A Tribute

A couple of days ago this item  has popped up on eBay.... If I had, well, some 100K$, I would definitely buy it right now. Maybe I could offer my price, but it will surely be insufficient to satisfy the seller. Ah, come what may - since my collection is built upon different principle I should not care much about this case. I will write a Tribute page instead.

Probably, this is the one and only album that connects me to the 60-s, the blessed years of the Flower Children. Only through the music on this record I can somehow feel the essence of that unique experience of the human being's existence on this planet. All other stuff does not catch me to that extent when I could miss those years and feel myself happy at the same time. I cannot think out any other example to serve for me.

Yes, it was then, some 45 years ago, when the times were changing, and the new music created in consequences of events, reflecting all that went before and projecting the future path. A true Here-and-Now music, which turned out to be timeless and unplaced.

Oh, sorry, you might have already asked "WTF??!! Why the price for that piece of plastic and cardboard is that high?!" Well, this copy is unique not only for the VdGG, but for all kind of vinyl/music/rarity collectors: this is the UK (!!!) test pressing of the first ever record made by Van der Graaf Generator. Actually the album was then released only in the USA (this has another interesting story with curious facts involved), so only a few copies of this specific record were pressed, and few copies of this sleeve too. The artworks for the official US-release was absolutely different, with different sleeve notes, and less attractive (in my humble modern opinion). Today almost anybody has a chance to own this piece of my world. One will take it soon.... I always thought I would never see this record on public sale in my life, so to say....

It seems to me that the Flower Children used all the possibilities the Life granted them with. What has left there for us, the modern people? I would say, the union of the Music, Love, and the Spirit. So, again we have everything to start creating what will be Ours. А new era is about to start. What shall come into this Life with this era? How should we be involved into it? How should we present it through our works? All depends on us, so let's do it now!

Today I am more than happy to realize, that the very first notes of the very first track of this very first album of Van der Graaf Generator - the No.1 music for me! - were the sounds created to tie me forever with this Music, to made me feel the Spirit, and still warming that Love inside me. So I shall be keeping this Spirit up and go forward with it!


Thanks go to the friends of mine Tigran Papyan (who brought all of that stuff to our attention and still spreads the word around), Araik Adamyan (R.I.P. - for sharing his tapes with the whole community of ours), Jeff (who shared his taped copy of the Aerosol with me) and, most of them all, to my brother George, who actually brought that tape home and pressed PLAY button. He would do that sooner or later anyway....

To live in spite of.....

Darkness fetters us around. We are surrounded. What should have happened has happened. The near end does not amaze us at all. The days of Mother-Earth are numbered. Her noble Warriors fall either together or divided, and though she knows what should happen and how, when and where, she cannot share that knowledge with us. Thus, being in ignorance, we are moving towards Fatum, blindly. That is all, one might think....

But having all this in the background, each of us still has the right to have the last wish. What will it be like? Do we know what we want and what we need?

"No."

Do we feel what wee need?

"Yes." (however we mostly do not trust in that feeling).

What to do?

One option is: to stretch in bed after a restless sleep, to come to work, to stir the system up to hell, to arrange individual parts in the system, to be in two calls simultaneously, to enjoy a cup of coffee, to state authoritatively your understanding of the Future (let the people amuse), to eat, to intercommunicate through music, to make music through beer, to make a discovery, to decide for frenzy, to have more beer, to enjoy the future, to catch the stranger's look, to look at somebody with a stranger look, to sing an unfamiliar song and dance to a familiar one, to tell a story, to come down with money completely, to give yourself to Earth, to subdue the anger, to bow to the beloved one, to put yourself at the mercy of Eternity and to hope for a new day.

Mind out! one whole day postponement....

We Are One

Some five years ago remus pleased DENNIS by finding information on the performer of "My Love, We Are One" from the movie Orca (The Killer Whale), and the lyrics. Today it is me who was pleased with that.

Artist: Carol Connors
Music: Ennio Morricone

I will bring the sun through darkened clouds
And I will live with you rainbows for your eyes
Rainbows for your eyes

Now, my love, we are one
We are one
We are one, cried my love
Let me lead you where the moonlit waters fall
Shadows softly call
My love, we are one
We are one
We are one, cried my love
Let me lead you where the stillness of the night
Delivered dawn’s first light
My love, we are one
We are one
We are one
We are one

A pomegranate fraction

I don't need any Wiki to describe the meaning of "an instrument"word. It is an item required for creation of anything, that in its turn means (Mher leaves tonight, while the wine has been tasted now) to  hand Energyto Mother-Earth and the Universe (or should I say "to give", which sound even more erotic). Hendo knows, he feels, and when Mesrop called on me I was about to cry. Is it me who will let These people down?! Is it me who should not be thankful for having them beside?! If I had an instrument I would tell everybody about myself (due to Mher's dislocation and his wine). 24 hours ago I held her in my arms and she responded to me with her being, and her being is to sound the Ensouler would ask of her. It depends on him how others see her, and on this - how Mother-Earth is enriched. She was with me yesterday, not for long, just about one hour. Here, Mher has run in front f me, he is in rush, his time is counted in hours, mine - in years, and Wine is the Judge for all. I cannot let Mesrop down, he is pure. Old but pure. So I will be playing today, rehearsing, trying to do that fan with my fingers, thus lifting my instrument up to the level of amusement. Blessed are my friends' distant trips, for they open the path to our Mother from time to time. And meetings and conferences - oh what trifles they all are!
A pomegranate fraction, you started my day today, though Mher didn't get that.

The Magnificent Jim Carrey

No comments here: he is magnificent!

The Promised Album

So, the album "Love yourself in Art, not Art in yourself!" "Vise versa!" "Oh, but who cares?" that I promised today to upload is about to be launched. You asked me to "friend", so bear with it :-) [why should only me care about cleaning the mailbox from all that flood of notifications?]

The album contains photographs from different years, where I caught playing in different bands with different line-ups, starting from 'Breeze' (1992) through to recent performance with 'The Kings' Cross', dedicated to John Lennon's 72-nd anniversary. I tried so hard today to reconstruct the dates, but not all of them went successfully. I need to dig into the tapes searching for the exact dates. If anybody can adjust or add whichever of the dates - please do it!



The album is almost filled. A couple of commentaries to be added - and here we go! Meanwhile (as the result of discovering the materials found during my "excavations") some idea came to me, ready to grow up into some small project. Later on this.

Should this link work?

