Everybody needs somebody to love

Each January 1st, I almost always watch ‘The Blues Brothers’. And when there are no guests and time allows, I follow it up by watching the sequel, ‘The Blues Brothers 2000’. For reasons that I cannot quite fathom, my children have also adopted this custom – and it’s only from this film, which is over 40 years old, that they now know about the existence of Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. And, indeed, not only did they discover who they were, but they also began to put faces and names to the rhythm and blues that blares out from our home stereo. The story of Jake and Elwood really fits into the New Year spirit, because in its own unique way it makes you appreciate the passing of time, but it’s the comedy and excellent music that makes the passing of each year seem not quite so terrible. Maybe my recommendation should appear in the January/February issue of ‘Eurobuild’, but that will come out well after New Year, so you w