Censure Robert Sacks at the Worldcon!
Chris Carrier
censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
The text of the proposed resolution:
RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
Worldcon Business Meeting.
To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
(the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
LA in '96 ... IT'LL BE A RIOT!
Chris Carrier
Anti-Sacks League
INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
Mary Kay Kare
done, I guess not. Does this belong in a filk group, by the way.
MK
Gary Farber
: Within his own circles, Robert Sacks is notorious. WorldCon is hardly
: the place to censure such a local pest; most people will never have heard
: of him.
Actually, Worldcon Business Meeting fandom is one of Robert Sacks' most
active circles, and everyone who attends them knows him much too well.
On the other hand, much as I sympathise with this motion, I think it
unwise for the Business Meeting to set a precedent of censuring anyone
without specific cause. So any such motion should minimally cite any of
the zillions of specific causes for which Sacks might be censured. :-)
--
-- Gary Farber Middlemiss gfa...@panix.com
Copyright 1996 for DUFF Brooklyn, NY, USA
Jonathan Waite
which quoted the original message in full. I've never heard of Robert
Sacks, I don't know what he's done, I don't know any good reason why I
should need to know, and I'm not in fandom to censure people. All those
who agree with me, please signify by not extending this thread any
longer....thanks.
Zander
Dick Eney
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
>
>The text of the proposed resolution:
>
>
>RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
>period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
>Worldcon Business Meeting.
>
>
>To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
>(the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
>
>If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
>along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
>send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
>
profane nature.
Even at a court-martial, the trial begins with a statement of the charges
and specifications. Is this Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton we're talking
about, where the wicked deeds are matters of common knowledge?
|----------Dick Eney (dick...@access.digex.net)----------|
|If you think the system isn't working, ask someone who is|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
Gary McGath
<10222...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Since I have no idea who Sacks is or what he's supposed to have
>done, I guess not. Does this belong in a filk group, by the way.
It probably doesn't, and my spam filter apparently caught the original,
since I never saw it. In my own judgment, Bob is a good guy who treads the
paths of high-level fannish politics where one makes lots of enemies, so
this sort of thing is to be expected -- and, as you say, has nothing to do
with filk anyway.
--
Gary McGath gmc...@mv.mv.com
http://www.mv.com/users/gmcgath
"Keep your FCC-ing hands off my computer."
Michael Dillson
:>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
:>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
:>
:>The text of the proposed resolution:
:>
:>
:>RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
:>period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
:>Worldcon Business Meeting.
:>
:>
:>To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
:>(the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
:>
:>If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
:>along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
:>send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
:>
:>LA in '96 ... IT'LL BE A RIOT!
:>
:>Chris Carrier
:>Anti-Sacks League
:>INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
What the ......
--------------------
Mike Dillson
Atlanta, GA
dil...@mindspring.com
All content copyright by writer and may not be reproduced without
his written permission.
Lee Burwasser
>
>Even at a court-martial, the trial begins with a statement of the charges
>and specifications. Is this Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton we're talking
>about, where the wicked deeds are matters of common knowledge?
>
>|----------Dick Eney (dick...@access.digex.net)----------|
Within his own circles, Robert Sacks is notorious. WorldCon is hardly
the place to censure such a local pest; most people will never have heard
of him.
--
Lee Burwasser lburw...@crs.loc.gov
Landover MD USA
*working stiff -- don't blame me for policy*
Daniel S Goodman
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
>
>The text of the proposed resolution:
>
>
>RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
>period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
>Worldcon Business Meeting.
This way, your resolution sounds like a paranoid rant. You don't want
that, particularly if (as I suspect) it IS a particularly uninspired
paranoid rant.
Since one of the newsgroups you posted it to is alt.fashion, I infer that
Sacks has consistently violated fandom's dress code.
Dan Goodman goo...@freenet.msp.mn.us
Ben Yalow
>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
<rest of text deleted>
>
>Chris Carrier
>Anti-Sacks League
>INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
I'm obviously opposed.
This motion, assuming it is seconded and offered, will be being brought
up for essentially the second time. It came up at ConFrancisco -- the
objection to consideration passed by a gazillion to two. As did the
onjections to several other motions.
Those interested in further research may want to consult the ConFrancisco
Business Meeting Minutes, at:
http://sflovers.rutgers.edu/archive/fandom/WSFS/WSFS.minutes93
and look at the preliminary business meeting (first day), New Business,
Items B through D.
Ben
--
Ben Yalow yb...@panix.com
Not speaking for anybody
Kay Shapero
:>Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
:>censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
:>
Unless some of those actions had to do with filkdom, d'ya think this thread
could stay out of alt.music.filk? Please?
(copy sent via netmail in case he doesn't read this group.)
Kevin Standlee
> I suppose this has been posted here because it's a natural for filks of a
> profane nature.
>
In parliamentary procedure, one would state the "charges" in "WHERAS,..."
clauses. OTOH, it's rarely a good idea to add a bunch of Wherases to a
resolution because (1) they have no effect and (2) some people who might
support the resolution wouldn't support the Wherases.
Note that the above is merely a parliamentary opinion, and does not
indicate my support for the original poster's goals.
Kevin Standlee
Deputy Chair/Parliamentarian, 1996 WSFS Business Meeting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just a thought from Kevin Standlee -> (stan...@LunaCity.com)
LunaCity BBS - Mountain View, CA - 415 968 8140
Kevin Standlee
> What the ......
Look at the bright side. It may divert attention from the ongoing MOC
Topic 1 around here for a while.
Gary McGath
People -- it should be obvious to everyone that Chris Carrier's only
purpose in spamming this message to alt.fandom.cons, alt.fandom.misc,
alt.fashion, alt.music.filk, and alt.shared-reality.sf-and-fantasy was to
start a flamewar that would disrupt the newsgroups. Let's NOT give him the
satisfaction.
The Followup-To: line of this post redirects responses to alt.flame.
Danny Lieberman
>Within his own circles, Robert Sacks is notorious. WorldCon is hardly
>the place to censure such a local pest; most people will never have heard
>of him.
Actually Lee, Robert is well known at worldcons, and has earned a
reputation for a hard worker, if a bit tedious.
In the meantime, this is the same Chris Carrier that came to
ConFrancisco and insisted on motions to "ban" robert sacks from
a sixty mile zone around any worldcon.
What makes Chris Carrier think he can get away with his nonsense
again?
--
Danny Lieberman
d...@panix.com
http://www.panix.com/dfl/
Kelly Lockhart
: Since one of the newsgroups you posted it to is alt.fashion, I infer that
We have a dress code now? Damn it, I really have to stop missing all
these meetings! :-)
-- Kelly Lockhart
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| kel...@cris.com http://www.cris.com/~kellyl |
| k.loc...@genie.com Genie SFRT1 Category 38 Topic 4 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Keith A. Glass
'nuff said. . .
--
* Keith A. Glass, Fairfax, Virginia, USA, Filker/punster at large *
* Washington Coordinator, Electronic Freedom March *
* 30 June 1996, Washington DC URL: http://www.efm.org *
* Note: the following line is an intentional act of Civil Disobedience: *
* FUCK THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT--DEFEND THE FIRST AMENDMENT ! *
Keith Stokes(ConQuesT 27)
>Since one of the newsgroups you posted it to is alt.fashion, I infer that
>Sacks has consistently violated fandom's dress code.
Rather, he personifies the fandom dress code of an earlier period.
I find his whole routine rather cute.
Certainly cuter that Chris Carrier's routine at the Hogu awards.
But your mileage may very.
Keith
Chris Carrier
pointed out, I had thought that, as in the manner of our
President, Mr. Bill, or Speaker Gingrinch, their misdeeds would
be so well known as not to need repeating.
So, would anyone be interested in cosponsoring an Anti-Sacks
League resolution with a bunch of WHEREASes detailing his postal
cruelty to Michael Hopcroft, or his harassment of the lovely
Rhiannon? Or his attendance at the funeral of a fan "to make
sure" she was dead?
Let us conclude with some words of wisdom from Barney the
Dinosaur, to make this an appropriate posting for the filk ng:
I hate him, he hates me
Let's vote no on Bobby.
With a motion from me,
And a second signed by you,
Let Sacks know you hate him too.
I hate him, he hates me
We're feudy fans like fans should be
With a motion from me,
And a second signed by you,
Let Worldcon know you hate Sacks too.
Daniel B. Holzman
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>
>So, would anyone be interested in cosponsoring an Anti-Sacks
>League resolution with a bunch of WHEREASes detailing his postal
>cruelty to Michael Hopcroft, or his harassment of the lovely
>Rhiannon? Or his attendance at the funeral of a fan "to make
>sure" she was dead?
Unless any of this enters into the business of the WSFS, I don't see
where a censure from them is appropriate. You want to see Sacks shunned
by New York fandom for his stunts in New York, fine -- just open your
eyes. It's not as if Robert's topping people's invite lists for
parties.
--
Daniel B. Holzman -- Love does not subtract, it multiplies. -- All acts of love
and pleasure are Her rituals. -- An it Harm none, do what you Will. -- They
took my name and stole my heritage, but they didn't get my goat. -- The
word is all of us. -- Remember the Twelth Commandment and keep it Wholly.
Jonathan Waite
started.
Zander
Tom Smith
: Concerning my proposal to censure Robert Sacks ... as someone
: pointed out, I had thought that, as in the manner of our
: President, Mr. Bill, or Speaker Gingrinch, their misdeeds would
: be so well known as not to need repeating.
: So, would anyone be interested in cosponsoring an Anti-Sacks
: League resolution with a bunch of WHEREASes detailing his postal
: cruelty to Michael Hopcroft, or his harassment of the lovely
: Rhiannon? Or his attendance at the funeral of a fan "to make
: sure" she was dead?
: Let us conclude with some words of wisdom from Barney the
: Dinosaur, to make this an appropriate posting for the filk ng:
:
: I hate him, he hates me
: Let's vote no on Bobby.
: With a motion from me,
: And a second signed by you,
: Let Sacks know you hate him too.
:
: I hate him, he hates me
: We're feudy fans like fans should be
: With a motion from me,
: And a second signed by you,
: Let Worldcon know you hate Sacks too.
Ahem.
I would say that I'm not one to stick my nose into something where
it might get whacked off, but God and Fandom knows that ain't true.
So, not knowing you, not knowing Robert Sacks, I'd like to say
something that's been on my mind since this whole rigamarole started.
If you've got a beef with this guy, take it up with him in private
-first-. If you have, and have made no headway, then start exploring
other options. Has he done anything legally actionable? Are his
actions provable, and demonstrably odious to all those concerned?
Are there witnesses? Is there evidence?
Insisting that all of fandom get together at WorldCon and sponsor
a resolution censuring someone sounds like something Pat Buchanan
might have come up with. "Hey, everyone! We're in an informal
worldwide nonexclusionary social group. Somebody is purported
to have done some nasty things. Let's not do anything about it...
except all of us say 'We Hate You!'"
Not -once- have we really heard -either- side of this debate.
(And please don't e-mail it to me. At this point I don't care,
and I'm not taking sides.) The closest thing to specific
allegations I recall seeing is your post, above.
You got a problem with Robert Sacks? Take it up with Sacks.
Take it up with the law, if need be. But leave the fans out of it.
Fandom is a circle of literary acquaintances and hard-earned
friendships, not an army of moral vigilantes. And WorldCon is a
gathering of people with common interests, not a lynch mob to be
fired up at innuendo.
Oh, and... lose the song.
--
Best,
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Tom Smith (toms...@izzy.net) | Amiga - Babylon 5 - MST3K |
| The World's Fastest Filker | http://www.izzy.net/~tomsmith |
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
Tad L. J. Pierson
TAD
Kay Shapero
TS>Take it up with the law, if need be. But leave the fans out of
TS>it. Fandom is a circle of literary acquaintances and hard-earned
TS>friendships, not an army of moral vigilantes. And WorldCon is a
TS>gathering of people with common interests, not a lynch mob to be
TS>fired up at innuendo.
Hear hear!!!!!
Chris Carrier
His Highness of 4861 Broadway, NYC, NY.
"Want to hear a few Sacks Stories?"
"Got a few days?"
Chris Carrier, Anti-Sacks League
Douglas E. Berry
Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM> wrote:
>Path:
news.hooked.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.emi.net!scifi!bocanews.bocaraton.ibm.
com!watnews.watson.ibm.com!newsgate.watson.ibm.com!newsjunkie.ans.net!newsfeed
s.ans.net!gatech!news.jsums.edu!news2.cais.net!news.cais.net!news.ac.net!imci4
!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.compuserve.com!news.production.compuserve.com!n
ews
>From: Chris Carrier <72157...@CompuServe.COM>
>Newsgroups:
rec.arts.sf.fandom,alt.fandom.cons,alt.music.filk,alt.tv.barney,alt.tv.dinosau
rs.barney.die.die.die
>Subject: Re: Censure Robert Sacks at the Worldcon!
>Date: 11 Apr 1996 01:39:27 GMT
>Organization: .
>Lines: 11
>Message-ID: <4khnsf$p8h$1...@mhade.production.compuserve.com>
>Xref: news.hooked.net rec.arts.sf.fandom:35291 alt.fandom.cons:14699
alt.music.filk:28082 alt.tv.barney:7280
alt.tv.dinosaurs.barney.die.die.die:4454
>Status: N
> "Want to hear a few Sacks Stories?"
>
>
> "Got a few days?"
Actually, no. I could care less about you, or what this person has done, or
anything that happens in New York City. You, sir, have annoyed me far more
than Mr. sacks has ever done. From what I can tell, with my personal
experience, it is YOU who needs a slap on the wrist.
If you can't handle one jerk, don't expect the WSFS to do it for you!
# ---------------------------------------------- #
# Douglas E. Berry dbe...@hooked.net #
# Writer, Professional Driver, Traveller Guru #
# #
# "Liberty consists in doing what one desires" #
# -John Stuart Mill #
# ---------------------------------------------- #
Jeremy95
situation... <G>
The bottom line is: Sacks likes to carp, and Carrier likes to whine. What
we have here is an unlikable force encountering an intolerable object....
I should also note that, outside of WSFS business, I have always found Mr.
Sacks reasonably charming. Not that I'd want to room with him, or have him
marry my sister, but hell - if that was the standard for fandom, then
fandom would be small indeed.
Anyway. Just my 2 cents (four cents canadian)
- Jeremy Bloom
Kevin Standlee
> The bottom line is: Sacks likes to carp, and Carrier likes to whine. What
> we have here is an unlikable force encountering an intolerable object....
An excellent way of putting it! Well spoken, Jeremy!
> I should also note that, outside of WSFS business, I have always found Mr.
> Sacks reasonably charming. Not that I'd want to room with him, or have him
> marry my sister, but hell - if that was the standard for fandom, then
> fandom would be small indeed.
You have a good point. I'm actually amazed at how politely Robert seems
to treat me even when I (politely, but pointedly) tell him that I
disagree with him or think his proposals are totally unworkable or
unreasonably complex. (You think _my_ schemes are complicated, you
should try reading through some of the stuff he proposes.)
(Aside: I've heard people say that if we really wanted to kill the
NASFiC, we should sell it to Robert and his pocket corporation. It would
fall apart due to internal complications fairly quickly.)
Sally
Dear Readers,
What ever happened to the Beatles??
I would like anyone who still follows the Beats to please write
to me!!! I think that Paul McCartney is a sex beast and that Lennon had
the greates mind on the planet. There should be a Beatle news group!!!!!
Yellow Matter Custard dripping from a dead dogs eye
Crabalocker fishwife pornographic priestess
boy you've been a naughty boy, you let your knickers down.
I am the eggman, OOHH!!
They are the eggmen, OOHH!!
I am the Walrus, GOO GOO G'JOOB
from a beatle fan.
mcre...@delphi.com
>the greates mind on the planet. There should be a Beatle news group!!!!!
than one.
as to your subject line: except as source material for parody, the Beatles
are not exactly on-topic here (except as examples for "ose" [Eleanor Rigby]
and "cheery-ose" [Maxwell's Silver Hammer]); this group is for the folk
music peculiar to, and of interest to, science fiction fans. There are many
filksongs written TO Beatles tunes (I daresay I've done a couple myself),
but the originals aren't quite what we discuss here, although there are
probably a fair number of Beatle fans here.
Check your news server under the alt.music.* and rec.music.* hierarchies;
I KNOW that there is at least one, and probably more than one, Beatles fan
newsgroups out there. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Mary the Filker (a Beatles fan for about 30+ years)
Kay Shapero
S>Subject: Why doesn't anybody on the newsgroup talk about the
S>Beatles??
Maybe because this is alt.music.filk? Check around; I suspect there's a
Beatles newsgroup someplace but this really isn't it.
Tom Digby
:
: Dear Readers,
Why not go to rec.music.beatles and see if anybody there is interested?
--
-- Tom
bub...@well.sf.ca.us
http://www.well.com/user/bubbles/
Keith Bierman QED
Perhaps we collectively misunderstand. Perhaps there is a new Filk
group known as the Beatles, or this is a request for Filk about
insects, or perhaps (unbeknownst to us all) the Beatles were a '60s
filk group ...
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Keith H. Bierman keith....@Sun.COM| k...@chiba.Eng.Sun.COM
SunSoft Developer Products | k...@netcom.com
2550 Garcia UMPK16-304 415 786-9296 | (415 7869296) fax
Mountain View, CA 94043 <speaking for myself, not Sun*> Copyright 1996
jk...@watson.ibm.com
In <taz3f5s...@chiba.eng.sun.com>, keith....@eng.sun.com (Keith Bierman QED) writes:
>Perhaps we collectively misunderstand. Perhaps there is a new Filk
>group known as the Beatles, or this is a request for Filk about
>insects, or perhaps (unbeknownst to us all) the Beatles were a '60s
>filk group ...
Note that many (most? all?) Beatles songs have been filked,
usually multiple times. If you're looking for a filk of a particular
song, someone here can probably point you in the right direction.
Paul Ciszek
jk...@watson.ibm.com writes:
I am not familiar with ALL of the Beatle's output; did they ever cross the
line into Filk? Pop music often has. Usually as novelty songs ("Earth Girls
Are Easy" by Julie Brown, "Yoda" by Weird Al) but not always.
Paul Ciszek "Literacy will not be a priority where our children
are concerned." --Yusef Dakari, advocating the
pci...@nyx.net creation of Afro-centric schools
Sallie Montuori
On 28 Apr 1996 jk...@watson.ibm.com wrote:
> Note that many (most? all?) Beatles songs have been filked,
> usually multiple times. If you're looking for a filk of a particular
> song, someone here can probably point you in the right direction.
_All_? You mean there's a filk based on "Revolution 9"? This I have got
to see! (Or hear...)
Sallie Montuori >insert snappy one-liner here.<
fox...@widomaker.com
Dick Eney
In article <taz3f5s...@chiba.eng.sun.com>,
Keith Bierman QED <keith....@eng.sun.com> wrote:
>
>> On <Apr 16 20:22>, Sally <s105...@frodo.student.gu.edu.au> inquired;
>>
>> S>Subject: Why doesn't anybody on the newsgroup talk about the
>> S>Beatles??
>>
>> Maybe because this is alt.music.filk? Check around; I suspect there's a
>> Beatles newsgroup someplace but this really isn't it.
>
>group known as the Beatles, or this is a request for Filk about
>insects, or perhaps (unbeknownst to us all) the Beatles were a '60s
>filk group ...
Then, too, maybe he's thinking of that song from ChiCon III whose author I
never found out:
You should have been on top/ Of things from the beginning;
You'd read the books of rules/ From Luttwak back to Lenin
But then you blew it/ When Boris Yeltsin said NO THANKS!
Yeah, you blew it/ When you didn't use your tanks!
You blew it, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You blew it, yeah, yeah, yeah,
With a coup like that you know there's no return!
|----------Dick Eney (dick...@access.digex.net)----------|
|If you think the system isn't working, ask someone who is|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
Steve Glover
pci...@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Paul Ciszek) wrote:
>I am not familiar with ALL of the Beatle's output; did they ever cross the
>line into Filk? Pop music often has. Usually as novelty songs ("Earth Girls
>Are Easy" by Julie Brown, "Yoda" by Weird Al) but not always.