Feeling sick

I still feel sick....
Even though I got out of yesterday, washed it off me when I got home, I nevertheless still feel sick .... No, this is not a sickness that happened this morning during our khash (oh how would I eat everything I was not able to in the morning!), and not that hysterical state of turning over the edge of the eleven-floor abyss once again, and not even the lack of the annoyance from the absence of the premise that I've been waiting for almost a month and for some reason still hasn't received. All these are such a minor things. I'm sick of the feeling that comes to me while being all alone in the middle of a place full of fun. Nobody can help me cope with this. One friend offered to take a ride on his horses, but I always fall off the horse, not having yet sit in the saddle. Another explained to me why this is happening and what to do for this, namely, not to dress in a special jockey clothes, not to use any accessories (saddle, bridle, reins, whip), and tell myself that I'm the best rider.
However, up does not come to the horses, because for them I do not exist. They do not see me, and they do not need me. After all, if there are millions of normal, healthy, wealthy, romantic, I would say, and just successful riders all around, why should they need this troubled old bald bastard? He does not exist!
Then that second friend left, and I gradually began to feel sick and still I do to this moment (after all, this is entirely my fault). Guys, what a disgusting yesterday I had! Well, evening, to be honest, but that evening was able to make mischief the day as a whole, so that I still feel sick ....
At the moment, I want nothing, because nobody needs my energy at all. No-bo-dy. Probably one of the torments of hell is non-utility. And if I'm already sick of relatively rather short period of time in this state, what will happen on the scale of eternity?

Alex's Day

I am SO uplifted now that I won't be able to comment on the below text more than saying that my friend has made his dream come true, in spite of all difficulties and life surprises.

Dear Alex, you deserve it!

(for Russian language readers I have made slight but important emphases to the original text, and posted it here)

---------------------Start of Alex's Post-----------------------------

The set-list:

my room
too many of my yesterdays
tenderness
gone ahead
the mercy*

amnesiac
shingle song
stumbled*
like veronica
slender threads*
(on tuesday she used to do) yoga

friday afternoon
undone
that wasn't what i said*
a run of luck
a way out*

a better time

sleep now*

Highlights (imho) marked with *

This was my first solo PH show ever and it was fantastic! Peter was in great form. The audience was nice and Peter even thanked us for being extraordinary silent. He did second encore. Sleep now has been performed on piano without microphone and Peter was almost crying singing the song.

Funny fact, the second encore was not planed and PH even changed his clothes for some simple home wear)))))

-----------------------End of Alex's Post-------------------------------

Lost years

During passed week I happened to play three times, the first one being a serenade to a bride, next was John Lennon Tribute, and yesterday I did a short set with the band I am currently involved in - Road Movie. Maybe some pictures/videos will be added later on, but that is not that important to me. What IS is the fact that I feel I got back to what has been left down six years ago - public life. I even bought some equipment for my guitars, and intended to do more, as well as trying to upgrade my instrument to a higher level (unfortunately, I can't afford buying a good instrument now).
What I am thinking of is to try to reach some level of being able to create something, by myself. They say it is possible, what I need is a strong wish to do it. I am not sure if it is enough, but let's try.

I also became an inventor of some stupid theory that if a person creates anything in his/her 20's, then in 30's s/he will be improving it, and so on in 40's, 50's; however, if 20's are ruined, then 30's will be a decade of payback for ruining it, in order to make it possible to create something in 40's and later on.

20 years went lost....

Yesterday I toasted my friends with the following words: "Are you still believe in me?!"

On Translations - part 6

FINALLY, I am back!

Not just to the translations activities but to blogging as well. I was off here for more than month, lot of things happened and thoughts nested in my head. I'll come back to those topics later, and now I am happy to say that the project of Curly's Airship translation has been successfully started today (right after final check of translation of Peter Hammill's "Consequences" (coming up on hammill.ru).

Meanwhile, Curly takes us up.... 

Positive

Probably this is the most positive thing I've seen in this month.... or season..... or maybe year?

One thing I am sure of is that she would not reject the Nature's calls, like practically all people here do.

Сelebrating what?

Here are some pages on Wikipedia, some varying degrees of emotional feedback, stories about the holiday Vardevar, which is celebrated in Armenia in July, in the midst of the heat....

What I want to say today, when I became 41 (one year ago I had just turned 40, and therefore I could not yet imagine all the magic of this age). I have come to believe that my nation fails to have a good memory, or fails to see the cause-effect kind of relationship between events. Not all, fortunately, but it is a huge mass, which is worse.

Vardevar - a pagan holiday. A holiday in particular, and a pagan one, in particular. Already later, when converted to Christianity and, more recently, when this became customary to speak about, people tied it to the Transfiguration of Christ. The result gave a lot of hell knows what: they pour water on people, but it is desirable to choose a neatly dressed pretty girls because they are unlikely to strike them back in their jaws, as always they attack as herd, and in addition to that they seek out the foreigners, who are quite far-far away from all this stuff.

When they pour water on themselves on their own bodies - for God's sake, let them be, let them even cut themself to death, but why do they involve others? Are you going to wash and iron clothes of this child? Will you stand responsible for this girl's forced date delay? Can you bring back such a fragile health of this elder person, broken in the result of your taunts? Won't it be you to resent the first, if somewhere abroad, something, say a bull, will knock you down and run over you, and everything will be rejoicing and saying, "don't you even try to be angry - this is our holiday!"

Ask any of them about the origin of the holiday, well, or the essence of the Transfiguration - but do not wait for the answer! The next day after the big church holidays is called "merelots" (commemoration of the dead). On such Mondays work is being canceled at the state level (because it seems like everyone should go to the cemetery), and then with coming Saturday this gap is filled.... Oh, how many times I have heard about the abuse in direction to these merelots days, all these permutations and confusions.... Of course the majority do not even go to the cemeteries, and stupidly stay at home, knowing that the Saturday will also come to nothing.

So, here is what I mean. All of these people know neither what they do, nor what they should do, nor what they shouldn't, nor what they can do, and nor what is not eligible. They actually do not know anything, but they know that doing so is necessary, because everybody does it. So I found the answer to many questions of mine like "why the natural desire is rejected and ashamed here?", "why shame and fear, and desire are all that is seen in the eyes of the majority here?", "why there are so many unsatisfied women and sexually anxious men?".

This holiday, like everything else - is a sublimation of the natural desire that all through the life, for many generations in a row, is being hammered, eradicated, ashamed, blackened and ridiculed.

P.S.
A couple of days ago, sitting in a new a-kind-of-Irish-Pub, one of the visitors, which was then celebrating his birthday, decided to say a toast, which sounded something like this: "I wish that all of the representatives of beautiful half, sitting here, would have been as beautiful, happy and loved, and so they could reach until they fulfil their sacred duty - motherhood.... ". All applauded.

Have you got my point?

I've just seen a Face....

What a beautiful face I found on Portishead's website at Noche 1, Poble Espanyol, Barcelona page today ! Here, and also here. Or should I say here

and also here

Such faces should be seen, not just linked.

And she lives somewhere in this big big world and probably makes her friends and lovers happier every day. Who knows where she is from.... And while Barcelona was the place where these pictures were taken, this should not be considered as a ground to be sure that she actually lives in Barcelona. My Love also has such a picture with herself standing in the same place in front of the stage, taken one year ago by Portishead in Poznan, Poland, but she is not from Poznan, is she?

