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This is a review of the audio cassette "Together Again - Blake's Back!" In a
nutshell buy it!However, I presume you want a little more than that. I walked back from school this morning listening tio it on my walkman, with a great big grin plastered over my face most of the way. I can't help wondering what passers by thought when I occasionally started laughing. The tape consists of Joe Nazarro interviewing Gareth Thomas and Paul Darrow (and occasionally Sheelagh Wells - who did the make up). He's a good interviewer because he tends to ask very open questions that promptly send paul and Gareth into long chains of reminiscences that rapidly drift away from the original topic, but are none the less interesting for all that.
There are many amusing anecdotes relating to quarries, costumes etc. most of which are new to me. I can't tell if other people will have heard them or not. Even the ones I had heard all ready on old convenetion tapes or in zine interviews were all the better for being recorded in decent quality sound.
One particular point that interested me was the discussion of the very tight shooting schedules that they had to work under and Paul's comment that this might in some ways have contributed indirectly to the success of the series. The pressure was such that they tended to clown around in rehearsals just to blow the safety valve a little, and it all helped contribute to make a very close knit group. I think this closeness showed up on screen.
The thing I like best about the tape is the verbal interplay between Gareth and Paul. For instance after Paul refers to Blake as an eponymous hero, Gareth comes back a minut or so later with:
"Do You realise you used a word with more than four syllables there? Can you spell it?"
Paul: "Of course - IT"
The atmosphere of the whole tape is relaxed and informal. Sheelagh, who was the producer of the tape said that she was aiming for this effect, and I think she's succeeded very well. As far as production values go, it's a chrome tape, the sound quality good (well, it sounds good on my grotty machine anyway), and there's a nice colour photo on the sleeve.
Highly recommended.
Sold out again.
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