I wouldn't call any of that filk. I'm trying to remember Randall Garrett's
quote about Magic... "A matter of [something] and intent"...
Yes, there have been songs (not always novelty items) with SF relevance, but
that doesn't make them filk (see the SF/Music FAQ that used to get posted). I
*may* concede that these songs aren't out of place at a filksing (Hell, is
*anything*? One of the best things I ever heard at a filk is now given as the
canonical reason for why we don't have "pick, play, pass or pun" anymore), but
given the looseness in the definition of filk, we need to each of us draw the
line somewhere. And for me, that line is "if the author didn't intend it, then
it's not, and can't be filk".
Steve FQF
-- steve....@ukonline.co.uk or kur...@tardis.ed.ac.uk
No longer steve_...@hicom.lut.ac.uk and soon not even
cs...@cds1.dl.ac.uk or ss...@festival.ed.ac.uk
Mazhak
I'd think all the Weird Al parodies aren't filk as my understanding of
filk is origanal words refering to sf/fantasy set to traditional or
popular tunes. Am I off base or what?
Kay Shapero
On <Apr 29 13:30>, Steve Glover (steve....@ukonline.co.uk) wrote;
SG>I wouldn't call any of that filk. I'm trying to remember Randall
SG>Garrett's quote about Magic... "A matter of [something] and intent"...
"symbolism". And y'know, I think you've got something there.
SG>Yes, there have been songs (not always novelty items) with SF
SG>relevance, but that doesn't make them filk (see the SF/Music FAQ
SG>that used to get posted).
You mean other than the FILK FAQ? I'd like to see that myself. Got a
copy?
Dick Eney
I agree, except for any he wrote that are referring to sf/fantasy topics.
In the larger definition, they may be included as filk if not repeated
too often, but the larger definition(s) are extremely inclusive.
I remember a newbie with an AM radio repertoire being gently told that we
come to filksings to hear the songs we _can't_ hear on the radio, and I've
pretty much kept that as one of my definitions.
Besides, parodies of rock music are very hard to sing without the rock
band, since most of them don't have words for all the parts of the tune.
IMO. YMMV.
-- Tamar Lindsay (sharing account dick...@access.digex.net)
Solomon Davidoff
In response to the question of whether or not Weird Al is filk, I tend to
consider his work, or at least most of it, "Found Filk," refering to songs
that would be considered filk if they had been performed in a filk room, and
created by fans.
-Solomon Davidoff
Chris Croughton
>I'd think all the Weird Al parodies aren't filk as my understanding of
>filk is origanal words refering to sf/fantasy set to traditional or
>popular tunes. Am I off base or what?
Well, it depends how many 'original words' you want per tune. Philip
Allcock has written some filks in which only a few of the words are
changed, the rest are as the original song had them.
Then there are filks which have their own original tunes, and filks
which aren't about SF or Fantasy (but are about fans, fandom and/or
things fans are interested in - are you going to tell Kanef that
"Nobody's Moggy Lands" isn't filk? I'm not).
I still stick to "the folk music of the subculture known as 'Fantasy
and SF fandom'" (noting that "folk music doesn't describe a musical
style, it means "the music created by people in that culture" as opposed
to music created by an 'elite' subgroup such as those sponsored by the
ruling class or by big business).
And yes, that comes back to one of the other definitions: filk is what
filkers write.
By that definition, Weird Al's songs are not filk, as they aren't
created within the subculture (fandom), and this is reinforced by
reports that *he* doesn't consider them filk...
.-------------------------------.-------------------------------------.
| ch...@keris.demon.co.uk | FIAWOL (Filking Is A Way Of Life) |
`-------------------------------^-------------------------------------'
P. Alan Thiesen
In article <c01_960...@salata.com>,
Kay Shapero <kay.s...@salata.com> wrote:
>On <Apr 29 13:30>, Steve Glover (steve....@ukonline.co.uk) wrote;
>
>You mean other than the FILK FAQ? I'd like to see that myself. Got a
>copy?
Article 19921 of rec.answers:
From: r...@aspen.circ.upenn.edu (Rich Kulawiec)
Newsgroups: rec.music.misc,rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: SF-references-in-music List
Date: 27 Apr 1996 11:28:35 GMT
Organization: Cardiothoracic Imaging Research Center
Lines: 3849
Expires: 10 Jun 1996 11:28:09 GMT
Reply-To: r...@gynko.circ.upenn.edu
Keywords: science fiction, sf, music, fantasy
X-Last-Updated: 1994/09/20
Archive-name: music/sci-fi-refs
Version: $Header: sf.music,v 1.28 94/09/19 23:34:08 rsk Exp $
Copyright Rich Kulawiec 1993, 1994.
This is the revised SF-in-music list. It isn't comprehensive, but
it does try to cover rock, jazz, folk, classical and electronic music.
Most of the items listed here fall pretty well into these categories.
There is also a list of SF-based operas, which was assembled by
Evelyn C. Leeper and is reproduced here with permission. I've attempted
to list everybody who helped in the large (and growing) montage at the end.
SF can stand for whatever you'd like it to; science fiction, science fantasy,
speculative fiction, you pick it. My personal definition is rather broad,
which, coupled with the copious contributions of those of you on the
various networks, accounts for the length of this list.
One thing that I've changed since the last revision: I'm now listing
purely instrumental pieces along with everything else, rather than
bundling them at the end. This is mostly due to the large number
of updates that folks have sent in which list instrumental pieces.
I guess we'll see how it goes.
I'm not really interested in adding filk or novelty records to this list;
not that I have anything against them, but they would probably be
more appropriate on another list.
In most cases, I've relied on the contributions that have been sent in;
in others, I've verified spellings and attributions. Thus, the accuracy
of the information is uneven; so be it. Corrections (VIA MAIL ONLY)
are quite welcome, as are additions. I will be maintaining this list
and re-sending it periodically.
--
Rich Kulawiec, r...@gynko.circ.upenn.edu
--
10 CC:
Old Mister Time (from the album "Bloody Tourists") is
a story about an old man (living in a broken shack on the railway)
who is collecting junk to build a time-machine;
eventually he makes it work and disappears.
1919:
Has an EP "Machine".
801
Track "East of Asteroid". See also Eno, Brian.
AC/DC:
"Who Made Who" from the Maximum Overdrive soundtrack.
Acen:
Has a song called "Trip II the Moon (The Darkside)".
Adam Ant:
"Ants Invasion" (elsewhere reported as "Forbidden Zone")
from "Kings of the Wild Frontier" is about the invasion of the earth by ants.
Adolphson & Falk:
This Swedish band had a hit with "Control is Flashing Blue", a song
about how computers/sensors say everything is okay, but something
is crawling in the shadows. Most of their albums have a very dominant
SF theme. One example is 'Med Rymden I Blodet' (With Space In The Blood).
(In the same sense that one might say that a family with a seafaring
tradition "has the sea in their blood").
After the Fire:
"Suspended Animation" is either about weightlessness or genuine
suspended animation, and "Starflight" describes interstellar flight.
Alan Parsons Project:
Albums "I, Robot" (but not based on Asimov) and "Tales of Mystery and
Imagination (Poe). The title track from "Ammonia Avenue" is about a
world destroyed by pollution.
Alarm, The:
"The Stand" -- about Stephen King's "The Stand".
Alice Cooper:
On "School's Out", the words "Klaatu barada nikto" occur in background
vocals near the end of "My Stars". The album "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell"
is a fantasy. "Clones (We're All)" appears on "Alice Cooper '80: Flush
the Fashion"; it's about a collection of clones who revel against their
situation. He also refers to "the twilight zone" in "The Quiet Room"
from "From the Inside" and in "Wish You Were Here" from "...Goes to Hell".
Also, check out "BB on Mars" from "Pretties for You".
Finally, "No Baloney Homo Sapiens" from "Zipper Catches Skin" is about
a human challenege to potential marauding aliens.
Alien:
Early '80's post-disco group whose album "Sons of the Universe" has SF
themes running all through it.
Alphaville:
The album "Afternoons in Utopia" include tracks such as "Afternoons
in Utopia", "20th Century" and "Lady Bright" (which contains an old
rhyming couplet about generally relativity). See also "For a Million"
of "Breathtaking Blue", with its reference to dancing under an alien sun.
Ambrosia:
"Nice, Nice, Very Nice" is from the 53rd Calypso of Bokonon from
Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. Also "Time Waits for no One"; both
are on "Ambrosia", which also contains a reading of Jabberwocky.
Ambrosia is probably known to most readers for their mid-70's
hit "Holdin' On to Yesterday".
America:
"Sandman" refers to Nolan's "Logan's Run."
Amin Bhatia:
Has an entire album entitled "Interstellar Suite" about space travel.
Amon Duul II:
Some sf-oriented material; German band from the mid-seventies.
Two of their albums are "Made in Germany" and "Vive La Trance".
Amos, Tori:
"Tear in Your Hand" contains the line "If you need me,
me and Neil are hanging out with the Dream King." Neil Gaiman is the
creator of "Sandman", and is apparently a good friend of Tori's.
(Side note: The "Sandman" issue "Brief Lives" includes
some of the lyrics from that song. Tori also wrote the introduction
to the "Death: High Cost of Living" trade paperback.) And the song
"Happy Phantom" is about traipsing around the world after one is dead.
Anderson, Ian:
Vocalist from Jethro Tull. His 1983 LP, "Walk Into Light" contains a
notable SF-related track, "User Friendly".
Anderson, Jon:
Vocalist from Yes. Solo album, "Olias of Sunhillow", from 1976.
"Olympia" from "Animation" seems to discuss a futuristic world;
"Boundaries" from the same album may be about the aftermath of a future war.
Anderson, Laurie:
Surrealism & sf-type music. Try "O Superman" and "Language is a
Virus From Outer Space", which I seem to recall is derived from
Burroughs (William S., that is). Anderson has released several
works in collaboration/cooperation with Burroughs:
"You're The Guy I Want To Share My Money With"
(This one is not very easy to find) (Laurie, William, and one other
artist all contribute sections of this, but there is no tie between
the sections; more like an anthology than a collaboration in effect.)
"Home Of The Brave" (soundtrack from her movie "Home Of The Brave",
which included Burroughs in person);
"Sharkey's Night" (the album companion to "Home Of The Brave" movie;
the movie's -artistic- companion, rather than its soundtrack)
(Burroughs speaks once or twice)
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe:
(With bassist Chris Squire, these are the five core musicians of Yes.)
The eponymous album includes "Fist of Fire", a song about some sort
of acension after death, and "Birthright", about British atomic testing
carried out at Maralinga during the 50's and early 60's, which has
left many Aboriginal sacred sites and traditional lands uninhabitable.
Android Sisters, The:
"Songs of Electronic Despair".
Androids of MU:
A punk band that never got anywhere; their album "Blood Robots"
includes a track called "Lost in Space".
Ange:
(French progressive group) "Au-dela du delire" is a time-travel story.
Ant, Adam:
"Apollo 9" is about a trip to the moon.
Anthrax:
The album "Among the Living" contains "I Am the Law" (about Judge Dredd,
the 2000 AD hero) and "Among the Living" (about the antihero of Stephen
King's "The Stand").
Anvil:
"Mothra", about the monster from the "Godzilla" movies.
Aphrodite's Child:
The album "666" is the veritable armageddon waltz; it is a musical
retelling of the Apocalypse (Book of Revelations). Vangelis was
in this band back then.
Apocrypha:
"West World" is presumably about the film.
April Wine:
A heavy metal band who indulge in fantasy imagery; note "The Whole
World's Goin' Crazy" and its references to Lewis Caroll. Along
with Nektar and Pavlov's Dog, cult heroes in the St. Louis area
thanks to twenty years of airplay on KSHE-FM.
Archer, Tasmin:
Her first hit, "Sleeping Satellite" (from her album "Great
Expectations") is a lament for the end of the Apollo programme.
[ Damn...I thought it was about the end of a love affair! ---Rsk ]
Art of Noise:
"Paranoimia" features Max Headroom.
Asia:
"After the War", from "Astra" refers to post-WW III era.
"Wildest Dreams", from the first album, might also be about a war that
is yet to happen. "Sole Survivor", also from the first album, seems
to be in a similar vein.
Atlantics:
An Australian instrumental band from the early 1960s, had popular singles
entitled "Moon Man" and "War of the Worlds." The latter is
amazing for its evocative sound effects.
Atomic Rooster:
(one of the early heavy metal bands) "Lost in Space".
Automatic Man:
Two albums of SF-ish mystic stuff; notable track "I.T.D."
(Interstellar Tracking Device).
B-52's:
"Planet Claire", and "53 Miles West of Venus" from "Wild Planet".
"Cosmic Thing" and "Planet" (is this the correct title/album?)
from "Cosmic Thing" Also see the soundtrack to "Earth Girls Are Easy".
B.A.L.L:
"Little Tex in Trouble" and "Little Tex's Prelude" from "Trouble Doll"
are about a cowboy who sees his cattle being taken by aliens.
The Bags:
"September", from the album "Night of the Corn People", is about
a love affair between astronauts. "L. Frank Baum" is a tribute to the
Wizard of Oz books.
Ball, Edward:
Releases under many names, including Teenage Film Stars, The Times and
The Missing Scientists. Has done several songs with references to "The
Prisoner" including "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape".
Banks, Tony:
See "Man of Spells" from "Fugitive".
Barbarella:
Their album "The Art of Dance" consists only of songs about
Barbarella and containing samples from the film Barbarella.
Barenaked Ladies:
Another Canadian Band, with a song called "Grade 9", with the lines:
"Some of them are crazy and the others are depressed,
None of them can help me study for my math test.
I got into the classroom and my knowledge was gone;
I guess I should have studied 'stead of watching Wrath of Khan."
Bauhaus:
Did a cover of "Ziggy Stardust", and the song "Bela Lugosi's Dead",
which opens the film "The Hunger" (they perform in it, too). Their lyrics
are obscure enough so that most of their songs can be taken for SF - or
anything else, for that matter. They broke up in '83. 3 members became
Love and Rockets, the other, Peter Murphy, got a solo career. (See below)
Be Bop Deluxe:
Tracks include "Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus" (vague reminiscences
about '50s British SF-comics, also thought to be poking a little fun
at Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) and "Life In The Air Age" (a time
traveller stranded in a Gernsbackian future). Also see
"The Dangerous Stranger from the Highway to the End of Time" on "Modern Music".
Beatles:
The "Yellow Submarine" movie and accompanying soundtrack probably deserve
a mention as an example of an interesting animated fantasy experiment.
Bedford, David:
Albums include "Star's End"; could this be a reference to Asimov's
Foundation series ("Star's End", "Tazenda")?
He also wrote a sort of Rock Opera, "Rigel 9", to text by
Ursula le Guin. And "The Dark Nebula" to words by Arthur C Clark.
The Bee Gees:
"Edge of the Universe" is a space travel/love song
which first appeared as a track on the "Main Course" LP in 1975.
Two years latter was included as part of the "Here at Last .. Live"
album. The live version was released as a single and was the last
Top 40 hit for the Bee Gees before their "Saturday Night Fever"
releases and disco fame.
Belew, Adrian:
"Phone Call from the Moon", as well as "Looking For a UFO" from "Young
Lions" - a message of hope that aliens will come and save us
from destroying ourselves. The song "The Momur" from "Lone Rhinoceros"
tells the story of a man who's wife turns into a "momur" (a critic);
probably not really science fiction.
Benatar, Pat:
"My Clone Sleeps Alone".
The Bevis Frond:
Lots of SF and fantasy imagery, eg. "The Miskatonic Variations" from
"The Auntie Winnie Album".
Big Country:
Some songs have a magical theme, but the most outstanding is "The
Seer" from the album by the same name, about a woman who foretells the Roman
invasion of Scotland.
Black, Frank:
Frank Black is Black Francis from the Pixies. His solo album has the track
"Parry the Wind High, Low" which is about a UFO/Trekkies convention.
Black Sabbath:
Sort of. Tends to black magic et. al. See "Paranoid" for
"Iron Man" (mechanical golem?), "Plant Caravan" and "Electric Funeral"
(nuclear war?);"Black Sabbath" (1st LP) for demented ravings like
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" (Lovecraft). "Heaven and Hell" is all fantasy.
Some speculation that "Iron Man" refers to the comic book hero (paraplegic
w/special iron alloy suit and powers far beyond...) The song "Computer God",
from "Dehumanizer" concerns a sinister cyberpunk-like virtual reality.
Blake, Tim:
Electronic New Age. Albums "Crystal Machine", "Blake's New Jerusalem",
both SF. Was in Hawkwind 1979-80, and Gong 1972-1975.
Blitzkrieg:
The song "Blitzkrieg" talks about aliens arriving and some sort of war.
Song was covered by Metallica.
Blondie:
SF themes in some songs: e.g. the "Man from Mars" in "Rapture";
also "Dragonfly" from "The Hunter", which is a half-spoken half-sung
description of a race between spaceships that uses a collage of
sf buzzwords. See also "The Attack of the Giant Ants".
Debbie Harry (lead singer) and Chris Stein (lead guitar) sing in the
animated SF/fantasy movie _Rock and Rule_ (along with Lou Reed and Iggy Pop).
Blue Oyster Cult:
Many tracks on many albums with SF themes; "Veteran of the Psychic
Wars" (which also was on the "Heavy Metal" soundtrack; the narrator
is Corum, of Moorcock's "Chronicles of Corum") from "Fire of
Unknown Origin", "E.T.I.", "The Subhuman", "Flaming Telepaths" and most
of the rest of the LP's "Tyranny and Mutation" and "Secret Treaties".
Later work includes "Godzilla" (from "Spectres" and "Some Enchanted
Evening"), which about our favorite Tokyo-bashing reptile; "Monsters"
(from "Cultosaurus Erectus"), which is about a small group of people
who escape a ravaged Earth but wind up battling each other over one of
the women; "Black Blade" (from "Cultosaurus Erectus" and "E.T. Live",
a song done with Michael Moorcock; the nararator is Elric, from
his Elric saga) "Nosferatu" (from "Spectres"), which is a
retelling of the Dracula story; "Vengeance (The Pact)" (from "Fire
of Unknown Origin), which retells the "Taarna" segment from the movie
"Heavy Metal"; and "Sole Survivor" (also from "Fire..."), tells the
story of the last man alive on earth, who runs away when aliens come to
rescue him. The LP "Imaginos" tells the story of a sorcerer attempting
to release the demonic other-worldly beings called "Les Invisibles".
"The Great Sun Jester" from "Mirrors" is based on the novel
"The Fireclown" by Michael Moorcock (also released as "The Winds
of Limbo"). "Joan Crawford" from "Fire..." might be SF depending
on how you feel about wire hangers. Incidentally, a couple of
Karl Edward Wagner's "Kane" series contain direct references to
the BOC song "Astronomy" (from "Secret Treaties"); in particular,
there's a chapter entitled "On the Origin of Storms". "Take Me Away"
(from "The Revolution by Night") is about a guy who wants to go visit aliens.
Boiled in Lead:
Minneapolis-based folk-rock-world outfit. They record some
folk/fantasy-sounding numbers. Their latest album, Antler Dance,
includes some songs co-written by SF author Steven Brust (or is it Stephen?).
Boney M.:
"Night Flight to Venus" (title track of LP), and "Steppenwolf",
a werewolf story, on the same LP.
Bonzo Dog DooDah Band:
"Urban Spaceman" from "The Best of the Bonzos",
and "There's a Monster Coming" from "Gorilla".
Boom Crash Opera:
Australian band whose song "The Best Thing" from "Look! Listen!"
describes an astronaut's experiences in flight.
Bored Games:
Song "Joe 90". Classic Kiwi underground pop.
This schoolboy band was one of the early proponents of the "Dunedin Sound"
associated with the Flying Nun label, and band members went on to play
in virtually every important Dunedin band, including the Chills,
the Verlaines, the Clean, Straightjacket Fits etc.
Boston:
The LP "Third Stage" has a track emulating a spaceship take-off.
(All three of their album covers tell the story of the Guitar Spaceship
and its quest for a new home.)
Bow Wow Wow:
Punk. "I want my baby on Mars", "Giant sized baby thing!".
Bowie, David:
"Space Oddity" (most emphatically NOT "Major Tom") discusses eerie
experiences in orbit. Also has a film, "The Man who Fell to Earth".
