Category: Muziek / Music

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Jigsawmentallama

A character. Dublin roads. Obsession. Meeting people. Sort of… insane. Slightly touched. Could be a Virgin Prune, but is… Jigsawmentallama. Inspiration for a song that was included on the Over The Rainbow album, originally a Virgin Prunes ‘compilation of rarities’ of 1981-1983.

Strongman and Mary released it as Artfuck on New Rose, but Gavin Friday turned back to its original title with the 2004 re-issue of the complete catalogue.

The 1983 intent was to show the band beyond If I Die, I Die… and Hérésie. The 2004 edition applies that vision to their complete existence. It officially says 1981-1984, but it includes recordings from preparing The Moon Looked Down And Laughed.

Down The Memory Lane left out (it does belong uniquely on Hérésie). Just A Lovesong kind of switched with White History Book (The Moon…).
The vibe-akimbo mix of Pagan Love Song added (before on the 1993 EP). The LP version of Love Lasts Forever finally marked as a rarity. The Faculties Of A Broken Heart included (got it originally on 45″). And despite not re-issuing The Hidden Lie (what I firmly regret) Gavin did add Blues Song from the album as a… hidden track. Speaking of forbidden fruits.

Given its new use (for The Moon…) the cover artwork was replaced with blue If I Die images. It fits because of the omnipresence of The Beautifull House.

YEO5CD is more than an expanded version of Over The Rainbow. It feels more essential. And it adds the last jigsaw pieces to the beautifull and gigantic Virgin Prunes puzzle.

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Metal plating for industrial body

Das erste Song von Rammstein an ihre neuesten CD Liebe Ist Für Alle Da ist eine richtige Hymne. Klar: eine Rückkehr muss gefeiert wurden.

Dieser Song, Rammlied, ist nicht nür eine Metapher für dieser Album aber gleich für Rammstein sofort. Es fängt an mit einige schwere metallische Riffs, offensichtlich Klischee. Obschon es sehr schnell klar wird dass Rammstein das Genre mit Vorbedacht über-seriös nehmen wodurch sie es gleichzeitig übersteigen. Das Rammlied entartet weiter in eine Metal Oper mit symphonische Atmosphären, wie patentiert von Faith No More.

Humor war der Grund auf wem ich sie seit der frühere Rosenrot Rammstein meine Liebe schon erklärte. Mariachi trompeten. Fremdsprachen (Spanisch, Französisch). Und während sie immer noch kräftig festhalten an die deutsche Sprache, können sie Englisch (wie in Pussy) auch wie eine fremde Sprache bestätigen (nicht slecht für eine weltweit renommierte Rockband).

Ihre Artwork is auch wieder so komplet (Hülle, clips, site). Barock, horror, clair-obscur ob Helldunkel, neo-romantik, Freaks. Geht gut zusammen mit den sehr ausdrückliche Gesangweise. Orgasmus.

Ein Tier das noch nicht sterben muss.

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Slow Attack, Slow Conquest

The new Brett Anderson album is rightfully called Slow Attack. Once it would have been hard to imagine that this hyperactive Suede frontman would ever produce such slow, introspective chamber music. But all together it has been a natural evolution over his (3 by now) solo albums. And the impressive Union Chapel (live) recordings.

The album shows, musically as in its photography, the shadows and the vague silhouette of a former rock star. Hidden face. Eyes that have seen it all. A (still) large voice no longer needs an electrical storm of guitars and attitude to strike down listeners and audience. A piano, a cello and related humble instrumentation. Lightning still. On a long and slow night, when the cold is shut outside by his warming tunes. Fireplace joy. Especially on a winter’s night. The beauty of frozen stillness.

He was in my Top 2007 (his self-titled ‘debut’) and Top 2008 (Wilderness). A little voice in me says he will appear in my Top 2009…

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Ulakanakulot

I remember. Look forward. Backwards. A day. Never to come. Looked for the words of a singer in a band. Lyrics with the 1991 If I Die, I Die… CD. Crazy. Lost the words. Bought the CD in 1998 during our honeymoon in… Ireland.

But it took until 2004 for Gavin Friday to restore the real grandeur of this Virgin Prunes master piece. And he even managed to reinforce the original brown and blue parts.
The sides I always saw as the spiritual and the earth side.

The brown side is extended with Dave-ID Is Dead, following Pagan Love Song, before Fàdo (formerly unknown to me) melancholically ends it. I didn’t know Dave-ID was dead before the 1993 ‘Pagan Love Song’ EP (‘Tormentallama’ and ‘Vibeakimbo’ mixes and my beloved Lovelornalimbo).

Chance Of A Lifetime went from black to blue (originally on my The Faculties of A Broken Heart 45″), making way for Yeo (formerly unknown to me) to close side and album. The recurring piano tunes of Fàdo and Yeo seem subtle hints at the re-gained balance of the album. 2 x 7 = 14 and the re-issues are YEO1 to YEO5

The loss of the original cover picture is compensated by the enhanced booklet. Immersed in the spiritual and earth feels.
Never before released pictures. Ghosts. Forest people. Another tribal side of the band (remember the on-stage pigheads and Pig Children imagery). Colin Newman granted a revenge with the ‘director’s cut’ of Baby Turns Blue.

Whatever happened to Emancipation Act 72/3/4?
Did it die with its sole signatory in 1996?


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Peter knows which way to go

Peter knows which way to go. And not only because his spaceship knows.

On his personal, newly established, music label Huvolla Peter Murphy has been releasing some Secret Covers, named after his latest concert tour. It started with the John Lennon classic Instant Karma, that was also used in a (JP Morgan) commercial.

