FAUST%MIT-OZ%MIT-MC@sri-unix.UUCP (06/16/83)
From: Gregory Faust <FAUST%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC>
Should we include things like "Journey to the Center of the
Earth" by Rick Wakeman? (An entire album that tells the clasic tale).
GregAlfke.PASA@Xerox.ARPA (07/15/85)
From: Peter Alfke <Alfke.pasa@Xerox.ARPA>
How about:
Al Stewart's "The Sirens of Titan"
(I forget which album this is from) The song is quite definitely
based on the Kurt Vonnegut novel. I heard the song first, so I
had a really great time reading the book. ("Oh, so THAT'S what
that means! ...")
Genesis' "One For the Vine"
(From "Wind & Wuthering) An entertaining time-travel fantasy.
...and let's not forget all the Stevie Nicks songs that sound like all
the bad fantasy novels that clog the SF shelves at B. Dalton ...
--Peter Alfkecrm@duke.UUCP (Charlie Martin) (07/16/85)
I got in to this in the middle, so if I mention something that's already been mentioned, don't [b,f]lame me (one week of vacation, 374 aticles in sf-lovers alone, who could resist the temptations of the 'c' key...) Anyway, how about: "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" by Ambrosia -- a nice setting to music (with additional lyrics) of the 53rd Calypso of Bokonon (from Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut.) The whole first side of the very first Jefferson Starship album, "Blows Against the Empire." -- Charlie Martin (...mcnc!duke!crm)
henry%clemson.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (07/17/85)
From: Henry Vogel <henry%clemson.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
I'm glad to hear from other people who like music with SF overtones to it!
I'll toss my two cents in to the growling likes of SF music:
Planet P - Planet P Every song on this album has SF overtones to it - not
mention I think it's a great album!
Styx - the song "Come Sail Away" plus their entire Mr. Roboto album (I didn't
really like Roboto that much, but it is SF).
Hawkwind - Just about all of their songs have some form of SF theme to them.
Kansas had quite a few songs with SF or fantasy overtones to them (primarily
these came from their first 5 albums - which I also thought were their
best ones).
Rush - Every album I've ever listened to by Rush has some SF themed song and
(as someone mentioned before) 2112 is entirely SF.
I'm sure there are more that I know of but can't think of right now. I'll
check my album collection and post any new discoveries if I find them!
Henry Vogel
henry%clemson.csnet@csnet-relayknf@druxo.UUCP (FricklasK) (07/17/85)
Also, there is Queen's "'39"-- a song about special relativity. '`'`' Ken '`'``
boyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) (07/20/85)
> From: tellab3!thoth (marcus hall) > The song by Queen is called '39. It is on the album "A Night at the Opera". > [...] > It's a favorite of many people I know. I didn't expect something like > this from Queen, but supposedly Brian May, I believe, who wrote the song > dabbles into astronomy. Dabbles? He has a PhD!! Sources I seen differ as to whether the degree is in Physics or Astronomy, but I'm not sure that it really matters. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
romkey@mit-borax (07/20/85)
From: romkey@mit-borax (John L. Romkey) Michael Moorcock also cowrote Blue Oyster Cult's song "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" from the Heavy Metal soundtrack. It's fairly sf-ish. A couple of other songs from the soundtrack are SF-y (??) even when taken without the movie. And Fleetwood Mac's (Stevie Nicks's) song "Rhiannon" is supposed to be about a Welsh (Welch?) witch. Anybody know if Stevie's still around? - john romkey romkey@mit-borax
CPE07401%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA (07/20/85)
From: S. C. Colbath <CPE07401%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA>
Can anyone tell me what group wrote/performed the song '2525' (I
think that's the name)? I heard it on the radio, but the announcer had
already given the name and the performer, and didn't do it again after
the song, so I missed it. I think it was written sometimes in the late
1960s. The first lyric goes 'In the year Twenty-five Twenty-five',
and each succeeding verse adds to it, with the last being (I think)
'In the year Fifty-five Fifty-five'... Pardon me if this one is too
simple, it's just a little out of my time...