See also "Diamond Dogs" (mutated life on earth after the bomb)
and "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", about a rock band on
an earth with five years left; this LP also contains "Five Years"
and "Starman". From "Hunky Dory", see "Life on Mars", and from "Station
to Station", see "TVC15". See also "Ashes to Ashes", "Memory of a
Free Festival", and "1984". Also, "Cat People (Putting out the Fire)"
from "Let's Dance", the title song to the movie. His collaboration
with the Sales Brothers (Tin Machine), released an album with some
SF-oriented tracks, such as "Tin Machine", "Video Crime", and "I Can't Read".
--- Some commentary on Bowie...
Bowie, David:
A lot of his albums contain at least a few sf songs. The major ones are:
"Space Oddity", the title track (often mistakenly referred to as "Major Tom")
was apparently played on the BBC broadcast of Neil Armstrong's moon walk;
"The Man Who Sold the World"; "Hunky Dory" which contains 'Life on Mars';
"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", the first
side has sf songs, the second is about a rock band whose lead singer self-
destructs (presumably the band which sang the first side); "AladdinSane";
"Diamond Dogs", a sort of Orwellian '1984' album which contains the song
'1984' and other songs about big brother; "Heroes", "Scary Monsters (and
super creeps)" which contains the title track and 'Ashes to Ashes', a
followup to 'Space Oddity'. Also, 'Cat People (Putting out the Fire)'
(tenuosly sf) from "Let's Dance", the title song to the movie of the same
name. "Tonight" contains a song, 'Loving the Alien" and his latest
album, "Never Let Me Down", has another. "Station to Station" was originally
written, but not used, as the soundtrack to one of his films, "The Man who
Fell to Earth", a classic about an alien stranded on earth. Bowie has done
a couple of other sf films, "The Hunger", about vampires, and "Labyrinth",
where he plays the goblin king who has kidnapped a young girl's baby brother
after she brattishly announces, "I wish the goblins would take him away!"
-- Scott Butler
---
Brickel, Edie and the New Bohemians:
The title track from "Ghost of a Dog" is, uh, well, about the ghost of a dog.
Brightman, Sarah
"I Lost my Heart to a Starship Trooper", "Love In A U.F.O.", and
"The Love Crusader" (not quite sf, but has many snips of supposed
intergalactic radio conversations, etc.) and "Lost in Space"
are all from a 1979 album.
Broderna Brothers:
Swedish band, with an song "Karlek i rymden" ("Love in Space") about
the boyfriend of a female astronaut.
Brown, Arthur:
In the late sixties, "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown" had a big hit
with "Fire". In the mid-to-late-70's, he released an album called
"Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come", rife with SF themes. For example,
the first track is "Time Captives", about a group of people who have
crashed their timeship. (The album may have been a double LP in the UK.)
Brown, Julie:
"Earth Girls are Easy". :-)
Brownsville Station:
"The Martian Boogie" was a 1977 single about an alien who learns to
rock n' roll. The song was sort of a minor cult classic for this
band in the midwest as they tried to follow-up on their "Smokin' in
the Boy's Room" success. The single was issued on the Private Stock label.
(Your editor would like to mention that he saw Brownsville Station and
Styx on a double bill in a converted skating rink outside St. Louis around
1975 or so...it was an interesting pairing, to say the least. ---Rsk )
Buckner and Garcia:
"Hyperspace", "Defender". (These *are* the guys that did
that awful Pacman song.)
Buggles, The:
The LP "Age of Plastic" contains many SF themes;for instance, the title
song has the lines "They send the Heart Police to put you under
cardiac arrest" (1984 meets Harlan Ellison's Ticktockman?) Also "I Love
You, Miss Robot". See also "Johnny on the Monorail". See also
"Adventures in Modern Recording", with SF tracks such as "Vermillion Sands",
"Inner City", "Rainbow Warrior", and maybe "On TV".
For trivia fans: "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first video shown
on MTV.
Bunnydrums:
"PKD", for Phillip K. Dick.
Burnett, T-Bone:
"We Are Humans From Earth" from the soundtrack of "Until the End of
the World".
Bush, Kate:
"Breathing", about breathing the fallout following a nuclear blast, (supposed
to be sung by an unborn child) is from "Never For Ever", and "Experiment IV"
from "The Whole Story" about designing a sound that can kill.
"Cloudbusting" is about a boy (played by Kate in the video) whose father
builds a rain-making machine and is kidnapped by the government.
(This song was inspired by Peter Reich's "The Book of Dreams".
The lines "I hid my Yo-yo/In the garden/
what made it special/made it dangerous"
is a reference to the fact that the rainmaking energy was inhibited
by radiation, so Peter's father made him throw away his yo-yo.
Peter buried it in the garden instead. -- Theo O'Neal)
(Peter Reich's father, Wilhelm Reich, was actually a 'scientist'
(regard the quotes) who did research in 'orgone energy'. Don't ask
me seriously what 'orgone energy' should be, but one of it's
abilities should have been to make it rain. The story
behind that is not sci-fi at all, it is true life (more or less).
Wilhelm Reich was actually arrested by the government and died in
prison, something the nine (or so) year old Peter couldn't comprehend
as a child. Peter later wrote 'a book of dreams' to cope with that
experience. -- Ulrich Grepel )
See also "Hammer Horror" from "Lionheart", a throwback to the
horror films of the 60's. "Deeper Understanding" from "The Sensual
World" is about computer addiction. "Hello Earth" from "Hounds of Love"
refers to an astronaut viewing the earth from his spaceship.
KB also covered Elton John's "Rocket Man".
Byrds, The:
"Hey Mr. Spaceman" from "The Fifth Dimension". "Space Odyssey"
from "Notorious Byrd Brothers" is a retelling of Clarke's "The Sentinel".
Byrne, David:
"In the Future", from the "Civil Wars" soundtrack is an
often-contradictory list how we will be in the future.
Camel:
Lots of fantasy stuff on various albums, notably "Mirage", which
contains the song "White Rider" (about Gandalf). "Moonmadness" contains
the instrumental "Lunar Sea". See also "Echoes" from "Breathless".
Camper Van Beethoven:
"The Day That Lassie Went To The Moon" from "Telephone Free Landslide
Victory", 1985; cover of Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" from self-titled
album, 1986. Other songs include some "fantastic" imagery. The title of
their album "II & III" is an oblique reference to R.A. Wilson's
"Illuminatus!" books (they also did the theme for a TV show Wilson did,
apparently; it appears on their album "Key Lime Pie").
Can:
First album "Monster Movie", 1969; occasional spacey themes in songs
("Cascade Waltz" on "Flow Motion" mentions a spaceship and an astronaut).
Candlemass:
A Swedish heavy metal band - pretty much slow heavy doom metal
with fantasy themes. LP's include "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", "Nightfall",
"Ancient Dreams" and "Tales of Creation". This last often suggests
Michael Moorcock characters, particularly Corum.
Canto, Bel:
"Picnic on the Moon" from the album "Birds of Passage".
It's about a girl (the singer) who finds an old diary and reads an old story
she dreamed up about taking a Baron's old balloon (hot-air, I assume),
flying to the moon, and, upon arrival, well, having a picnic...
Captain Beefheart:
"Big Eyed Beans from Venus" and "The Floppy Boot Stomp". The latter is
that tale of a farmer who accidentally summons the devil while squaredancing.
Captain Beyond:
"Astral Lady", "Voyagers From Distant Planets", etc.
Caravan:
"Cthulhu" from "Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night".
Carlos, Wendy (Walter):
The soundtrack recording to "A Clockwork Orange".
Carpenters:
See "Klaatu".
Jim Carrol Band:
The song "Nothing is True" is as Robert Anton Wilson as you can get.
Cassandra Complex:
Their album "Satan, Bugs Bunny and Me..." contains "E*O*D", a track
which discusses Cthulhu. The album "Cyberpunx" contains some tracks
with cyberpunkish dark visions of the future, e.g. "Nightfall (over the EC)".
Caswell and Carnahan:
Do a song called "Borderlands" which is about a man who
goes back in time to meet a woman but must return to his own time.
[There is a novel called The House On The Borderland by William Hodgeson(?)
Among its (sub)plots there is a man who goes back (or maybe sideways) in
time to meet a woman but must return to his own time.]
Cheap Trick:
"Dream Police" (title track).
Chicago:
Last side of Chicago III is a suite named "Elegy" about ecodeath and final war.
----Some commentary on this from Ed Eastridge:
The side as a whole is named Elegy. Elegy's principal writer was trombonist
James Pankow. It is about humans killing themselves off in the name of
progress. Another song off of this album which is in a similar vein is
"Mother" describing the Raping of the Earth by Highways and other man-made
occurences. Anyway, If I can rememeber correctly Elegy consists of five
movements, the names As I can recall are:
"When All the Laughter Dies in Sorrow" (a small poem)
"Canon" (Brass quartet type of feel,interesting harmonies.)
"Once Upon a Time"(Soft Jazz ballad featuring Flute and Trombone.)
"Progress?" (Dissonant and forboding. Uses taped sounds of jackhammers,
traffic, etc. Most interesting is the use of the toilet...:))
"The Approaching Storm" (Normal Jazz type number like mid-60's "cool" sound)
"Man vs Man = The End" (Contemporary almost 12-tonal in sound, definitely not
like "normal" Chicago)
All in all, this is a good piece. The songs are cohesive, transitions are
smooth and subtle. (If you couldn't tell by now, yes, I am a Chicago freak).
--- Ed Eastridge
----
The Church:
Their last three albums ("Priest = Aura", "Gold Afternoon Fix", and
"Starfish") contain a good deal of SF material, such as:
"Pharaoh", "City", "Terra Nova Cain", "Priest = Aura", and "Dome".
Clannad:
New-age Celtic-folk stuff; numerous songs about druids, Stonehenge,
that sort of thing. Also did much of the music for the British
"Robin Hood" TV show, as well as the film "Last of the Mohicans".
Borderline for inclusion here, since they tend more toward New Age
stuff rather than sf&f.
Clarke, Stanley:
Jazz bassist, who spent considerable time with Chick Corea and Al Dimeola
in "Return to Forever". His self-titled solo release (mostly instrumental)
has a vocal track called "Vulcan Princess", about a woman he has loved
"through eternity". This track also appears on a recently released CD
of his live performances, "Stanley Clarke Live 1975-1976".
Clash, the:
A band pretty much centered in the (then) Now, but had a couple songs
taking place in the future. "Groovy Times" (from "Black Market Clash")
is roughly about a fascist state, apparently sparked by the sight of
chain-link fences around a soccer stadium. "London Calling" (from the
LP of the same name) is about the apocalypse, a possibility which is
treated rather ambivalently. "Atom Tan" (from "Combat Rock") is about
the apocalypse again, from sort of a Beat-Marxist angle.
Clark, Allan:
Album (title unknown) with multiple songs dealing with reincarnation.
Clark, Anne:
On her "Changing Places" album, "Sleeper in Metropolis" deals
with loss of all human contact in a future (or present) world;
"Poem for a Nuclear Romance" is about what will happen to two
lovers in a nuclear war.
Clinton, George (and Parliament/Funkadelic):
Parliament released a series of albums during the seventies with overt
SF themes: "The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein", "Mothership Connection",
and others. Clinton had a solo hit with "Atomic Dog" in the mid-80's.
All this music ranges from slow-burn funk to beat-heavy disco.
(Their influence is still felt in a number of places -- e.g. one
of the sequences in the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" film.)
Clouds:
Australian pop music quartet. Have a song "Fox's Wedding" inspired by
a Japanese fairy tale. Their debut album "Penny Century" is named after
the character in Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez' comic book "Love and Rockets".
Colourbox:
A track from their "Colourbox" LP entitled "Just Give "em Whiskey." has
quotes from "Prisoner", "2001" and "West World" on it.
Concrete Blonde:
The album "Bloodletting" has "The Vampire Song" which sounds like it
was patterned after Anne Rice's Vampire novels.
Cooder, Ry:
"UFO has Landed in the Ghetto" from "The Slide Area". Cooder is
extremely well-regarded among other professional guitar players,
and is known responsible (with Steve Vai) for the music in the
film "Crossroads".
Consolidated:
Rap group, used a sample from They Live!. It's part of the speech that
someone (the President?) is holding on TV. Part of it is "We have faith in our
leaders".
Costello, Elvis:
"Tokyo Storm Warning" from "Blood and Chocolate"; mentions the cheap
sets found in some Japanese horror/sf movies. (In the sleeve notes to
"Girls Girls Girls" (a retrospective collection of Elvis Costello + The
Attractions songs) Costello says that Tokyo Storm Warning is influenced
by "brutal SF stories", and mentions Philip K Dick as one of the
influences.) "Waiting for the End of the World" from "My Aim Is True",
(self explanatory) and "Night Rally" (fascist rally/totalitarian government)
"Hurry Down Doomsday (the Bugs Are Taking Over)" from "Mighty Like a
Rose". "Satellite" from the album _Spike_ is based on concepts from
"Radio Free Albemuth" by Philip K. Dick.
Crack the Sky:
"Robots for Ronnie" off "Crack the Sky" (not about Ronnie Reagan, but
could easily be adapted!). "Invaders from Mars" off "Animal Notes"
(the martians are coming for our hero, but he doesn't care, 'cause
it's probably better over there!). "Nuclear Apathy" off "Safety in
Numbers" discusses how the situation looks to those on the Moon.
Cracker:
Led by David Lowery, formerly of Camper Van Beethoven.
"Nostalgia" (from "Kerosene Hat", 1993) is about a stranded cosmonaut,
also mentioned on the single "Low", from the same album.
Cramps:
Contributed a song to the soundtrack of "Return of the Living Dead",
called "Surfin' Dead" (about zombies and the like, not
to mention numerous uses of 50's-60's era hot-rod lingo.)
Crash Test Dummies:
A Canadian group. "Superman Song" from their first album, "The Ghosts that
Haunt Me", is about the man of steel himself, comparing his lifestyle to that
of Tarzan.
The Cravats:
A number of albums contain SF references. For example the album "The
Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes" uses recordings from TV's "The
Twilight Zone" and "The Prisoner" plus the film "Them!". The title
track ends with the narrator's father being eaten by his roses. The
Cravats later turned into The Very Things and released the album
"Motortown!", which contains the track "The Land of the Giants" about
the TV series.
Cream:
(Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce.)
"Tales of Brave Ulysses" from "Disraeli Gears" is about the
well-known mythological character; "Those Were the Days"
from "Wheels of Fire" is about Atlantis.
The Creatures:
"Pluto Drive" from "Boomerang".
Creedence Clearwater Revival:
"It Come Out of the Sky".
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:
"Wooden Ships" is a resigned tale of survival in a post-nuclear world.
"Teach Your Children" is part of the soundtrack to "Silent Running".
The Cure:
On the "Faith" LP there is a track called "The Drowning Man" based on
chapter 75 in 'Gormenghast' by Mervyn Peake describing the death of Fuschia.
Dalek I Love You (aka Dalek I):
Who are these folks?
The Damned:
"I Just Can't Be Happy Today" (single + live on "The Black Album")
deals with a future military state in the UK.
Danse Society:
On their "Heaven is Waiting" LP is cover of "2000 Light Years from home".
DeBurgh, Chris:
"The Vision", "The Leader", and "What About Me?", a three-song
series from "Into the Light" discusses the Revelation, which may or
may not be a fantasy, depending on your viewpoint. See "A Spaceman Came
Travelling" and "The Tower" from "Spanish Train", "The Girl With April
in Her Eyes" from "Crusader", "Sight and Touch" from "Man on the Line"
(post-WW3), and "Don't Pay the Ferryman" from "The Getaway".
Also note "The Devil's Eye" from "Crusader", about the Devil taking over the
world through TV screens, and "Sin City" from "Far Beyond These Castle Walls",
about the Devil tempting people on Earth.
Dead Milkmen:
Have done a number of SF songs, including "Right Wing Pigeons" from
"Big Lizard in my Backyard", and "The Thing That Only Eats Hippies".
See also "Rocketship" and "Blood Orgy of the Atomic Fern"
on "Buckey Fellini".
Deep Fix:
Michael Moorcock's band of the late seventies-produced one album, "The
New Worlds Fair". A sort of cross between rock and slow square dance.
Deep Purple:
Occasional forays into SF. "Space Truckin'", from "Machine Head".
"The Mule", from "Fireball" (Asimov's 'Foundation'?).
Def Leppard:
Heavy Metal. First album ("On Through The Night" has a futuristic track,
"When the Walls Came Tumblin' Down", and a fantasy "Overture".
The videos for "Foolin'" and "Rock of Ages" from "Pyromania" contain
fantasy/SF elements, although the lyrics of the songs aren't explicitly
SF-ish. The LP "Hysteria" includes "Gods of War", "Run Riot",
"Armageddon it" and "Rocket" which have s-f themes (It sounds so, at least).
The video for "Women" (also from "Hysteria")is about a s-f comic story
(called "Def Leppard and the Women of Doom").
Devo:
"Q: Are we not men? A: We are DEVO" and "Duty Now for the Future" are
full of SF themes; examples are "Space Junk" and "Jocko Homo". "Freedom
of Choice" and "New Traditionalists" also have some SF material.
Also "Shout" has a couple of SF tracks on it: "Are You Experienced?"
(the Hendrix song) and "4th Dimension". "Mr DNA" from "Duty Now for the
Future" is apparently about genetic engineering.
Diamond, Neil:
"Heartlight" is based on "E.T."
Dio:
Most Dio albums are fantasy in tone, i.e. covers & liners. "The Last
in Line" is about a quest to find a witch. Other songs and videos
have similar themes.
Divinyls:
Australian grunge band, did a track called "Science Fiction" on
their "Desperate" album. It's more about your average sf fan
"I thought love was science fiction...now that love is my addiction,
I've thrown all my books away."
DOEF:
(the OE being O umlaut, DOEF stands for Deutsch-Oestereichische-Freunschaft,
German-Austrian-Friendship) once wrote a song called 'Codo'. It's about
a peace and love bringing alien.
Dogzilla:
Boston funk band with songs "Mr. Toad's WIld Ride", "Scarab of Ra",
"The Two-Headed Baby Song" and "Giant Squid" as examples from "There's
Always Something Wrong"/"Allizgod". Fun.
Dolby, Thomas:
"Golden Age of Wireless" is mostly (if not all) songs about
science/technology and man. "The Flat Earth" also contains these themes
to a lesser extent. The album "Aliens Ate My Buick" (an SF title if ever
I heard one) includes the track "May The Cube Be With You" (first line -
"Late one night a happy Martian with nothing to do"). See also the
album "Astronauts and Heretics".
Donovan (w/Paul McCartney):
"Atlantis" (Georg Danzer translated and sang a German version.)
See also "The Intergalactive Laxative" and the title track
from "Cosmic Wheels". "Sunshine Superman" probably deserves
a mention as well.
Dorough, Bob:
"Little Twelvetoes" is about an alien with 12 toes.
Geoffrey Downes New Dance Orchestra:
"Plastic Age" on one of their albums (which one, anybody?).
Dr. John:
"Gris-Gris" and "Gumbo" are heavily into New Orleans voodoo party mysticism.
Dschinghis Khan:
A German band with a song called "Kaept'n Nemo" about Jules Vernes'
undersea captain.
Duran Duran:
(Note: The group's name comes from a character in the Jane Fonda/Roger Vadim
film "Barbarella".)
Some comments from Gabrielle de Lioncourt on Duran Duran:
Their first album has "Planet Earth" and "Sound of Thunder" (the
latter about waiting for the bomb to drop). A B-side, "Faster than
Light", was also SF. Duran Duran have a very interesting video
history for SF lovers. The majority of their videos were directed
by Russel Mulchaey, director of Highlander. Some video plots:
"Night Boat" - zombie horror video
"Hungry Like The Wolf" - man chases woman who turns into panther.
"New Moon On Monday" - near future story of peaceful revolt against
totalitarian regime.
"Union of the Snake" - man from Earth travels into the world
beneath ours.
"View to a Kill" - James Bond fantasy.
