Speaking of doing interesting things with tape and tape recorders, here are a few engaging examples of art based on the nearly dead medium. Few are the recording purists who remain loyal to the magnetic stuff but Its tactile plasticity sure works well in these contexts.
(below) Christian Marclay‘s “The Beatles” (1989): Recorded music of the Beatles on crocheted magnetic tape. Oh how I love this, so many layers of meaning. Plus it’s just screaming to be worked over the by the analogue tape glove !
And in other Governor news…what if Arnold Schwarzenegger from Total Recall sang about his wants, needs, and desires to see the colonies of Mars instead of (sorta) speaking them? It might look something like Jon and Al Kaplan‘s Total Recall: The Musical. I do believe it’s a work-in-progress, but the first song from it, The Mountains of Mars, is just now starting to circulate.
Jon and Al are also the team behind Silence!, the musical version of Silence of the Lambs. If you’re curious about that project’s standout song, “Put The Fucking Lotion In The Basket,” click here.
“He can’t hide from being a liberal!” As campaigns go, Alabama’s race for Governor is shaping up to be even nuttier than the one on last season’s Big Love. It seems ex-Democrat but now Republican Bradley Bryne just isn’t conservative enough for many people in that state (boosters, I’m guessing, of Byrne’s “faith and family values” opponent, Tim James).
Watch below as Byrne’s “lunatic” belief in evolution and skepticism that the bible’s 100% accurate come under attack. As one YouTube commenter noted, the exaggerated Southern accents were probably used to appeal to as many hillbillies locals as possible.
An amazing Eno-era live version of the For Your Pleasure LP classic that I’d never seen before. And our man Brian is a delight here, heavily treating Manzanera‘s epic guitar solo by rhythmically altering the VSO on the tape decks he’s running the guitar through. Good shit ! Ferry is also in ultra-fine form, though he seriously muffs the lyric at 3:16, it’s kind of endearing. Jah bless a You-tube !
Feel the New Jack litmus test that is P. M. DAWN, truly the greatest maestros of early 1990s adult contemporary radio smooth christvibe rubdown radio what ever put on some baggy pants and rocked beads all over everything in what I suppose may have been the world’s only attempt at mainstream acid house-y R&B with a Christian flavor and music videos that looked like out-takes from “Benny & Joon.” Only the TRULY RIGHTEOUS can vibe to this shit. If you don’t understand, you never will, and I’m not going to bother explaining, but if your sense of humor is wide enough to take this in, then truly are ye among the blessed.
Amazing find by io9. Stan “The Man” Griffin, who writes science fiction horror books about abortions (?!?!) (sample tag line from his book “Summoned: The Novel”: “The fear of being stung is more fearful than ever.”) has recorded what is perhaps the greatest version of the Spider-Man song ever done. No, seriously.
Meet Stan The Man Griffin, scifi author and fedora aficionado. He wrote “Spider-Dance Spider-Man Theme Song,” a smooooth remix of Peter Parker’s angsty existence. With lyrics like “You hear something from above / He has spider-blood,” this song = insta-sex.
First off, it’s worth mentioning that Stan The Man Griffin has a book coming out, Summoned The Novel, which tackles the foremost issues of today. In fact, the book’s very cover tantalizes us with mysterious epigrams - “The fear of being stung is more fearful than ever” and “If you could imagine where these creartures [sic] come from.” Other than the naked dragonfly Da Vinci man, I’m pretty sure we figured out where horses come from. Maybe Stan The Man takes an Insane Clown Posse approach when it comes to equestrianism.
The Most Erotic Rendition Of The Spider-Man Theme Ever Performed (io9)
(Note: For extra fun, play this song and scroll down to listen while looking at the animated GIF in the “TRIPPY VIDEO FROM GERMAN SCI-FI FILM ‘IM STAUB DER STERNE’ (1976)” post. BONUS FUN!)
Why does there seem to be some sort of cultural amnesia about the pre-disco era music of the Bee Gees? In America at least, most people do not seem to be aware of all of the absolutely amazing music made by the Brothers Gibb before Saturday Night Fever. The Bee Gees started having hit records in Australia in 1967. By 1968 they were #1 in the charts the world over and getting compared to the Beatles. They had tons of amazing songs. I’d easily grab a Bee Gees box set for a desert island stay, but I’d prefer one that was half pre-disco ear and half after. I’m partial to all eras of the Bee Gees, even the more recent material is fantastic.
Barry Gibb is a musical genius. If all you know about the Bee Gees is Stayin’ Alive and You Should Be Dancin’, there are some really classic Barry Gibb songs for you still to discover. Just listen to him sing the plaintive love song Words below. How awesome is this clip?
Click here to listen to the incredible song the Bee Gees wrote and produced for Barbara Streisand, Woman in Love. I had not heard this song in years and it was on the radio the other day. Overwhelming! Everything about this song is pop perfection! She holds a note for twelve seconds. Twelve seconds!