Then came David Bowie’s Space Oddity. Peter added his special oriental feel; the one in which his CD Dust was already… covered. The distinct electric violin of Hugh Marsh re-appearing after Dust and Peter’s -incredible- live album Alive (Just For Love).

Next, Peter released the live and cracklin recording (with his band) of Joy Division’s Transmission, performed at the Highline Ballroom (NYC) in July 2009. I remember Bauhaus playing “Isolation” live during their last tour (ever), with Peter already copying some of Ian Curtis’ typical gestures.

Both as solo artist as with Bauhaus, Peter has performed on a number of occasions with Nine Inch Nails. He performed Hurt with Trent Reznor at a radio (FM live) session. I downloaded that one for free. Peter now released it as secret cover #4. And I bought it. Being a collector-fan and to support Peter.

Peter Murphy is a remarkable voice in today’s musical landscape, a position he rightfully gained by being an expressive, committed and original artist. Not because he’s god. Because there is no god.    But god.

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Lovelornalimbo

1989. A man. Boy. No real man (not like fathers). Locked. Away. Stares. A river. Cries. A river. Need to sleep. Love lost. A fool romantic. Tortured heart. Could have been so good… for you. Eyes that see the world. I have no words. The moon looked down.      And laughed.

2004. Gavin Friday finally succeeds in re-releasing, re-arranging, extending and re-shuffling the complete Virgin Prunes back catalog.

The Moon Looked Down And Laughed got new artwork and Just A Lovesong, the most honest lovesong ever (previously only a ‘rarity’ on Over The Rainbow). Courtesy of Dave-ID and Dave Ball. True Life Story remained with its crazy growling in Russian by Mary’s girlfriend (not on LP but on the New Rose CD). White History Book deleted (previously on the B-side of my “Don’t Look Back”-EP and the New Rose CD).

Preferring Lovelornalimbo (previously on my Our Love Will Last Forever Untill It Dies-EP only) over Love Lasts Forever ultimately removes a slick feeling of compromise. Away with the slightest doubt if -6 years after the Red Nettle statement- they had secretly tried to be ‘the new pop sound of Ireland‘ after all. Sir Poddington beheaded as a treacherous knight.

2009. Still love it! Gav settled things. No sacrilege. No harm done. But I still feel that The Hidden Lie is worthwhile… but Gavin doesn’t. Who am i?

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Nocturnally staring into the evening’s light

Hypnotic pulses and stratospheric waves drive a mystic voice whispering about the inhaling Earth. The listener awakes to a beautiful thing to hear. Once awake he finds himself In This Light And On This Evening.

Editors - In this light and on this evening (Cuttings II)The opening tracks of the new Editors album gave me a feeling of being dragged along a psychosonic trip through 70’s Jarre synths, Radiohead-ish morphs and imagery of the Future (Sound) Of London, melted in a clearly recognizable Editors sound. Genuine rock, even while it lacks… guitars.

And the album keeps surprising as could be hoped from the 2 demo versions on the Papillon EP. Editors have not only set course into a new musical galaxy, Tom Smith has clearly entered a new era as vocalist. Luckily there is still his manic drive (as in his live act) but he’s explored more sides to his singing. Venomously layered irony, higher regions.

The Cuttings II bonus CD strikes even harder. Experimentalism. Gravely effective with its explosions of semi-symphonic nature, re-introduced guitar kick punches, layers of thunder. Enter NIN. Plastic(s). Dance. Entertain. Count. Money. The way you found your god. Silent debts.

Hand of Flood.

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Of butterflies and cages

The Papillon EP by Editors gives me excitement, like I only remember from feeling at the release of the An End Has A Start EP by… Editors.

The phrase ‘if there really was a god here, he’d have raised a hand by now‘ Papillion movieresonates the same down to earth coolness of ‘some things should be simple, even an end has a start‘. The dark vocals are now covered in electronics, but the band still rocks. Haunted. Caged. A papillon on an island.

Make our escape, you’re my own papillon.

Editors - Papillon -frontEditors - Papillon -back

IT KICKS LIKE A SLEEP TWITCH !

(can’t wait to get the full album, limited edition)

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It’s better to read, not to watch… Watchmen

How watching Watchmen might turn into a depressing experience:

1. Either you’ve read the extraordinary comic and you won’t recognize it.

Gone are: a carefully revealing puzzle, everyday hero backgrounds, their naive intentions, the retro-graphics, the suggestion of violence.
Enter: explicit atrocity, underportrayed characters, übershiny costumes and graphics. Luckily the end scenes preserve the philosophical core of the book and (just partly) save some of the movie.

2. Either you haven’t read the extraordinary comic and you have doubts.

You wonder: what is this movie about? What connects all pieces?
One advise: read the book. Reconsider this obnoxious movie afterwards.

Watchmen MovieBy the way, it is NOT impossible to make a good movie from an Alan Moore product. Check out V for Vendetta (soundtrack by David J). And while From Hell may have been mediocre, Watchmen is really disappointing.

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Plenti to mesmerize

A man with a familiar voice wanders off to a different musical spectrum. Determined to be judged on his own merits. That this will be his party.

Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper (party banner)Clearly different rhythms and breaks. Vocoders, a delicate touch of keys. Rocky edges, drops of sound. More mesmerizing as well. Pretty relaxing. Reflecting. But I feel reluctance, distance. I miss vocal energy. Does the Julian Plenti persona need more development? It is still a good record.

Who he is? Well, Julian Plenti is… Skyscraper. Cerebral celebration!
No betrayal though. A familiar musical spectrum here. Join the party!