"Wild Boys" wasn't a tribute to Barbarella. It was taken from
their film "Arena", a _very_ surreal story that takes place half
in the arena where Duran Duran are holding their concert and half
in the strange underworld below the arena (where Wild Boys takes
place). The videos by Arcadia, a splinter portion of the band,
are also surreal and SF-ish.
Dylan, Bob:
"Talkin' World War III Blues"
Earth, Wind & Fire:
"Jupiter" from "All 'n All"; the singer is visited by an alien
who wants to bring love and peace to the world by means of a
flower from his plant. "Electric Nation" from the "Electric Universe" album
tells how it won't be so bad to become a country of robots, as long as
we can still dance. ;-)
Edelweiss:
An Austrian band who've recorded a parody of the Star Trek theme entitled
"Raumschiff Edelweiss" ("Spaceship Edelweiss"); they also have a
corresponding video.
Electric Light Orchestra:
"Mission (A World Record)" on "A New World Record". The entire album
"Time" involves a man from 1981 winding up in the 21st century (or perhaps
the other way around). The "10538 Overture" is a dystopia set in that year.
(Although closer examination of the lyrics indicates that "10538" might
be a person, not a year.)
Elektric Music:
The Kraftwerk offshoot band's first album "Esperanto" has a song about
making love to a machine ("Kissing The Machine"). Co-written by and
features the vocals of OMD's Andy McCluskey.
Elephant's Memory:
The track "Old Man Willow" is apparently a reference to the sentient
trees described by Tolkien.
Eloy:
(German/Swiss electronic progressive rock) See "Ocean", the atlantis
myth; "Planets","Time to Turn", a two album story of fantasy with a
twist. (It's about "the rise and fall of the most beautiful planet in
the universe, Salta".) Also, "Giant" from "Colours" and "Night Riders"
and "Metromania" from "Metromania", about the high tech near future. The
LP "Power and the Passion" is based on a story involving a student who
ingests some of his father's experimental timedrug. He travels back 600
years and falls in love, gets involved in her father's fight with the
peasants and eventually finds a wizard to send him back to the future.
(The name of the band was based on the Eloi race from H. G. Wells'
"The Time Machine".)
Emerald Web:
(small obscure west coast duo [flute & synthesizer]) New age material,
but one album is "Dragon Wings and Wizard Tales", a fantasy story set
to music.
Emerson, Lake, & Palmer:
Space battle in "Karn Evil 9" from "Brain Salad Surgery". (Artwork
by H R Giger, of "Alien" fame.) See also "Tarkus", whose tracks
seem to loosely correlate with the cover artwork, but which I've
never been quite able to figure out.
Eno, Brian:
Albums: "Apollo" and "On Land"; see also "The Fat Lady of Limbourg"
from "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy", a bizarre story of
SF and espionage. See also "Nerve Net".
----Some commentary on Eno from Tim Day:
Re "Apollo": This is purely instrumental. It was apparently written as
sountrack for a video documentary of the Apollo missions (bits were
also used in the film "Static"), but I don't think this qualifies
it for the main section of the list any more than <random Tangerine Dream track>
"On Land" is also instrumental. #1 of a series entitled "Ambient" (sort of
intelligent background muzak). It is intended to suggest large open spaces
(and succeeds very well). But SF ? No way.
Eno's philosophy towards song lyrics seems to be summarized by the first
track (I forget the name) on "Another Green World":
"All the clouds turn to words;
All the words float in sequence
And no-one knows what they mean
Everyone just ignores them"
Eno's songs generally aim to invoke an atmosphere, mood or emotion.
Like the music, lyrics are just another tool to serve this purpose; this can
often be done using particular words or phrases. However, the song they form
in combination is essentially meaningless (which is why it's so difficult
to classify any of his stuff as SF !). "The Fat Lady of Limbourg" is
probably the closest he's come. (Though it really seems to be just about
bumbling espionage agencies.)
--- Tim Day
-----
Enya:
"Aldebaran" is dedicated to Ridley Scott; the liner notes about it read:
"The Red giant star, Aldeberan, found in the constellation of Taurus,
is the Eye of the bull. From the Arabic, Al Dabaran, it means
'the follower' as it 'follows' the Pleiades. This piece portrays
future Celts passing Aldebaran on their journey to new territories,
continuing the migratory pattern which was so predominant in their
early history."
Another track, apparently Tolkien-derived, is "Lothlorien".
The album "Shepherd Moons" is a sort of reference to moons found in
the rings of Saturn, which, due to their gravitational influence,
hold some of the rings in place. (See also Clannad: Enya is the sister of
the former lead singer, and was part of their early line-up.)
Eon:
Their album "Void dweller" include several tracks with samples from SF
and horror movies. For example, "Spice" and "Fear: The Mindkiller"
have samples from Dune (saw that coming, didn't you?), "Electromagnetic
Waves" has samples from "Prince of Darkness" and so on.
Erasure:
Their song "Sweet Sweet Baby" includes samples from the films "Dark Star"
and "Barbarella".
Erickson, Roky:
"The Evil One" has a track entitled "Creature with the Atom Brain"
Also see "I Walked with a Zombie" (now you know all the lyrics :-) ).
Etheridge, Melissa:
Her 1992 release "Never Enough" includes "2001", a rocker with
semi-cyberpunk lyrics about the near future.
Europe:
A Swedish pop-slanted hard rock band, which did the song
"The Final Countdown", about being exiled from Earth.
Eurythmics:
Did the soundtrack to the recent version of "1984".
FM:
The album "Black Noise" is entirely SF, and deal with topics such
as suspended animation; "RocketRoll" from "Surveillance" is about SF Rock.
Also see "Phasers on Stun".
Fagen, Donald:
"True Companion", about a lonely starship pilot, appears on the
soundtrack for "Heavy Metal". (Incidentally, some folks have
interpreted I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year) to be futuristic;
but it refers to the optimistic vision held *during* the IGY, 1957.)
"Tomorrow's Girls" from "Kamakiria".
Fairport Convention:
A few fantasy-related songs -- most notably "Tam Lin", the classic
celtic tale of an encounter with the Queen of Faerie. F.C.'s music
is mostly based around traditional English folktales. (See also
Steeleye Span.)
Faith No More:
The last-minute addition of new singer and lyricist
Mike Patton before they came out with "The Real Thing" necessitated
that he write all the songs in about eight days, so he went on sort
of a scavenger hunt for topics. Among the usual assortment of love
songs, and some other truely weird topics, "Surprise! You're Dead!"
is about getting turned into a Vampire. "The Morning After" is about
a ghost, and is an adaptation of the film Siesta.
The Fall:
They have a song called "Lay of the Land" which starts with the
chanting of some "Planet people" from the British TV series
"Quatermass". "Spectre vs. Rector" on "Dragnet" is a story about
exorcism/possession- the demon is called Yog Sothoth (from H.P.
Lovecraft's horror books). "Jaw Bone and the Air-Rifle" on "Hex
Induction Hour" is about a curse. See also "Elves", "Bug Day".
Falling Joys:
Australian band; the title trakck from the album "Psychohum" is the
story of the galaxy being saved by the crew of a spaceship...until
the lyrics abruptly change direction and start describing a genie.
Farmer, Mylene:
This French singer has a song "Tristana" which tells the story of that
beautiful girl ("Schneewitchen" in German) with the seven dwarfs.
Fiona:
"Nights on Earth", from the soundtrack to "Hearts of Fire",
features the chorus line "Remember all the nights we spent on earth, long
before the colonies were planted in the sky".
Firm:
"Star Trekkin'". This is not the same "Firm" who did "Radioactive",
i.e. it's not Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page.
Fink Brothers:
"Mutants in Mega City One", from 2000AD comic (origin of Judge Dredd).
America portrayed as three cities under police control.
Fishbone:
Off their self titled album, "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." stands for
"Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts" and is
about a government attempt to convince everything that Hiroshima was
actually caused by Godzilla farting. I kid you not.
"Party at Ground Zero" from the eponymous album.
Fischer Z (the Z is pronounced the Britisch way, sead with a soft s):
The title track from their album "Red Skies Over Paradise" is
about nuclear war in Britain.
The Five Blobs:
"The Blob".
The Fixx:
"Driven Out", about environmental disaster, from "Calm Animals".
(Known for early-80's hit "One Thing Leads to Another".)
Flaming Youth:
The album "Ark II" is a concept LP about the trials and tribulations of
a generation ship leaving earth. (Phil Collins was the drummer.)
Flash & the Pan:
"First and Last" is based on a combination of Olaf Stapledon's
"Last and First Men" and Arthur C. Clarke's "The Sentinel" or "2001,"
whichever you prefer. The song "California" is based on the novel
"Fail-Safe". See also "Atlantis Calling".
Flash Fearless and the Zorg Women, parts 5&6:
Another weird IGTB type collaboration album from the
late 70's with some well-known rockers on it.
Includes "I'm Flash" by Alice Cooper.
Fleck, Bela and the Flecktones:
"Flight of the Cosmic Hippo", and "UFO Tofu" a couple of songs
with self-explanatory titles. Incidentally, one of the Flecktones
is called "Future Man" and plays a futuristic SynthAxe Drumitar.
Fleetwood Mac:
"Green Manalishi". (Judas Priest did an eminently forgettable version.)
"Rhiannon" is about a Welsh witch.
Flock, The:
"Dinosaur Swamps" is an early LP. Notable for quality of musicians,
including Jerry Goodman who later joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Flock of Seagulls:
British band (circa 1982) very much associated with science fiction.
Songs with titles like "Man Made", "DNA", "Modern Love is Automatic",
and "Space Age Love Song".
Flying Pickets:
Have an a cappela cover of Bowie's "Space Oddity".
Foreigner:
"Starrider" is a track from their self-titled debut album in which
the singer is taken to the stars and "sails the celestial ways."
Reference is made to higher beings with the power to travel between the
stars and the singer seeks to gain their knowledge to become a Starrider.
A 3rd generation band, Foreigner followed in the footsteps of Bad Company,
who in turn followed in the footsteps of Free.
Foxx, John:
Former lead singer for Ultravox -- slightly harsh electro-pop. Futuristic
tracks include "20th Century" on the B-Side of the "Burning Car" single.
Surreal tracks include "He's a Liquid". First solo album "Metamatic"
is futuristic and minimalistic synth music, including "No-one's Driving"
and "Underpass"
Frank Chickens:
"Mothra", based on the movie monster.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood:
Their 1984 "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" album has two tracks with SF'isch
connotations. The title track is about the Coleridge poem ("In Xanada
did Kubla Khan/A stately pleasure dome decree", if memory serves ---Rsk),
and 'Two Tribes' is about nuclear war.
The Front's:
"Violent World" from their self-titled album (as far as I know,
the only one they ever recorded) - another nuclear holocaust tale.
Front 242:
Has a sample from the movie Videodrome in one of their songs...
(the "You know me. And I sure know you! Everyone!" part).
Front Line Assembly:
An industrial band, their latest album is titled "Tactical Neural Implant"
and they have a single from that album called "Mindphazer". The video for
this single has footage from a japanese live-action sci-fi film
called "GUNHED".
GWAR:
Mentioned here mostly because these folks are sincerely weird. Its
members all claim to be from another planet and to have been frozen in
Antartica for countless years. Their music is heavy metal, and they
(aided with lots of latex) really look unearthly. Currently they are
on their 'World Maggot Tour' where they hope to awaken the sleeping
world maggot from its nest underneath the Pentagon and ride it back
into outer space.
Gabriel Bondage:
"Another Trip to Earth" (LP), religious/fantasy mixture.
Gabriel, Peter:
"Here Comes the Flood", with Robert Fripp, and "Solsbury Hill" are typical
of his work. "On the Air" from his second album is about running a pirate
radio transmitter under a totalitarian regime. Many of his other songs deal
with aspects of science and technology and progress, and their effects
on people, but many of them are metaphorical and interpretations vary.
See also Genesis.
Game Theory:
"One More for Saint Michael" on the album "Lolita Nation" includes
references to Captain Jim, the Prime Directive, T'Pau, etc. "Nine Lives
to Rigel 5" from "Distortion" and "Regenisraen" from "Big Shot Chronicle"
also have SF themes. Finally, "Room for One More Honey" from "Two
Steps From the Middle Ages" seems to be about Americans taking over Asia.
Gayle, Crystal:
When she appeared on _The Muppet Show_, she sang a song
about a voyage to Alpha Centauri. As far as I know, the track never
appeared on any of her albums.
J. Geils Band:
"No Anchovies, Please" frommm "Love Stinks" is about diabolical
scientists who kidnap a woman and transform her into...
Genesis:
"Watcher of the Skies" (from "Foxtrot") could be either a "last man
on Earth" story or a "alien comes upon a deserted Earth" story.
"One for the Vine" from "Wind and Wuthering" concerns time travel;
perhaps "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" (Hello Triffids,
from "Nursery Cryme"), "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (the entire album)
(surrealism), and "A Trick of the Tail" (entire album) (fantasy).
Oh, and "Get 'em Out by Friday" (from "Foxtrot") which sounds like something
the BBC should have turned into a Doctor Who plot -- tenants are being kicked
out of their apartments by their new landlords, who just happen to be the
directors of Genetic Control, who just happen to have just announced a new
'four-foot restriction on humanoid height', thus enabling them to fit twice
as many people to a building... See also "Keep it Dark"
in which visiting aliens persuade the person they contact to remain silent
about the visit. More stuff: "Am I Very Wrong", "Solitude", "The Knife"
(--maybe, from "Trespass"), "The Musical Box" (horror, from "Nursery Cryme").
According to the story told in 1970s concerts (and apparently on the liners
of the original release, but on present in the current American release): A
boy (Henry) is killed when his playmate (Cynthia) takes his head off with a
croquet mallet (one concert telling of the tale begins, in fact, with the
line, "Croquet is a particularly vicious British sport"). Upon reaching The
Great Hereafter, he is rejected and sent back to Earth, only to manifest
himself again when Cynthia comes upon his musical box. Upon her opening the
box, Henry pops out (and the song begins). Over the course of the song,
Henry's body ages rapidly, until, by the final strains, he is an old man,
who finally collapses and dies (assumedly for good this time).
"The Fountain of Salmacis" (fantasy, from "Nursery Cryme"),
is a retelling of the myth of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis.
Hermaphroditus, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, comes upon a pool wherein
dwells the naiad Salmacis. Salmacis, smitten with love, asks the gods to
make the two of them one being. The result -- a single being of both
genders; hence, the term 'hermaphrodite'. "Supper's Ready"
(the ultimate battle of good and evil, from "Foxtrot", possibly based on
an experience Peter Gabriel had one night when his wife began speaking
with another voice ), "Firth of Fifth", and Dancing with the Moonlit Knight"
(both containing heavy fantasy elements, both from "Selling England by
the Pound"). (It's also possible that "Dancing..." is political allegory
instead -- which I tend to agree with, given the album title and a re-reading.
"Cinema Show", from the same album, mentions the mythical figure of Tyresias,
a being who has been both male and female (but not at the same time).
See also "Squonk" from "A Trick of the Tail", and "The Lady Lies" from
"...And Then There Were Three...", a fantasy about a traveller captured
by a demon in the form of a young woman. See also "Little Nemo" and
"Snowbound" from the same album, which also have fantasy elements.
"Domino" from "Invisible Touch" is about nuclear war,
death, damnation, and other cheery topics. BTW, Peter Gabriel used to
tell stories before some of the songs in concert, although those stories
seem to have nothing to do with the songs (occasionally).
Gentle Giant:
Much material, tending towards fantasy including "The Advent of Panurge",
and "Alucard" (spell it backwards).
Gerry and the Holograms:
The single "Gerry and the Holograms" is about a man who is split into
several copies of himself. If I remember rightly the man behind this
group was the singer from Albertos Y Los Paranoias.
Gong:
New Age before anyone had coined the label "new age". Three albums about
the Planet Gong, Zero the Hero & the Pot-Head Pixies!: "Radio Gnome",
"Angel's Egg", "You". Earlier albums had vaguely SF ideas, e.g.,
"Fohat Digs Holes in Space" from "Camembert Electrique".
Gillan:
The title song from "Future Shock" and, from "Glory Road", "On the Rocks"
describes a 1984-like world.
Ian Gillan Band:
"Clear Air Turbulence" is an album with some sf-related songs, such as
the title track (5000 'astral explorers' swarm out and return holplessly)
and "Five Moons" (describes the situation of people stranded somewhere
in space).
Gowan, Larry:
See "Oceania" from "Gowan" (first LP) might refer to Oceana.
See also "Strange Animal", his second LP.
Graham, Mark:
The album "Natural Selections" contains several humorous songs on
various scientific topics, including "Big Bang Theory" (the story of
the universe in six minutes), "Working on the Food Chain", "I Can
See Your Aura and It's Ugly" and "Their Brains Were Small and They Died".
Great harmonica playing, too.
Grand Funk Railroad:
See "Time Machine" and "Into the Sun" from "On Time", and
"Life in Outer Space" from "What's Funk?"
Grateful Dead:
"Standing on the Moon" is a reflection by a singer who is standing on
the moon watching petty wars on earth; possibly SF-ish although it
seems to be more of a love song. In the post-apocalyptic vision/love song
"Morning Dew", two lovers decide to walk out in the morning dew
(despite the fallout) because "I guess it doesn't matter anyway".
Greenslade, David:
"The Pentateuch of the Cosmogony", a double album of electronic music.
A derelict alien spaceship enters our solar system. Their language is
decoded (details in the accompanying illustrated book); the music is
the story of their race.
H.P. Lovecraft:
Couple of albums...one contains "At the Mountains of Madness". Estimates
place them in the late 60's. Another track is "The White Ship",
directly referencing an H.P. Lovecraft story.
Hackett, Steve:
"Narnia" on "Please Don't Touch" (one of his solo albums;he was with Genesis).
His album "Voyage of the Acolyte" isbased on the Tarot, and includes
"Star of Sirius", "The Hands of the Princess", "A Tower Struck Down",
"The Lovers", "The Hermit", "The Shadow of the Hierophant", and "Ace of Wands".
See also Genesis.
Hagar, Sammy:
"There's a Crack in the Earth".
Hamm, Stuart:
"Radio Free Albemuth" is based on the novels of Phillip K. Dick.
"Count Zero" is based on William Gibson's material.
Instrumental music includes the song "Ice-9", a reference to Kurt Vonnegut's
"Cat's Cradle". Hamm has also worked with Joe Satriani.
Hammill, Peter:
Has done an operatic treatment of "The Fall of the House of Usher".
Happy the Man:
"Time Considered as a Helix of Precious Laughs" is based on Samuel R.
Delany's story "Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones".
Great story, lousy song...from the album "Happy the Man".
Hardcastle, Paul:
The "No Winner" album is filled with songs about nuclear attacks and SDI.
Hatfield and the North
"Son of There's No Place Like Homerton" from their eponymous album.
It's a lengthy song which has sparse lyrics and seems to be
about an orchestra from Mars.
Hawkwind:
The all-time consensus champion for sf-oriented rock. *Some* of their
albums are: "Hall of the Mountain Grill", "In Search of Space",
"Quark, Strangeness, and Charm", "Space Ritual--Alive in Liverpool &
London", "Warrior on the Edge of Time", "In Search of Space", "Doremi
Fasol Latido", "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music","25 Years On",
"Levitation", "Sonic Attack", "Church of the Hackwind", and "Choose
Your Masks". Michael Moorcock, long associated with the group, has
in fact written much fantasy-sf, including co-authoring "Time of the Hawklords",
a fantasy about the band saving the world. He co-wrote "Veteran of the
Psychic Wars", from the soundtrack of "Heavy Metal". He also released a
solo album late in the 70's (See "Deep Fix"). Many of their tracks are
explicitly linked to SF books,e.g. "Lord of Light", "Jack of Shadows",
"Damnation Alley" (Zelazny), "Steppenwolf" (Hesse), "High Rise" (Ballard).
The lyrics of "Warriors" are taken from Moorcock's "The Eternal Champion";
the lyrics to another spoken track on "Space Ritual" from his book
"The Black Corridor" The lyrics of "The Awakening", "Spirit of the Age"
and "The 10 Seconds of Forever", are SF poems from Robert Calvert's
collection of poems, "Centigrade 232". Robert Calvert was lead singer
of Hawkwind from 1976-1978 (or thereabouts) and produced a solo album,
"Lucky Leif in the Longships" in the late 70's, and two more in the mid-80's.