A Definition

Fleeting  seconds of pure faceless passion - this is when in the warm season of the year cars are passing under your balcony, and there on the seats you see a woman, whose face you do not see, which in fact does not matter at all. What really matters is exactly what you see: a line of her hands, smooth skin of her legs, knees open, marvellous shapes - and all this wakes up in you a naturally-clear sense of the healthy Desire, full of genuine passion, which depends on none of the national, racial,  political, religious or any other convictions. You see it - and you want it. Not necessarily that you want the one who is sitting in the car, but you just want This. Sometimes it does not even possess, but simply to be co-participant with to This.

And this feeling lasts just a few seconds....

On Disasters and Catastrophes (Helpless tears are falling....)

I've heard about another disaster happened yesterday. Here, for example, one of the multiple articles found on the web.

The "rarest animal alive today", according to the Guinness Book of World Records, has been found dead. The conservation icon named Lonesome George passed away on Sunday of unknown causes, according to the Galapagos National Park.

­
He was thought to be about 100 years old, which is not a venerable age as far as tortoises are concerned.

"Sunday morning the park ranger in charge of looking after the tortoises found Lonesome George; his body was motionless," the head of the Galapagos National Park, Edwin Naula, told Reuters. "His life cycle came to an end."

Lonesome George weighed 88 kilograms and touted a 102 cm long shell. He was the last member of a species of giant tortoise from La Pinta – one of the smallest islands in the north of the Galapagos archipelago. Now the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies is officially extinct.

The Galapagos National park plans to carry out an autopsy to determine what may have killed the tortoise.

Up until 1971, the last reported sighting of a giant tortoise on Pinta Island had been in 1906. In 1971 a scientist studying snails on Pinta Island saw a solitary tortoise in the distance. However, it was not until 1972 that National Park wardens found Lonesome George on the island. From that point on he became a symbol of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, which attracted some 180,000 visitors last year.

The tortoise was called "Lonesome George", a name that derived from being the only surviving specimen of his species, and "George," after the US actor George Goebel, who called himself "Lonesome George" in a TV program.

Many years later, Lonesome George was placed in a corral with female tortoises from Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island. The idea was that by placing these animals together, Lonesome George would pass along at least some of his genes into future generations. Despite laying eggs twice, they were all infertile.

Since then, zoos around the world have been offered a reward of $10,000 dollars for a Pinta Island tortoise female, but the reward has not been claimed.

The Galapagos National Park is now considering embalming George's body so that it can be displayed in the park.


Also, I learned today that rived dolphins existed some time ago....

A Supplication

Mother Earth!

Forgive me...... Help me!

The lyrics that were rejected (or maybe they weren't?)

Once again, I was asked by a friend to help him with writing lyrics for his songs. Once again I went through the pictures and images that are not of my style and not of my interest, but I should be paid for that. "OK, what to do. Give me the direction so I can start", I said. So in a couple of hours total the first song was finalized. The lyrics should be provided for a young female singer in the USA, so we looked through my text together, and lots of words and lines have been changed (EVEN MORE simplified, dulled and dumbed, I would say) in order to "sound accordingly", i.e. if a line ends with "day", the next one MUST end with anything that also ends with -ay; or if the voice on the demo record I based upon sings "nai-nou-lai-nou-nai-nou-baby-yeah-nai-nou" the final version MUST read "I know, I know, I know, baby yes, I know". The whole concept/idea/attitude/subject/implementation/working style look 180-degree opposite to my understanding of writing songs, but why should I say "no" if I am promised to be paid (in the times when it is needed very much)? So I said "OK, let's do it!"

Once I was trying to get some material result doing the same kind of stuff, following the same "production flow", guided by the same person and according to the same principles. In the end (when that song was actually wrote), I was told "No, the customer didn't like it", and I forgot about that.... Now I understand that I shouldn't. The same scenario worked for this time as well, so before sending the lyrics for the second song I asked "Are you sure, and can you guarantee that this time it will work fine?" and I was told "The customers are the people I respected the most and any kind of fail is impossible!", I kept in mind that I MUST be ready for the unsuccessful result. And this was the only thing in this whole story that I had clear idea about!

"The lyrics are wonderful, they said, but unfortunately the songs are written not by an American young girl, hence they don't reflect a US-teenager point of view; we need to write our own lyrics, sorry...." This is what I was told by my friend today. I asked "and what about the music? Did they reject it as well?" I knew he would say "No, they're fine with the music."

Was I fooled? Maybe. For the second time? Maybe. Wanna more? Surely not! :-)

And the lyrics? Oh, since they are "rejected" (and since they are actually weak) I am throwing them off.... in the cyberspace (the original versions, of course).



The Way I Go

The summer night has gently fallen down
The people there are waiting – it is Now
The stage before me is calling and I go
I’ve been waiting for so long
The lights are shining brightly over me
The faces are looking gently right at me
I am looking forward and I sing
To the Magic that I bring

And it changes night to day
And my fears run away
All the troubles disappear and I feel so strong
I truly hope this magic can do same to you
With all my heart I believe this can’t be wrong
That’s the way I go

I remember clearly when I was a child
I was told “that’s silly, don’t make a try”
But my heart kept singing, so I tried.
I’ve been trying for so long.
So I will remember this magic night
And how this magic feeling made me fly
The key to all my troubles is my Song
‘cause the Magic that it brings

Will surely change my nights to days
And will wipe my tears away
And will make my troubles look so tiny in my way
I truly hope this magic can do same to you
With all my heart I believe this can’t be wrong
That’s the way I go

In our weakest moments we lose our minds
Thinking none can help us – and crack inside
Truth is that we still can rise again
Just believe in Magic that happens every day

And it will change your nights to days
And will chase your fears away
And will make you happy and we will celebrate
I truly hope this magic can do same to all
With all my heart I believe this can’t be wrong
That’s the way I go



Hope you understand

I can see from my open window how
Fast the life rolls
People ‘round me dance to the rhythm of life
That’s how it goes.
But I’ll tell you what I think
I hope you’ll understand
Just look at the picture in my mind.

On the way I go all this fuss will just
Pass me by
Up above my head birds will fly in blue
Dome of the sky
Life is not just money bringing
I hope you understand
But if not then please just take my hand.

And we’ll walk outside
And through day and night
Will try to make things right.
Nothing changes by
itself, we must try
Support each other’s life.

Why we think of fright in the dead of night
And not of love?
Why destroy what has proved to be so right
And not wrong?
It’s so hard to explain my feelings
I hope you’ll understand
And I want to tell it with my heart.

And we’ll walk outside
And through day and night
Will try to make things right.
Nothing changes by
itself we must try
Support each other’s life.

This feeling lets us learn
About things we don’t know
About what we will meet on the way we’ll go.

