the next guy has to be the magic 20. Cue cameos of former lovers (Sherlock’s Martin Freeman is excellent) and awkward situations involving varying amounts of revolving underwear.

Meanwhile in the apartment across the hall her admittedly handsome neighbour Colin keeps dodging a constant procession of one-night stands with lady lovelies. Whether these poor women adore him or not - Colin seems obnoxious to them and even uses Ally’s apartment on occasion to hide from his conquests. So it isn’t long before the feckless two strike up an unholy bargain – Colin can hold up in her place when he needs to avoid reasonability – in return he’ll help Ally track down those past boyfriends to see if they might now represent potential husband material. Will love triumph over crabs, checklists and cockroaches? Will Ally find the man of her dreams? Is Number 20/Mister Right in fact right under her nose? Let me hazard a guess…

The picture quality on the BLU RAY is gorgeous throughout – defaulted to 1.85:1 so it fills out the full screen naturally. There are 8 Deleted Scenes as extras and a very funny ‘Gag Reel’. Subtitle supplied are: Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Latin Spanish, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and English For The Hard Of Hearing. Also note that the American 20th Century Fox issue is REGION A LOCKED so it won’t play on our machines unless they’re chipped to be ‘all regions’ (which few are). Stick with the UK variant – as you can see it’s available for under a fiver in most places.

“What’s Your Number?” is far better than it had any divine right to be (my 20 year old daughter laughed a lot).

A bit of a hoot frankly and thoroughly recommended.

Now all I need to do is count backwards myself. Now let me see was it 250 or was it 275?