"Lucky Leif" is based on the premise "What if the Vikings had
succeeded and colonizing America?", and features several Hawkwind
regulars as guest musicians. The 1985 Hawkwind LP "The Chronicle of
the Black Sword" is based loosely on Moorcock's Elric character.
Debut album was called "Hawkwind". Another album is PXR5.
Some commentary on "Live Chronicles" from Stephen Swann:
"Live Chronicles" is the double-album concert rendition of their
"Chronicle of the Black Sword" album, and features several events from
the Elric books (especially "Stormbringer"), loosely intertwined into
an 80-minute music-story performance. The tour also featured Michael
Moorcock himself on stage with the band, doing narration between
musical numbers. Moorcock's spoken parts didn't make it onto the
final cut of the album, because of legal problems between himself and
the band, but he -is- on the _Chronicle of the Black Sword_ video
(which is a live performance from the same tour, even though it
sports the name of the studio album).
--- Stephen Swann
For further info on Hawkwind, please see the rather massive entry
at the end of the list.
Hazard, Robert:
A Philadelphia-area performer who released the album "Wings of Fire"
in the mid-80's. It included a track entitled "Interplanetary Private Eye",
which was essentially the Bladerunner story -- and there was even
an attribution to it in the liner notes.
Hazel O'Connor:
"Eighth Day" track. This is about how, as man advances, the world we know is
destroyed - part of lyrics - "Nobody laughs, nobody cries". Very similar
to Zager & Evan's "2525".
Heaven 17:
This band took their name from a band mentioned in "Clockwork Orange".
"Let"s All make a Bomb" from their "Penthouse and Pavement" LP is about The
Bomb and nuclear war, but is apparently not too SF-ish. See also
"Five Minutes to Midnight", on the same theme.
Heldon:
French band that took it's name from Norman Spinrad's "The Iron
Dream" and takes some song titles from the novel as well. A later LP called
"Interface" has a beautiful female alien face on the cover and the titles
seem suggestive of leading up to sex with green women.
Helloween:
Two loosely-related albums, "Keeper of the Seven Keys" Parts 1 & 2. The
first has songs about a future world, including "Twilight of the Gods"
which is about a planet that makes their own computerized gods, and the
new and old fight, and the whole planet gets trashed. In the credits, it
says thanks to Herman Frank for INSANIA 2016, which is mentioned in the
song, that's possibly what it's based on. Also, on "Pt. 1" there is a
song called "Halloween" (with an 'a' not an 'e') that is like a part one
to the song "Keeper of the 7 Keys" which is on "Pt. 2". The second LP
also contains "Dr. Stein", a comic Frankenstein, and the song of the
title, which is some sort of fantasy adventure.
Hendrix, Jimi:
Delta blues, except that the delta is on Mars. See "1983...A Merman
I Should Turn to Be","Hey Baby", and "Third Stone from the Sun",
"UFO", and lots of other stuff. "Third Stone from the Sun" reportedly
contains an entire sound clip from the Star Trek TV series, of Kirk
and Spock on the bridge, which can be heard when the song is played
at faster speed.
Hillage, Steve:
His album "Green" includes an instrumental called "UFO over Paris".
Many albums have SF tinge, e.g. "Earthrise" from album "OPEN". See
also Gong and Khan.
Hitchcock, Robyn:
See "The Fly", "Man with the Light Bulb Head".
Holdsworth, Allan:
Fusion guitar, for the most part. "Atavachron" is the instrumental title
track about the Atavachron, a time machine from a "Star Trek" episode
which an entire race used to escape from their sun which was about to
go supernova. "The UnMerry Go-Round" from "Metal Fatigue" is a conceptual
"soundtrack" to a story about a space traveler who must leave for a
distant star, never to see his beloved ones again because his ten-year
voyage, by Einstein's laws, will last several hundred earth years.
The succeeding track, "In the Mystery" is about some sort of quest.
Holy Modal Rounders:
"Mister Spaceman", complete with yodeling.
Hoodoo Gurus:
Have a song called "Another World" which is about an alien. Also
see the song "Mars Needs Guitars".
The Horse Flies:
"Human Fly" from album of the same name--a cover of the Cramps' song.
Horslips:
Their 1970's album "The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony" (IMHO one
of the most underrated albums ever produced --Dave Weingart) is one long
suite of magick and faerie. Good solid Irish rock 'n' roll, with nary
a bad cut. (Horslips has produced some other similar works; would anyone
like to add to the list? ---Rsk )
Huey Lewis & the News:
"Back in Time" from the "Back to the Future" soundtrack.
Human League:
"I Am the Law", also from Judge Dredd (futuristic cop) comic. Process
of apprehension, trial, conviction, and sentencing telescoped into a
very short time period. (This reminds me of the short story, "10:01 AM"
by Alexandar Malec; it appears in a hard-to-find collection called
"Extrapolasis" ---Rsk.) Also "Black Hit of Space" from the "Travelogue"
album. Top 40 hit songs arrives from space and takes over the charts.
"Circus of Death" from "Reproduction" (and misc EPs) mentions that the
last verse is spoken by "the last man on earth"...it is actually a drug song.
(And, to top it of, it mentions Steve McGarret from Hawaii 5-0.)
Also "Seconds" from "Dare!", possibly about a scientist blinding the dictator
of an African country with a laser. (The lyrics don't make direct reference
to it, but the tour slide show does...on the other hand, some folks report
that the tour slide show contained stills from the Zapruder film of the JFK
assassination. Much dispute and confusion on this point.) See also
"Tom Baker", on the CD of "Reproduction", which might be about Dr. Who.
Husker Du:
Song "Books about Ufoes" on their "New Day Rising" release.
Hypnotic Clambake:
"Chef Mobie's Gumbo Gator" is more nonsense than SF, but one verse
talks about "a huge aligator on the planet neptune drinking wine".
Icehouse:
"Icehouse" contains "Icehouse" which seems to be a gothic tale of some
sort (haven't heard the album in a while) and "Sister" which is about
a computer/android (not sure which off-hand for same reason above).
Idol, Billy:
His recent album, "Cyberpunk", features a number of SF themes,
notably the works of William Gibson (one of the tracks is "Neuromancer").
IGTB:
Stands for Inter-Galactic Touring Band; Mish-mash album put out in 1977
with all sorts of people on it, purporting to be a group on galactic tour.
IQ:
Several possibilities here; "Last Human Gateway" from "Tales From a Lush
Attic"; "Outer Limits" from "The Wake"; "Human Nature" (about evolution)
and "Screaming is About Dying" from "Nomazmo"; "Falling Apart at the
Seams" from "Are You Sitting Comfortably?".
Incredible String Band:
"I Was a Young Man (back in the 1960's)", a future retrospective. See
also "Swift as the Wind", wherein a child's fantasy-hero turns out to be
more substantial. The double-LP "U (A Surreal Parable in Song and
Dance)" includes "Robot Blues".
Information Society:
Their albums are peppered with audio excerpts from Star Trek;
SF (or at lest computer) themes are common. "Mirrorshades" from "Hack"
is pure cyber-bandwagonism (at least they beat most of the "mainstream"
to it by a couple of years). See also "Where Would I Be Without IBM".
Their latest album, "Peace & Love, Inc." has samples from Star Trek and The
Outer Limits.
Inner City Unit:
Punk band led by Nik Turner of Hawkwind. Their first album, "Pass Out",
includes the tracks "Fall Out" (nuclear war), "Polly Ethelene",
"Cybernetic Love". Their second album, "Maximum Effect", starts with
a track suggesting that Elvis has been given Everlasting Life Via
Induced Suspendedanimation.
Iron Maiden:
The track "To Tame a Land" from "Piece of Mind" is about Dune. (Frank
Herbert wouldn't let them call it "Dune", supposedly, 'cause he doesn't
like heavy metal.) "Flight of Icarus" and "Quest for Fire" also appear
on "Piece of Mind". "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is a concept album
about a mystical clairvoyant. The title track from "Powerslave" is about
the death of an Egyptian god; "Flash of the Blade" from the same LP is
about a young boy who is trained as a warrior and who avenges the death
of his master/teacher. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", from the same LP,
is based on the Coleridge poem. They've also done two songs based on the
TV show, "The Prisoner": "The Prisoner" from "The Number of the Beast"
and "Back in the Village" from "Powerslave". The title track from
"Number of the Beast" deals with the discovery of a Satanic ritual -- it
might be based on "The Omen". Also from that album, "Children of the
Damned" (more horror than SF). The album "Somewhere in Time" contains
"Caught Somewhere in Time", which is about time travel, the devil, and
other assorted fun stuff. "Stranger in a Strange Land" from the same LP
is SF, but is apparently not related to the Heinlein book of the same
name. It's based on a newspaper story about a body found in the ice
near the North Pole. (The cover of that album really deserves note -- it's
a sci-fi scene, lots of details. Ditto for the 2 singles from that album,
"Wasted Years" and "Stranger in a Strange Land", which have sci-fi covers.)
Jackson, Joe:
"In the T.V. Age" from "Night And Day" (aliens as TV sets).
The album "Blaze of Glory" is a concept album with two album-side
long song sequences about (among other things) human interaction
with technology, and living with myths of the future.
"Tommorrow's World" especially deals with images of science and the
future seen by those growing up in the sixties.
Jackson, Michael:
"Thriller", with narration by Vincent Price.
Jad Fair and Kramer:
"Nosferatu" (vampire) and "King Kong" from "Roll Out the Barrel".
Jade Warrior:
LP "Horizon" contains "Images of Dune: a) Prescient Dawn, b) The Fremen, c)
Journey on a Dream". Other albums contain fantasy and SF themes; like
Mannheim Steamroller, another prototype "New Age" group. Most work done
1974-1978; other LP's include "Kites", "Waves", "Released", and "Way of
the Sun". Frequent references to Oriental and Egyptian mythology.
Jazz Butcher:
Has a song called "Harlan" on the album "Condition Blue",
which is about Harlan Ellison's short stories and contains references to
his story Jeffy, amongst others possibly (not sure).
Jefferson Airplane/Starship:
"Blows Against the Empire" (album) done by JA+Crosy, Nash, Freiberg.
etc. "Have you seen the Saucers?" from"Thirty Seconds Over Winterland".
Also did CSN&Y's "Wooden Ships" (post-nuclear holocaust)
and "Crown of Creation" from Wyndham's "Re-Birth". Finally, "War
Story" from "Bark" tells of rebellion in the US, mind control.
"Hyperdrive" from "Dragonfly", "Modern Times" and "Alien" from "Modern
Times", "Lightning Rose", "Awakening", "Freedom at Point Zero" from
"Freedom at Point Zero", "Back from the Jaws of the Dragon" from "Winds
of Change", "Connection", "Rose goes to Yale", "Champion" from "Nuclear
Furniture". See also Paul Kantner's "The Planet Earth Rock and Roll
Orchestra", a followup to "Blows...". The 1971 LP "Bark" has a
track called "War Movie" in which Kantner rants about a revolt against
the government in 1975. Incidentally, "Re-Birth" was later revised
and edited, and published under the title "Chrysalids".
Jesus Jones:
Besides *sounding* like science fiction, Jesus Jones' third album
"Perverse" begins with the song "Zeros and Ones", about computer technology.
Jethro Tull:
"Passion Play" is about the afterlife (from the vantage point of
the first person singular). There's some speculation that "War Child"
is similarly constructed. "Dun Ringill" on "Stormwatch" is about some kind of
druidic rites ("We wait in stone circles/'til the force comes through.")
Folk tale "Jack in the Green" from "Songs From the Wood", and the songs
"The Clasp", "BroadSword", "Beastie" from "Broadsword and the Beast".
B & tB is probably their most fantasy-oriented album; nice cover art.
"Orion" and "Flying Dutchman" off "Stormwatch", "Fylingdale Flyer"
(Flyingdale is an ICBM early warning station in the UK, and this seems to
be about the possibility of false alarms leading to a nuclear exchange),
"Protect and Survive" (nuclear war), "Batteries Not Included" (android
child), "And Further On" from the album "A". "Astronomy" on the CD
version of "Under Wraps", and "Apogee" (either version). Also see
"March, the Mad Scientist" from a 4-song EP (untitled, also contained
"Ring Out, Solstice Bells" and two other songs).
Jobson Eddie/Zinc:
"The Green Album" has some interesting SF-style tracks; for instance,
"Listen to Reason" and "Through the Glass".
Joel, Billy:
"Miami 2017" from "Turnstiles"; a backwards reflection on our own future.
(Incidentally, "We Didn't Start the Fire" mentions "Stranger in a
Strange Land".)
John, Elton:
"Rocket Man"...perhaps from Bradbury's "Illustrated Man"? Anyway,
another road song. Also "I've Seen the Saucers"...from "Caribou".
"I am Your Robot" from "Jump Up".
Jones, Grace:
"Slave to the Rhythm" is about man as a slave to machines.
Jones, Howard:
"Automaton" on "Dream Into Action" is about a man
from the future who turns out to be a robot.
Jonzun Crew:
Album "Lost in Space" includes "Space Cowboy"--apparently not the same
as the Steve Miller Band song.
Journey:
"Look in into the Future", from the album of the same name,
"Spaceman" from "Next" and "Wheel in the Sky" from "Infinity".
Judas Priest:
"The Green Manalishi with the Two-Pronged Crown". See also "Electric
Eye" from "Screaming for Vengeance", an Orwellian song about covert
surveillance drones in the sky. Some commentary on the latest Judas Priest LP:
The band's last album, "Painkiller" (1990) is basically a science
fiction concept album, a story set in a time/place frame similar
to the future of "The Terminator", in which human beings are hunted
down and killed after a third world war, but it seems less by outside
forces (though one song is about a monster that hunts people down,
the "Nightcrawler") than by internal strife. "Between the Hammer and
the Anvil" is a song about priests who hunt down heretics in the
collapse of civilization, and the title song is concerned with the
post-apocalyptic world's hero, only known as The Painkiller.
--- Brian Landwehr
KLF:
A British rap group, formerly known as both the JAMS (Justified Ancients of Mu
Mu) and the Timelords. Both the JAMS and the KLF are Discordian groups
mentioned in Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson's "Illuminatus!" trilogy.
Kaleidoscope:
The song "The Sky Children", an epic fairytale.
Kansas:
Lots of stuff. See "Kansas", "Song For America", "Masque" and
"Leftoverture" for details...note, though, that Kerry Livgren is
heavily into Chrisianity, lending an alternative interpretation
to many of the lyrics. "Point of Know Return" also has sf-related
stuff, such as "Nobody's Home". Livgren says that he didn't consciously
think of himself as writing Christian-influenced songs until "Monolith",
the LP after "Point...", so interpretation of his earlier work in an
SF context is probably not reaching too much. Note also the influence
of Native American mythos on several albums such as "Monolith".
Finally, "Taking in the View" and "Tomb 19" from "Power" have
a historical fantasy tinge.
Kayak:
Nearly all of their work is fantasy/sf-related. The tracks
"Journey Through Time", "Daphne (Laurel Tree)", "Phantom of the Night"
are interesting examples from the LP "Phantom of the Night". The first
is an interesting time-travel song and the last two deal mostly with
Greek-mythology and its associated fantasy story-lines. The album
"Periscope Life" contains "Astral Aliens". The "Starlight Dancer" LP
contains the title track, an interesting piece. The song "Relics
from a Distant Age" from "The Last Encore" is an SF piece. Another is
"Trust in the Machine" from their first LP, Kayak.
Khan:
Early Steve Hillage group. Had album "Space Shanty".
Killdozer:
The quentissential mid-80's Wisconsen grundge-hardcore band
has a song off "Twelve Point Buck" named after that ancient British TV
series "Space: 1999", but it's pretty much about "babes."
The band's name is also the title of a terrible movie about a
possessed Caterpillar D-8 bulldozer, which in turn quite probably
comes from an old Theodore Sturgeon novelet of the same name, first
published in "Astounding" in the late 40's.
King Crimson:
"Epitaph" and "21st Century Schizoid Man" from "In The Court of the
Crimson King". Also "Dig Me", from "Three of a Perfect Pair",
is about an automobile found in the wild which begs the listener
to "Dig me, but don't...bury me". The LP "Lizard"'s second side
is about a terrible war in a fantasy world. (Lyrics by Pete Sinfield.)
"Earthbound" from album of same name (not released in U.S.).
King Missile:
Took their name from a Japanese comic-book [and
'Detachable Penis' could be seen as a farce on cybernetics].
[Or not. :-) ---Rsk ]
Kinks:
"I wish I could Fly (Like Superman)", and "A Gallon of Gas" from "Low Budget",
about a not-too-distant time when you can't buy a gallon of gas.
Kiss:
"(Music from) The Elder", a soundtrack for a never-made film.
Klaatu:
The group took their name from "Klaatu", the alien robot in "The Day The Earth
Stood Still". Their albums include "3:47 EST", "Hope", "Endangered Species",
"Sir Army Suit" and "Magenta Lane". (The first album was original released
eponymously, but picked up the title later.) They're probably best known
for "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", and "Little Neutrino".
The former was apparently conceived as prayer to be recited all over the
globe to induce aliens to visit; it was also covered by the Carpenters.
The album "Hope" is a concept LP telling of the demise of a very earth-like
society on the planet Venus which eventually destroyed itself
with self-paranoia.
Kraftwerk:
Sf-themes occasionally. Certainly sounds sf-ish.
Albums include "Autobahn", "Radioactivity", "ManMachine",
"Computerworld", and "Trans-Europe Express"; tracks of note
include "The Robots", "Spacelab" and "Metropolis". Also,
see the track "Kometenmelodia (1&2)".
Kooper, Al:
"Childhood's End" based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel.
A wild cover of Donovan's "Season of the Witch" appears on
the Bloomfield-Kooper-Stills "Super Session" album.
Landscape:
On "From The Tea-Rooms of Mars...to The Hell Holes of Uranus", see
"Einstein A-Go-Go"; nuclear terrorism ("You better watch out,
you'd better beware; Albert said that E equals M C squared") a classic.
Also "European Man", a life of leisure in an automated world.
and still from that same LP, "Live... from the Tea-Rooms of Mars";
synthesized tea-room dance music with some gently crooned SF lyrics,
(e.g "Do you know what it's like to live where there's no trees and no sky ?
Night and day are just controls.") See also "My Name is Norman Bates",
which isn't exactly SF, but horror.
Lavin, Christine:
In her song `Bald Headed Men' (performed with the Bitchin' Babes)
she says ``That guy from Star Trek: The Next Generation (love him).'' :-)
Leatherwolf:
"Gypsies and Thieves" from their first album is Melnibonean
(that is, it concerns "Elric of Melnibone", one of Michael Moorcock's
characters who jointly are "The Eternal Champion". See the entry
on Hawkwind.) and some of their other material is fantasy-ish.
Led Zeppelin:
"No Quarter" from "Houses of the Holy" is rather eerie, but no one is
quite sure what it's about. "The Battle of Evermore", from Led Zep IV
mentions Ringwraiths. Also see "Ramble On" on Led Zep II for mention of
Mordor and Gollum. See also "Misty Mountain Hop" on Led Zep IV. Some
speculation that "Stairway to Heaven" is about Saruman'sjourney to the
west, but nobody seems to be sure. Also "Kashmir" from "Physical Grafitti".
Level 42:
Song, "Star Child" -- is this about the Star Child from 2001?
(Level 42's name was based on the Answer to the Ultimate Question from
the Hitchhiker's Guide.)
Limor, Gilead:
You Are The Stars. This album is an instrumental epic
describing a fantasy travel through solar systems and universes.
The album (on CD and Cassette) was released by Nesak International
Inc., New Jersey, and is part of a so-called "You Are..." series of
instrumental titles. (I believe Gilead is the first person to submit
one of his or her own works for inclusion in the list; congratulations
are in order for making it through the daunting process of cranking
out a release! Contact address: gile...@itexjct.jct.ac.il ---Rsk )
Little River Band:
"Orbit Zero" from "Time Exposure" is the sad story of an alien race with
hopes of settling on Earth, only to find it already crowded by us humans.
Love and Rockets:
Rumored to have done songs relating to Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez'
comic book for which they're named. See "Holiday on the Moon", a
B-side to a single, and their cover of Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam".