-Seantrudel@topaz.ARPA (Jonathan D.) (07/22/85)
Boy, thinking about this one really brings me back. Back in the mid-70s
there was an album called 'The Intergalactic Touring Band' that was a group
effort album. There were many people who contributed to the album, but the
only one I remember is Meat Loaf. Anyhow, the album was a collection
of songs, all being sf in nature. There were songs about a lot of things,
and these are the ones I remember:
1) the IGTB theme song
2) intergalactic zoos
3) salesmen that sold robots with the latest Vibracon Globes,
4) galactic warriors telling their tales
and so on. I haven't seen the album in years since my brother hid it
because I played it so much. It was a really nifty album, and it came with
a small storybook, and the record sleeve was a futuristic orderform. Does
anyone else remember this one?
--
Jonathan D. Trudel
arpa:trudel@ru-blue.arpa
uucp:{seismo,allegra,ihnp4}!topaz!trudel
"You can't fight in here, this is the WAR ROOM!"snoopy@ecrcvax.UUCP (Sebastian Schmitz) (07/23/85)
Summary: Expires: References: <decwrl.3222> Sender: Reply-To: snoopy@ecrcvax.UUCP (Sebastian Schmitz) Followup-To: Distribution: Organization: European Computer-Industry Research Centre, Munchen, W. Germany Keywords: This is not true. Brian May did do some research in the area and he has published a paper on the "Motion of Interstellar Dust". He was working on his thesis for his PhD but never got it published or accepted because he did not finish it. Too much time taken playing for Queen. I have this on reliable source (himself, in fact). Actually he is still very interested in astronomy/astrophysics. He is however a big fan of SF (as is Roger Taylor - Queens drummer) as witnessed on the "News of the World" cover and Roger Taylors "Fun in Space" album (and cover). Also of course the Flash Gordon film soundtrack got underway mainly because Brian got hooked on it and wrote most of the songs. Also he did a hard rock version of the Starfleet theme song (with Van Halen, Fred Mandel (I think)). To be heard to be believed. Incidentally whoever put the original query in: I replied to you without following up - perhaps you could repost my reply to you to the net, so that other people could take advantage of my posting. I reckon I put quite a few pointers to SF music in. Thanks, -- Love, Sebastian (Snoopy) "You haven't done it, till you've done it with pointers" \!mcvax\!unido\!ecrcvax\!snoopy /* N.B. valid csh address */
jims@hcrvax.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) (07/24/85)
> From: S. C. Colbath <CPE07401%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA> > Can anyone tell me what group wrote/performed the song '2525' Damn, I forget the group. BUt I do have an interesting bit of trivia about the song (Actual title: In The Year 2525). On the day Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon (July 2[012] 1969), that song, In The Year 2525, was the number one hit in America. (This bit of trivia was brought to you via Trivial Pursuit, Second Edition) As for Music and SF, what about Tonio K ? Off the La Bomba EP there is a track called "Mars Needs Women" (See you in the Van Allen Belt) Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger's Series also springs to mind (don't read it) Random Note from a Random Mind Jim Sullivan
br@cstvax.UUCP (Brian Ritchie) (07/24/85)
Some more SF-connected music:
Virtually everything Hawkwind have ever done; the only album I ever had was
titled something like `The Warrior At The Edge of Time', and included poems
written and read by Michael Moorcock, with wierdo Hawkwind-effects in support.
`The Pentateuch' by Dave Greenslade; actually a collaboration with SF artist
Patrick Woodroffe - DG did the record, PW the accompanying book. I don't know
any more about it other than that the shop I saw it in said it was a load of
rubbish!
Brian Eno: Apollo (soundtrack for a collage of NASA space film, directed by
someone whose name I've forgotten -- DON'T tell me; it's written
on the LP at home. Eno's notes say something like `I wanted to
create music which reflected the ambient `atmosphere' of being
in space' (only a bit better phrased). Not having been there,
I don't feel qualified to comment on the success of his attempt;
some of the `music' works for me, some of it doesn't (one track
has very animal-like noises on it, and this was before the Shuttle
started its monkey-business :-)
On Land (if we're going to count Tangerine Dream for *sounding*
`science-fictioney', then this has got to be in on it)
Genesis: The Return of the Giant Hogweed (Triffids piss-take)
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
(perhaps `surreal' rather than `SF')
A Trick of The Tail (Fantasy)
Yes: Astral Traveller
Starship Trooper
The Gates of Delirium
(Oh dear, my comments on Yes have turned into a ramble, which I can't be
bothered tidying up. Sorry!)
