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Archive for the ‘Julie Maroh’ Category

Julie Maroh–Blue is the Warmest Color (2010) [translated 2013]

Posted in Death, Dreihunderttausend Verschiedene Krawalle, Drinking, Germania, Graphic Novel, Ivanka Hahnenberger, Julie Maroh, Laibach, LGBTQ, Sex, The Rolling Stones, Translation on February 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Cover_Blue_Angel_MarohSOUNDTRACK: LAIBACH-Sympathy for the Devil (1988).

sympathyAfter recording Let It Be, Laibach decided to tackle another sacred cow–the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”  “Sympathy” is my favorite Rolling Stones’ songs and even so, I love this incredibly different version of that song.

The Laibach version does everything that they did to Let It Be–changing tempo, deep spoken vocals, marching beat and chanting and they do it eight times.

This is an album/EP (it’s 50 minutes long) and it features several (quite different) versions of the song as well as some recordings by Laibach side projects Dreihunderttausend Verschiedene Krawalle and Germania.

I’ve broken the track listing down by artist, although on the disc, they are interspersed a bit more which adds to the variety.

Laibach: “Sympathy for the Devil” – Done in a big bombastic style–with deep spoken words.   I love the way the horns (after the second or third verse) bring in this cool militaristic/triumphant feel.
Laibach: “Sympathy for the Devil (Time for a Change)” – This version isn’t that different.  The music is minimal–the keyboards are stripped away, although the triumphant horns seem louder and the hoo hoos seems to be more present in the mix.  There’s some wild orchestration in the middle and some very cool tubular bells at the end as well as an instrumental denouement.  I think I prefer this version.
Laibach: “Sympathy for the Devil (Dem Teufel zugeneigt)” – Features some quotes from Kennedy and is spoken in German (with sitar (!) accompaniment).  The remaining verses are done in the original deep voice.

300.000 V.K.: “Sympathy for the Devil (Anastasia)” or “Anastasia” – Sirens open this song as pianos lull us into a sense of peace before the chaos of sampled music and loud beats takes over.  Even though it has really nothing to do with “Sympathy” the “oh ohs” from the Laibach version are also sampled.
300.000 V.K.: “Sympathy for the Devil (Soul to Waste)” – Vocals slowed down even more, sounding deeper than Laibach (in fact he kind of sounds like Andre the Giant).  I’m not even sure what he’s saying in the beginning (the “Sympathy” lyrics do kick in properly at some point).  It does have the same feel as the Laibach version but faster and even more dancey.  The female backing hoo hoos are a nice lightening touch.  There’s also a rocking guitar solo.
300.000 V.K.: “Sympathy for the Devil (Soul to Waste – instrumental)” –Just an instrumental dance version of the above, probably the least interesting on the disc.  Twice as long as the non instrumental version.

Germania: “Sympathy for the Devil (Who Killed the Kennedys)” – This song opens with an interviewer asking if someone has a theory about who killed Kennedy.  The answer is a sullen no.  This interviewer pops up throughout the song repeating the questions and then asking about mixing drugs.  There are all kinds of samples buried in the mix (I hear “All You Need is Love”).  The lyrics are whispered by a female vocalist while the original Jagger vocals are played quietly behind her.  The deep male voice comes in too.  The music is kind of a discoey dance version of the Laibach bombast.
Germania: “Sympathy for the Devil (Who Killed the Kennedys – instrumental)” – Only has a little of the spoken word business–it is basically just a dance remix.

So even though these versions are all basically variations on a theme (and yes 50 minute scan get a little maddening), the variety is pretty impressive (especially since they reuse many of the parts in the different versions).  No one is going to love this version more than the original, but all these years later, I still think it’s pretty cool.

To see the original Laibach version in all its glory, check out this video which I’ve not seen before:

 

[READ: January 17, 2015] Blue is the Warmest Color

I was intrigued enough by Maroh’s Skandalon, that I wanted to check out her earlier book, Blue is the Warmest Color.  I had no idea that it was a really big deal or that it has been made into a movie.

This book, which was translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger, is about a woman who is sure of her sexuality until she meets a woman who changes her mind.

The book is incredibly moving and touching, and it is told in a way that gives you the (sad) end right up front, although the end is not exactly what you think it is.  It’s incredibly well done.

