The people's favourites show they're still in a different class

The week in culture

With the Faustian frenzy of the first "Mephisto Waltz" and the macabre extravaganza of the Totentanz, tonight the BBC Proms winds up its celebration of the music of Franz Liszt. Born 200 years ago, the son of a farm manager on the Esterhazy estates in Hungary, the piano virtuoso and revolutionary composer debuted aged nine. At 11, he played for Beethoven, who kissed the boy's forehead and blessed him as "one of the fortunate ones" who bring "joy".

"Whispering" bob Harris is to host The Old Grey Whistle Test once again in a radio revival of the classic BBC music show.

Never one to shy away from highlighting hypocrisy, readers may recall I was quick to note criticism of certain "quality" newspaper editors who seemed intent on publishing giant photographs of Mad Men's Christina Hendricks whenever given the slightest excuse. Indeed, I was careful to ensure my own written assault was accompanied by a sizeable picture of the said actress, just to drive home the point. (Disappointingly, certain readers later saw fit to question my motives, but that's another story).

A man whose case became part of criminal folklore after he was jailed for armed robbery finally had his conviction overturned today after decades of protesting his innocence.

There have been few harsher critics of Simon Cowell's influence on pop than Roger Daltrey, who last year declared TV talent contests a "joke", saying: "The music they make on the shows is absolute tripe."

If Tommy was made of bricks and mortar it would be Grade I listed by now. The tale of the deaf, dumb and blind kid with messianic tendencies is heritage rock, as safely establishment as the Albert Hall itself.

Pete Townshend wishes he had never joined The Who.

Roger Daltrey is performing The Who's 1969 hit rock opera Tommy at the Royal Albert Hall next week, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.

Liam Gallagher doesn't do proper vocal warm ups because he doesn't want to sound like Chris Martin.

Books: As usual, I have several books on the go. The current crop includes Kishwar Desai's 'Witness The Night', which won the Costa first novel prize; George Eliot's 'Daniel Deronda', which I'm re-reading skipping most of the ponderous faith/Jewish culture bits; and Colin Thubron's 'A Mountain in Tibet' – he's such a writer, and my late pa got halfway to Lhasa from Delhi in 1944, when he hadn't enough wartime leave to come home in.

The question of whether George Davis, armed robber and East End legend, really was "innocent, OK?" was finally being considered in the Court of Appeal yesterday. The notorious slogan, daubed on walls, bridges and emblazoned across the shirts of rock stars came to symbolise the breakdown of faith in the police and criminal justice system in the 1970s.