Lines and Dots

There are some pieces of music and some works of literature that we revisit over and over again - either because they have such brilliance that they need a repeat watch or because we find them oddly comforting. From the musical Hamilton to the Dilbert Principle and from Douglas Adams' genius to the ingenuity of Will Todd, Maurice and Chris explore what it is that pulls us back to these things so often.  They also display a lack of football knowledge which is only paralelled by their lack of interest in the game.   First recorded on 19th June 2025.

From the windswept deserts of Arrakis to the Republic of Plato and from the riot-inspiring ballet music of Stravinsky through to Mahler's Ressurrection symphony, this week Maurice and Chris tackle those pieces of text and music that reward the dertermined listener. What is it that makes something impenatrable? Why do we feel so delighted when we come to appreciate them? And why on earth am I still using the word 'spandex'?   First recorded on 12th June 2025.

From poetry that meets the needs of business through to a ballet for Barbie, this week's episode explores the intractable pull of the new and the risky - what is it that makes a piece of culture truly new and different? Styling themselves as a breakdancing crew, Maurice and Chris throw down moves to explore the music of Tippet and the extraordinary Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. First recorded on 3rd June 2025. 

The title of this episode should be preceded by a disapproving tut or a disdainful whistling of air through the teeth. Looking at the concept of something becoming outdate or inappropriate in a more modern context, Chris and Maurice consider Nabokov's Lolita, the book of Leviticus, the music of Grease and go on the hunt for a lost cord. All of this while enjoying a reminiscent round or two of the Generation game... didn't they do well?   First recorded on Thursday 22nd May 2025.

Travelling, in at least their own minds, to the village of Upperthong for a spot of Welly Wanging, Chris and Maurice explore the intrac(tor)able influence of the countryside and agriculture on creativity through the ages. From a glorious setting of a tractor catalogue by Milhaud, and an opium-fuelled stroll through the fields with Berlioz to an oddly named memorial by Milton and a bit of post-funereal hanky-panky with Hausmann - its a theme that keeps coming back over and over again!   First recorded on Thursday 15th May 2025.