2 SF-references-in-music List
Rich Kulawiec
Donald Swann provides music for a number of poems from J.R.R.
Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," and plays the piano on this album. The
piano score is also available from Houghton Miffin in book form; the
book also explains the motivation for adding music to the poems as
well as other historical notes about the pieces. The B side of the
album has J.R.R. Tolkien, reading some of the poems from his book, "The
Adventures of Tom Bombardil."
Sweet, Matthew:
"Children Of Time (Forever)" from "Earth" is a story of the future.
The video for "I've Been Waiting" is loaded with clips
from the Japanese Animation series "Urusei Yatsura"; the video
for "Girlfriend" has clips from another anime, "Space Adventure Cobra".
Symphonic Slam:
One album, with tracks "Universe" and "Fold Back".
T99:
Songs include "The Skydreamer", "Maximizor" (a single with some Japanese
SF-style artwork).
T'Pau:
This band is named after the Vulcan High Priestess in the (original)
Star Trek episode, "Amok Time". Their biggest hit, "China in Your Hands",
is about Frankenstein. Most listeners never realised this because the
version released as a single was missing a couple of crucial lines.
T. Rex:
Before they hit it big with "Get it On (Bang a Gong)", they recorded
music dominated by sylvan fantasy themes vaugely inspired by Tolkein.
(Their percussionist went by the name Steve Peregrin Took, f'instance.)
The album entitled "T.Rex" includes "Ride a White Swan" and "Wizard";
two earlier albums, recorded when the band used the long form of their
name, i.e. Tyrannosaurus Rex, are "My people were fair and had sky in
their hair...But now they're content to wear stars on their brow"
and "Prophets, Seers, and Sages."
Talking Heads:
"Life During Wartime" from "Fear of Music", about an America at war.
"Moon Rocks" from "Speaking in Tongues", a surrealistic piece about
nuclear physics and magic. "(Nothing But) Flowers" from "Naked",
discusses a future return to an agrarian, nature-oriented lifestyle.
"The Facts of Life" from "Naked" recapitulates human history
extending it into the future.
Taylor, Roger:
LP "Fun in Space".
Telex:
Belgian electro-pop; futuristic tracks include "Rendezvous Dans L'Espace".
Ten Years After:
"Year 3000 Blues" on "Cricklewood Green" is about someone having to report
to some sort of euthanasia center because he wasn't up to the society's
eugenic standards. Also "Here They Come" from "A Space in Time",
which is about some visiting space travellers.
They Might be Giants:
"For Science!" is about a man willing to date "the girl from Venus'
despite the risk of radiation poisoning. Their latest LP is entitled
"Apollo 18" (the Apollo program stopped at #17). See also "The Guitar".
The also perform (live) a song called "Why Does the Sun Shine?" which is
somewhat Mr.Wizard-ish; it's recently been released as a single.
(They performed it live on Nicks Rocks _ages_ ago, and some people still have
a copy floating around.) Strangely, it is a cover of an educational
children's
record. It starts out with "The sun is a mass/ of incandescent gas..."
(It's originally from the album "Space Songs", an album of space songs
for children performed by Tom Glazer (a children's singer) and
Dottie Evans (a Country/Western singer). They also did an album called
"Energy and Motion Songs", about Physics.) There's also a song on one
of their CD-singles called "Moving to the Sun", sort of sf-ish.
"The Statue Got Me high" is also sf-ish, and "Actual Size" may be
about Armageddon. Another notable track: "Particle Man"
(from "Flood", 1990) combines superhero imagery with quantum physics.
TMBG were Musical Ambassadors for the International Space Year.
Thin Lizzy:
The title track of "Jailbreak" is about a (futuristic?) jailbreak.
Thorpe, Billy:
"Children of the Sun", a curiously popular song from the early 80's,
is about an massive alien ship landing.
Timelords:
Formerly known as the JAMS, now calling themselves the KLF, the Timelords put
out a single called "Doctorin' the TARDIS", which contains lots of samples
from
the TV show Doctor Who, and a remix called "Gary in the TARDIS" with samples
(I
think) from Gary Glitter.
Titus Groan:
A band named after, and taking most of their material from,
Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" books. Relevant songs include "The
Hall of Bright Carvings" and "Fuchsia".
Tomita, Isao:
Highly influential electronic musician whose works often have SF themes
or are derived from SF sources. Some citations by album:
Kosmos: "Star Wars Theme," by John Williams and "A Space Fantasy"
based on "Also Spracht Zarathustra" (R. Strauss) and
"Die Valkure" (Wagner). "The Sea Named Solaris," which is Tomita's
tribute to the Russian SF film "Solaris". The movie is about a planet
covered by a sea of lava that seems to be sentient. Cosmonauts
establish a station to study the sea, and the sea studies them by
reincarnating dead loved ones from the cosmonauts' past.
The Planets: Holst's superb work depicted as a travel through the
solar system.
"Firebird" includes Moussorgsky's classic "Night on Bald Mountain,"
which is about a witches' sabbath.
The Bermuda Triangle: A very complex work featuring compositions by
Prokofiev, Sibelius and others. The album's concept suggests that
there is a connection between the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon and
aliens visiting from outer space. The work also includes a section
with Tomita's electronic version of the famous musical dialogue with
the alien spaceship from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
(Thanks to Gilead Limor and Kendal Stitzel for the writeup on Tomita.)
Tonio K:
"Mars Needs Women" from "La Bomba". "Life in the Foodchain" has the
songs "How Come I Can't See You in My Mirror?" (Answer: because the
subject is a vampire.)
