Stuff I'm Listening to - War of the Worlds

Artist: Justin Hayward (the Moody Blues) (composed by Jeff Wayne)

Title: Forever Autumn

Lyrics: 
A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes
As if to hide a lonely tear
My life will be forever autumn,
'Cause you're not here

Why?: I am not sure if I've ever mentioned my best friend, the one who first dubbed me Peanut. She was the one who made an attempt to introduce me to more progressive music than I was used to listening to in high school. She was a rocker at heart, and where I was something in between Bender and Brian (the 'brain') from the 'the Breakfast Club' and JD from 'Heathers' and a freelance mod and goth, was immersed in the depths of synth-pop, ska and punk, she was immersed in the depths of prog-rock, heavy metal and punk. It was a history teacher that had introduced her to Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds and in turn she made a copy of the CDs for me. 

Linked above, a live version of the one track I immediately gravitated to, featuring Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues who provided the vocals in the original recording, followed by the track Thunderchild lead by Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann, which I've grown to like over the years. 

Below, a kind of ambient track that, to my understanding, wasn't part of the original score, but has made it's way into the remix album, ULLAdubULLA, where it serves only as a narrative device where the Martians discuss their plans to invade the planet Earth. 

ULLAdubULLA (Audio only)

Stuff I'm Listening to - the Sound of Music

Artist: Bill Lee overdubbed for Christopher Plummer and Charmain Carr
  
Title: Edelweiss

From: The Sound of Music by Rogers and Hammerstein

Lyrics (all):

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white clean and bright
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever

Why?: There are a ton of Christmas related memories attached with this movie because they always seem to play it on television around that time, at least here in North America. 

I think my mom and dad were happy that they would plunk me in front of the television for about two hours of relative peace and quiet. I usually fell asleep just after their performance at the festival, but I don't think I really understood they escaped from the Nazis until I was old enough to stay awake that long.

For all the songs in this musical, I could have picked the 'Goat Herder' or 'Do-Ri-Mi' but this was the song my mum and dad gravitated to. My mom would hum or whistle this song to herself often. And I had caught my dad whistling it a number of times to himself. It's a pretty song.

I know Christopher Plummer nicknamed this movie the 'Sound of Mucus' and I don't blame him. It's rather full of mushy sentiments. But also filled with some great songs. 

It was many years later when Christopher Plummer went on to appear in 'Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country' that my frantic brain much desired to hear 'Edelweiss' in Klingon.  Alas, I have not found one yet. But a preliminary search of the internets brought me this. I'm not sure what I watched, and am now just more bothered and confused than ever. So naturally I've posted it below so you too can share in my current mood.

Edelweiss - Starship Edelweiss
 

Stuff I'm Listening To - Les Misérables

Artists: Sacha Baron Cohen and Helen Bonham-Carter

From: Les Misérables 

Lyrics:

Master of the house? Isn't worth my spit!
Comforter, philosopher and lifelong shit!
Cunning little brain, regular Voltaire
Thinks he's quite a lover but there's not much there
What a cruel trick of nature landed me with such a louse
God knows how I've lasted living with this bastard in the house!

 Why?: This is a great stage production if you get a chance to see it. It is filled with some wonderful pieces. My first and only time seeing Les Miz, I was provided with two warnings: 

"Don't wear mascara. Bring Clean-Ex". 

My friend was not wrong. 

One of my favourite pieces from the show is Cosette singing "Castle in the Cloud" which, when done right, will bring me to tears. Yeah yeah... I'm a giant softy. I know. But it also seems, I have a soft spot for depravity and scoundrels. They seem to get some of the best lines and best numbers in stories.

I cannot remember who played Monsieur and Madame Thénardiers in the production I saw, but I quite enjoyed the number in the film and think that Cohen and Bonham-Carter did a great job of it. 

Castle On a Cloud - Original Cast Recording

I'm not crying. You're crying.

Stuff I'm Listening To - the Rocky Horror Picture Show

Artist: Tim Curry

Title: Sweet Transvestite

From: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Lyrics:
Don't get strung out by the way I look
Don't judge a book by it's cover

Why?:
There isn't much I could write about this musical that hasn't already been said. Either you love this campiness or you don't. I personally knew about the movie when I was younger, but obviously did not appreciate it to its fullest until I went to the see it in the theatre with some friends when I was a teenager. Up until that point, I was vaguely aware of the steps for the 'Time Warp' dance and that you needed to bring rice with you to the theatre if you were going to go see it and none of that was ever fully explained to me. My ex-boyfriend's mother scoffed at me when I asked her to explain. At the time I was annoyed because I do ask many questions that might seem like common and obvious knowledge to most people and people think I'm kidding around. Honestly, I am really that naive and that unaware about certain things. But I'll forgive her that. You really have to just go to the theatre and see it and experience it for yourself.

Also, what is not to love about Tim Curry in drag? Tell me? 

Stuff I'm Listening to - Little Shop of Horrors

Artist: Steve Martin

Title: Dentist

From: Little Shop of Horrors

Lyrics: 
I thrill when I drill a bicuspid
(Bicuspid)
It's swell though they tell me I'm maladjusted
(Dentist)

Why?:
I had started a bit of a COVID-19 Playlist earlier that has since sputtered and failed so far as I am concerned. Apparently we're in the midst of what researchers dub the third quarter phenomenon, a period during long missions that have crew isolated (think Space, Submarines, Antarctica), that leave the crew isolated from family for long periods of time. It's a period of lower morale, unpleasant moods, a general down feeling. This COVID-19 stuff has taken it's toll. We are all under stress, so know that you're feeling meh is quite normal. So... Let me share some more guilty pleasures with you to maybe cheer you up. I discovered that Andrew Lloyd Webber has been streaming his musicals for us quarantined folk and also trying to raise money for theatre workers in times of need (like right now).

I like musicals. I've only ever seen two ('The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Les Misérables') live. The rest I've only watched as movies or only heard their soundtracks. 

Today my pick is 'Dentist' from 'Little Shop of Horrors'. It's a lovely dark comedy, directed by Frank Oz. Steve Martin is a great actor and does a wonderful job as Dr. Orin Scrivello, a stereotypical bad guy, who's a biker and happens to be a dentist as well. This is one of my favourite bits of the movie because it's hilariously over the top. The movie cast some amazing SCTV and Saturday Night Live alumnis (Rick Moranis, John Candy, Bill Murray, James Belushi) so you know the comedy performances are going to be gold.

It's a great bit of film except that the not-fairy-tale ending was cut since test audiences didn't like it, and changed up for the bit of fluff that's there now. 

That reminds me. They shut down all the dentists two months ago. I seriously need to go floss.