Lovich, Lene:
"Telepathy" from "Stateless", about a maddening psychic gift.
Lyon, Steve:
"Deimos and Phobos" is about a guy who is homesick for Mars.
M:
"The Official Secrets Act" (an innocent gets caught up in government
plots and secret police, a la 1984)
MC-5:
On "Kick Out the Jams", "Rocket Reducer" and "Starship".
MacDonald & Giles:
Two alumni of the early King Crimson, who released an LP who
second side is a long suite called "Birdman" about a scientist
who invents wings that work.
Machover, Ted:
"VALIS", an electronic space opera version of Philip K. Dick's novel.
Magma:
"Inedits", "Udu Wudu"...sort of cross between German language research
and H.P. Lovecraft. Curious reference to "Ork" on Udu Wudu.
Here's a bit of background on the band...
About Magma & its founder Christian Vander...what he invented was rather a
cult than a subculture. Most Magma material deals with a mythology that
Vander claims to have been given knowledge of during a revelation. This is
when he also was given the umlaut-seasoned language "Kobaian" that pervades
the lyrics on the Magma albums. In short, according to the mythology, there
is a "highest being" in the Universe by the name of "Kreuhn Ko:hrmann". (I
use ":" after a letter to denote umlaut, two dots over it.) Vander sees
himself as some sort of prophet, and the people of the Earth have to listen
and convert their lives to be more in accordance with the Right Way or a
global disaster, a sort of divine punishment, will be the result. Also
appearing are "orks" which "are to machines what machines are to men". All
this sounds like bad heavy metal fantasies but Vander has persisted for many
years so maybe he really believes in it, who knows? A good example of the
Vander/Magma type of stuff is the album "Mekhanik Destruktiw Kommando:h"
that is a sort of mass with lots of mystical chanting. The second side of
"U:du Wu:du:", "De Futura", is about travelling in time which according to
the liner notes on the sleeve enables us to see the orks. --Bjorn Lisper
Magnum:
Many songs with generic SF&F themes such as "On A Storyteller's Night",
"Firebird" and possibly "Don't Wake the Lion". (There's some speculation
that the latter might really be about WW I.)
Manhattan Transfer:
Recorded a (snappy) version of the theme to the TV show "Twilight Zone".
Man or Astro-Man?:
[the question mark is part of the band's name] A current
instrumental band who make science fiction part of their identity.
The band has constructed an elaborate mythology about its members being
visitors sent from space by The Unmentionable One. Their live shows
feature half a dozen TVs on stage showing sci-fi images ranging from
1950s B movies to recent Ultraman episodes. Their 1993 debut album "Is
it ... Man or Astro-Man?" (Estrus Records) features cover art by Richard
Powers, who I'm told is famous for sci-fi novel covers. Song titles
include "Invasion of the Dragonmen," "Illudium Q-36," "Escape Through the
Air Vent," "Alien Visitors." Many tracks begin with dialogue clips of
corresponding sci-fi content. They have lots more music, similarly
themed, in the pipeline for late 1993 and 1994 release. For more info write
them at Man or Astro-Man? HQ, 429 Moores Mill Rd. #4, Auburn, AL 36830.
Mannfred Mann's Earth Band:
"Solar Fire", "Time is Right".
Manowar:
They generally sing about heroic deeds, from days of old, when
men were bold. They like to dress like Conan, and their music
brings to mind images of Viking feasts and adventures.
"Defender", from "Fighting the World" is an example wherein the
hero goes off on some mighty quest.
Manufacture:
An industrial band from Boston. "Pain Amplifier" on
"Voice of World Control" takes its title from the device in _Dune_.
Marillion:
"Grendel", i.e. Beowulf & friends is the B side of "Market Square Heroes",
a 12-inch EP. This track is now also available on an import CD called
"B'Sides Themselves". (The band took its name from "Silmarillion".)
"Season's End" from the LP of the same name, talks about global warming.
Martha and the Muffins:
"Echo Beach" seems to be about a desire to travel back in time to
a beach at pre-war Hiroshima. Update: nope, doesn't look like it.
It's apparently about a beach in northern Ontario (Canada), near Barrie.
Mary's Danish:
Their album "Circa" includes the song "Venus loves Leonard", which is
sort of a '50s SF movie soundalike.
Material:
The entire CD "Seven Souls", with liner notes from William S. Burroughs.
Appears to be about the effect of nuclear explosions on electromagnetically-
constituted souls.
Matthews, David:
"Dune".
May, Brian and Friends:
"Star Fleet" from "The Star Fleet Project" is a rock version of the theme
to a (children's?) science fiction TV show in the UK. The lyrics are
full of sci-fi references. Eddie Van Halen and Alan Grazier (REO Speedwagon)
played with Brian on this EP. See also Queen.
McGear, Mike:
Paul McCartney's brother, who goes by Mike McGear, put out an album in
1975 which I think was called "McGear". It was produced by Paul, and most
songs were either written or co-written by Paul, with the Wings crew
playing backup. Included was a song called "The Man Who Found God on the
Moon", co-written by McCartney/McGear, whose title is pretty descriptive,
and which features sound clips of Buzz Aldrin, broadcast live from the Moon.
The song was more adventurous musically than McCartney's own solo work.
Meco:
Schlock disco camp versions of things like the main title from "Star Wars".
Possibly the only band to record a disco track worse than "A Fifth
of Beethoven". Mired in a 70's timewarp somewhere. Thankfully.
Megadeth:
Has several songs with sf or sf-related themes. Of note:
"Set the World Afire," from the album _So Far, So Good...So What!_
is a cautionary nuclear holocaust song. "Psychotron," from
_Countdown to Extinction_, is about a half-bionic, half-organic being
something like the Terminator. Several of the songs from _Rust in Peace_,
notably "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due," "Hangar 18," "Dawn Patrol,"
and "Rust in Peace...Polaris." Several songs from _Killing Is My
Business...And Business Is Good!" and _Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?_
[ Anybody know if "Hanger 18" is related to the B-movie UFO story? ---Rsk ]
Mekons:
Who are these folks?
Men at Work:
"Helpless Automaton" from "Business as Usual" is about a robot falling
in love with a human. "Doctor Heckle and Mister Jive" refers to
the Robert Louis Stevenson classic.
Men Without Hats:
"The Great Ones Remember" from "The Rhythm of Youth"; "Folk of the 80's"
from "Folk of the 80's (Part III)"; "Moonbeam" from "Pop Goes the World".
"In the 21st Century", "Hey Men", and "Here Come the 90's"
from "The Adventures of Men and Women Without Hate in the 21st Century"
Metallica:
"The Call of Ktulu" on "Ride the Lightning" (Lovecraft reference; the
name was changed from "Cthulhu" to avoid legal entanglements)
and "The Thing That Should Not Be" from "Master of Puppets" (also
Lovecraft-ian, about a critter named Nyogtha -- it's unclear whether
Lovecraft mentioned this particular beastie or not). However,
the lyrics of the song are very similar to HPL's phrasing in a quote from
the Necronomicon in "Call of Cthulhu", leading to the inference that "The
Thing..." is in fact about Cthulhu. Also see "The Four Horsemen"
from "Kill 'Em All". "Of Wolf and Man," from their self-titled album,
is a werewolf story. "Blackened," from _...And Justice for All_,
is not really sf-related, but is an environmental-consciousness song
somewhat futuristic in nature.
Midnight Oil:
Albums "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" and "Red Sails in the Sunset"
both have nuclear cautionary themes running thru them. "Red Sails"
depicts Sydney, Australia after a nuclear strike.
Midnight Star:
"Freak-A-Zoid" is about the perfect robot lover.
Mike and the Mechanics:
"Silent Running" depicts life after a major war; as far as I can tell,
it's unrelated to the SF film starring Bruce Dern. However, it might
be the theme song for a British sci-fi show of the same name.
Ministry:
"Thieves" seems to have references to a future facist government.
"Faith Collapsing" from "The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste"
consists largely of samples from one or another of the _1984_ films.
Misex:
An Australian-based band (really from New Zealand) released a
minor hit single "Computer Games", from the album " Space Race".
The rest of the album is also SF.
Monkees:
See "Door Into Summer" on their album "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn
& Jones Ltd.". The song's writer, Bill Martin says "The title came from
the Robert Heinlein book _The_Door_Into_Summer_, which was about time travel.
The song is about the search for happiness, and is basically an anti-war song."
Monks of Doom:
Side-project-turned-spinoff from Camper Van Beethoven.
"Off On A Comet" (instr.) and "Virtual Lover" (ick! how could they?) both
from "Forgery", 1992; "The Insect God" (from an EP), based on a book by
Edward Gorey, author and illustrator of countless strange, scary little books
(he did the opening sequence to PBS' "Mystery!").
Moody Blues:
"To Our Children's Children's Children", which seems to be a musical
score for Olaf Stapledon's novel, "The Star Maker"; also "On the
Threshold of a Dream" begins with a man questioning his existence and
turns into computer rantings. Spooky psychedelia...
Also, the cover of "Long Distance Voyager" shows an 18th century
scene with something in the sky that looks like a Voyager space probe.
Moorcock, Michael:
(Some commentary on M.M. from Jeff Berry; see also the entries
for Blue Oyster Cult, Candlemass, Deep Fix, Hawkwind, and Leatherwolf.)
Michael Moorcock is a very prolific science fiction fantasy writer,
most widely known for the "Elric of Melnibone" series, a fantasy
staple. That series is, however, part of a more sweeping
"supra-series" concerning the Eternal Champion, a warrior who returns
again and again to live out various lives in a grand and ultimately
doomed cycle of birth and re-birth. (As an aside note, this concept
is satirized in Craig Shaw Garnder's "Ballad of Wuntvor" as
the Eternal Apprentice).
Moorcock has published at least 30 or 40 books, in many different
series, as well as a number of stand alone novels, both in science
fiction and in fantasy. Musically he has collaborated with Hawkwind
and Blue Oyster Cult, writing songs and occasionally performing.
Futhermore, Elric cover art by Michael Whelan has appeared as album
cover art in at least a few places (for example, Cirith Ungol
uses one of his covers for one of their albums).
The Chaosium Game Company has acquired rights to most of Moorcock's
work for gaming purposes, and has released games based on both Elric
and on Hawkmoon (yet another incarnation of the Eternal Champion).
Moorcock books should be available at almost any reputable book dealer.
More info available at request.
--- Jeff Barry, ne...@isis.cgd.ucar.edu
Moorcock, Michael and the Deep Fix:
A companion single to "The New Worlds Fair" was also released called
"Star Cruiser/Dodgem Dude" (on Flicknife records).
Moore, Gary:
"Nuclear Attack" from "Dirty Fingers" is about World War III; the
title track from "After the War" seems to focus on the same topic.
Moraz, Patrick:
The entire theme of the album "i" is SF; also see another LP,
"Transplanetary Flight".
Mortifee, Ann:
Has done a few albums with fantastic themes on them. Her album
"Journey To Kairos", includes the song "Centaur", about the mythological
beast, "Shankarananda", about the afterlife as described by Eastern
religions, "Streets of Banaras", which seems to be about a rather
surreal search.. On her album "Born To Live", she does a song called
"Merlin" about the mythical wizard, and a pair of songs at the end
called "The Companion/Phoenix" about a strange creature called
The Companion that attends an old man, or something like that.
Motley Crue:
"Shout At The Devil" [from the album of the same name]
includes a spooky voice-over about a future earth being run by a totalitarian
government [demons? One-World antiChrist government?] and imploring the
listeners to 'Rise up/and Shout at The Devil'.
Move, The:
"Yellow Rainbow". See also Electric Light Orchestra.
Murder the Disturbed:
The EP "Genetic Disruption" contains "Walking Corpses" which is about
robots and "Ultimate System" which is about time travel.
Murphy, Peter:
The song "Shy" has a segment called "The Sister of Sleep" which
is based on the comic "Sandman". He also is the physical basis for the
character Klaus in the comic book Night's Children. (See also Bauhaus.)
NRBQ:
"Rocket 9".
National Health:
"Tenemos Roads", from their eponymous debut album, is about a war on Mercury.
Nektar:
"Remember the Future", "Recycle" and "Journey to the Centre of the Eye"
are all LP's with SF-ish themes. "Remember the Future" is highly
recommended on vinyl; the CD mix, at least the pressing I've heard,
overemphasizes the keyboards at the expense of some terrific guitar work.
Nelson, Bill/Red Noise:
"Sound on Sound" has a number of songs with SF themes, including
"Atom Man Loves Radium Girl". He's also done a lot of (mainly instrumental)
tracks with SF/magic themes.
Nena:
"99 Luftballons" (WW3 & aftermath); the English version is
"99 Red Balloons".
The Neon Judgement:
"Billy Tcherno and Pretty Petrouchka" from "Horny as Hell" is about
Russian mutants after a nuclear accident.
New England:
"L-5".
New Model Army:
"White Coats" talks about genetic engineering and its problems.
New Musik:
"On Islands" asks the question whether there might be other beings
in the universe, and "Living by Numbers" rehashes the old numbers
instead of names theme; both are found on the "Straight Lines" EP,
and on the "From A To B" LP.
Nilsson, Harry:
See "Spaceman" from "Son of Schmilsson"; and "Son of Dracula",
the soundtrack for a very silly movie he made with Ringo Starr.
Normaali, Eppu:
"Science Fiction", which is mostly derogatory things about people reading SF.
Nugent, Ted:
"Hibernation" is an instrumental about being frozen inside a space ship?
Numan, Gary:
"Cars", of course, and an LP done with a band called "Tubeway Army",
"Are Friends Electric", containing the title track and "Praying to
the Aliens"; it's apparently about alien androids taking over the earth.
See also "Down in the Park", "We Are Engineers", and "I Dream of Wires"
(also covered by Robert Palmer on "Addictions II").
O'Brien, Richard:
"Science Fiction Double Feature", from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Oh, and the entire rest of the music and lyrics too, by the way.
O'Connor, Sinead:
This well-known operatic diva :-) has recorded a track entitled
"The Emperor's New Clothes", but it would appear that the title
is the only reference to the fairy tale.
Oingo Boingo:
"Perfect System" and "Controller" (both from the LP "Only a Lad") discuss
Orwellian/Huxleyian societies. "No Spill Blood" from "Good for Your Soul"
is based on "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by H.G. Wells. See also the
soundtrack for "Weird Science", and "Dead Man's Party" for various
songs on spooks and life after the bomb.
Oldfield, Mike:
A track from "Discovery" called "Saved By the Bell"
describes a trip through the universe.
Oldfield, Salley:
(yes, this is Mike's Sister) The album "The Water Bearer" is
based primarily on the Lord of the Rings trilogy from Tolken.
Omega:
(Hungarian) has a record called "Idorablo" (add some dots and
accentes here), meaning "Time Robber". The title suite contains
one part called "Napot hoztam csillagot", "Sun and Stars I brought".
The Only Ones:
A New Zealand band with a song "Another Girl, Another Planet", which
is about futuristic space travel....well, maybe. Some folks are inclined
not to agree with this interpretation.
The Orb:
Their album "U.F.Orb" includes songs such as "Close Encounters", "O.O.B.E.",
"Blue Room" (supposedly the nickname of the room in the US where UFO's
are kept), "Majestic", and the title track. Their first album, "The Orb's
Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld" featured songs identified by orbits
and probes instead of numbers, viz.:
Earth Orbit One - Little Fluffy Clouds
Earth Orbit Two - Earth (Gaia)
Earth Orbit Three - Super Nova at the End of the Universe
Earth Orbit Four - Perpetual Dawn
Earth Orbit Five - Into the Fourth Dimension
Ultraworld Probe Six - Outlands
Ultraworld Probe Seven - Star 6 & 7 8 9
Ultraworld Probe Eight - A huge ever growing pulsating brain that
rules from the centre of the ultraworld: live mix mk 10.
They also have all sorts of SF related singles.
A double-album version of "Ultraworld" exists which has extra "Lunar Orbit"
tracks. According to Keyboard magazine, "Towers of Dub" on "U.F.Orb" uses
samples from the movie "Sleeper".
Orbital:
On "Time Becomes", the phrase "where time becomes a loop" shows up,
sampled from ST:TNG and featuring Worf's voice.
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD):
A lot of their songs have a futuristic feel to them. Tracks called "Genetic
Engineering" and "Pretending to see the future" are examples. See also
"Enola Gay", about the bombing of Hiroshima.
Orion:
"Star Trek", a techno mix.
PTP:
A collaboration between Al Jourgensen of Ministry and Cabaret Voltaire.
The name stands for Programming The Psychodrill, which is a phrase from a
J.G. Ballard collage.
Pallas:
The album "The Sentinel" contains "Rise and Fall" and "Atlantis", which
are both about Atlantis; also on this album is "Ark of Infinity", which
is about a deep space hibernation ship.
Parker, Graham:
"Waiting for the UFOs" on "Squeezing Out Sparks".
Pearls Before Swine:
"Ring Thing" -- Three rings for the elven kings...good rendition.
Peek, Kevin:
"Starship Suite" from "Awakening", actually managed to work the word
"cryogenic" into a song.
Petra:
Christian rock band with numerous SF allusions in their cover art and
music; see "Computer Brains" on "Beat the System".
Phillips, Anton:
"1984", inspired by Orwell's book.
Pickett, Bobby "Boris":
Famous for "Monster Mash", he also recorded a song titled "King Kong"
(chorus: "King Kong, King Kong, the white man done you wrong.") and a Star
Trek parody called "Star Drek" (with Peter Ferrara).
Pinhas, Richard:
Has done an LP about Dune ("Chronolyse") and also has Norman Spinrad
doing vocals on a piece on "East/West" that is about some air disaster.
(Chronolyse is entirely instrumental, by the way.)
Pinhas did and electronics and played guitar in Heldon (see above).
Pierre Etoile ("Stone Star"):
Song "In The Sun" on Rough Trade records.
Can be found also on Indie Top 20 Vol.13.
Pink Floyd:
Of course. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" & "Astronomy
Domine", (on "Ummagumma") are fairly representative. Much of their
instrumental music has an sf/fantasy feel to it. See also "Piper at the
Gates of Dawn", "Saucerful of Secrets", Some speculation that "Set the
Controls..." influenced Douglas Adam's writing about the group Disaster Area.
Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" borrows its title from
a chapter in the children's classic, "The Wind in the Willows," in
which some animals innocently encounter the god Pan. (It might also
be a Lovecraft reference; anybody know?)
The video of "The Wall" show's Pink's out-of-control
fantasies about becoming a facsist dictator ruling his audience through music.
The album "Momentary Lapse of Reason", contains tracks called "A
New Machine" parts 1 & 2, which seem to be spoken by a computer.
Pixies:
"Wave of Mutilation" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven" from "Doolittle",
"Allison" and "The Happening" from "Bossanova". "Trompe Le Monde" has,
in addition to the title track, "Palace of the Brine" and
"Olympus Mons" (the large extinct volcano on Mars). Much of the whole
album may be about an alien looking for the "Planet of Sound" (Earth)...
or not. For example, "Head On" is a cover of a Jesus and Mary Chain song.
Planet P:
Albums: "Planet P" and "Pink World". Now known as Planet P Project.
"Planet P" is the name that Tony Carey ("A Fine Day for a Reunion")
uses when writing SF-oriented music.
Platinum Blonde:
The album Alien Shores is only half sci-fi...the B side is
supposedly dedicated to the idea of UFO sightings. Unfortunately, the A
side is Better. Earlier, on their first album, they did two great songs,
-Standing in the Dark- and -It Doesn't Really Matter-, both of which had
mild SF themes, and incredible sci-fi/post-holocaust videos, which are
really what put the band on the map.
The Pogues:
On their album "If I Should Fall from Grace with God," there's a song called
"Turkish Song of the Damned," which is about a sailor who is haunted by
the ghost of a crewman who he had let drown. Another song from that album,
"Sit Down by the Fire," is a bedtime story about demons.
The Polecats:
"Juvenile Delinquents from a Planet Near Mars"
Police:
"Synchronicity II" (Loch Ness monster references, but not really an
SF tune) from "Synchronicity". Also "Synchronicity" (a different
song on the same LP) is about action-at-a-distance; it seems to be
part mystical, part quantum mechanics. (There's a short short SF story
called "Synchronicity", but I can't recall the author.)
