Edwyn Collins: Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation review – the sense of an ending
There's also a sense of reckoning. The title track alludes to the speech problems caused by his ill health: 'Back when the words came easily/ I had the answer to everything', something also touched upon on Knowledge. Indeed, his lyrics are equally thoughtful and thought-provoking throughout, the musicianship sensitive and never seizing the spotlight from his still distinctive baritone. Paper Planes and It Must Be Real are particularly beautifully realised; the rousing The Heart Is a Foolish Little Thing conceals rueful and tender sentiments. Collins has just announced a farewell tour for the autumn. One has to hope this compassionate, empathetic record is not his farewell album too.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Game of Thrones star joins 'promising' new historical BBC drama opposite James Norton
The BBC has unveiled a sneak peek at the forthcoming historical drama King and Conqueror, set to broadcast next month. The series, formerly known as 1066, will see the pair battle for the throne alongside their respective wives. The teaser features James Norton in the role of Harold, Earl of Wessex, while Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for Game of Thrones, plays William, Duke of Normandy. The drama will depict the duo's struggle for the throne, alongside their respective wives, Edith Swan-neck (Emily Beecham) and Matilda (Clémence Poésy). The trailer also introduces allies and foes such as King Edward (Eddie Marsan), Lady Emma (Juliet Stevenson), Morcar (Elander Moore), Gytha (Clare Holman), Tostig (Luther Ford), Queen Gunhild (Bo Bragason) and Godwin (Geoff Bell). King and Conqueror tells the tale of a conflict that shaped the destiny of a nation – and a continent – for a millennium, with roots reaching back decades and extending through two intertwined family dynasties, vying for power across two countries and a turbulent sea, reports the Mirror. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men fated to clash at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no initial ambition for the English throne, who found themselves compelled by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for its crown. The programme consists of eight hour-long episodes and will also feature Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry, Elliott Cowan as Sweyn, Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin, Indy Lewis as Margaret, Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern, Ines Asserson as Judith, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada and Léo Legrand as Odo. Fresh promotional artwork for the drama presents a monochrome portrait of Harold with a resolute expression whilst William looms behind him, ready for combat. BBC audiences were swift to react to the programme's preview, with one commenting: "I hope they include the part where William had Harold buried on the beach, to guard the English shore.'I always found that quite touching, like a mark of his respect for such a great warrior." Another contributed: "The story of William the Conqueror; updated for a modern audience," whilst a third wrote: "Bout damn time they dropped this trailer. They been talking about this show for a year and a half." Someone else remarked: "Hopefully, this show will fulfill how I missed Vikings," as another contributed: "First i have heard of this but it seems really promising."
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
James Norton goes head to head with Game of Thrones star in epic BBC drama
James Norton will star opposite Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in new BBC drama King & Conqueror The BBC has revealed a first look at upcoming historical drama King & Conqueror, which is set to air next month. In the teaser, James Norton stars as Harold, Earl of Wessex, while Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau portrays William, Duke of Normandy. The drama will see the pair battle for the throne alongside their respective wives, Edith Swan-neck (Emily Beecham) and Matilda (Clémence Poésy). The trailer also features allies and enemies such as King Edward (Eddie Marsan), Lady Emma (Juliet Stevenson), Morcar (Elander Moore), Gytha (Clare Holman), Tostig (Luther Ford), Queen Gunhild (Bo Bragason) and Godwin (Geoff Bell). King & Conqueror is the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the English throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown. The series is made up of eight 60 minute episodes and will also star Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry, Elliott Cowan as Sweyn, Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin, Indy Lewis as Margaret, Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern, Ines Asserson as Judith, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada and Léo Legrand as Odo. New key art for the series shows a black and white image of Harold with a determined look on his face while William stands behind him, poised for battle. BBC viewers were quick to comment on the teaser for the series, with one writing: "I hope they include the part where William had Harold buried on the beach, to guard the English shore. 'I always found that quite touching, like a mark of his respect for such a great warrior." Another added: "The story of William the Conqueror; updated for a modern audience," while a third penned: "Bout damn time they dropped this trailer. They been talking about this show for a year and a half." Someone else shared: "Hopefully, this show will fulfill how I missed Vikings," as another added: "First i have heard of this but it seems really promising."