Die Toten Hosen:
A German punk band. Their album "Eine kleine Horrorshow" is an
interpretation of Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange", the
novel which Stanley Kubrick made into film.
("Tote Hose" translates to "dead pants", which is a German
slang expression for "nothing going on". Thanks to Thomas Koenig
for pointing this out, and to Horst Kiehl getting the grammar right. :-) )
Toto:
Several tracks of the "Hydra" and "Isolation" albums have SF themes;
they also handled the soundtrack for "Dune".
Pete Townshend:
"Uniform", from "All The Best Cowboys have Chinese Eyes" discusses
the use of computers in the service of the state.
"The Iron Man" LP/rock opera is about an (alien?) robot who eats
everything in sight that's made of iron, including tanks and guns;
features the song "Heavy Metal". It also involves a dragon from space,
flying to the sun, etc.; it's based on an SF-style children's book by
Ted Hughes called "The Iron Giant".
Toyah:
"Sheep farming in Barnet" - Near future high tech (mind to machine transfer)
Messianic story. "Anthem", Story of a girl growing up in the present, but
uses *lots* of SF imagiary. "The Changling" seems to be a pre-post holocaust
story but is open to other interpretations. See also "Martin Cowboy"
from "Love is the Law".
Transvision Vamp:
Several SF-themed songs, notably "Hanging Out with Halo
Jones", about the character from the British comic "2000 AD"; the same song
also has a reference to William Gibson's "Neuromancer".
Tubes:
"Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman", on "Completion Backward Principle";
also "Space Baby" and "Cathy's Clone".
Turner, Tina:
"Private Dancer" has the track "1984". She also sang the two theme
songs from "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome", "One of the Living" and
"We Don't Need Another Hero", as well as acting in the movie.
Twelfth Night:
"We are Sane" from "Fact and Fiction" is about state control of thoughts
by the implantation of a "component".
U2:
Bono and The Edge did the score for a new stage production of
"A Clockwork Orange." One song is available on the single of
"The Fly" -- no relation to the horror movie.
They say their latest album, "Zooropa," is inspired by William
Gibson/Cyberpunk.
It's set in a very shallow, Godless world etc. Babyface is about a guy who
falls in love/believes he has a relationship with a model through his tv.
(lots
of good puns in that one... 'coming home late at night to turn you on...'...
Stay (faraway, so close) is another Wim Wenders title track, and in the video
the band members play guardian angels for 4 Berlinners. Lemon is about using
technology to watch yourself. Oh, and "Even Better Than The Real Thing"
from "Achtung Baby" is about virtual sex.
Ubangi:
Swedish band wrote "Monster ombord" (Monsters on board,
something has invaded the space ship) Some of their albums
have English lyrics...also, the LP "Disco Baby" has a song
"They Came From Outer Space".
UFO:
British hard rock band from the early 70s to the 80s. Lots of SF stuff,
most predominant in their first two LPs (UFO and Flying). Tracks like
"Unidentified Flying Object", "Star Storm", "Flying", etc.
Ultravox:
"All Stood Still" is apparently about an accident at a nuclear power
station. "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" is about a nuclear attack.
Futuristic/surrealistic tracks from the Foxx era include "Slow Motion" and
"The Man Who Dies Every Day". Also, "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and "I Want
to be a Machine".
Underground Zone 0:
A Hawkwind-connected band, did a song "Canes Vanatici" about a very
powerful alien telling us to clean up our act.
Uriah Heep:
"The Magician's Birthday", and "Demons and Wizards". Both are
concept albums, although the former is more cohesive than the latter.
Musical quality varies from subtle to bombastic wretched excess...
but then again, I tend to like bombastic wretched excess. :-)
Utopia:
(See also Todd Rundgren, Roger Powell.)
"Winston Smith Takes It on the Jaw" from "Oblivion". (Orwell's 1984)
Possibly "Adventures in Utopia". Also "Utopia", "Abandon City" from
"Oops, Wrong Planet" and "Emergency Splashdown" (which also appears on
one of Roger Powell's solo albums). "RA" is heavily fantasy, including
the epic "Singring and the Glass Guitar, an Electrified Fairy Tale".
"Zen Machine" from "POV" is cyberpunkish. "The Seven Rays" from
"Another Live" might be SF.
Vai, Steve:
"Little Green Men" and "Next Stop Earth" from his album "Flex-Able".
Vai claims his album "Passion & Warfare" is a conceptual SF story
with the plot being too detailed to publish with the CD and says that
"Passion and Warfare - The Novel" will be published soon, but until then
it's pretty disjointed. Some instrumental pieces on Steve Vai's
_Sex and Religion_ have fantasy titles or themes: "An Earth Dweller's
Return" and "The Road to Mt. Calvary."
Van Halen:
On the album "5150", the song "Love Walks In" is (literally) about falling
in love with an alien; this might be too simple an interpretation, however.
Van der Graff Generator:
"Pioneers Over c", and others. (c = speed of light)
See also "Still Life" (immortality) and "Childhood's End" (destiny
of mankind; presumably based on Clarke's book) from "Still Life".
Also "After The Flood" (melting of polar icecaps) from "The Least Can Do
is Wave to Each Other". From "Godbluff", see "Arrow" (fantasy),
"Sleepwalkers" and "Scorched Earth" (programmed soldier?).
Vanity 6:
"Flippin' Out" is about vampirism.