Although Yes are lyrically distant from SF (in fact they seem lyrically
distant from *anything*), I always think of their music as `otherworldly'
(whatever that means). Also, check out Roger Dean's cover art, especially
for `Yessongs' which tells a pictorial story of the demise of a planet and
its subsequent `re-seeding' on another world. This latter `planted the seed'
for Jon Anderson's (first) solo LP `Olias of Sunhillow', which attempts to
repeat the story musically (see above note on Yes' lyrics).
`Olias of Sunhillow' comes closer to my imagination of `alien folk music'
than anything else; in particular, it comes to mind whenever music is described
in the Pern books. Pedants may point out that since `Olias' has a fair amount
of synthesiser sounds, it is not really that likely a candidate, but the whole
album has an `acoustic' flavour, and that goes a long way to satisfy my
impression of the music of Pern. I do listen to a lot of traditional music,
which fits the `acoustic' image (harp, guitar, cittern, fiddle, dulcimer,
mandolin, etc etc), but even granted that the music of Pern may well be derived
from our own traditional music, I *want* it to sound different! Thus far,
Olias has come closest to fitting the bill; I'd be interested to hear anyone
else's `earthly approximations' to Pern music (or the music in any other works
of SF).
If anyone is really interested in `science-fictioney' music, I'll try and
make a list from my collection at home (if I remember), but it's likely to
be quite large, and boring to anyone else... if you're interested, mail me.
(Oh dear, what have I let myself in for...?)
Cheers,
Brian Ritchiejcr@mitre-bedford (07/24/85)
From: jcr@Mitre-Bedford > From: ttrdc!levy@topaz.arpa (Daniel R. Levy) > > There's the song "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" from a > few years back... anyone remember the artist? Sure do, and I've been wondering how long it would take for someone to mention this song. The 'popular' version was done by The Carpenters and, to my taste, was pretty awful, bordering on elevator music. The much better original version was on the first album of a group called Klaatu (obviously not afraid to show their SF leanings, are they?). Virtually this entire album, titled simply "Klaatu," as well as their second, titled "Hope," is SF-influenced, or outright SF. My personal favorite is a song called "Little Neutrino," from the first album, which relates the thoughts of a neutrino as it passes through the listener. Another nice one, from the second album, relates the plight of an interstellar lighthouse keeper who's the last of his race. Beyond the unusual lyrics, the guys have no lack of musical talent. I recommend them if you can find them (their first album appeared around '75 or '76). Another excellent album that I believe no one has mentioned yet has the awkward title of "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of 'The War of the Worlds.'" This is a double-album set which re-tells, though music, song, and narration, Wells' classic story. I remember thinking, when I first saw this album, "Oh, no! What a great chance for someone to produce some really tacky music." But I was pleasantly surprised; it's really quite well done. Richard Burton (the actor) plays the protagonist (from whom we hear most of the story); other voices heard on the album (both singing and speaking) include: Justin Hayward, Phil Lynnot, and David Essex. (BTW, Jeff Wayne is the producer.) I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys both SF and music, but I'm afraid it's not easy to find; it appeared around '78 and I rarely see it anywhere. Don't expect to find it anywhere but used or collector's record shops. (Actually, I'm curious as to how many people on this list may have heard this album. If you've heard it, send me mail.) Still more SF-related music can be found on several of the albums of Uriah Heep, most notably "Demons & Wizards" and "The Magician's Birthday." From the song "Circle of Hands" on the former: "Circle of hands Cold spirits plan Searching our land For an enemy Came across Love's sweet cost And in the face of beauty Evil was lost" And from the title song on the latter: "Let's all go to The Magician's birthday It's in the forest but Not so far away Much to do and so Much to say While we listen to the Orchid orchestra play" (Sorry if the quotations are a little off; they're from memory.) I believe these two albums appeared in the '70 to '73 period, but they're probably easier to find than the others I've mentioned. Gee, I hope I'm not the only one to appreciate these gems. Regards, Jeff Rogers jcr@Mitre-Bedford.ARPA
sheppard@convexs.UUCP (07/26/85)
The song is actually named "In the Year 2525", and was (about) the only hit that the group "Zager and Evans" had. It was a monster hit in the late 60's (1968 or so), and is somewhere in the top 40 rock hits of the last 30 years. If you're really interested, I can dig all of that up. Andy Sheppard Convex Computer Corporation
rubin@mtuxn.UUCP (M.RUBIN) (07/29/85)
The group was called "Zager & Evans"; I've also heard the name "Mike Zager's
Moon Band" announced for some other song, and assume it's the same person.