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Inside Kate's 'difficult' summer when she gained the nickname 'Waity Kaity' and almost worked for Mohamed Al Fayed, according to royal author
Back in the summer of 2009, The Black Eyed Peas had a hit with I Gotta Feeling, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince was showing in cinemas and the world was in shock over the death of Michael Jackson. But for Kate Middleton, who was 27 at the time, it was a 'difficult period' as her university friends were getting married and there was much talk about her future marital status. Royal biographer Katie Nicholl wrote in The Making Of A Royal Romance: 'William had signed up for 18 months of training with the RAF and there was simply no time to even think about a wedding. 'Although they managed to see each other most weekends, their time together was fleeting.' Meanwhile, Kate had been dubbed 'Waity Kaity by the media and was dividing her time between her flat in London and her parents' Berkshire home. Perhaps it was salt in the wound when one of her best friends got married in May as Kate and William pulled out at the last minute, causing speculation among their friends. Kate was said to be dreading the inevitable 'When will you two be next?' question. But her spirits had been lifted when a vacancy popped up at Harrods, owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, father of Dodie, who had been romantically involved with Princess Diana at the time of their deaths in Paris in 1997. Nicholl wrote: 'She had a contact at Harrods, who told her there was a vacancy for a buyer's assistant in the fashion department. 'Kate had always wanted a job in fashion, and was keen to pursue this new opportunity.' A senior source told Nicholl: 'It was discussed. Kate is a regular shopper at Harrods and the chairman [Al-Fayed] had an idea to approach her to do something, but it never came to anything.' The royal author continued: 'The Knightsbridge store is owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who has installed a shrine to his son Dodie and Diana in the lower ground floor of the store, and according to sources close to Kate she was worried the job could turn into a potential PR disaster.' And it seems this was for the best, because in 2023, historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al-Fayed - dubbed The Monster of Harrods - came to light. It was around this time that the Queen gave some stinging advice to Kate. In her book, William And Harry: Behind the Palace Walls, Nicholl wrote that the Queen was concerned about Kate's lack of a stable job and the number of holidays she was taking in her book. She wrote: 'While the rest of the world speculated that an engagement was on the horizon for William and Kate, the Queen believed an announcement should be postponed until Kate was settled in a career.' Kate had been dubbed 'Waity Kaity' by the media and was dividing her time between her flat in London and her parents' Berkshire home One insider told Nicholl that 'it is Her Majesty's opinion that if Kate is one day going to be William's consort, then she needs a proper job.' MailOnline reported at the time that sources close to the Queen said she was acutely aware that William's public image could suffer if his girlfriend were not recognised as a working professional in her own right. 'The Queen has had conversations with a few trusted friends about how to tackle what is being called the Kate problem,' a senior aide told The Mail on Sunday. 'On the few occasions the Queen has met Kate, she has thought she is a nice enough girl. But the Queen has admitted she has no idea what Kate actually does. 'Privately, she is very concerned about what the repercussions could be if Kate is not in a stable job as and when William is ready to propose.' When she left St Andrews with a 2:1 in art history, Kate attempted to set up her own children's clothing line as a subsidiary to her parents' mail-order company, Party Pieces. But she was forced to close it before it launched for financial reasons. She then got a job as an accessories buyer at Jigsaw, but quit in 2007. By June 2008, Kate was working for her parents' company, Party Pieces. Wedding fever! William and Hugh van Cutsem attend the wedding of Nicholas van Cutsem and Alice Hadden-Paton on August 14, 2009 In Nicholl's book Kate: The Future Queen, a family friend tells how Kate's mother, Carole, expressed her fears to William that he had not proposed. But he assured her that not only would there be an engagement and subsequent marriage, the couple hoped to have children – and he promised Carole that she would be fully involved in their upbringing. From the beginning, William had made it clear that he would not rush into marriage. Back in March 2005, Kate had been invited to Klosters with the royals where William gave an interview to the press during an arranged photocall at the Swiss ski resort. The 22-year-old reportedly blushed when he was asked about his long-term girlfriend Kate and said he was lucky to have a close circle of trusted friends. He said: 'Look, I'm only 22 for God's sake. I'm too young to marry at my age. 'I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30.' In December 2006, Kate and her mother attended Sandhurst to watch Prince William receive his army commission, which sparked a frenzy of engagement rumours. Woolworths even commissioned its own range of memorabilia in anticipation of the event. These included traditional china plates, thimbles, mouse mats and even Wills and Kate shaped pick-and-mix sweets. Sadly, Woolworths went out of business in January 2009, before the engagement was announced. But according to Nicholl, it was senior royals who told William to take the relationship steady. She wrote: 'William had been having second thoughts and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank discussion about his future with Kate. 