And we’ll walk outside
And through day and night
Will try to make things right.
Nothing changes by
itself we must try
Support each other’s life.

Eurovision 2012 Song Contest: My Winner

Eurovision 2012 Song Contest is over for me, because "Beautiful Song" sang by beautiful Anmary did not win.... Nevertheless, for me this song is the best one.

The frames that add to my world - 3

In the death of mere Humans Life shall start!

The frames that add to my world - 2

Here is another wonderful frame from a wonderful scene from a wonderful animated movie "Tangled" (2010).

The whole movie to be watched. Well, or at least the whole scene.

Observations

If a man earns less than enough:

• he is reminded from time to time that he has to work more
• his point of view is not guaranteed to be accepted at all, even if it is correct
• if he adds more to the due sum, it is accepted as norm, but more to be given
• if he does something for himself - he is a squanderer
• wild idea proposed - he is boring
• whatever he does at home - he must do it; if he doesn't do something - he has swelled his head
• his points of view and tastes are the ones that should be reproached or hated 
• even once gone wrong it will be remembered until the end, and referred to when needed
• his descendants are of a lower priority among the equals

If a man earns more than enough:

• he serves a good example for the others
• his point of view will be accepted as a "great advise", be it correct or not
• if he adds more to the due sum, it is being put on the flag and waved until the next addition
• if he does something for himself - he must care for himself as well, mustn't he?
• wild idea proposed - he is interesting
• whatever he does - others must do it too; whatever he doesn't - he is not ought to do everything
• his points of view and tastes are the ones that should be respected or followed, or, well, left unmentioned
• he can't go wrong - everything can be justified
• his descendants are of a higher priority

 What if a man could earn just enough?

Timeless

On the pages of the Book of Revelation we are promised another life, a better one and incomparable with what we currently carry on with. It's hard to believe sometimes, I understand. That's why I post here this video clip from a film by Terrence Malick "The Tree of Life". This is the Formation Scene. Music composed by Zbigniew Preisner.

Having seen this part for the first time I was frightened with the scenes, and captured with the voice and the music in the background. All of the subsequent views of this part of the movie carried me away, to unachievable far distance, in the centre of the Universe, and when I, breathless and cold, see those Horsehead and Crab Nebulae, when I feel roaring sea waves unseen in the black of the sunless Void, when I confirm my insignificance in the face of the Eternity and when I want to cryyyyy out as I just try to imagine my Home, my Mother Earth lost in those pictures of the Universe, and when those pictures roll on with the divine background - either harmonic sounds of nature or a human-created eternal music - I BELIEVE that a better life can be gained. If only knew my soul will be taken there afterwards....

But I won't be able to stay there eternally. Those visions are unbearable expressions of LOVE. Who would dare to see THIS forever?

Only tears in my eyes....

On Disasters and Catastrophes (no more tears left)

Yesterday such a phrase from some of the TV-series reached my ears: "You are guilty of committing a crime against humanity...."

However I haven't yet heard another phrase: "Humanity is guilty of committing a crime against Life (Planet, Nature, Being, Mother-Earth - whichever one likes the most)". Why is everything so unfair?! Although it is said "those who endure to the end shall be saved", and also "this world still exists because of them" (I already wrote on this on the Journal pages). So it turns out that Mother-Earth will suffer all the pain and humiliation, until the last human deserving it stops walking upon it, won't She? Is that right?

Watching Animal Planet, Viasat Nature, where sweet voices tell stories about people who look after this or that species, or how they save this or that animal from violent treatment. "Fortunately, everything turned out all right...." - such words sum up those "positive" plots. But in fact the topic is about how the remnants of worthy people on Mother-Earth are trying to postpone the end of some animal species as far as possible, as their home territory reduces more and more, their lives getting shorter, and their looks getting more tragic. Our Mother-Earth is being deforested, waters polluted, and animals extinct....

And still.... this humanity dares to complain about anything?!

I heard a song today, oh boy....

The song is beautiful and the video seemed to me the best among the other choices....Their music resides inside of us irrespective of our attitude towards them.

In consequence of silence....

... I will just sum up what took place in the past couple of weeks.

1. Major involvement in job responsibilities and different minor works leaves no time for Curly's Airship translation at all. I worry about it, but I have played again the whole piece a couple of times.
2. A "first impression experience" review is written on Peter Hammill's "Consequences" album (will be posted on The Russian Site in a couple of days). "Somehow I relived a mini-model of the-process-of-getting-into-the-pH-works-in-duration-of-time, mapped onto this specific album." The whole review of mine is written in this muddled style coming from subconsciousness. Andy Wood's excellent description of the moment ("I should know by now that PH never gives you what you expect, no matter what  your expectations are. Thankfully.") and Adam's Convictions blog (as I call it) also fit this topic.
3. Vinyl news in VdGG and pH world: mostly through Twitter I've learned that Consequences is a real candidate for release on vinyl. Also, a new VdGG release "ALT" is going to be release in June on both CD and vinyl. Peter a-kind-of-approved Don's (a Twitter member) guess that "Elsewhere" somehow fits the description of the new album.... Let's wait for a while.
4. Recorded David Jackson's "Hello" on occasion of David's birthday. I played it with my daughter in free style, she played on violin following the notes written down (she reads notes!) and I took my guitar. Now she understands what was the recording of-even-a-short-piece-of-music-in-the-studio-in-one-go like. Now she understands that I did a good job when recorded my bass part for Empyray's "Declare the War" in one go (in two parts, actually, but it was the band and the recording engineer who stopped the recording process due to some technical reason; the whole track was recorder in one go!).
5. "Inheritance" - the fourth book of the Inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini is released in Russian. Will be with me in one month though.
6. Made some updates source files related to the Always Something New post, and assisted Kevin from Yahoo Groups in creation of PH discography. Oh, and there is the VdGG one prepared!
7. Consequences grows on me....

Happy birthday, David!

Always something new

Finally, I got to the point when I started building up a spreadsheet containing all the major recordings by Peter Hammill, provided by brief information on what was that "something new" on this or that record. This process requires time, and will appear when I believe nothing special can be added by me, and when it is well balanced (for example, the info is quite ready for the latest album 'Consequences' but should be found out more for early works).

I hope that the translation of "Curly's Airships" will appear sooner....

I heard a song today, oh boy....

An excellent performance of a wonderful song by beautiful Fredrika Stahl

Updated three days later: By the way, posting anything in "I've heard a song today, oh boy...." absolutely does not mean that I am fond of this or that performer, album, movie, or whatever else could there be. I've simply liked one more special single thing in this world. A kind of spur of the moment....

The Lyrics of Judge Smith

Glad to say that "Translation" section on The Russian pH/VdGG Page has been enhanced today with a new subsection: Judge Smith!  Currently it contains translations of both "The Climber" and "Orfeas", as well as the translation of Judge's "What is a 'Songstory'" essay, which is introduced by "The Lyrics of Judge Smith". In fact, "The Fall of the House of Usher" was also translated many years ago, but it enriches the "Hammill" list.