Ventures:
(Yes, those guys with the Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters and
Champ Amps with the tremolo turned up playing "Walk, Don't Run.")
Had an album entitled "The Ventures in Space" on which virtually all
tunes had sci-fi titles, like "Invasion of the Satellites" and "Moon Child."
Also, one of their best known tunes is "Journey to the Stars," which appeared
on "The Fabulous Ventures" and "The Ventures on Stage," and also (I believe)
as a single. (They also covered "Telstar", originally done by The Tornadoes.)
Violinski:
"No Cause for Alarm" (WW3 breaks out in your neighborhood)
Visage:
Redid Zager & Evans "2525"; also did some other SF-type material.
VoiVod:
Their lyrics are largely SF. Most of their albums are conceptual and
loosely based around the VoiVod character. The earliest stuff is
standard post-holocaust type business, although they developed
considerably with "Dimension Hatross", an allegorical story in which
the VoiVod creates a parallel microdimension and monitors the development
of the inhabitants from tribal societies to technocratic states eventually
to apocalyptic destruction. "Nothingface", contains more surreal
cyberpunk(ish) SF lyrics with more introspective themes. "Angel Rat"
deals with a variety of concepts from Chaos theory to robot sentience.
Wah!:
"The Seven Thousand Names of Wah!" on "Nah Poo- The Art of Bluff"
deserves a mention since its title is borrowed from Arthur C. Clarke
and finishes with the lines "One by one the stars are going out" which
is a direct quote from the Clarke story ("The Nine Thousand
Names of God"). The single "Better Scream" concerns a
future apocalyptic war.
Wakeman, Rick:
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" retells Verne's story; "No
Earthly Connection" has a fantasy slant to it. "Myths and
Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" tells
the story of Camelot. See also Yes.
Randy Van Warmer:
On the album "Terraform", the title track is a three part SF song, the last
part of which is "I'm so 21st century" (repeated ad-nauseum). The song,
as well as the album, is absolutely dreadful. ;-)
Warrior:
The LP "Fighting for the Earth" deals with saving the earth
from demonic evil by forming a band of hard-core warriors to
do battle with it. The band has been characterized as
"a nontypically environmentally concerned metal band".
Was (not Was):
"Born to Laugh at Tornadoes" contains "Man vs. the Empire Brain
Building" a cyberpunk piece in which the vocals mostly consist of
the following line repeated over and over:
"In my life there's just three things:
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Woman
and
Man vs. the Empire Brain Building"
Of course, "Walk the Dinosaur" is about...
Waters, Roger:
"Radio K.A.O.S." is a story about a psychic who hears radio
waves in his head; he learns to control them and takes over
a military computer system. His 1992 release "Amused to Death"
exmaines mankind's fascination with television, and ends with
the arrival of "alien anthropologists" who declare that mankind
had evidently "Amused itself to death." See also Pink Floyd.
Participated (with his Bleeding Heart Band) in the soundtrack
for the English animated film "When The Wind Blows"
about an old couple experiencing a nuclear attack.
The second half of the soundtrack album (Virgin) is by them.
Wayne, Jeff:
"War of the Worlds". H.G. Wells' story with
Richard Burton doing narration, and awful music (purely
a personal opinion ;-) ).
Weather Report:
"I Sing the Body Electric" borrows the title from Ray Bradbury and
shows an android on the cover.
The Weathermen:
LP "Ten Deadly Kisses" features a track "Space", which is about
a space-age yuppie.
Who, The:
"Tommy" is half-fantasy, half-opera. "905" from "Who Are You?".
Also "Rael" from "The Who Sell Out". "Baba O'Riley" from "Who's Next"
seems to possibly be about some post-holocaust world. (Note:
"Baba O'Riley" and other tidbits were part of the very SF-ish
concept album "Lifehouse", which was never released.)
See also "Dr. Jimmy" from Quadrophenia (depends on
how you interpret it).
Winders, Wim:
The soundtrack "Until the End of the World" soundtrack from the
Wim Winders' film of the same name is listed here because a number
of artists contributed to it. The movie is a futuristic thriller
about the end of the world, and the music supports the action.
Some terrific stuff from U2, REM, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, and many others.
Wings:
"Nineteen Eighty-Five" from "Band on the Run". Also "Magneto and
the Titanium Man" and "Venus and Mars (Reprise)" from "Venus and Mars".
Wishbone Ash:
"The King Will Come", "Phoenix", and "Throw Down the Sword"
(all from "Argus") are all heroic-fantasy type pieces. (By the way,
W.A.'s double/triple lead guitar work is worth hearing. ---Rsk)
Also see the title track from "Number the Brave".
Winter, Edgar:
Recorded an entire soundtrack for L. Ron Hubbards' ten-book
series 'Mission Earth'. The material was written by Hubbard and recorded
by Winter. Its available on vinyl in most record stores.
L. Ron Hubbard also collected a bunch of artists to do a soundtrack for
his novel 'Battlefield Earth'; chief among these is Chick Corea.
And don't forget the instrumental version of "Frankenstein", which
was a pop hit in the early 70's.
Wood, Roy:
"Miss Clarke and the Computer" from "Boulders" (computer falls in
love with its operator). See also The Move, Electric Light Orchestra.
Wooley, Sheb:
"Purple People Eater"
XL Capris:
Australian band, did a song called World War III on their "Where is Hank?"
album. (They have connections with New Zealand band Dragon, through
Todd Hunter.)
