NYT: Five-ring opening circus -- weirdly and unabashedly British

New York Times

Nicely written article about the London 2012 opening ceremony in today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/sports/olympics/in-olympic-opening-ceremony-britain-asserts-its-eccentric-identity.html?pagewanted=all

I personally found it to be quirky, odd, slightly uncomfortable, self-deprecating, political, whimsical, amusing....all VERY British traits in fact.  Loved the bit when Kenneth Branagh recited from Shakespeare's The Tempest:

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.

Then performers dressed as farm peasants rolled away the sod in favor of the Industrial Revolution. Kenneth Branagh, his character symbolic of greed and progress, stood around chomping on a cigar. Performers dressed as World War I soldiers emerged, and red poppies made their way onto giant television screens. In the UK and Canada, the flower is a symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers. The Director, Danny Boyle, hails from the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution...Lancashire, so I wasn't surprised by his nod to the Industrial Revolution and those "dark satanic mills".  He had sheep, dancing nurses, lots of Mary Poppins, the Queen of Hearts, James Bond and heart-thumping Brit music, from the Sex Pistols and Mike Oldfield to the London Symphony Orchestra.  My fave bits were Kenneth Branagh, then James Bond (Daniel Craig) helicoptering in with the Queen, and the scenery change from bucolic, agrarian England to the "dark, satanic mills" of the industrial revolution.   My least fave bit: Sir Paul McCartney singing Hey Jude... the Arctic Monkeys did a much better job with Come Together...but they will insist on wheeling Sir Paul out on these big State occasions.

Some of the songs featured at last night's event:
The Who, "Baba O'Riley"
Muse, "Map Of The Problematique"
Fuck Buttons, "Surf Solar"
Sex Pistols, "God Save The Queen"
The Clash, "London Calling"
Mike Oldfield, "Tubular Bells"
"Chariots of Fire"
OMD, "Enola Gay"
The Jam, "Going Underground"
The Rolling Stones, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
The Beatles, "She Loves You"
Millie Small, "My Boy Lollipop"
Led Zeppelin, "Trampled Under Foot"
The Specials, "A Message To You Rudy"
David Bowie, "Starman"
Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Eric Clapton, "Wonderful Tonight"
Sex Pistols, "Pretty Vacant"
New Order, "Blue Monday"
Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Relax"
Soul II Soul, "Back To Life"
Happy Mondays, "Step On"
Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This"
The Prodigy, "Firestarter"
Blur, "Song 2"
Underworld, "Born Slippy"
Dizzee Rascal, "Bonkers"
Amy Winehouse, "Valerie"
Muse, "Uprising"
Tinie Tempah, "Pass Out"
David Holmes, "I Heard Wonders"
Arctic Monkeys, "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor"
The Beatles, "Come Together" (performed by Arctic Monkeys)
Underworld/Alex Trimble of Two Door Cinema Club, "Caliban"s Dream"
Pink Floyd, "Eclipse"
The Beatles, "The End"
The Beatles, "Hey Jude"