Although I have already made a couple of dozens of "last" corrections recently, Sergey (the owner of the site) has told me to double check everything. I hope that the texts are now final - it took one month to set my head free, then to get back to this task again and only then to figure out the flaws in my texts that my eyes got used to at the earlier stages.

Multiple comments to the translations take readers to Russian-language web resources, except for several references. Either I couldn't find decent pages, or the Russian sources lacked something important. For example, the Russian version of "Eurovision" page in Wikipedia does not mention "Douze Points", which is quite important for that case, in my opinion.

OK, time to get back to my work assignments, and to prepare for a bigger task - the translation of Judge's "Curly's Airships".

“Definitive” collection of live performances

My impressions from the new album are posted here (in Russian). I've added an Appendix to the main essay that includes only the officially released (with all the copyrights kept) live performances with Hammill's participation. The Discography section on hammill.ru does not include live performances, hence this Appendix may both be considered as an addendum to the main discography, and be used as a reference for compiling the timeline of the live performances spread over it.

In my essay I supposed that readers may be somehow interested in an independent recreation of the mentioned “definitive” collection of live performances. Such definition came out after I read another post in Peter's journal regarding the September release, where he says, in particular:

"there’s no such thing as a definitive version; or at least, I’ve no desire for one. I’d rather face up to each song as it comes up on the – constantly changing – setlists and treat it as feels right on the night.

[...]

no version is or can be definitive…but these are certainly authentic."

And then I supposed that "definitive studio version and authentic live version is what we might actually need to have from a performer." The choice of songs for a live album made by the performer himself will, nevertheless, be definite, thus giving us the “definitive” collection of live performances. That is the logic.

I would like to note that at first I did not want to include video materials, festival compilations, etc. However, imagining that the timeline will lack some key VdGG periods, I declined that limitation.

The development of this topic will appear, probably, in the next post. I will add to the main liveography those performances, that would enrich it in some way.

Russian equivalent of 'a songstory' word - My Choice

.... And Judge replied.

Not that I got blessing in his reply for using one of the variants and prohibition for the other, no. He just stated the key features that his neologism contains. It wouldn't be bad to keep them intact.

"I adopted it [the neologism], as much as anything else, for the sound of the word 'SSSSongSSSStory'. As long as your Russian version includes the idea of Narration or Storytelling, and the idea of singing or a song, and the word sounds attractive, it will work well."



I had three more days of choosing headache, and even came up with the third variant, but eventually, with a help from a couple of fresh pairs of ears on sober-minded heads, and one not sober (drunk, that was mine) I made my choice upon the latter variant: Песнесказ [p`es - ne - sk`az].

More on the development progress can be found here and here.

P.S. And now I reflect, is there a point in stretching the process of launching of these translations? Maybe both should go simultaneously? Let's see what Sergey suggests - he will actually be doing it.

VDGG vinyl reissues

I think I am starting to understand the main point of the situation with the vinyl re-issues of Van Der Graaf Generator albums.

 

Peter Hammill speaks: "Virgin licensed the albums for vinyl release back in 2011. Once this happens, it's really up to the vinyl label to get on with it, as and when. As I say, these *are* official releases but they're also completely out of our control, apart from having given the original authorisation to Virgin for them."

 

It seems to me that Virgin, having received that original authorisation, found some vinyl labels and legalised their releases. It started with the American "4 Men With Beards" label whose announced the release of the first three albums on vinyl to happen on November 16, 2011; later that date shifted back to November 29, then once again to the middle of December, then to the middle of January 2012 (January 12, if I'm not mistaken), and once again to some day in March, and then back again to February 14 (currently). However, it has been several days already that European labels announced their HQ double vinyl releases. I say "labels" (in plural) because different web-pages show different names: Prog Classics (Cargo Records), Pid, Ais.... or maybe this could stand for something that I do not know.

Either the Bearded Four were forced to wait for the global release date, or they have had some internal issues, but their release dates are not far away from the European ones, announced to happen on February 24 (in some sources - 20 and 28).

Meanwhile I cancelled my order placed on Amazon, and decided not to buy European releases too, because:

1. those are American releases, and I prefer the "natives";
2. like it or not, those are reissues, and I prefer the first "originals";

3. those are regular reissues with no bonuses added;
4. the European releases prove to be double high-quality vinyls, with bonus material, however this probably be a simple transfer of the 2005 digit onto vinyl; if this is how the things will develop then I see no sense in buying them for myself;

5. after all, if I buy them, I will put them into the box (not even on the shelf) and will keep on listening to my digit. 

 

So would my purchase worth more than a hundred Euros? No, methinks. At least in my economical situation. Growing wiser!

Russian equivalent of 'a songstory' word - Mistakes

Six days ago a proudly stated here about finding an equivalent of "a songstory" word in Russian language. Then I relaxed. But today I woke up with another candidate. You can kill me but I won't be able to remember what did I see there in my dream, but this new word has sat deep in my mind; on my way to work I was trying to remember all those arguments that stood pros for my first variant, and re-read that post of mine upon arrival to the office and now it seems to me that I have found at least three mistakes in my reflections.

1. Somehow I tied myself to "повество-" root that was suggested by the variant found on the Web. Yes, it seems more poetical, more melodious than "сказ-", but both words "повесть" and "рассказ" equally appear to be analogues of "a story".

2. Having once again thoroughly read the English original (as if I didn't do that before!) I understood that my approach of reading the word backwards has changed the essence. Songstory.... First song, then story. "song""story" is what should have been emphasized, and "story""song" is an adjective here. But I emphasized the process of singing, with just a shade of narrative applied. As a result I got "narrative singing", but it should be opposite: a narrative (story) that is being sung.

3. Finally, I suppose I was wrong in introducing the nature of a songstory as "the story finds its meaning (or starts living) when being sung". But we see the pictures as I read the lyrics, don't we?

To be short, I think I've had overphilosophized. I should not have changed anything, I should translate in a simple and easy way. For example:

a song - "песня"
a story - "рассказ", "история".
a songstory - a composite word, two roots used, the latter is the main one (story), the former just defines the nature (song-, as adjective).
"о" and "е" - two connective vowels in Russian. I am not yet sure whether I can successfully use "о", but if "е" is used.... "песн-е-сказ" is what we get.

But some worm is gnawing me: what if I wake up someday next week with another variant?

I need a judge to judge me. Judge would do it better....

On Disasters and Catastrophes (crying out tears)

Oh how many good and interesting people there are all around me, how much of goodness and kindness there is in this world. They say, this world is better than we feel it is....

This night I was browsing YouTube, watching Pixar-related videos, and somehow, just accidentally, I reached a page with different videos about hunting and hunters.... and then once again I praised all those disasters, diseases, catastrophes, wars, and most of all - Natural Rages that annihilate and turn into nothing all that biological rubbish called Human Being. The Earth tries to clear Herself from that multibillion filth, She groans and gasps for breath. Most likely She will prevail sooner or later: a Human Being does not deserve walking upon Her.

