Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (David Bowie)

[kentauros]

Last edited Tue Jan 12, 2016, 05:56 PM - Edit history (1)

I'll have to rent this one again soon.

[hifiguy]

1. A brilliant, wonderful film.

Bowie was tremendous in it, as was Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also wrote the score. Two of the world's most brilliant and innovative musical minds both acting in the same film. That has to be a first.

But no, Bowie did not sing "Forbidden Colours", the gorgeous and memorable theme song. That was David Sylvian.

Thanks for this!

[kentauros]

2. You're welcome :)

And David Sylvian is another one with a fantastic musical mind

[hifiguy]

3. Indeed he is.

Love Japan, his solo stuff and his various collaborations with people like Robert Fripp and Holger Czukay.

I found out some time ago that David lived in my hometown of Minneapolis for several years in a very well-known house on Lake of the Isles. Back in the 1990s he was apparently doing some recording at Paisley Park and met Ingrid Chavez, who was associated with Prince in some musical way. They later married, and David and Ingrid lived in the "Spanish Villa" right on the lake for some years.

Maybe I saw him walking around Uptown without even knowing it!

[kentauros]

4. Possibly!

I don't know what he looks like offhand, but I do like his voice.

Years and years ago, someone left a cassette tape of his music in my car. I never found out which friend left it as none would claim it, so I listened. And listened, and listened. Can't remember the album now, yet it gave me an appreciation for someone I didn't know and seemed to fit into the kind of music I liked (then and now.)

Maybe I should see what's available online and start up a collection

[hifiguy]

5. He looked remarkably like a young Bowie

back in the 1970's and early 1980s. Viz:



It was probably "Brilliant Trees" or "Secrets of the Beehive."

[kentauros]

6. With those glasses he makes me think of Trevor Horn,

yet another brilliant mind of music

I'll probably have to do a sampling on YouTube to see what Sylvian-eras I like the best.

I tell ya, though, Sakamoto's theme was affecting me greatly last night when I was listening to it and many other clips of his music. Here's one that was quite powerful in evoking emotion:

[hifiguy]

7. Ryuichi Sakamoto is one of the people in music

I would most like to meet. He was light-years ahead of the curve in Yellow Magic Orchestra - one of the most influential bands ever and there would be no J- or K-pop without YMO and their stuff still sounds futuristic today, his eclectic solo albums, soundtracks, work with David Sylvian and Virginia Astley (gorgeous!), the reformed YMO. Sakamoto has seldom put a foot wrong and NEVER made boring music, ever.

I respect and admire Sakamoto-san as I do very few musicians. The man is absolutely brilliant.

ETA - that is a gorgeous piece. Here's violinist Angele Dubose and her group La Pieta performing that piece. Stunning.

[kentauros]

8. Yes, that's a great version as well

And now I've got to look up YMO!

Hmm, there seems to be a familiar name at the top of the comments there. Anyone you know?

That bank of synthesizers at the back reminds me of what Keith Emerson used. Or course, many of the synth-based groups/individuals in the 70s had massive synthesizer components like that. Tomita, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Wendy Carlos, Larry Fast (Synergy), and Bob Moog, among many others.

One thing this has brought to mind is the fact that there seems to be a fair number of composers with roots in popular bands including Sakamoto. We've also got Christopher Franke (Tangerine Dream; composed movies soundtracks and all of Babylon 5), Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo), and Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo). I can't think of who else, just those big names.

[hifiguy]

9. YMO was an astounding band.

Yup, that's me. Everything from that BudokaThe fun show - and there is a lot of it on YouTube - is amazing. The woman bouncing around behind the keyboards back stage left was Akiko Yano, Mrs Sakamoto for many years.

The guy in front of the massive Moog, sequencers and other modular synth units handled the programming, synchronization and sequencing/time control of those massive analog synths. I love old analog synthesizers, for decades they simply sounded better than the chilly digital synths.

[kentauros]

11. I've listened to a few cuts from the Budoka show,

and liked them all so far. And thanks for the info on Ms. Yano.

One shot of the guy in front of the Moog showed him with a mixer before him, so I figured he was handling the settings for everyone. That's an interesting way to do it, and include him on the set. Other groups likely wouldn't ever include someone like that for their stage show.

[Paladin]

10. Offbeat, but very well-done WWII movie.

I've been thinking of it ever since I learned of Bowie's passing.

[kentauros]

12. I remember when it came out

though I don't think I saw it in the theater. It was quite atmospheric and powerful. Of course, the music score helped.