Clear 40 minutes from your calendar, plug in your headphones, put your feet up, close your eyes, and let your mind wander…
About 10 minutes into this, I'm 20 again, skimming over endless dunes in my landspeeder.
He Say…
…you BRADE RUNNAH!
Six months ago I didn't even know this record existed (even though I'd had the CD version since its release in 1994), but once I did of course I had to have it.
I'd forgotten how hauntingly beautiful this score was. My friend Barry wrote an excellent review for the SF Chronicle back in the day that I was hoping to quote from, but while attempting to locate it just now I realized that it—along with so many other things—has gone missing, no doubt tossed out in a fevered purge at some point.
Fucking Internet
Damn you, Discogs. You're allowing me to find records that I never thought I'd see, much less own.
I've had THP Orchestra's 1977 LP, Two Hot For Love, in my collection from the start, and it was one of the first I found when I was piecing that collection back together after selling it all in the 80s. Almost from the day it came out I'd heard rumors of it being available on white vinyl, but I'd never seen it anywhere, and I frustratingly learned back in the day that you only got colored vinyl from Butterfly Records if you were in the right store at the right time, were a DJ, or knew one.
I was listening to the record a couple weeks ago and thought, "Why not Google THP Orchestra Two Hot for Love white vinyl?" and see what comes up.
BOOM! There it was. And the seller wasn't asking a hundred dollars for it either; only ten.
Blue Monday, '30s Style
Seriously cool and kinda really creepy at the same time.
And Now, For Something Completely Different…
Yma Sumac (or as some insist, Amy Camus): Legend of the Sun Virgin
That's Surprising
So I'm playing around with my iTunes playlists today and I made the surprising/disturbing discovery that of the 16,191 items in my library, 9461—NINE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY ONE—supposedly have never been played.
How is this even possible?
Oh yeah…several years ago I inadvertently reset the play counts. But still, that's a lot of music I haven't listened to since then (if ever); 28.2 days worth to be exact.
Best Comment Ever
"Disco never died, it just went underground. If this doesn't get you tapping your feet or moving yo ass, you're dead inside."
Okay, Now I'm On A Eurythmics Kick
And down the rabbit hole I go. Thanks, YouTube…
One of my favorites. I want this mix.
Doubleplusgood
I'd forgotten what an awesome track this was…
As a reminder, Orwell's 1984 was written as a cautionary tale…not a How-To Manual.
And since we're on the subject of Eurythmics and that awesome soundtrack…
An Ambient Escape
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While it may seem from my recent posts about rediscovering vinyl that I am obsessed with music from the 70s and 80s, that is only partly correct. As unthinkable as it might have been to my 20-year old self, one does not live by Disco alone. When considering music composed in this century, I admit a great fondness for electronica and ambient.
I discovered Loscil via Apple Radio a couple years ago, and for better or worse Scott Morgan's music became the soundtrack of my life at—and for many a snowy commute to and from—DISH. But even with that horrible baggage, it does nothing to diminish my innate love of his music, and to this day I still use it when I need to chill—something I needed to do a lot while working at that Toxic Vat of Feculent Hellstew—or simply ease back into sleep (as I did this morning at 4 am).
If you click on any of the album covers above it will take you to the respective iTunes pages where you can sample it yourself.
Just Because
Rumour Has It
And this is the other original piece of vinyl that survived the purge: Donna Summer's 1977 masterpiece, Once Upon a Time… This record holds a special place in my heart for several reasons, but mostly because of the very personal "once upon a time" quest for that special someone that a certain wide-eyed, newly-minted 19-year old gay boy and and his closest friends were going through at the time. (To this day, on I Love You, I distinctly hear Donna sing, "…and he wrapped him in his arms again…" though I know logically that even if she had flubbed up and sang that it would've been caught and corrected long before the record was even pressed.)
I remember the first time we heard "Rumour Has It/I Love You/ Happily Ever After" and "Now I Need You" on the dance floor; it was as if Donna was singing about us. And for many, many weeks, the DJ wouldn't play these songs as part of his regular set during the evening, instead reserving them for the start of after hours when the lights and been turned back down and the mirror ball started glittering. They were always met with squeals of joy from the dance floor.
It was a balmy November afternoon when my friend and dance partner Kent and I ran down to Odyssey Records and bought this LP. I know the exact date only because I wrote it on the outer dust jacket, anticipating that it would be a special moment to remember. (And because Kent and I had already had several arguments over when specific records had come out.) We hadn't yet heard the entire album, so when we got back to my house and played the entire 2-disk set, it was a magical experience. Afterward we played it again and then talked for hours on what it all meant; something I will never forget.