XTC:
"Reel by Reel" (the government can hear and record your thoughts);
"This World Over" from "The Big Express" which is a post-nuclear
holocaust cautionary tale. "That's Really Super (Supergirl)"
from Skylarking is about Supergirl's boyfriend becoming distraught
over her "other life". "Science Friction" (yes it's supposed to have
an 'r' in it) on "3D EP" (also on the CD version of "White Music").
XTC have released under their alter-ego "The Dukes of Stratosphear" (sic)
two fake-psychedelic albums, which do have a lot of SF-pointers.
Most obvious in the songs: "Bike Ride to the Moon", "What in the World ???",
and "Braniac's Daughter"
X Ray Spex:
"Genetic Engineering" from the album "Germ Free Adolescents" is about
the dangers of creating genetically 'superior' beings.
Yankovic, Weird Al:
"I Think I'm a Clone Now" from "Even Worse" (parody of the 60's hit
"I Think We're Alone Now", recently recut by Tiffany).
"Yoda" (to the tune of "Lola") and "Slime Creatures from Outer Space",
an original music-tribute to B-movies; both are from "Dare to Be Stupid".
Also "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters From a Planet Near Mars"
on the soundtrack for "UHF", and "Christmas at Ground Zero" from
"Polka Party".
Yaz:
There's a song on the album "You and Me Both" about childhood
during a nuclear war.
Yellow Magic Orchestra:
"Citizens of Science" from "X Infinite Multiples".
Yes:
Much sf-oriented work. Try "Astral Traveller", "Starship Trooper"
(Heinlein? maybe), "The Gates of Delirium". (One reader commented that
this latter LP is actually based on Tolstoy's "War and Peace". I can't
confirm or deny that since I've never made it through the book.)
See also Jon Anderson's "Olias of Sunhillow" and Anderson & Vangelis's
song "Mayflower" from "The Friends of Mr. Cairo". See also "Then" with
references to telepathy. Also, "Arriving UFO" from "Tormato", "Machine
Messiah" from Drama (computer/controller), most of the entire album
"Close to the Edge" (which your editor regards as unquestionably the most
complex and finest piece of music ever written and performed by a rock band),
"South Side of the Sky" from "Fragile", and "Awaken" from "Going for the One".
"Tales from Topographic Oceans" is a 2-LP concept albums about
(possibly intelligent) life in the oceans singing to stars they can't see.
Tracks include "The Revealing Science of God", "The Remembering",
"The Ancient", and "Ritual". "Shoot High Aim Low" from "Big Generator" might
be about a futuristic war. The problem with figuring out much of Yes's work
is that the abstract poetic style often obscures the meaning
and multiple interpretations are possible. See also Rick Wakeman,
Jon Anderson, & Anderson, Wakeford, Bruford and Howe.
Young, Kenny:
LP "Last Stage for Silverworld"
Young, Neil:
"After the Gold Rush", and "Ride my Llama" from "Rust Never Sleeps".
("After the Gold Rush" ends with a line about a mothership arriving
and "...taking Mother Nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun".)
On the album "Trans", see "Computer Age", "We R In Control", and "Sample
and Hold".
ZZ Top:
Just a note to mention that the videos for the songs from their "Afterburner"
album had SF themes; also the song "TV Dinners" from "Eliminator" had
some SF references. Recorded "Double Back", the theme from
"Back to the Future III".
Zager & Evans:
"In the Year 2525"; dated but cute; was #1 when Armstrong walked on the moon.
Zappa, Frank, and the Mothers:
"Cheapnis", from "Roxy and Elsewhere", is the story of a grade Z monster
movie.
"Thing-Fish" (evil scientist, etc.). "Inca Roads" from "One Size Fits All"
discusses the question of whether or not extraterrrestrials made the
huge patterns visible from the air in the Andes. See also "The Radio is
Broken" (from "The Man from Utopia") and the title track from "Drowning
Witch".
See also "Billy the Mountain" from "Was Mothers Just Another
Bands from L.A.?", the story of a sentient mountain which refuses
induction into the U.S. armed forces. Also "Joe's Garage", a dystopian
operatta about a society which controls its citizens by making as many
things as possible illegal; presented as if it were an object lesson
told by an enforcer from that society. This album also includes
a parody of the Church of Scientology (Church of Aplientology)
as well as a funny song about sex with a robot (title?).
Zevon, Warren:
"Werewolves of London" from "Excitable Boy", just for fun.
"Transverse City" is a concept album which, according to interviews
with Zevon, is based in part on "Bladerunner" and the works of
cyberpunk author William Gibson. SF tracks on the album include the
title cut, "Run Straight Down", and "The Long Arm of the Law".
Miscellaneous Notes and Comments:
---------------------------------
Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michael Jarre, Return to Forever, Weather Report,
Vangelis, Klaus Schultz, Deodata, Eno, Jean-Luc Ponty, Michael Urbaniak,
Stomu Yamashta & Go, The Enid, Peter Michael Hamel, Bo Hansson, Mannheim
Steamroller, Lancaster & Lumley, Lol Creme & Kevin Godley, Shadowfax,
Larry Fast aka Synergy, Kitaro, Mark Shreeve, Kevin Braheny, Steve
Roach, Constance Demby, Michael Sterns, Software and B.J. Cole:
...have all been listed down here because several people have pointed out
that "sounding like SF" doesn't make it SF music. Note that some of these
people have done some SF soundtracks, and that some of them have done
instrumental material with SF/fantasy titles. Notable works include Hansson's
"Lord of the Rings", Creme & Godley's "Consequences", an ecological parable,
Mannheim Steamroller's "Fresh Aire V", a musical retelling of Kepler's
fantasy about a trip to the moon and back, and Klaus Schulze's "Cyborg"
and "Dune". Jarre's "Rendez-Vous" album was going to have had the sax part
for the track "Final Rendezvous/Ron's Piece" played, in orbit,
by Ron McNair on the ill-fated Challenger launch.