They also sometimes say regarding good people that "this world still exists because of them", which means that "if this world still exists then somebody deserves it still".

    Cry those tears, then dry those tired eyes:
    every breath you take keeps you alive.

    Butterflies as we are
    freeze in flight beneath the starry sky
    but the ghosts fly on and on...
    in this sense we all belong,
     oh, Gaia!            

     And the sum of all the parts
     is the all-forgiving heart
     of Gaia.            

    Oh, Gaia!   
    (Peter Hammill, "Gaia", 1992)

Mother-Earth, you have all rights to not forgive us for what we do to You!

On Translations - part 5

I wasn't clear saying that I am doing a "rhymed" translation of 'The Climber'. It should be mentioned here that The Climber is not rhymed in principle (being a songstory). I meant not that I am going to rhyme what has not been rhymed, but that I was going to bring the Russian translation phonetically and rhythmically as closer to the English original as possible. And this is another story.

One more addition to be done: 'a songstory' term was actually suggested by John Ellis. Judge substantiated that musical form and approved the suggested term, to actively use it further on.

P.S. This Judge Smith's essay has been translated into Russian. Probably tomorrow everything will be ready to be web-published....

Life Milestones

Are there any absolute, common for all age milestones on our life timeline? I think many people reflect in that direction. I fell there is something of that kind, and that I have passed two of those milestones.

The First Milestone.... Although probably our first milestone was someplace there, at a very young age, but we do not realise that consciously, and infants do not need that vanity at all. OK, my first milestone is 21. When I turned 21 I felt some incredible lift-up. I thought I could do everything I would want, any kind of undertaking. I found my future wife in that age and introduced my girlfriend to my family (believe me, all of those who knew me by that time were in shock). Over the years, growing older and meeting failures I started thinking that one can achieved nothing in his life at all, if started later than when he is 21.

The Second Milestone - 40. It has been more that 6 months since I celebrated my 40th birthday, so here is what I happened to collect of what I feel.
- desire to live in an absolutely white (walls) room, with minimum of items around (a computer table with a wheeled armchair, a TV set, audio/video players, obligatory shelves for my discs), no curtains, no pictures, no chandeliers....
- my teeth somehow began causing me troubles
- I want to get rid of useless items, and have sold several discs and "The Beatles - Anthology" book already
- I get so tired quite soon
- either the lack of practice (I don't remember already when it was that I went out of our home in the evening) or anything different, but I experience problems while singing (I start feeling discomfort in my nasopharynx)
- after I come home from walking anywhere other than "to work and back" I feel very tired
- when I am sleepy (both at home and at work) I put everything aside and sleep
- my old fears became my advisers
- many of what I accepted earlier is being criticized now
- the feeling of lifelongness of punishment for my life failures much amplified, it now does not imply any hope to get some feeling of forgiveness in this life, and after - it does not troubles me somehow (there should be something that I already lost due to my failures)
- if nothing has been created by me over a day, I can feel it dying in my hands
- I decided to start blogging

There should be something more, but I do not remember now. I do not force anything to stay in my head if I do not need that.

What next?

P.S. Here is another interest: could it be that when we were infants we were shown some key images from our future, remembered them at subconscious level, and now, when we follow our life paths and check with those milestones by means of deja-vu phenomenon, we wonder "this already happened in the past!"?

Added on April 28, 2012.

Meanwhile, I keep on remembering some details.
- my already-not-such-high speed of playing strategic games became even worse
- I no longer love bright sunlight and hot days
- success and achievements in different areas do not bring me joy, but fade when Sun goes down

Full circle is about to close, and it becomes so hard living endearment-less....

Russian equivalent of 'a songstory' word

This post of mine is another bilingual one again due to the topic introduced. I found another equivalent in Russian language to express the meaning of 'a songstory' in one word.

The recently found "повествопесня" uses, as the English original does, two roots: "повесть" and "песня". However the latter refers to a single song. The word I chose - "пение" - stands for "singing", thus making my version slightly weaker. However if one goes through those words in reverse order, s/he can find that the term is described like "stories that are being sung", meaning that "the story finds its meaning" or "starts living" when being sung. Hence this would describe not the process but the nature of this piece of work.

Also, in Russian there is "повествование" word that means "narration", which supports the process of origination of this new word in the best way, I believe.

So, I propose another Russian analogue of the English 'a songstory' (invented by John Ellis): 'повествопение'.

You are most welcome to propose a better version! I will be happy if I find anybody else interested in this stuff.

Added 6 days later, on January 26, 2012:
IMPORTANT! The development of this topic is presented here.

On Translations - part 4

Status
My Climber is ready. After I finished my "final" run yesterday I shut the computer down immediately, leaving only one chance for the ultimate "dress-rehearsal" run. What has been done is another comment of medical nature added, some better options chosen, but nothing reworked. There were three pieces that took most of that run time, but eventually I get back to the initial readings. I marked those three places in the text for my own records, just to see if any side feedback arrives in that regards. Also, I found much more minor places than I did yesterday that do not "match" mathematically or rhythmically or phonetically (and marked them too for my own internal use), however I decided not to go on correcting them all. There is no need for that already. So I can say that the translation of "The Climber" by Judge Smith has been finalized today.


Orfeas
As for this piece of work, I think I will not be pursuing the same goal of providing rhymed translation. No need to tickle my own vanity. This can be done, I presume, but that will not be interesting for me already. "The Climber" demanded it, while "Orfeas" wants something new. In fact, what I tried to do in my Climber was already implemented in Judge's "Orfeas", at a higher level though. I adapted one language to another following the same rhythm and music; Judge adapted music to a human speech. He describes that process here, you should read it.As I wrote earlier - the draft is done, however based on my experience with "The Climber" I can make an estimate and say that this will require up to one week to present the ultimate version of my Orfeas. But before that...


Scheduled tasks
.... before that I need to write an Introduction to the translations of Judge Smith's lyrics, and to translate that wonderful essay by Judge on Songstories. Once I met a Russian interpretation of that word invented by Judge, but I will think twice before I reuse it. Who knows maybe I will be able to find something more attractive. As soon as I have both prepared they will be posted on hammill.ru. So, "Coming soon!"....

On Translations - part 3

Status
It turned out to be quite a busy day, so done nothing in this direction today. However, yesterday I succeeded in further polishing of my Climber (leaving only a dozen of out-of-sync syllables; in fact there were more before that), and also added more comments on the mentioned food and wines.

Questions
1. How to proceed? Should I take another look into my Climber or should I keep it aside and proceed with my Orfeas?
2. Do I want to present both translations together, or it would be better to post them in series? I think the latter option is the winner: let them arrive from time to time not bothering each other. Also, if I would want to post two of them together, then why not to post three?
3. So, I need to take a short rest before I am ready to post my Climber. He will climb first, and Orfeas will follow. But for how long can I postpone the launching date?