May the Force Be With You
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. This is one of only two LPs I kept when I sold my entire collection in the late 80s, bought new in the summer of 1977. And is actually the second copy of the record I purchased because I literally wore the original copy out. (I know this is the newer copy because of the graphic on the center label of the record. 20th Century changed it on all their pressings shortly after the movie was released.) And yes, getting rid of all my vinyl ranks right up there as one of the "Dumbest Things I've Ever Done In My Life" category.
But on the other hand, if I'd never gotten rid of the vinyl or my turntable back then, I might never have met the people or made the friends I have now through my quest to rebuild that collection, so I consider myself ahead.
Oh. My.
Technics is back in the turntable business!
From The Verge:
The legendary Technics SL-1200 turntable has been a mainstay of the DJ scene for decades now, but the tanklike direct-drive turntable has also long had a quiet reputation for sound quality as well. And for the 50th anniversary of the SL-1200, Technics is releasing two new "Grand Class" models aimed at audiophiles: the aluminum-cased SL-1200G and the magnesium limited anniversary edition SL-1200GAE, of which only 1,200 will be produced.
Apart from the case, the new models all have new "high-dampening tonearm" and a "three-layered turntable," which are words that audiophiles who buy a limited edition magnesium record player are sure to be excited about. There's also a new microprocessor controlled direct-drive system which eliminates something called "cogging," a scourge so terrible that Technics devotes a full paragraph to it in the press release. Here is that paragraph. Behold its majesty:
Direct drive turntable systems have been beloved by HiFi enthusiasts since their birth in 1972. However, one problem that direct-drive systems have always faced was sound quality degradation caused by 'cogging', or tiny vibrations of the motor and rotational speed fluctuations. However, by combining the knowledge and expertise gained as the originator of direct-drive turntable systems with a newly developed coreless direct-drive motor without iron core, this 'cogging' can be eliminated. Any potential minute motor vibrations are suppressed even further by high-precision rotary positioning sensors guided by a microprocessor controlled system; a feature unique to the new Technics turntable.
Vinyl record sales have been booming lately, so it's not at all surprising that Technics is capitalizing on the SL-1200's mystique here—we're actually expecting to see a few high-end turntables at CES 2016. No word on pricing, but expect these to be crazy expensive when the 1200GAE arrives in summer and the 1200G hits late in the year. (Also, 50 years' worth of SL-1200s are also available on eBay and Craigslist in virtually every city in the world, if you're that impatient.)
While there are certain aesthetic aspects of the design I don't agree with, I still peed myself a little bit when I saw this today.
So I Went to Zia Records Today
I wasn't really intending to buy anything. I still need to flesh out a few dozen missing titles from my old collection that have eluded me, but the spreadsheet where I keep all that data is a mess and needs to be properly sorted before it will be of any on-the-go use to me.
First off, I was shocked—shocked, I tell you—at the price of new vinyl: $19.99~49.99. Seriously? I realize it's making a comeback and there are still precious few pressing plants in operation, but still. $39.99 for Madonna's latest?
Thankfully, the bins were overflowing with even more used vinyl at a very reasonable price point of $2.99~5.99. Buying used is always a crap shoot because of the nature of the medium, however. You can visually inspect the records, but you can never tell how much actual gunk is hiding in the grooves until you play them.
While browsing, I ran across the above gem, Isao Tomita's 1978 Bermuda Triangle on coral vinyl. It had no inner liner so I knew it was probably going to be a very noisy disk, but there was no way I was going to let this slip through my hands—especially when it was on that fabulous colored vinyl!
I owned this new (also on coral) back in 1978. You've got to remember that at that time electronic music in general was still something very new and the sound very modern. I was a huge Tomita fan, having fallen in love his application of electronic instruments to classical masterpieces. This particular disk, however, was strictly of his own composition, and while it brings back a lot of good memories of that period in my life, parts of it sound very dated. A little STAR WARS here, a little E.T. The Extraterrestrial there, and some Prokofiev and Sibelius thrown in for good measure.
And as I feared, the record is very noisy, ironically sending me off on a search for a digital copy…
You Spin Me Round Like a Record
I seem to have rediscovered the joys of vinyl. It's not like I ever stopped, but I would say conservatively that I've played more records in the last two weeks than I have during the last two years. I sensed that the format was making a comeback—especially among the next generation–but I had no idea of the actual extent of it until I started searching hashtags on Instagram, revealing a thriving, vibrant community of like-minded individuals.
This led me to other hashtags, revealing that not only is interest in classic hifi equipment alive and well, there are also many, many people out there who share my passion for the days when stereo equipment was built like tanks and made to last.
It's a Disco Inferno Up In Here
Or maybe you'd prefer a Body Contact Contract?