Hitchhiker's Guide:
Just a note that the theme music for THHGTTG is "Journey of the Sorcerer"
from the Eagles' "One of These Nights". Marvin is credited with a single
called "Marvin", backed with "Metal Man". Tim Souness did a single of
the HitchHiker's Guide theme. Disaster Area is credited with "Only
the End of the World Again", the B side of the theme single.
A second single called "Marvin I Love You" was released later--in it, Marvin
discovers an old recording of a female voice declaring her love for him
while perusing his memory banks. (Of course, he doesn't know where it
came from.)
Doctor Who:
Just a note to mention "Doctorin' the TARDIS" and "Gary and the TARDIS"
by the Timelords (now The KLF), "Who is the Doctor" by Jon Pertwee,
"Doctor...?" by Blood Donor, "Doctor in Distress" by Who Cares, and
"S.O.S. Daleks have landed" by ??.
SF Themes in Opera:
This section was originally posted to rec.music.classical by
e...@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper), who has kindly
granted permission to reproduce it here.
Benford, David & LeGuin, Ursula K. "Rigel-9"
Standard sf fare - astronauts on strange planet, one sensitive,
the rest rednecks. Only he sees the strange city in the forest etc.
Benford, David "Star's End"
A fantasy on SF themes.
Blomdahl, Karl-Birger "Aniara"
About a space ship leaving Earth (which is in an environmental
crisis).
Davis, Anthony & Atherton, Deborah "Under the Double Moon"
Attempt of a government Inspector to force telepathic twins to
accompany him to feed the powers of the Empress.
Dresher, Paul & Eckert, Rinded "Power Failure"
About an evil tycoon who has spent millions on a perpetual youth
machine for himself. When the moment comes to use it, a power
failure traps him, his assistant, secretary, and the janitor in
the underground laboratory. Despite the morality-play aspects of
what follow, it comes off as a powerful statement against rampant
materialism and exploitation of people and the environment.
Glass, Philip "Einstein on the Beach"
Has a scene where a flying saucer appears.
Glass, Philip "1000 Airplanes on the Roof"
Glass, Philip "Hydrogen Jukebox"
Glass, Philip "Juniper Tree"
Glass, Philip & Lessing, Doris "The Making of the Representative
from Planet 8"
Haydn, J. "Il Mondo della Luna"
"It isn't straight sci-fi in the modern sense; the setting was meant
to provide a distant enough context to present a parody of powerful
people and institutions." But it *isn't* set on the moon; it has
someone tricked into believing they have traveled to the moon when
they haven't.
Janacek "The Excursions of Mr Broucek"
Two stories, one of which is Mr Broucek goes to the moon.
Janacek "The Macropoulous Affair"
Original by Karel Capek; the story of a 400+ year old opera
singer who possesses the formula for endless youth
Ligeti, G. "Le Grand Macabre"
I. The setting is the countryside in Brueghelland. Preceded by
the drunken Piet the Pot, the two lovers Amando and Amanda look
for a secluded place in which to make love. Out of a sepulchre
to one side of the stage emerges Nekrotzar, Angel of Death,
Great Reaper, Demon, Vampire etc, to announce the end of the
world that day at midnight.
II. Astradamors, court astrologer and hen-pecked husband, sees
apparitions through his telescope portending disaster. His wife
dreams of Venus, whom she asks to be sent a real man for a
husband. Astradamors' fears are confirmed with the arrival of
Nekrotzar, who first fulfils Mescalina's sexual desires and then
kills her.
III. The gluttonous ruler Go-Go receives word from the Chief of
his secret police ('Gepopo') that a comet is headed on a collision
course for Breughelland. Nekrotzar arrives with appropriate pomp
and ceremony to announce once more the end of the world.
Astradamors celebrates the death of his wife with Piet the Pot in
a drinking bout, and Nekrotzar, imagining the cup is filled with
sacrificial blood instead of wine, joins in. Becoming increasingly
intoxicated, Nekrotzar boasts about his cruel misdeeds and fails
to notice that midnight has already passed.
IV. With everyone wondering whether or not the world has really
ended, Mescalina breaks out of her tomb and recognises Nekrotzar
as her first husband, who then sinks into oblivion under the
weight of his failure. Having missed all the excitement, the two
lovers reappear.
Mackover, Todd "Valis"
Based on the Philip K. Dick novel
Menotti, Gian Carlo "A Bride from Pluto"
Menotti, Giancarlo "Help, Help the Globolinks!"
Monk, Meredith & Chong, Ping "The Games"
About a human society in a spacecraft that has been en route to a
distant star system for many generations. The games are simple
children's games which have acquired ritual status in the spaceship
culture. (Ballet?)
Offenbach, Jacques "Tales of Hoffman"
The story of an automaton.
Offenbach, Jacques "Journey to the Moon"
Rice, Jeff "The War of the Worlds"
Swan, Donald "Perelandra"
Based on the C. S. Lewis
Swan, Donald various Tolkien songs (not opera)
? Robert Anton Wilson's stuff
? "A Wrinkle in Time"
And some random comments:
George Coates has a new work that takes place in virtual reality at
a theater in San Francisco. I don't know the name or composer, sorry.