On Translations - part 2

Status of "The Climber"
The translation of "The Climber" is verified, a couple of minor (hopefully final) edits done and, I think, correct decision made: I am going to present the rhymed translation as my ultimate output. The lyrics is so deeply interconnects with the music that I think it deserves such a treatment. Those dozen of tiny fragments that simply need to be sung quickly, or stretched to due to different syllable count and differences in the rhythmic construction do not affect overall impression, and in general the whole piece can be read without singing as well (something like watching a movie without sound).

Orfeas
Yes, about to start the second round of going through Orfeas draft. While running through The Climber I noticed that my translation got improved by the moment I reached the end. Not to say that it was weak from the beginning, but that I caught the thread, and successfully followed it. Since Orfeas was my second output, I hope this will be felt even better here. By the way, only four comments have been added to The Climber, mostly the translations of minor occurrences of some words in Italian, and one on the North Italian Plain, for the name of which I had to apply minor rewording. Orfeas already has more than thirty....

Questions
No such at the moment. Now need to take a short break, and then make some noise to welcome the George Orfeas Band!

On Translations - part 1

Status
Both "The Climber" and "Orfeas" are translated (one week passed since then, in fact). In-line versions were done on one and in one and a half days, respectively. However, I felt that this is not enough and I can do more than go over them polishing and improving some rhymes. Having Judge's approval in hands, I decided not to get into rush and produce some decent translation made of words and phrases, but to put myself in them. So, what can be done here?

The Climber
The Climber is a beautiful piece of work, requiring not just to be understood, but to be sung. At my first attempt (at work!) I did the first "Choir" part - and I decided to prepare another translation of the whole piece. A rhymed one! I want it to be sung in as many languages as possible. That was quite a challenge for me: the meaning should be delivered, the rhyme to be preserved, and, if possible, phonetically both original and derived texts should match. Today I am happy to say that this task is done. I celebrated it with another cigarette and now need to replay it with the Russian lyrics to see how the whole piece goes. Who knows, maybe I will decide to delete that file immediately? :-)

Orfeas
Orfeas is different. This is a powerful piece of music.... no, I should say "of Music". It is all about Music and people. It is so very different in styles, in music, in lyrics, that I need to think out a correct way of working in to get the ultimate translation.

Questions
I am still in doubt about which one should be the ultimate translation for "The Climber". Do people need to sing it anytime they read it, I mean to keep music in mind, or it will be better to present a simple version in poem-like form for easier reading? Or should I present both? I think I need even more time/effort to find the answer....

Peter Hammill: A Serious Tour

Six years ago.... OK, I'll be short (everything is written there anyway): my new essay about the Russian part of the Peter Hammill Quartet tour in 1995 has just been launched at http://www.hammill.ru Reviews section (in "English" branch for English-readers, and vise versa). The direct link to the PDF file is here. The title of this post shows the title to be searched for in the whole list over there. The old essay should only be considered as a part of history - I abolish it in its informative aspect. Аs mentioned in the newly added introduction (to its Russian version only):

For reader's information.

Being written many years ago based on a very small amount of information, this essay contains fragments that have been recently claimed to provide incorrect information. In particular, those are not correct description of the role of some of the mentioned persons, incorrect subjective imagination of the organizational structure of the described events, and subjective attitude towards some facts, persons and events.

Hence, based on the newly provided confirmed information I offered you the new essay. However based on some certain factors we came to a trade-off agreement: the old essay should not be removed from the site, but will include this Introduction and the cross-reference to the new one. In order to escape all possible conflicts between the two descriptions, please consider the latter to be the main (ultimate) material on this web-page (of my authorship) describing the Russian part of Peter Hammill's tour in 1995.


Thank you for understanding,


Mikayel Abazyan
January 12, 2012

While the rest make no headway or look back, he is the one who looks forward!

Hooray!!!

Today Hammill has announced about a special 7-disc life performance recording box set soon to be released.

It includes:

1 and 2 - September 2011 release of two programs out of four programs presented in Japan in 2010: "What if I forgot my guitar?" and "What if there were no piano?"

3 and 4 - next two programs: "What if I knew this was the last show I would ever do?" and "What if I played only VdGG/VdG songs?"

also:

5 - "What about songs I didn't play in Japan?"
6 - "What about songs I dropped from the setlists?"
7 - "What about the best alternate versions?"

Limited edition of 2000 sets. Release is set for February13, 2012.

It is specially stated that "even though it’s a box set (all the rage, it seems, these days) there are no signed artist’s plectra or sunglasses, no fourteenth mix of the fifteenth outtake, no surround sound revisitation." I have expressed my personal thanks for THIS in Peter's blog.

And then, in a few minutes I was informed that release date of the first three VdGG LPs was once again shifted to April 2012 (originally being set for November 17, 2011). And in the next few minutes I've learned about David Bowie being re-releasing his oooold material agaaaaain, probably in a new wrapper. I do respect Bowie, but regarding to what does he do.....and not only him......

And Hammill is now preparing his new studio solo album for release!

The frames that add to my world

It happens to me that when I watch movies I meet some frames that by some hidden means are immediately being fixed in my consciousness like some small masterpieces. They contain something I have not yet conceived, and inspire me each time I see them (naturally, I go over those movies frequently).

Finally, I picked out yesterday all the movies I could recall, and found those frames. I also made some other favourite screenshots, but then decided to pick only one for this page, the most stunning representatives. To be honest, I made some exclusion, and provided additional commentaries.

This collection may look strange, inconsistent and mixed, hence – non-standard. Thanks God if it is so!

And so….

Thinking about how to start, I decided for the frame that, as far as I remember, appears to be the first “my” frame.

Stallone-Cobra. Calm in waiting, confidence, master of his job…. What else could I have seen in this frame then, in 80’s, while being a teenager? Stallone “came” to me earlier than Schwarzenegger did. The latter is highly respected by me, but I would hit “6” out of 10 if you would start asking me about his works. Some of his characters are ultimate, like Conan the Barbarian.

The new conan lack that charisma and brutality, like schwarz’s one does, hence starts with small “c” here.

Since we started discussing the superheroes, I am going to follow this thread and introduce my favourite comic book hero – Batman.

I am not fond of comics per se, but those installments that touched me found their place in my world. With a help from my friend I played all the contemporary Batman movies and checked the “done” box somewhere. However Christopher Nolan’s Batman played by Christian Bale captured me. This is exactly “my” type of Batman, the Dark Knight who “can stand it”! Maybe sometime in the future other superheroes will be revealed for me but today they are silent.