The album cover has contains a definition of Synchronicity that goes
with the theme of the first song. Apprarently it has to do with an idea
of Carl Jung's that we're all part of one conscience, etc.
Also see "Wrapped Around Your Finger", which some claim is about a spirit
trapped inside a sorcerer's ring; I tend to go with a more mundane
interpretation. "Demolition Man" (also done by Manfred Mann) from
"Ghost in the Machine"; borrowed for the soundtrack of the film.
One could also find SF in "Walking on the Moon", "Omega Man" (possibly
about the film) and "When the World is Running Down (last man of earth?),
but these song also have more down-to-earth interpretations. [I can't
help but think that somewhere Sting is reading this and chuckling
to himself over our attempts to find meanings that aren't there. ---Rsk]
Pop Will Eat Itself:
This band often samples the movie "Blade Runner"; the song "Wake Up!
Time to Die..." is built around that quote from the film. "Def Con One"
from the album "This is th Day...This is the Hour...This is This"
describes a nuclear attack. "X Y & Zee" from "Cure for Sanity"
is a description of a future world.
Porno for Pyros:
"pets" on "Porno for Pyros" is about Martians coming
to Earth and cleaning it up, making pets out of the human race.
("We'll make great pets.")
Powell, Roger:
Former keyboard player with Todd Rundgren's Utopia; has a solo
album ("Cosmic Furnace"?) with tracks like "Sandworm of Arrakis".
Prism:
"Take Me to the Kaptain" was a minor hit for this Canadian band on
AOR stations in 1977-78. The singer falls asleep and wakes up on
a starship -- thus his plea to see the "Kaptain"!! The record was
released in the U.S. under the Ariola Records - America label.
Propaganda:
On the album "A Secret Wish", the song "p: machinery" is about people
commanded/directed by machines.
Punishment of Luxury:
"The Laughing Academy" is the name of the album containing a track
about receiving signals from an alien civilization. The track itself is
called "Message Received" (I think...). See also "Radar Bug/Metropolis"
from the same album. The track "Brainbomb" (B side of the single
"Secrets") is about telepathy.
Quadrophonia:
Album called "Cozmic Jam" contains songs "Djoum 1000", "The Wave of the
Future", "Cozm'" and "Ovo", along with the title track.
Quantum Jump:
(group lead by Rupert Hine) "No American Starship".
Queen:
"Thirty-Nine", from "A Night at the Opera", discusses the problems of
relativistic travel. Also "Machines (back to humans)" from "The Works";
other albums include the Flash Gordon soundtrack and "Fun in Space", a solo
album by drummer Roger Taylor. "Ogre Battle" (seems to be about the fantasy
game Ogre) "March of the Black Queen" and "Seven Seas of Rhye" from "Queen II".
The album "A Kind of Magic" contains fantasy tunes from the film "Highlander".
And the video from "Radio Ga-Ga" includes clips from Fritz Lang's "Metropolis".
--- A note on Queen from Elisabeth Anne Riba
Both Brian May & Roger Taylor were big SF fans. Brian's first group
was called 1984. Before Queen, Brian, Roger &Tim Staffell were a group
called "Smile." They had only one single released, called "Earth,"
about a lonely spaceman. The chorus goes "I have seen many worlds, for
what it's worth. But I'll never see again, the planet Earth, my Earth."
The song closes with "the green hills of Earth," a Heinlein reference.
In addition, the cover for Queen's News of the World album comes from
the October 1953 issue of Astounding SF. Likewise, Roger Taylor's Fun
In Space features Roger reading Creepy #119 on its cover. The title
track begins "Strangers In A Strange Land" and talks about "Little
Green Stories." (I love that term)
Queensryche:
Their first and second albums, "The Warning" and "Rage for Order" both
contain songs about sentient machinery, e.g. "Screaming in Digital",
"NM 156" and "I Only Dream in Infra-Red". Most of their self-titled
EP is also fantasy. The album "Operation: Mindcrime" is a rock opera
about mind control; it tell the story of a man who is programmed by
revolutionaries to kill political and religious leaders (and his
girlfriend). The track "Silent Lucidity" on "Empire" is about lucid
dreaming - not quite SF, but maybe close enough.
The Rah Band:
Had a mid-80's hit single, "Clouds Across the Moon" which is about a
woman taking a phonecall from her husband working on Mars,
the phonecall is cut off by interference by the clouds of the title,
before she can say how much she loves him.
Renaissance:
"Jekyll and Hyde" from "Azure D'Or", and "Kalynda (A Magical Isle)".
"Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)" from the eminently
forgettable "Camera Camera" album. And, of course "Scheherezade",
an entire LP side's worth of it. Highly recommended if for
no other reason than Annie Haslam, an operatically-trained singer
with incredible range and power.
Replacements:
"Androgynous" off "Let it Be" discusses "unisex evolution" and how
"Dick and Janes" who wear pants and skirts will be future outcasts.
Return to Forever:
Fusion jazz with Chick Corea, Al DiMeola & Stanley Clarke.
"Romantic Warrior" is a medieval/fantasy concept album. Tracks include
"The Sorceress" and "The Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant".
Return to Forever's "Where Have I Known You Before" is Scientology
(a weird religion invented by the late SF writer L. Ron Hubbard) set
to kick-ass jazz-rock fusion music. It's all instrumental, but the
pieces are linked with titles taken from a poem about some kind of
quest through space. Fusion fans should also check out "Hymn of
the Seventh Galaxy".
Revolting Cocks
"We Shall Cleanse the World" from the album "Big Sexyland" is based
on, and contains samples from the movie "The Omega Man." "Attack
Ships on Fire" is on the same album, but the only SF connection seems
to be the title (Rutger Hauer quote from "Blade Runner.")
Rezzilos:
See "2000 AD", and "Flying Saucer Attack" from "Can't Stand the Rezzilos".
REM:
Single "Superman".
Radiorama:
This Italian pop/disco group released an album entitled "2nd Album",
which contains ongs like "Aliens" (inspired by the movie), "Yeti"
and "Vampire".
Rainbow:
Heavy Metal. Some fantasy tracks, e.g. "Temple of the King",
"16th century greensleeves", "Kill the King", "Stargazer".
See the album "Rainbow Rising". See also Deep Purple.
Ramases:
"Space Hymns", including great fold-out cover, studiowork by
Godley & Creme; apparently expounds religious visions of infinite
regress of microscopic universes.
Ramatam:
"In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns" contains
"Downrange Party". Band featured April Lawton, the female Jimi Hendrix.
Rapp, Tom:
The lead singer of Pearls before Swine broke out with two solo
albums which included these songs: "The Rocket Man", based on the
Bradbury short story of the same name; "Stardancer", based on the
Bradbury story, Kaleidoscope; and "For the Dead in Space" an
original (and equally depressing) song.
Reed, Lou:
"Red Joystick" and "Down at the Arcade". Also "Satellite of Love".
Residents:
"The Mole Trilogy", a conflict between two alien cultures. Other
SF-ish songs and albums, included "God in Three Persons", which is
about a pair of Siamese twins with healing powers.
The Rheostatics:
A Canadian band; on their album "Melville", the song "Aliens(Christmas 1988)"
is about a woman getting kidnapped by UFO-style aliens, one of whom falls in
love with her.
Rhodes, Happy:
Has a song called "Wrong Century", about a woman who somehow leaves the
past for the present, but can't cope with this century and would like
to return to her own time. On "Equipoise", there is a song called
'Save our Souls' questioning the reasoning behind humans trying to
contact aliens, when we can hardly cope with our problems here on earth.
Also on "Ecto", there is a song called 'Look for the Child' from which the
following line is taken: 'When the ships come down from the sky'. It is
about first contact, and how are we going to choose a representative,
given the conflicts and prejudices that exist among us.
Richman, Jonathan & the Modern Lovers:
Their eponymous 1976 album includes "Here Come the Martian Martians",
a funny song about the Martians' inability to deal with earth and
the concept of capitalism, and "Abominable Snowman in the Supermarket",
which is similar in nature. The album "Rockin' and Romance'" includes
the song "UFO Man", about a visitor who flies around Jonathan's town
in his flying saucer doing stunts at high speed.
Ridgway, Stan:
Ex-vocalist from Wall of Voodoo. Quirky subject matter in general,
but sci-fi specifically on the album "Partyball". See the songs
"I Want to be a Boss", "Overlords", and "Beyond Tomorrow".
Riley, Billy Lee:
"Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll" An example of rockabilly, one of the
staples of the Memphis-based Sun record label. It's about a flying
saucer whose crew play rock'n'roll - nothing too profound.
Rinder & Lewis:
Early 80's new-wave group that produced some SF songs, including
"Apocalypse" and "New Malibu".
Robinson, Tom:
"Merrily Up on High", about a war that is yet to happen. (Co-written
Peter Gabriel)
Rolling Stones:
Wrote the ultimate road song for astronauts, "2000 Light Years From
Home", which is on "Their Satanic Majesties' Request". Also "2000
Man", about how child-parent relationships still don't work, even in
the 21st century.
Roth, Uli John:
"Electric Sun".
Rudimentary Penii:
This group did a whole album about H.P. Lovecraft. (Can't remember it's name).
The lyrics are extremely witty.
Rundgren, Todd:
"King Kong Reggae" and "Sons of 1984" from "Todd". See also Utopia.
"Healing" is about a man who recives the power to become a healer.
"A Capella" includes "Miracle in the Bazaar" and "Lockjaw", both
of which deal with traditional themes like ogres and genies.
Rush:
In "2112", based on the book "Anthem" by Ayn Rand, the protagonist
discovers an ancient guitar and winds up battling the dictatorial
priesthood. The LP also contains "Twilight Zone", about the TV show of
the same name. "Red Barchetta" on "Moving Pictures"is similar, except
the guitar is replaced by a car. (It's based on the story "A Nice
Morning's Drive".) See also "Cygnux X-1" (thought to be a black hole),
"Rivendell" (Tolkien reference), "The Necromancer". See also "The Body
Electric" and "Red Sector A" from "Grace Under Pressure". See also
"By-Tor and the Snow Dog" from "Fly by Night". "Hemispheres" (title
track thereof) is a sequel to "Cygnus X-1". "Countdown" from "Signals"
is about the space shuttle. See also "Manhattan Project" from "Power
Windows". The song "Xanadu" from "A Farewell to Kings" is based on the
Colerige poem of the same name. See also "The Fountain of Lamneth" from
"Caress of Steel" and "Anthem" from "Fly by Night" -- both songs deal
with individuality. See also "Natural Science" from "Permanent Waves",
which deals with future dystopias, utopias, etc.
(Note -- most of their work tends to be Olde Englishe Ballades, which of
course have much to do with things fey and weird. (Prime example would
be "Thomas the Rhymer", a rock version of "Thomas Rymer")) [Oops! I
seem to have dropped this note here, where it probably doesn't belong.
Unfortunately, I can't figure out where it does belong. Anybody know?
How about Jethro Tull? ---Rsk ]
Russell, Leon:
"Stranger in a Strange Land" -- based on the Heinlein novel.
S.P.O.C.K:
Swedish space pop band. They were originally called 'Spock' but
due to legal problems they changed their name to 'Space Pilots On
Channel K' or 'S.P.O.C.K' Their synthesizer based music is heavily
SF / Star Trek inspired. Their debut album 'Five year mission' contains
the following songs: Neutral Zone, Never Trust a Klingon, Charlie X,
Mr.Spocks Brain, Black Hole, Space Race, Edge of Forever,
and Last Man on Earth.
Saga:
Canadian progressive synth-rock band with a series of songs which
combine to tell a single story spread out over four albums, to wit:
From "Saga": Chapter 4: Will It Be You?,
and Chapter 6: Tired World;
From "Images At Twilight":
Chapter 1: Images,
and Chapter 3: It's Time;
from "Silent Knight":
Chapter 2: Don't Be Late,
and Chapter 7: Too Much To Lose;
and from "Worlds Apart":
Chapter 5: No Regrets,
and Chapter 8: No Stranger.
Roughly speaking, the story tells of space war, alien encounters,
and the aftermath of war.
Sanders, Ed:
(A member of the Fugs at one time) released "Beer Cans on the Moon",
which contains such gems as a song about a yodeling robot in love with
Dolly Parton as well as some more topical songs. "Dark Carnival"
sets a number of Bradbury's "Illustrated Man" stories to music.
Sandy Bradley and the Small Wonder String Band(?):
"Interstellar Sweetheart"
Sangster, John:
Australian jazz musician, has two albums "The Hobbit Suite" and "Lord of
the Rings" which are jazz tone poems based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Satriani, Joe:
"Surfing with the Alien" and "Back to Shalla-Bal" are about the
Silver Surfer of comic book fame. (In fact, he's on the cover of "Surfing
with the Alien".)
Savatage:
(heavy metal) "Fountain of Youth" from "Power of the Night", "Hounds"
from "Gutter Ballet", "Beyond the Doors of the Dark", "Legions",
"Strange Wings", title track, and "White Witch" from "Hall of the
Mountain King", just to name a few.
Scanner:
They are a German speed-metal, and their first album, "Hypertrace", is an
SF story. 7 criminals were turned into supersoldiers during an experiment
during WWII. They went berzerk, and were shot into space, and their rockets
exploded, except one, who was found by aliens, and they taguht him to bring
peace to the world. The aliens gave him the mechanical planet Galactoss, where
he built 5 androids to send back to Earth, to collect data, so that he
could save the Earth from destroying itself. Their second album (recorded
with a new lead singer) also contains a few SF songs.
Schilling, Peter:
"Major Tom (Coming Home)"; perhaps a sequel to or re-telling of
Bowie's "Space Oddity" from "Error in the System" (originally
titled "Fehler im System") [also possibly based on the Bradbury story
Kaleidescope]; also "The Noah Plan" (about an exodus from Earth),
"Error in the System" (Earth as lost interstellar colony),
"Only Dreams" (computers plotting to take revenge on humans),
"Lifetime Guarantee (mind-controlled Utopia) and others.
There is some speculation that the translator may be responsible for the
SF content of some of these; for instance, the original (German) version
of "Only Dreams" ("...dann truegt der Schein") seems to be a non-SF song.
"Things to Come" includes "Zone 804" (aliens come to bring peace) and
"Lone Survivor" (man hides in bomb shelter, but war is averted; he's stuck).
Also, the song "Berlin, City of Night" (about fighting to reunite Belin
and Germany) was speculative fiction at the time that it was written.
Schultz, Mark:
There's a delightful short piece by Mark Schultz entitled
"Dragons in the Sky" for horn, percussion, and electronic tape. This is
supposedly the third work Mr. Schultz has written based on The Silmarillion,
though I have not encountered the first two. This one musically describes
the battle of the elves with the dragons of Morgoth. The only performance
of which I am aware is with Thomas Bacon on horn, and Richard Brown on
percussion on a Summit Records CD, DCD 135.
Scorpions:
"Robot Man" on "In Trance". See ex-Scorption Uli Jon Roth.
Screaming Blue Messiahs:
The album "Totally Religious", has some SF-related tracks:
"Mega-City One" -- Very Judge Dredd-influenced lyrics, about policeman
in a MegaCity of the future. If you're not familiar with Judge Dredd,
he is an English comic character, who is a "Judge" in a future
underground hyperviolent city called MegaCity One.
"Four Engines Burning over the USA" -- May be stretching it a bit,
but this song could be about a nuclear attack on the United States.
Scruffy the Cat:
Album called "Moons of Jupiter" with several songs about outer space.
Sensational Alex Harvey Band:
See "The Tale of The Giant Stone-Eater" from "Tomorrow Belongs to Me",
and "Nightmare City" from "Rock Drill". Also "Vambo" and "The Faith
Healer" from "Next". Bizarre Scottish lads.
Seventh Wave:
"Things to Come"
The Shamen:
The album "Boss Drum" contains "Space Time" and "Scientas".
Shonen Knife:
A Japanese band, they often sing about space travel and other SF-ish
themes. "Parallel Woman" (Japanese) from the "Shonen Knife" album, is about
a superheroine in a parallel universe. "Riding on the Rocket"
(japanese), on "Pretty Little Baka Guy", is about visiting different
planets in a space ship. "The Moon World" (japanese), on "712", is
about visiting the Moon. "Neon Zebra", a single, is about a zebra
who gets transformed by aliens. In "Space Christmas" (english), a
single, Naoko asks for a space ship for Christmas so she can visit
Pluto. Their latest album, "Let's Knife", includes an
English-language version of "Riding on the Rocket", as well as "I am
a Cat" (english), about turning into a cat and dancing on a flying
saucer. The CD single "Riding on the Rocket" also includes an
instrumental called "Milky Way".
Shriekback:
Did a song "Nemesis" about the comics character of the same name.
(The video shows him/her/it prancing in the background.) However,
the song may also have a second meaning: "Nemesis" is the name of
the hypothetical "dark companion" to the sun which (according to one theory)
is responsible for periodically disturbing the Oort cloud and causing a
rain asteroids on the earth producing the periodic extinctions that
(some say) are present in the fossile record. Much of the lyrics
of "Nemesis" seem to refer to the death of the dinosaurs as the
result of this sort of cosmic catastrophe. On the album
"Oil & Gold" (whence Nemesis comes as well), they have "This Big Hush",
about life after nuclear war, and "Health & Knowledge & Wealth & Power",
which contains the lines "Touchdown on a different world/White eyes
look 'round". On "Big Night Music", they have the song "Underwaterboys",
whose title says it all..
Sigue Sigue Sputnik:
The album "Flaunt It" includes "21st Century Boy" along with other
SF-sounding stuff; the lyrics are difficult to decipher. Their
song "Love Missile F-11" includes samples from "A Clockword Orange".
Sinfield, Pete:
(See also Caravan, King Crimson, ELP.) His solo LP "Still" contains
the track "Song of the Sea Goat" which may or may not be fantasy.
Like much of Sinfield's work, the lyrics are very surreal and difficult
to interpret.
Sisters of Mercy:
"Black Planet" from "First and Last and Always" is another
one of those cheerful post-nuclear-holocaust ballads. :)
Skinny Puppy
"200 Years" from the album "Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse" is
based on and contains samples from a Twilight Zone episode.
Smithereens:
Just a quick note to mention that "Behind the Wall of Sleep" is *not*
a Lovecraft adaption (see the entry for Black Sabbath) but is about
having an obsession with a woman bass player.
Sonic Youth:
On the album "Daydream Nation," a lot of sci-fi/cyberpunk
themes, and direct references to 'jacking in' as in Gibson's "Neuromancer".
See also the songs "Eric's Trip", "Hyperstation" and "Silver Rocket".
Sonic Youth draws heavily on the material of Phillip K. Dick and
William Gibson, in general; see "The Sprawl".
Southwind:
"The Green Hills of Earth" -- lyrics by Heinlein (or Rhysling, if
you prefer) from the story of the same name.
Spacemen3:
Covered "Starship" by Sun Ra and the MC5.
Sparks:
LP "Kimono My House" has a hilarious fantasy song called "Here in
Heaven" dealing with a petulant teenage suicide's thoughts in heaven.
He keeps wondering why his girlfriend didn't kill herself, too.
Sphynx:
Another band led by Nik Turner, produced the album "Xitintoday" which
was based on the Egyptian book ofthe dead. The flute was recorded
inside the sarcophagus of the Great Pyramid.
Spin Doctors:
Their album "Pocketful of Kryptonite" includes the
single "Jimmy Olsen's Blues."
Spirit:
"Future Games" has interspersed fragments of old "Star Trek" episodes
between tunes. Also see "Potatoland" -- the songs aren't at all SF,
but are strung together by "The Adventures of Captain Copter and
Commander Cassidy" in a totalitarian state -- very bizarre.
The Leslie Spitt Treeo:
A Canadian band, has done a song called "UFO" about someone going to watch for
UFOs with hopes of getting picked up by one. From their first album--may be
self-titled, but I wouldn't swear to it.
Spizzenergi:
"Where's Captain Kirk?"; band was then renamed "Athletico Spizz '80",
and released a sequel called "Spock's Missing". Another sequel
(released when they were named The Spizzles) was "Five Year Mission".
