Philip Glass – Koyaanisqatsi (Complete Soundtrack) – 1998
My introduction to Philip Glass forty years ago. Imagine my joy when the entire score to the film was finally released fifteen years after the original soundtrack, including the full length 22-minute version of The Grid and previously unreleased tracks Organic and Resource.
My favorite cut and the one scene (other than the hot dogs and escalators scene “The Grid”—something you’ll immediately recall if you’ve ever seen the film) that’s stayed with me for the last 40 years:
Philip is my go-to guy whenever I need to center and recharge. There isn’t a piece of his music that I don’t love. (Okay, 1000 Airplanes On The Roof is borderline—and surprising considering my lifelong interest in the subject matter it’s supposed to depict—but I won’t ever outright refuse to listen to it.)
When The Last Temptation of Christ originally opened on August 12, 1988, it was playing at the Northpoint Theater in San Francisco. This was not one of my usual movie venues in The City, but there was such buzz about the film I wanted to see it nevertheless. I don’t remember who I saw it with, although it was probably Philip, a very cute bear I was dating whom I met—at The Detour nonetheless—the night of the Pride Parade the previous June.
Philip is a story unto himself and maybe someday I’ll share it. He’s no longer with us, another victim of the early 90s, so I’ll be kind because I do have mostly fond memories of our time together.
Anyhow, the release of the film was highly controversial, drawing significant protests, which led Universal to release it six weeks earlier than originally planned. Despite opening in only 123 theaters across the United States and Canada, it grossed over $400,000 in its opening weekend.
Frankly, I’m surprised it grossed that much.
The film didn’t move me one way or another. The strongest memories I have of it (I only saw it that once) was of the dream sequence (?) Jesus was having as he hung on the cross wherein had gone on to live a “normal” life and raise a family, and the protestors who greeted us as we left the theater, threatening us with hellfire and eternal damnation.
I do remember laughing in their faces.
But the music was ambient and haunting, and that’s what prompted me to purchase (and recently repurchase) the CD. With a few exceptions, I’ve never been a fan of Peter Gabriel’s work, but for some reason Passion really captured me.
Now I’ve got The Lonely Goatherd as an earworm the rest of the day.
No, not this version:
That file still makes me laugh.
I don’t remember the context under which I created it, other than the screaming goat was sort of an inside joke between myself and a coworker at DISH in response to something our horrible supervisor did.
Said coworker was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a work husband, but I cut off all contact after we moved back to Phoenix and he admitted he voted for Trump in 2016. It was kind of a surprise because he was a very liberal guy.
Gawd…I don’t even remember his name at this point.
