
Film
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music
1988 · 1h 14m · Documentary
On Vescene
No Vescene ratings yet — sign in and be the first.
Overview
A feat that fully matches its title, an alphabetical trawl through both the history of British music and Russell's own likes and dislikes, the latter summed up by a scene in which he takes a phone call and listens for a bit before concluding that 'it's either an obscene call or the beginning of Michael Tippett's Fourth Symphony.' Gleefully exploiting an already contrived format, Russell uses alphabetical coincidence as an excuse to throw wildly disparate material together: Elgar is fused with Elton John, Holst with Heavy Metal and Punk with Purcell.
Cast

Ken Russell
Himself

Edward Elgar
Self (archive)

Benjamin Britten
Self (archive)

John Lennon
Self (archive)
Janet Baker
Self (archive)
Vernon Handley
Self (archive)

Noël Coward
Self (archive)

Elton John
Self (archive)

Thomas Dolby
Self (archive)

Kate Bush
Self (archive)
Crew
- Ken RussellWriter · Director
- Melvyn BraggProducer
Details
- Release date
- February 4, 1988
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 14m
- Genres
- Documentary
Rate it on Vescene
Rate films and shows on two axes — quality and fun — and share taste with friends.