'Both advised him not to hurry into anything.' After dating for nearly a decade, William finally proposed in October 2010, in a cabin roughly 11,000ft above sea level on the side of Mount Kenya in Africa. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey with 2,000 guests and 2.6billion people around the world watching on television William had been carrying his late mother's engagement ring in his backpack for three weeks before giving it to Kate. True to his prediction, he would later marry Kate Middleton two months before his 29th birthday. They announced their engagement to the public on November 16, 2010, before tying the knot in April 2011. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey with 2,000 guests and 2.6billion people around the world watching on television At the time, People called it the 'greatest and grandest royal affair' since Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1981 wedding. Looking back now, that long, hot summer of 2009 must feel like a lifetime ago to Kate. Kate Middleton's pre-royal CV Before joining the Royal Family when she wed Prince William in 2011, the future Queen worked in a series of surprisingly normal jobs. Ahead of going to university, teenage Kate took on some 'back breaking work', earning a pittance as a deckhand in Southampton. And after leaving education, she famously worked in fashion, taking on a role as an accessory buyer for high street brand Jigsaw. Her final foray into the world of work ahead of joining the royals was working for her family business, Party Pieces. 'Back-breaking work' as a deckhand in Southampton One of the first jobs the now-Princess of Wales is known to have worked at sounds like a surprisingly hands-on role for the royal. Ahead of going to university in Scotland (where she famously met her husband-to-be ), like many others her age, Kate took on low-paid work. Over a four-month period, she worked as a deckhand at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton. One of the skippers Kate worked under at the time, Cal Tomlinson, spoke to author Katie Nicholl for her biography Kate: The Future Queen. He said: 'It was back-breaking work. Kate mucked in and was very professional. She fitted right in, although she did stand out for being so pretty. 'She spoke well, she was very attractive, and she an air about her. She was competent and confident but very unassuming. 'She was polite and respectful to whoever was in charge of her and neat as a pin. She was never wore any make-up; she was naturally beautiful.' A 'terrible' waitress during her university days These days, Kate has the means to be waited on if she likes, but this was not always the case. Like many other students, Kate took on some waitressing while she was at university. It was during the 2019 broadcast of Christmas TV special A Berry Royal Christmas, that the princess opened up about her hospitality experience to show host Mary Berry. During one segment, Mary prepared a non-alcoholic cocktail, which she then passed to Kate to take over to guests. This prompted Kate to quip: 'Reminds me of my university days when I did a bit of waitressing.' When Mary asked if she was good at the job, Kate responded very honestly. She laughed, and replied: 'No, I was terrible!' First foray into the world of fashion After leaving university, Kate landed a job with a major fashion chain. At the age of 24, she took on a role as an accessory buyer for high street brand Jigsaw around the end of 2006. Speaking to confirm the appointment, a Jigsaw spokesperson said at the time: 'We can confirm that Kate joined our staff two or three weeks ago as an accessory buyer for Jigsaw and Jigsaw Junior. We can't comment any further.' According to reports, the future Queen had already helped out the brand at a fashion shoot, where she ran errands, fetching cups of tea and snacks. When Kate was hired by Jigsaw, it was owned by fashion tycoons John and Belle Robinson - close family friends of the Middleton's. At the time, the appointment was described as a major coup for Jigsaw, having the woman who was expected to marry the future king among its staff. Although she left the brand in 2007, to go and work for her family business Party Pieces, the Princess of Wales still appears to be a fan, and has been spotted wearing items of its clothing in recent years. Working for the family business After leaving her role at Jigsaw, Kate went on to work for her parents' business, Party Pieces. The party decoration supplier is owned by Kate's mother Carole Middleton. It was founded in 1987 when Carole was looking for inspiration for her daughter Kate's fifth birthday party. She realised there was a gap in the market and set up the company that offers time-pressed parents an easy choice of imaginative parties for their children. While it may have started as a tiny operation working from the Middletons' kitchen table, it is now a much larger business employing some 40 people and working internationally. The brand's best-selling Party Pieces Collection features products such as plates, napkins, cups, hats, balloons, treat stands and decorations. All three of her children have worked for it at some point, with Kate joining in 2007, after leaving her job at Jigsaw. Her role, according to reports, included working as a website designer and photographer for the business. She left Party Pieces in January 2011, ahead of her April wedding to Prince William.