For what it's worth I'm not sure I'd eliminate Wagner too soon: the
Ring may seem pretty fantastic, but many of the plots turn on the
appropriate use of technology (always Promethean, of course) and the
power it confers on the user.
Or sf novels with opera themes? How about Jack Vance's _Space
Opera_? As I recall the plot, it concerns the adventures of an
interstellar opera company.
Much thanks to:
al...@calvin.usc.edu@usc.edu (William Alves)
a...@martigny.ai.mit.edu (Barb Miller)
chr...@lloyd.Camex.COM (Chris Ischay)
diar...@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Diarmuid Pigott)
etx...@solsta.ericsson.se (Mats Bengtsson TX/DK )
g...@bnr.ca (Gene Lavergne)
go...@cis.uab.edu (Mr. Gower)
ha...@iscsvax.uni.edu
hed...@dumas.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick)
jef...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Jason E Frank)
j...@ukc.ac.uk (J.K.Pearson)
ka...@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Keith Andrew Falconer)
k...@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu (Bob Kosovsky)
l...@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com (Max Stern 310-524-6152)
mgresham%dscat...@mathcs.emory.edu (Mark Gresham)
pdel...@dsd.es.com (Peter Delafosse)
pra...@watserv.ucr.edu
r...@computer-science.manchester.ac.uk (Robert Marshall)
rp...@Lehigh.EDU (R M Price)
rt...@troi.cc.rochester.edu (Raymond Tuttle)
rwi...@zinka.mitre.org (R. Wilmer)
st...@fid.morgan.com (Steve Apter)
zor...@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Claudia Zornow)
(end included material on SF themes in opera)
---------------------------------
One of the readers of the list (fo...@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk)
also sent along this material on Hawkwind, which I've included
here. If this isn't enough to justify the title I gave them
(all-time consensus champion for sf-oriented rock) then I don't
know what is. ;-)
(Begin included material on Hawkwind)
Re the Hawkwind entry on your music sf list.
The sf related songs that they've done are:
Adjust Me
Angels of Death
Arrival in Utopia
The Awakening
Black Corridor
Born to Go
The Changing
Children of the Sun
Choose Your Masks
Coded Languages
Damnation Alley
The Dark Lords
Down through the Night
Dragons and Fables
Dreaming City
Dream Worker
D-Rider
Dust of Time
Elric the Enchanter
Fable of a Failed Race
Fahrenheit 451
Fall of Earth City
Fifth Second of Forever
First Landing on Medusa
The Golden Void
Green Finned Demon
Heads
High Rise
Hi Tech Cities
Horn of Destiny
Images
Infinity
In the Egg
Jack of Shadows
Joker at the Gate
Levitation
Lighthouse
Living on a Knife Edge
Looking in the Future
Lord of Light
Lords of Chaos
Lost Chances
L.S.D.
Magnu
Master of the Universe
Messengers of Morpheus
Micro Man
Moonglum
Needle Gun
Neon Skyline
Note From a Cold Planet
Nuclear Drive
Nuclear Toy
Orgone Accumulator
Oscillations
The Phenomenon of Luminosity
Processed
Psi Power
Psychosis
PsychoSonia
PXR5
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Robot
The Sea King
Seven By Seven
Silver Machine
Sleep of a Thousand Tears
Solitary Mind Games
Song of the Swords
Sonic Attack
Space is Deep
Space Travellers
Spirit of the Age
Standing at the Edge
Star Cannibal
Starflight
Streets of Fear
Sword of the East
Ten Seconds of Forever
Time We Left (This World today)
Transdimensional Man
Uncle Sam's on Mars
Virgin of the World
Waiting for Tomorrow
Warrior on the Edge of Time
Warriors
Wastelands of Sleep
The Watcher
We Took the Wrong Step
Web Weaver
Welcome to the Future
Who's Gonna Win the War
Wings
The Wizard Blew His Horn
You Know You're Only Dreaming
You'd Better Believe It
Zarozinia
Black Hole in Space
Upside Down
Dying Seas
The War I Survived
Raping Robots in the Street
Where are They Now?