A Musical Respite
Because after this past week, I think we need some FUN.
Totally Not Gay
To Those of a Certain Age…
This will be fascinating.
Recommended
Those of us who are of a certain age will undoubtedly remember many a smoky night spent on a flashing dance floor gyrating our once pert-and-perky asses to Cerrone's 1978 classic Supernature.
The reason I bring this up is that this morning while scrolling through iTunes I ran across Cerrone's 2010 Cerrone Symphony Variations of Supernature, essentially a symphonic 44-minute remix/augmentation/updating of the original 1978 source material that I orgasmed over when I first heard it years ago.
I'm pretty sure I'd written a review back then, but like all the rest of my posts prior to moving to Denver, it was consigned to the depths of internet hell.
Anyway, I had forgotten how good it really was.
It's also kind of funny in that CBS's Zoo (yeah, I watch it as ridiculous as it is because James Wolk is pretty) seems to be loosely based on the premise Cerrone explored in his music nearly 40 years ago (I can not be that old!)—that the animals will one day rise up and rebel against mankind.
While it's not available on iTunes (WTF?), you can can still pick it up on physical media from Amazon.
Of Course They're Coming to Denver
…long after we're gone.
Atmospheric
After being bombarded with promos at work (at one point it was the company-wide forced Windows wallpaper), out of curiosity last year we started watching Showtime's Penny Dreadful. I have to admit that the story got off to a rather slow start, but it was intriguing enough that we stuck with it, and it's now become one of my most anticipated viewings every week. As we were watching the last episode, I realized how much I liked the theme, Deminonde, so I went off to iTunes and grabbed the whole album.
No regrets whatsoever on that purchase. I can only describe it as atmospheric. Kind of moody, kind of reflective, with a contemplative undertone running throughout. It immediately became my go-to commute music, offering a nice, quiet counterpoint to the abrasive stupidity I encounter on Denver highways, and great music to write to.
I'd never heard of this particular composer, Abel Korzeniowski, but I'm hearing a lot of different influences in the music. In Street. Horse. Smell. Candle. I almost felt he was paying homage to James Newton Howard's Signs soundtrack.
PENNY DREADFUL Soundtrack Will Unsettle and Disturb
Showtime's Penny Dreadful provided a story caught between horror and poetry with long monologues, superior acting and immaculate costume work. These aspects created a very strong tone, but the score was the final touch — solidifying the never ending, disturbed and unsettling mood. Composer Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man, W.E.) proves that he is more than adept at creating a horrifying, creeping tingle that will climb up any listener's spines. The Gothic horror sounds of the orchestra Korzeniowski uses transport listeners to a dark old London where the walls are alive and the hairs on their neck stand on end.
There is a very clear overall feel to the soundtrack. The order of the songs could be randomized and the tone would remain the same. After the opening with "Demimonde" (the opening theme of the show) the listener will be treated to a crushing song, "First Blood", delivering a haunting sense of impending doom. It will be hard for some listeners to sit still with the strings and drums pushing their ears and minds to run as fast as they can. Many of the tracks are beautiful (particularly "Dorian Gray"), nearly appropriate for what one would imagine dancing was like in old London. These tracks, though less creepy, never lose the dark tones, there is always an impending sense of horror, darkness and futility.
Penny Dreadful's soundtrack is everything that a film composer wants. It not only fits within the tone of the show but can create it without any visuals. Korzeniowski has proven himself as a TV Drama series composer with this album and will hopefully return for the second season. The vibrant sounds of this album are sure to please any fans of classical or soundtrack music, as well as anyone seeking to be unsettled with beauty, after all "to be beautiful is to be almost dead."
If you haven't seen the series, check out the teasers below:
HOW Can This Be 20 Years Old?
This Made Me Smile
Don't know why I liked this so much. Maybe it's because it's such an off-the-wall rendition of such a well-known composition.
I couldn't embed the video (bastards!) but if you click on the image you'll be taken to the YouTube source.
I'm Not an Opera Queen, But…
OMG…this.
After not hearing it for many, many years, Akhnaten has been my commute soundtrack for the past few days and has reminded me that even though all the negative aspects of who I was prior to my cancer battle ideed sloughed off and died, some of the things that still send my soul quivering are very much alive and well.
Even after all this time (I first heard Akhnaten in 1988 and I doubt I've listened to it in full since we moved to Denver), it still gives me goosebumps.
But then I am an admitted Philip Glass fanboy. I first became acquainted with his work by way of the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack back in the mid 1980s, and was immediately hooked on his minimalism. In my journeys I have known only two other souls who shared that Glass love; one was a neighbor in San Francisco who turned me on to Satyagraha—a piece of music which was later to become my muse—and another a dear friend who is sadly no longer with us.