The “true superhero” topic has been touched in “Kill Bill, Vol.2” movie. However, Russian-speaking people accepted the official version of the title, which means “to kill Bill”, not the “list of those who must be killed”. So, Bill (David Carradine) presents Superman like the only true superhero. And despite Batman is my superhero, I really love his monologue! However the frame I chose from this movie comes from completely different scene, and does not show Bill. Oh, here it is.

Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) occupies only one-third of the frame, but the way she does it is magnificent! Looking over her shoulder with the “farther” eye, impale with her sight and pre-celebrate the victory of calculation over the confidence, not even showing the pupil of her eye…. Of course, this frame was seen, selected and kept for the movie by Tarantino, for which I would like to thank him! And for everything he did. Here is another example from his “Death Proof” (officially translated like “The Proof of Death”)

The following frame takes his special place.

I saw “Keoma” on video when I was a teenager, on VHS, of bad quality, but that all does not affect the contact of a person with a newly arrived small portion of his inner world that finds him. Lion-like Keoma (Franco Nero) fighting for justice, breaking the limits of the normal understanding of life (“Keoma, the [newborn] child will die [all alone]!”, “No, he will not die! He is free, and those who are free can never die!”), dying and being saved by the weird intervention of the same matter – all this is wonderful to me. And the songs! By the way, the scene from where this frame comes must be watched together with its soundtrack! Here is another frame, dull without music, but filling eyes with tears and throat with lumps with it. 

Standard shapes of absolutely unique people, gradually blackening in the deep of the military airship that should take them far away from home to meet their death. People losing their identities and becoming cannon fodder…. Oh how much does this world lose in such moments!

There is another frame in my collection requiring its music in the background.

“Repo: The Genetic Opera”. In my opinion a much underrated movie, lost behind other Repo-creations. Many people consider this movie being muddled for the mixture of metal music, sinister screens from the creators of “The Saw”, the Alexa Vega’s character and Sarah Brightman’s vocal, but I love the suddenness and bold ideas, I love music, I love beautiful scenes, and I liked this movie. And I liked this music too. I usually do not listen to the music of the presented music style (sorry for this word), but this doesn’t matter already – the movie became a part of my world.

I often being impressed with how do the actors play, with their faces. Here are some of them.

Leader William Wallace ruined by the treason brought about by friend

Soldier Michael (Robert De Niro) playing for life and standing all possible humiliation acts

Criminal Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero (Al Pacino) finds himself deadlocked

Junior sergeant Varvara Sinichkina has just found lost hope and love

Open-hearted Bernard (Gérard Depardieu), puzzled but suspected of nothing at all asks his wife: “Qui est cette fille?” (“Who is this girl?”)

Doctor Levan Tsintsadze (Sergo Zakariadze) in peace with the world, people and himself says farewell to his life.

Pure Juliette (Olivia Hassey) in love

Inspired by her faith, Joan of Arc (Milla Jovovich) lets her emotions out

Count Nikolay Rezanov (Nikolay Karachentsov) has instantly raised above all the reasonable obstacles in his love.

Wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) exposes all his terrible ideas by one elusive motion of his brow

One frame with two faces. Guard Brutus 'Brutal' Howell (David Morse) refers to his colleague Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) saying: “Paul, you have to say it, you have to give the order.”, although both do not want this to happen.

Here is, of course, the duel between a bishop (Peter Vaughan) and a criminal Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson) that in several seconds turns into the scene of the salvation of a human soul. Two faces, two fates, two lives meet together in time and space. It is probably impossible to show them together in one frame, like in the previous example. We need to see both faces in full. Naturally, I put two frames here.

All those frames are staggering in themselves, but I believe they will have much more sense when those sequences are watched on the screen, with dialogues, with music…. After all, you better watch those movies in full.

There are frames I would happily hang on my wall, because they are beautiful, actors also play brilliant, and given the context finalizes the connection, although many of them are literally torn out from those seconds of motion that affect me in the known way.

Romantic Ostap Bender (Andrey Mironov), not sparing his *life in the name of his Dream (Rio de Janeiro)* with the objective reality provided for his sensation.

President Walsingham (Alexander Trofimov) and Mary (Svetlana Pereladova), bravely looking into the face of the Plague surrounding them with the dawn sky in the background.

Murdered John Doe (Kevin Spacey) has risen in his madness and envy above everything and even has extinguished the sun.

DJ Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), accepted challenge, and now is standing on the top of the mast high above the sea and looking into his fear’s eyes, saying “A-Wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo!”

No comments

Another example of a hopeless hope, an unexpected help, and harmony between internal and external, a union of a human being and the world – Captain Boromir recovered (Sean Bean)

Yes, here I used two frames from “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”. Let’s assume I am allowed doing this because the three movies of the trilogy were release on two discs each (the shortened theatrical version is not considered in principle). Here is another pair from the third installment of the trilogy.

Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and hobbit Peregrin Took (Billy Boyd) approaching the White City in Gondor

The Ride of Rohirrim through the Sauron’s army in Battle of the Pelennor Fields

Another return of a king. Odysseus (Armand Assante), suddenly appeared in the centre of his wrecked but not demolished world, and his son Telemachus (Alan Stenson) meet the hour of their wrath.

Leaving his past in the past, armed with the present, and with a help of his student Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) believing in future Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) finds his place in this world.

The second (promised) frame from “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”. Gandalf the White (Ian McKellen) brings down the riders of Rohan on the horde of orcs, thus giving victory.

Teacher Justin McLeod (Mel Gibson) is shaking farewell. He was the only man who was near and made a man out of a boy Chuck (Nick Stahl). In the finest sense of the word and not in the one the vicious society thought of.

Oh, maybe I will dedicate a special essay to this actor somehow. Now he is a lifetime reality-show object Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), who has just finally understood the meaning of what is going on all around him and stops with a wave of his hand not only a bus….

It turns out that there are four things one can look at forever: fire burning, water flowing, choose the third thing for yourself, and the fourth – those several seconds from the life of Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman), by which Stanley Kubrick opens our eyes wide.

Erotism in cinema – this is a separate topic. You can discuss it, argue, but it is impossible to deny it. It exists in everything, so why can’t it be in movies as well? Here is one of my favourite frames from the latest movie of Maestro Tinto Brass “Monamour” (I intentionally do not translate it as “my love”)

By catching her hand, Leon (Riccardo Marino) catches Marta (Anna Jimskaia) unawares in the middle of an official party and makes her follow him

And one more frame “taken” from two perspectives (i.e. two frames). When there is no hope but some close soul is near you – take each other’s hands. Salvation comes in such moments.

Finally, one more frame.

Everything is there: a suddenly-found-new-peace of my world, one more hero of mine, and a nice frame too, and the actor born-to-play-this-role, and a picture of I-would-like-to-see-it-hung-on-my-wall kind, picture/sound harmony, and “must see in action”.

In addition, yesterday we finished another round of going over all the parts of the cycle in series. There are four so far, and I truly hope for more.

And I truly hope for more frames that will add to my life and will give me more energy.