As the book opens up, we see that a woman is riding a bus to go to her lover’s house.  There are superimposed words from her lover’s diary which says that when the woman on the bus (Emma) reads these words, the writer will be dead.  As the first sequence ends, we read: “I love you Emma, you are my life.  Signed Clementine.”  Emma has gone to Clementine’s parents house (where Clementine was living) to retrieve the diary.  Her parents are not happy with Emma.  And they seem to blame her for Clem’s death.

The book is kind of a visualization of Clementine’s diary from when she received it on her 15th birthday until her final entry. (more…)

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Julie Maroh–Skandalon (2014)

Posted in David Homel, Drinking, Drugs, Graphic Novel, Julie Maroh, René Girard, Sex, The Beatles, Translation on February 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

skandSOUNDTRACK: THE BEATLES-Abbey Road (1969).

220px-Beatles_-_Abbey_RoadWithout knowing the history of The Beatles and their recordings, you’d never know the acrimony that was created by this record and Let It Be.  This record doesn’t really seem all that different from their other records, but it in part caused the band to break up.

The opening of “Come Together” is unique in music, it sounds so unusual and so unlike the Beatles.  I love it.  This song seems to be psychedelic in lyrics but very standard rock in music.  It’s a cool mix.   “Something” is a beautiful song (I had no idea it was written by Harrison!)

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is another goofy Paul song–he really was quite silly.  I like it, it’s fun.  But the other Beatles hated it–Lennon said it was “more of Paul’s granny music” and left the studio for two weeks.  Harrison was also tired of the song, adding “we had to play it over and over again until Paul liked it. It was a real drag”. Starr was more sympathetic to the song. “It was granny music”, he admitted, “but we needed stuff like that on our album so other people would listen to it.”

Even though “Oh Darlin!” is not usually my style (doo wop), I really like the song a lot–probably because of how raw McCartney gets his voice by the end.  “Octopus’ Garden” is of course a goofy fun song–Starr wrote it.  It takes some of the seriousness out of the album, but it’s always fun to sing along to.

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is quite a shocking song especially after “Octopus.”  I’ve always liked the way the end cuts off seemingly in the middle of nowhere–even Clark last night listening to it said That was weird about the end.  It’s a fairly simple song (there are hardly any words), with a bluesy section a kind of prog rock section and it goes on forever.

“Here Comes the Sun” is a song that I knew as a kid which I never connected to the Beatles until I was in college.  My mom loved the song, but didn’t really like the Beatles, so I’ve always just assumed it was some folk song.  It’s a really pretty song (by Harrison).

“Because” has an interesting chord progression and is very cool with the multilayered voices.

“You Never Give Me Your Money” is a fun bouncy song that begins as a mellow piano song and then turns very jaunty.  Then comes some great guitar solos and a rocking ending.  This song begins what is considered the medley at the end of the album.  This song itself has so many parts that it could be a medley itself.  The remaining songs are all between 1 and 2 minutes all blend into each other.

Starting with “Sun King” which is quite pretty with lovely harmonies and Italian lyrics at the end.  I never knew “Mean Mr. Mustard” was called that.  It’s a bouncy song about a nasty guy.  It quickly jumps to the fast “Polythene Pam” which is barely over a minute.  Then come four songs written by McCartney, “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” a super catchy song with great harmonies–it’s just under 2 minutes long and it merges into “Golden Slumbers” which I always assumed was just the introduction to “Carry That Weight” (as they always seem to get played together on the radio–which makes sense since together they are 3 minutes long).  The medley ends with “The End” which features a Ringo Starr drum solo and a rocking guitar solo.

At the end of the album and not part of the medley is “Her Majesty” a 38 second song.

Abbey Road is a pretty near perfect album.  There’ s a couple of goofy songs which kind of undermine the intensity of the record, but they are also really fun to sing along to, so that makes it okay in my book.

[READ: January 7, 2015] Skandalon

Maroh wrote and illustrated this book (translated by David Homel) about a rock star and his attempts to deal with (or not) the increasing fame he gets.

The artistic style she uses is really interesting–I assume it is all painted with very heavy paints.  It is occasionally “sloppy” but it is always effective and quite powerful in the images it creates.  It also reads very European to me, which I find interesting (given that she is in fact French).

As the book opens, we a singer Tazane on stage with his adoring fans.  And then, at a pres conference he plays up his diva act and walks out on a question he finds impertinent.

In the tradition of the Wall and Jim Morrison, Tazane tries harder and harder to get a reaction out of his fans, or maybe just to alienate the  fans and the press. He sings songs with lyrics like “I feel nothing about people.  I feel nothing about myself.”  And his “public image” (a phrase he hates) gets damaged every time he speaks. (more…)

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