While the entire opera is a slice of heaven that easily transports me away from my daily life, three cuts especially stand out. The first is the final scene of Act I, The Window of Appearances:
The Window of Appearances will forever be burned in my memory as playing while driving back to Phoenix one night after an evening of astrophotography an hour north of town.
The other two are Scenes 1 and 2 from Act II, The Temple and Akhnaten and Nefertiti:
I especially like the love poem recited in Akhnaten and Nefertiti…
(Recited by the Scribe and then sung in Egyptian by Akhnaten and Nefertiti, it is a love poem found in a royal mummy of the Armarna period, from Journal of Egyptian Archæology, translated by Sir Alan Gardiner):
I breathe the sweet breath
Which comes forth from thy mouth.
I behold thy beauty every day.
It is my desire
That I may be rejuvenated
With life through love
Of thee.
Sesenet neftu nedjem
Per em rek
Peteri nefruk em menet
Ta-i nehet sedj emi
Kheruk nedjem en mehit
Renpu ha-i em ankh
en mertuk.
Give me thy hands, holding thy spirit.
that I may receive it and may live by it.
Call thou upon my name unto eternity
And it shall never fail.
Di-ek eni awik kher ka-ek
Shesepi su ankhi yemef
I ashek reni er heh
Ben hehif em rek
It's Magic
Since one particular day back in 1979 when my friend Steve casually mentioned, "I was listening to so-and-so's new album while I was in the shower today, and…" I have been incredibly jealous of the fact that he had his entire house wired for sound.
This was not common in 1979, but since he worked as a DJ at one of the popular gay clubs in Phoenix at the time, it also wasn't particularly surprising.
It wasn't until many, many years later while living in what was to be my last San Francisco apartment, that I was finally able to realize my dream of being able to have decent sound in the bathroom while I was showering. I ran wires from my rig in the bedroom down the hall and into the bathroom, where they connected to some small Infinity satellite speakers I'd picked up. When all was said and done, I was admittedly kind of disappointed; it sounded great, but a lot of the anticipated thrill of doing this had disappeared during the intervening years and it got to the point that my downstairs neighbors were dropping so many snide comments about hearing 20 year old disco first thing in the morning I eventually took it all down.
When I moved back to Phoenix I wasn't able to run the wires in a way that could be as easily hidden as they'd been in San Francisco, and an extended period of being out of work forced me to sell the gear I'd been using so I gave up on having hi-fi in the bathroom.
Fast forward to 2012 or thereabouts and the arrival of Bluetooth technology into my life.
Now I have a speaker smaller than a power strip that pumps out great sound from my iPhone at a moment's notice. No running wires or having to mount anything on the wall. Tunes in the shower anytime I want.
It's magic.
Morning Commute
A gift from a friend. It's really growing on me.
My first exposure to Bette was (as to be expected) shortly after I came out. I was hanging around with the guy who had been my "first time" (another story for another time) a few weeks afterward in his dorm room one afternoon, and he pulled out Live at Last.
I'd never even heard of Bette Midler (remember, this was 1976 and she wasn't the household name she is now), and admittedly I wasn't wowed by what I'd heard (other than the Sophie Tucker jokes), but he let me borrow the album—along with his copy of Bette Midler. I gave them both an extended listen but still wasn't impressed. It wasn't until many years later that I finally got Bette.
In the intervening years, I've followed Miss M through her highs and lows, her various albums, movies, incarnations and reinventions and have loved every minute. With It's the Girls, it seems she's gotten back to her roots and it sounds good.
At the Risk of Dating Myself…
…whenever I hear this
I am transported back to 1977 and a warm, sun-dappled autumn afternoon in my dorm room in Kaibab-Huachuca Hall at the University of Arizona.
The 12" 45 rpm single was pressed on red vinyl and when it was new, smelled of strawberries.
And from there the trip down memory lane invariably leads to these:
"And you thought it was over…no, no, no…"
This one wasn't pressed on colored vinyl (at least not the copy I had), but to this day I swear it smelled of poppers when it was first opened.
The cut Violation was the soundtrack for the first time I slow danced with another guy. I was so disappointed that I could never find a translucent pink vinyl copy of the record all the DJs seemed to have—until nearly 30 years later. And it was only a few short years ago that my friend Kevin (of The Lisp fame) provided me with a definitive translation of all the lesbian making out that was going on in the song.
It was the summer of "I Feel Love," but eventually all my favorite cuts from the album were on the A-Side.
Still one of my all-time favorite records. Rumor at the time was the costumes cost thousands. I find that very hard to believe now.