Elements
Mutation Zone
My Armour's Killing Me
The Timeship Will Not Sail Again
and a list of their albums:
1970 Hawkwind [re-released as pic disk 1980]
1971 In Search Of Space
1972 Doremi Fasol Latido
1972 The Text Of Festival: Live 1970-2 (live)
1972 Glastonbury Fayre (with various artists)
1972 Greasy Trucker's Party
1973 Space Ritual Alive (live) [double album]
1973 Bring Me The Head Of Yuri Garagin (live)
1973 Hawkwind in Concert
1974 Hall Of The Mountain Grill
1974 US Forces Radio album featuring Hawkwind & Jefferson Starship
1975 Warrior On The Edge Of Time
1976 Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music
1976 Roadhawks
1977 Quark Strangeness And Charm
1977 Hawkwind/Van Der Graaf Generator [Swedish album on Phillips}
1977 Masters of the Universe (Compilation)
1978 PXR5
1978 Hawklords - 25 Years On
1979 Repeat Performances (Compilation)
1979 Hawkwind Live (live) [British release: Live '79]
1980 Levitation [original release was on blue vinyl]
1981 Sonic Attack
1981 Hawkwind Live at the Bottom Line (New York 1978)
1981? Hawkwind at Glastonbury 1981
1981 Sonic Assassins 12EP
1981 Motorhead / Valium 10 (single)
1982 Church of Hawkwind [originally with booklet]
1982 Choose Your Masques
1982 Hawkwind Live at Stonehenge and Watchfield (Festival Records)
1982 Friends And Relations - Hawkwind
1983 Friends And Relations II (Twice Upon A Time)
19?? Friends And Relations III
1983 Zones [also released as pic disk]
1984 The Earth Ritual Preview (EP)
1984 Utopia 1984 [Material from ERP, Stonehenge, and Zones]
1984 Stonehenge (This Is Hawkwind/Do Not Panic) (live) [LP & EP]
1985 The Chronicle Of The Black Sword
1985 Needle Gun (EP)
1985 Zarozinia (EP)
1985 Space Ritual II
1985 Live Chronicles
1985? Ridicule (live 1973)
1985 Welcome To The Future (Mausoleum Records)
1985 Live '70/'73
1985 In The Beginning (Live "Top Gear" BBC Session 1970)
1986 Bristol Custom Bike Show
1986 Angels of Death (compilation) [all tracks previously released]
1986 The Hawkwind Collection
1986 Hawkfan 12"
1986 Independent Days, Vol. I
1986 The Approved History of Hawkwind (Samurai Records)
1986? Independent Days, Vol. II
1987? British Tribal Music (live, compilation) [Good sound quality. Digitally
1987? Early Daze
'77-82 The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. I
87-88? The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. II
87-88? The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. III
1988 Traveller's Aid Trust (with various artists)
1987 Out And Intake
1987 Hawkwind Box Set - The Official Picture Log Book
1988 The Xenon Codex
1988 Spirit of the Age
1988 Hawkwind Live [German CD: Imtrat]
19?? Hawkwind Zoo 12EP
19?? Silver Machine (live) 12EP
19?? Victoria double album
1989 The Night Of The Hawk (compilation)
1989 Ironstrike [Avanti Records ISTCD 004]
1990 Stasis - The U.A. Years 1971-1975 (Compilation)
1990 Night Riding
1990 The Best and the Rest of Hawkwind [Action Replay records.
1990 The Best of Hawkwind (volume #2 of Metal Classic series by EMI)
1990 Acid daze Vol. I LP
1990 Acid Daze Vol. II LP
1990 Acid Daze Vol. III LP
1990 Space Bandits
1991 Palace Springs (live)
1991 Hawkwind: Space Rock from London
1991 The Golden Void
1991 The Early Years Live EP
1991 Masters of The Universe [ Marble Arch Rock CMA CD 129]
1992 Electric Teepee
1992 Mighty Hawkwind Classics 80-85
1992 This is Hawkwind: Do Not Panic CD
1992 Psychedelic Warlords
1992 The Hawklords Live
1992 California Brainstorm
1992 Solstice at Stonehenge 1983
1992 Tales From Atom Henge
1992 Orgasmatron
Hope this helps :-)
FoFP
(End included material on Hawkwind)
---------------------------------
Well, that's it. Remember, please send your comments, corrections
and additions via *mail*. Thanks!
Rich Kulawiec, 2/93
Hastily-assembled montage of names of people who sent this stuff in:
Aaron Tucker, Al Crawford, Alan Greig, Alan Meiss, Alan Vymetalik,
Alastair Milne, Alex Melnick, Andrew Priestley, Andrew Raphael, Andy
Tucker, Becky Slocombe, Berry Kercheval, Bill Kaufman, Bjorn Lisper,
Blake Sobiloff, Bob, Brad, Brandon Allbery, Breebaart, Brent Woods,
Brian Ritchie, Brian Yamauchi, Bruce Holloway, Calle Dybedahl, Can
Altinbay, Carl Fongheiser, Carlo N. Samson, Chisholm, Chris Klausmeier,
Christopher Dollin, Chuck Koelbel, Corey Liss, Craig Wilcox, Dan Bloch,
Dan Duval, Daniel Dern, Dave, Dave Berry, Dave Gourley, Dave Rosik,
Dave Steiner, Dave Fiedler, David Adler, David Datta, David Gibbs,
David Kuznick, David Cook, Dean Lawrence Higgins, Devin Ben-Hur, Doug
Alan, Doug Mink, Ed Eastridge, edge!walker, Edwin Wiles, Eerke Boiten,
Ellen Keyne Seebacher, Eric Pepke, Erland Sommarskog, Ethan Miller,
Francini, Fricklas, Fujitsu, fyfesh, G. T. Samson, Gabrielle de
Lioncourt, Gareth, Gerard Lachac, Greg Samson, Guy Harris, Guy
Middleton, Hall, Hartman, Henry, Hirai, Husk, Imko Molenbuur, Jack
Ostroff, Jay Freeman, Jed Hartman, Jef Poskanzer, Jeff, Jeff Rogers,
Jessie Jim, Joanne Brooks, John, John, John A.Mariani, John Ockerbloom,
John Turner, John Relph, Jon Reeves, Jonathan Watts, Jonathan D.
Trudel, Joseph McLean, Kai-Miakel J{{-Aro, KarenColten, Ken, Ken
Leonard, Kyle Grieser, Lance A. Sibley, larry@ssdevo, Leo, Lewis, Lewis
Barnett, Lionel Marcus, Loren "Buck" Buchanan, Loring Holden, Malc,
Malcolm Humes, Malcolm Mladenovic, Mark Schlagenhauf, Maroney, Matthew
Belmonte, Mel, metlay, Michael Caplinger, Mijjil, Mike Holmes, Mike
Swiston, Mike Linksvayer, Miles Bader, Neil Weinstock, Nicholas
Simicich, Nick Smith, paszkows, Patrik Jansson, Paul Czarnecki, Paul S.