Other songs include "Person-Impersonator" (Athletico Spizz '80),
"Robot Holiday" (Spizzles), "Mega City 3" (Spizzenergi), and a remake
of "Where's Captain Kirk" (Spizz Orbit).
They had a policy of renaming themselves after
each record; their incarnations were (in order of appearance):
Spizz Oil (three EPs)
Spizzenergi (two Singles)
Athletico Spizz 80 (three Singles, one LP)
Spizzo del Fuego (I think this name was only a rumor)
The Spizzles (two? Singles, one LP)
Spizzenergi 2 (two Singles)
Spizz Orbit (two? EPs)
There is also a compilation of early singles under the name Spizz.
Split Enz:
An New Zealander band; their song "Poor Boy" is about a romantic/sexual
encounter with an alien.
Stackridge:
UK band from the 70's: see "Purple Spaceships over Yatton", "Slark" (monster
gets boy, boy gets girls), and "Frankenstein's Pillow".
Starcastle:
A Yes clone. First album has a nice piece, "Lady of the Lake".
Believe it or not, they're from Pekin, Illinois (across the river
from Peoria). If you like Yes's Fragile-era material then you should
grab their first LP ("Starcastle") and later ones ("Citadel", "Fountains
of Light").
Starr, Ringo:
The song "Hopeless" mentions aliens.
Steeleye Span:
Folk-rockers who tend to sing traditional songs with modern instruments.
"Elf Call" is about elves; "The Demon Lover", a well-known song,
appears on the LP "Commoner's Crown" along with "Elf Call".
(See also Fairport Convention.)
Steely Dan:
Fantasy genre rather than straight science fiction: "Home At Last" is a
retelling of the story of the Trials of Odysseus from Greek mythology -
the chorus, "still I remain tied to the mast" evokes the story where he
tied himself to the mast to resist the song of the Siren. Also,
"The Caves of Altamira," fantasizing about cave dwellers who made the
cave drawings in Altamira, Spain. See also Donald Fagen.
Stevens, Ray:
Song, "Diana and the Robotics", which is about a group
of appliances that form a band.
Stepford Wives:
Apparently took their name from the old horror film.
Steve Miller Band:
"Brave New World" and "Space Cowboy" from the album "Brave New World".
Stevens, Cat:
"Freezing Steel" from "Catch Bull at Four"; also "Longer Boats"
from "Tea for the Tillerman" is about flying saucers. (It may
not be implicit in the lyrics, but Cat Stevens discussed it in
an interview.)
Stevens, Steve:
The title track "Atomic Playboys" is about nuclear war; there are
probably a few more cuts of a similar nature on the rest of the album.
Album artwork by H R Giger, of "Alien" fame.
Stewart, Al:
"The Sirens of Titan" (Vonnegut) from "24 Carrots". See also the title
track from "Last Days of the Century" and "Red Toupee" from that same
album -- apparently he cited it as SF in an interview. "Nostradamus",
from "Past, Present, and Future" is a little bit occultish.
Sting:
"Dream of the Blue Turtles" has the track "Moon Over Bourbon Street" based,
according to the liner notes, on Anne Rice's "Interview With A Vampire".
On the album "Nothing Like The Sun", "Straight To My Heart" speculates, in
7/8 time, about forms of sharing love in the future; "Rock Steady" retells the
story of Noah(which >could< be considered fantasy); "The Lazarus Heart" is
based on a dream which is apparently a form of the Fisher King story, and has
fantasy elements to it. The title track from "The Soul Cages" also has
fantasy elements. Finally, his "Demolition Man" was updated and used
as the theme song for the movie of the same name.
Strange Advance:
See "Nor Crystal Tears" from "Strange Advance 2wo" (not a typo).
See also the album "Worlds Away"; several tracks with SF allusions and
themes, notably the title track, "One Chance in a Million", and "Sister Radio".
Cover artwork had examples of Arcologies for futurist-architect Paulo Soleri.
Stranglers, The:
The album "The Gospel According to the Meninblack" is about a race of
people from another planet who are raising humans on Earth for their
food. Considering there are over 5 billion people now, they should be
very happy. The Meninblack are first introduced in the song "Meninblack"
on the album "The Raven". See also "Rockit to the Moon", a B-side.
Stubbs, Levi:
"Mean Green Muther from Outer Space", from the musical "Little Shop
of Horrors", in which it is revealed that Audrey II is actually
an alien planning to take over the earth.
Styx:
Usually has one sf-ish piece on each album. All of "Kilroy was Here" is
a fable (this is the LP with "Mr. Roboto"). See also "Man of Miracles"
and "Come Sail Away". There is some speculation that "Lords of the Ring"
on "Pieces of Eight" is Tolkien-derived.
Sudden Sway:
Little known synthesizer based independent band.
Their "Spacemate" double album contains some futuristic advertising jingles
for imaginary products. The LP comes with some instructions on how to
"spacemate" which stands for "Super Dimensional Perceptive Aid Combining
Every Manner and Type of Everything". A note of explanation from the LP
cover - "which means it helps you expand your dimensions".
There are some puzzles and other goodies included by the previous 'owners'.
A non-musical track from a Peel session named "A Walk in the Park from the
Hypno-stroll" has a very "Hitchhiker's" feel to it.
Sun Ra:
An unusual jazz musician who has been obsessed with space travel; his
band is the "Arkestra". Some of his songs from the 70's are
"Rocket Number Nine to the Planet Venus" and "We Travel the Spaceways".
Supertramp:
Album "Brother Where You Bound". "Fools Overture" is about the threat
of nuclear war. Possibly "Crime of the Century".
The Surprises:
The single "Flying Attack" is about being invaded by flying saucers.
Swann, Donald:
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.
Chris Croughton
(Sent email and posted)
In article <c01_960...@salata.com>
kay.s...@salata.com "Kay Shapero" writes:
>On <Apr 29 13:30>, Steve Glover (steve....@ukonline.co.uk) wrote;
>
> SG>Yes, there have been songs (not always novelty items) with SF
> SG>relevance, but that doesn't make them filk (see the SF/Music FAQ
> SG>that used to get posted).
>
>You mean other than the FILK FAQ? I'd like to see that myself. Got a
>copy?
Yes, it's a pretty massive message listing hundreds of peices of music
and composers etc. which have some SF content. It's posted on
rec.arts.sf.misc (at least - that's the only place I see it) about once
a month - unfortunately it has expired from my system at the moment, but
next time it's posted I'll send you a copy.
That's something you wouldn't want crossposted to the filk group, but
the author of it only crossposts to places where it's been asked for.
It may be on the sf-lovers archive site (used to be at Rutgers, I'm not
sure if it still is). I'll have a look...
Chris Croughton
>On <Apr 29 13:30>, Steve Glover (steve....@ukonline.co.uk) wrote;
>
> SG>Yes, there have been songs (not always novelty items) with SF
> SG>relevance, but that doesn't make them filk (see the SF/Music FAQ
> SG>that used to get posted).
>
>You mean other than the FILK FAQ? I'd like to see that myself. Got a
>copy?
Sent to Kay by email. If anyone else wants it, the URL is
ftp://sflovers.rutgers.edu/pub/sflovers/sf-music.txt
Gary McGath
In article <4m7uq3$e...@access4.digex.net>, dick...@access4.digex.net
(Tamar Lindsay) wrote:
>I remember a newbie with an AM radio repertoire being gently told that we
>come to filksings to hear the songs we _can't_ hear on the radio, and I've
>pretty much kept that as one of my definitions.
There is a small amount of filk radio (I believe there's a program in
Ohio), and quite a number of filk songs have been played on Dr. Demento.
Using this definition would mean excluding some of the best-known songs
which are normally regarded as filk.
--
Gary McGath gmc...@mv.mv.com
http://www.mv.com/users/gmcgath
Mac developers -- ask me about EightyRez.
Commander Claus
I'd go with this. Most of the stuff I perform (if not written by me) is
taken from folk musicians. If I wasn't allowed to sing it since it wasn't
by strict definition "FILK" then I would have very little left to play. If
Weird Al wants to come by a filk, IMHO I'd love to see him there.
--
The World of Commander Claus: sa...@serv.net
http://www.serv.net/~santa
magi.d on BIX
I have to ask... Do you consider his latest song about the
Amish to be a filk tune?
I find the song disgusting, and I am a fan of Weird Al. I think
most of his work is very humorous. But, I think this time
he went a bit too far. Most of the stuff in the song is
not only funny, its not correct. And he is picking on a
group of people who get picked on quite a bit, and who
will probably never even hear his song to fight back.
Magi
A.Mair
You need to add the Nancy Nicholson song
"I'm the one that muffed it, I'm the one that boobed,
I'm the one who lost the radio active tube"
This is on her tape, and the verses follow the theme
of persons who own up to having taken
more than one tube and the ingenious uses
to which they put the tubes -
I have hesitated to post the full words -
the encouragement on her tape is that she wants her
songs to be sung.
She is the author of the lament for the Piper Alpha
disaster - "Who pays the piper" - which still makes
me weep. It is good to hear her in happier mode
with the radio active tube song.
---
Ann
by learning and courtesy
Larry Caldwell
In article <santa-03059...@dialup203.serv.net>,
sa...@serv.net (Commander Claus) wrote:
> I'd go with this. Most of the stuff I perform (if not written by me) is
> taken from folk musicians. If I wasn't allowed to sing it since it wasn't
> by strict definition "FILK" then I would have very little left to play. If
> Weird Al wants to come by a filk, IMHO I'd love to see him there.
I went to a Mark Graham & Orville Johnson show last night. They're
Seattle based and have written some real classics:
Zen Gospel Singing
I Can See Your Aura, and it's Ugly
Their Brains Were Small and They Died
Neighbor of the Beast
Oedipus Rex (a song of the ancient West)
I had a chance to fill them in a bit on filk. They sounded intrigued
about Westercon being in Seattle in '97.
Yeah, they had a songbook for sale. I bought two. See ya next year at
Orycon. :)
-- Larry
Richard Everett
In article <ry4lx0O5...@teleport.com>,
Larry Caldwell <lar...@teleport.com> wrote:
>
>I went to a Mark Graham & Orville Johnson show last night. They're
>Seattle based and have written some real classics:
>
>Zen Gospel Singing
>I Can See Your Aura, and it's Ugly
>Their Brains Were Small and They Died
>Neighbor of the Beast
>Oedipus Rex (a song of the ancient West)
>
>I had a chance to fill them in a bit on filk. They sounded intrigued
>about Westercon being in Seattle in '97.
We saw them recently in Austin on a triple bill with the Foremen and
the Austin Lounge Lizards. What a night, if I had more disposable income
I would have gone to both shows. They mentioned filk on stage with a
sort of questioning tone and the ten or twelve filkfolk in the audience
made enough noise to get the usual strange looks from our neighbors.
>Yeah, they had a songbook for sale. I bought two. See ya next year at
>Orycon. :)
Was this the Mark Graham songbook or do they have a new one for sale? And
did they actually perform "Zen Gospel Singing"?
>-- Larry
Larry Caldwell
In article <4na1rl$r...@bermuda.io.com>,
plus...@io.com (Richard Everett) wrote:
> Was this the Mark Graham songbook or do they have a new one for sale? And
> did they actually perform "Zen Gospel Singing"?
It was the Mark Graham songbook, and yes, they did "Zen Gospel Singing."
They also did everything else, including tunes they hadn't rehearsed.
It was their last night on tour. Because the show was on mother's day
in a small town there were only about 18 people there. The show was
small, intimate, and really loose. They sang until they ran out of
stuff to sing.
Great fun.
-- Larry
f...@snowcrest.net
In article <1996May...@opie.bgsu.edu>, sda...@opie.bgsu.edu (Solomon
Davidoff) wrote:
> In response to the question of whether or not Weird Al is filk, I tend to
> consider his work, or at least most of it, "Found Filk," refering to songs
> that would be considered filk if they had been performed in a filk room, and
> created by fans.
>
> -Solomon Davidoff
I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
Hmmm...
Joe Kesselman
In <fox-200596...@ppp1.losmolinos.snowcrest.net>, f...@snowcrest.net writes:
>I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
I have to agree with Solomon. Weird Al is an excellent parodist,
but it's hard to point to any SF/fantasy content (so it's not "hard filk")
and it wasn't written specifically with the filk audience in mind (so
it's not "soft filk"). The "found filk" catagory is a reasonable concept;
a recognition of the practical "if it's sung at a filksing with intent to be
taken as filk, it's filk by courtesy" side of the definition.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph J. Kesselman http://pages.prodigy.com/NY/keshlam/
"This note is a production of Novalabs Consulting, which is solely
responsible for its content. Opinions not necessarily those of IBM."
Steve Simmons
f...@snowcrest.net writes:
>I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
Naw, that's Tom Leher and Spike Jones.
Tom Smith
Joe Kesselman (kes...@prodigy.com) wrote:
: In <fox-200596...@ppp1.losmolinos.snowcrest.net>, f...@snowcrest.net writes:
: >I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
: I have to agree with Solomon. Weird Al is an excellent parodist,
: but it's hard to point to any SF/fantasy content (so it's not "hard filk")
: and it wasn't written specifically with the filk audience in mind (so
: it's not "soft filk"). The "found filk" catagory is a reasonable concept;
: a recognition of the practical "if it's sung at a filksing with intent to be
: taken as filk, it's filk by courtesy" side of the definition.
Yoda, Slime Creaatures From Outer Space, Jurassic Park, Frank's
2000" TV, Bedrock Anthem, Christmas At Ground Zero, Everything
You Know Is Wrong, The Night Santa Went Crazy, Nature Trail To
Hell.... is that enough content for you?
I must admit that I'm tired of this whole thing. So far, no
one has left the room when I wanted to sing something that wasn't
filk. Nobody has -ever- left the room in my presence when someone
wanted to sing something that wasn't filk. Sing what you want,
listen to what you want.
Doesn't anyone do this for -fun- anymore?
: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
: Joseph J. Kesselman http://pages.prodigy.com/NY/keshlam/
: "This note is a production of Novalabs Consulting, which is solely
: responsible for its content. Opinions not necessarily those of IBM."
--
Best,
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Tom Smith (toms...@izzy.net) | Amiga - Babylon 5 - MST3K |
| The World's Fastest Filker | http://www.izzy.net/~tomsmith |
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
Chris Croughton
>Yoda, Slime Creaatures From Outer Space, Jurassic Park, Frank's
>2000" TV, Bedrock Anthem, Christmas At Ground Zero, Everything
>You Know Is Wrong, The Night Santa Went Crazy, Nature Trail To
>Hell.... is that enough content for you?
Find by me. I only know a few of those, but would welcome any of them
at a filksing.
>I must admit that I'm tired of this whole thing. So far, no
>one has left the room when I wanted to sing something that wasn't
>filk. Nobody has -ever- left the room in my presence when someone
>wanted to sing something that wasn't filk. Sing what you want,
>listen to what you want.
Exactly. Oh, I've known people to leave the room for certain songs
which they find particularly affecting, but not because they "aren't
filk". (Incidentally, that's one reason I prefer chaos to bardic, if I
get up and go out it doesn't look as though I'm trying to miss the next
person to play - does anyone else feel that, or am I just being paranoid
again?)
>Doesn't anyone do this for -fun- anymore?
[FX: asbestos suit on]
Well, we do in Britain. It's those Yanks that are the problem <g>...
(Seriously, I've never known it in Britain. Feel free to come over here
whenever you want...)
Bryan Porter
-=> Quoting Kes...@prodigy.com to All <=-
Ke> In <fox-200596...@ppp1.losmolinos.snowcrest.net>,
Ke> f...@snowcrest.net writes:
>I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
Ke> I have to agree with Solomon. Weird Al is an excellent parodist,
Ke> but it's hard to point to any SF/fantasy content (so it's not "hard
Ke> filk")
What about the classic "Slime Creatures From Outer Space"
off of (IIRC) "Dare To Be Stupid"?
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20 [NR]
Joel Polowin
s...@iti.org (Steve Simmons) wrote:
>f...@snowcrest.net writes:
>
>>I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
>
Tom Lehrer teaches at USC-Santa Cruz (home of the banana slug). Has
anyone ever invited him to a filk session or con in the area?
Joel
pol...@hyper.com
Katydhh
In article <4npuov$j...@watnews2.watson.ibm.com>, kes...@prodigy.com (Joe
Kesselman) writes:
>Weird Al is an excellent parodist,
>but it's hard to point to any SF/fantasy content (so it's not "hard
filk")
No fantasy content?? Never heard "Jurassic Park"? And the video!
Wonderful! The best scene (IMHO) is the dinosaur cleaning its teeth after
"lunch"!
Take care
Kerstin Droege
------------------------------------------------------------
* The undiscovered country is within us -
the final frontier is the human heart *
Kay Shapero
On <May 20 17:20>, Tom Smith (toms...@izzy.net) wrote;
TS>I must admit that I'm tired of this whole thing. So far, no
TS>one has left the room when I wanted to sing something that wasn't
TS>filk. Nobody has -ever- left the room in my presence when
TS>someone wanted to sing something that wasn't filk. Sing what you want,
TS>listen to what you want.
TS>Doesn't anyone do this for -fun- anymore?
My bet is most of us still do this for fun. It's just that a lot of us
seem to also enjoy arguing the whichness of the wherefore, just exactly
what *is* filk precisely, what instruments are most appropriate, and other
imponderables or indefinables.
(You should have been around the time I started to sing Londo's part in
"Don't Look Back" with Barry Gold singing the part of the Conscience, and
some fan sneaked in and stuck a pie plate in back of my head. Every bit of
intensity I'd summoned up for that bit flashed straight into laughter and I
was *literally* on the floor for several minutes. Yeah, *I* sure still do
this for fun!)
================================
= kay.s...@salata.com =
= Quick, Garibaldi - the Flit! =
================================
Maureen S. O'Brien
In a previous article, kes...@prodigy.com (Joe Kesselman) says:
>I have to agree with Solomon. Weird Al is an excellent parodist,
>but it's hard to point to any SF/fantasy content (so it's not "hard filk")
"I Think I'm a Clone Now"
"Christmas at Ground Zero"
(and that's just off the top of my head)
--
Maureen S. O'Brien We are like the roses ---
ad...@dayton.wright.edu We are forced to grow.
Steve Glover
In the news article <ry4lx0O5...@teleport.com> dated 14 May 1996, it
was said by lar...@teleport.com (Larry Caldwell) that ...
> Oedipus Rex (a song of the ancient West)
Similar to PDQ Bach's "Oedipus Tex", no doubt?
Steve, wondering if he should point out that he is not referring to Oedipus
TeX, which is a (hall)mark-up language for mother's day cards...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
steve....@ukonline.co.uk using
NETcetera II v2.51 for Internet News....
And going back to Agent Real Soon Now
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Clan of the Four Winds
f...@snowcrest.net wrote:
:->In article <1996May...@opie.bgsu.edu>, sda...@opie.bgsu.edu (Solomon
:->Davidoff) wrote:
:->> In response to the question of whether or not Weird Al is filk, I tend to
:->> consider his work, or at least most of it, "Found Filk," refering to songs
:->> that would be considered filk if they had been performed in a filk room, and
:->> created by fans.
:->>
:->> -Solomon Davidoff
:->I always though of Wierd Al as the 'patron saint' of filkers..
:->Hmmm...
He's playing at the Oregon State Fair, August 24th (I think) it's $15
Charlene
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clan of The Four Winds
Good guys dont always wear white
c4w...@teleport.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
stephen.an...@gmail.com
> Is there anyone here interested in co-sponsoring a resolution of
> censure against Robert Sacks at the Los Angeles Worldcon?
>
> The text of the proposed resolution:
>
>
> RESOLVED: For numerous acts detrimental to fandom occuring over a
> period of many years, Robert Sacks is hereby censured by the
> Worldcon Business Meeting.
>
>
> To be an official co-sponsor, one must be a member of Worldcon 54
> (the 1996 Worldcon, also known as LA Con III).
>
> If you are willing to be a co-sponsor, please write back email
> along with your phone number and snail mail address (so I can
> send you a copy of the resolution to sign).
>
> LA in '96 ... IT'LL BE A RIOT!
>
> Chris Carrier
> Anti-Sacks League
> INTERNET: 72157...@compuserve.com
I guess you really miss him !
