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.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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).
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";
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;
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!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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....
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.
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....
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
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....
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....
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....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)