R., PaulCzarnecki, Pete, Peter, Peter Alfke, Platt, Randall Shane,
Randy Orrison, Richard Caley, Richard Smith, Robert Pietkivitch,
RobynTarter, Romkey, Russ Williams, Ryk E Spoor, Samir Chettri, Scott
A., Scott Butler, Sean Ellis, Seth Kadesh, Sheila Coyazo, Shelli
Meyers, Smith Steve, Smithson, Stephen Mulrine, Stephen Pearl, Steve
Herring, Steve Lionel, Stuart Sullivan, T. William Wells., Templeton,
Terry Poot, The Roach Above Reproach, The Roach(dan'l), Theo Hong,
Thomas Gayler, Thomas Koenig, Thomas Koenig, Tim, Tim Day, Tim Walters,
Tim Smith, Tom Galloway, Tony Towers, Tynor, Vlach, Vogel, Walker
Aumann, Wayne Barber, William Ingogly, William J. Richard, Dave Vernal,
Ben Waggoner, Chris Mungall, Steve Greer, Jason O'Broin,
Christopher Davis, Brian Kendig, Matt Maxwell, Richard Barrett, Dayne
Miller, Mary Ellen Foster, Alfvaen, Ronny H. Arild, Paul R. Joslin,
Alexander Yok-Wai, Ronald D. White, Kjetil Wiekhorst J|rgensen,
Jim Gillespie, Diarmuid Pigott, Evelyn C Leeper, Christopher Haynes,
Jim Atkinson, Robert Chansky, wake...@fri.cri.nz, Michael Simla,
Ray Charbonneau, TheO O'Neal, Alex Melnick, Richard K Fox, Dion Francois.
Derek G Bacon, Daniel F Boyd, Jeff Berry, Richard Heritage, Joe Decker,
James Gillespie, Ulrich Grepel, Mark Parker, Jim Freund, Mike Alberghini,
Paolo Valladolid, Francisco X DeJesus, Scott Grier, Andrew Raphael,
Steve W. Hill, Curt Wiederhoeft., Andrew Bettison, Jeff Wilson,
Michael Burstein, Dennis Sacks, Steve (ste...@syacus.acus.oz.au),
J.H.M. Dassen, Paul W. Grimes, James Matthew Farrow, Mike Kring,
Chuck Turner, Dave Weingart, John Purpura, Ilsa VanHook, Adrian Hassall Lewis,
Corran J. Webster, Steve Wechsler, Brian Leibowitz, Rick Scaia,
Andrew Phillips, William Rucklidge, Gregg T. Parmentier, Andrew Hatchell,
Bengt Kleberg, Brian Landwehr, Dan Johnson, ]dne Brunborg, James Hartman,
Richard C. Miske, Aaron Humphrey, Rajesh Goel, fo...@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk,
n...@csug3.cs.reading.ac.uk (Neilski), Tony Cummins, Terry Carroll, Brad Smith,
Jeffrey L. Popyack, Steve Ward-Smith, Jerry (je...@nick.csh.rit.edu),
Daniele (dm...@ukc.ac.uk), Lance R. Bailey, Heather Kendrick, Bec Hamadock,
Glenn Mcdonald, David Wilkinson, Joseph Brenner, Bonnie L. Johnston,
Arthur Delano, Laurent Somers, Angelos (kyrl...@Athena.MIT.EDU),
Brent C. Williams, Brad Smith, may...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (rob), Len Jaffe,
Kevin L. Wright, Chuck Jordan, Anthony J.R. Heading, Michael McAfee,
Gladys (w...@sfu.ca), Robert Bowdidge, Andreas Orphanides, Marc Ortlieb,
David Wilkinson, Gilead Limor, Chandrasekhar Puranapanda, David Datta,
Stephanie M. Clarkson-Aines, Russell Morrison, Stephen Swann,
Michael S Shappe, Gary Nelson, Howard J. Browning, Michael McAfee,
Christian Treber, Thomas W. Day, Kathleen (Jocelyn) Goldfein, Ronald Carrier,
Chris Siebenmann, lwh...@rigel.econ.uga.edu, Jonathan Gowland,
Kevin Grover, Suzan Humphrey, Tim Isakson, Kendal Stitzel, Jay Shorten,
Mike McComas, Crone, Keith Neufeld, Aaron Sherman, Eli McIlveen,
Elisabeth Anne Riba, Gareth Bellaby, Jens Wall, Anders Gabrielsson,
Walter Roberson, Rich Ulisky, Bill Leue, Peter Fenelon,
Sheri Hurt, Ross Smith, Marcus Deininger, Kristian MacCall,
Christian T.S. Crumlish, Horst Kiehl, Gareth Bellaby, Genevieve R. Williams,
Ian Levstein, Kevin Lauderdale, Adam D. Calow, Kate Orman,
Peter Trenning, Rainer Deyke, William Silvey, Khalid Yaqub, Wolfram Wagner,
Jeff Johnston, David Farmer, Chris Camfield, Timothy Binder, Dave Scocca,
Tom Friday, Jordi Sod, Ian J. Greely, Kip Johnson.
Copyright Rich Kulawiec 1993, 1994.
--- Some commentary on Bowie...
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