Otherwise I know nothing about them.
--Mike Rubin
{ihnp4, rest of AT&T}!mtuxn!newtech!rubin
"...for the Eagle has landed; tell your children when --
Time won't drive us down to dust again!" -Leslie Fishchris@umcp-cs.UUCP (Chris Torek) (07/30/85)
>Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger's Series also springs to mind (don't read it)
Why not? The stories are fairly amusing. (I will read anything at
least mildly entertaining rather than watch TV... not that I have a
working TV.)
--
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 4251)
UUCP: seismo!umcp-cs!chris
CSNet: chris@umcp-cs ARPA: chris@marylandroyt@gitpyr.UUCP (Roy M. Turner) (07/31/85)
I don't remember if anyone has mentioned these songs in this raging discussion
or not (the memory is the first thing to go...I think...I really can't
recall...), but how about:
Kashmir -- Led Zep ("I am a traveller of both time and space...")
Starship Trooper -- Yes
Some of the songs on "A" (Jethro Tull)
I, Robot -- Alan Parsons (well, come on, the *title* is sf, after all! (-: )
I think someone already mentioned "Time" by ELO; and I was happy to see that
I wasn't the only one to have bought the (excellent) Planet P album! I was
beginning to think I was!
Roy
--
The above opinions aren't necessarily those of etc, etc...but they
should be!!
Roy Turner
(a transplanted Kentucky hillbilly)
School of Information and Computer Science
Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!gitpyr!roytops@ncsc (08/01/85)
From: ------ Operator <ops@ncsc> Jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty has a cut called "Wandering On The Milky Way" on the "Imaginary Voyage" album. The title cut (which is the whole second side) isn't specifically science fiction, but it has the feel. Doesn't Spider Robinson mention Ponty in the "Melancholy Elephants" collection? Anne McCaffery's epsodic book "To Ride Pegasus" contains an eposide about a folk singer who can manipulate the emotions of crowds as she sings. Jessie (ops@ncsc) -------
DEKEMA%hp-hulk.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (08/03/85)
From: DEKEMA%hplabs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa Here's my 2 cents' worth (eek, no cents key on the HP150!): Elton John's "Rocket Man" My apologies if this has been mentioned already.... Mrs. Hobbs :) -------
ops@ncsc (08/05/85)
From: ------ Operator <ops@ncsc> '2525' was done by Zager and Evans. Jessie (ops@ncsc) -------
boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (08/09/85)
From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (JERRY BOYAJIAN) > From: romkey@mit-borax (John L. Romkey) > And Fleetwood Mac's (Stevie Nicks's) song "Rhiannon" is supposed to > be about a Welsh (Welch?) witch. Anybody know if Stevie's still > around? While it's true that the name Rhiannon is a reference from Welsh myth, the lyrics from "Rhiannon" don't seem to me to be about such. As for Stevie Nicks, yes, she's still around. Still recording with the Mac (whenever they get around to doing another album), and flying solo as well (two albums so far, with a third on the way). --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (08/14/85)
A bit late, I know... but I just heard Pat Benatar's "My clone sleeps alone".
Has anyone mentioned this one yet?
--
Peter da Silva (the mad Australian)
UUCP: ...!shell!neuro1!{hyd-ptd,baylor,datafac}!peter
MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076waltt@tekecs.UUCP (Walt Tucker) (08/15/85)
> From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (JERRY BOYAJIAN) > > > > From: romkey@mit-borax (John L. Romkey) > > > And Fleetwood Mac's (Stevie Nicks's) song "Rhiannon" is supposed to > > be about a Welsh (Welch?) witch. Anybody know if Stevie's still > > around? > > While it's true that the name Rhiannon is a reference from Welsh myth, > the lyrics from "Rhiannon" don't seem to me to be about such. > > --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) Check out the "Fleetwood Mac Live" album (released following the Tusk tour). On the live album, there is a version of Rhiannon that Fleetwood Mac recorded in London. As is the custom with many live albums, the performers do some sort of introduction to the song. Over the opening chords of Rhiannon, Stevie Nicks says: "This is a song...(small pause)...about a Welsh Witch" (background noise of crowd fades up then down... then "Rhiannon rings like bells in the night, etc, etc, .... .... dreams unwind, love's a state of mind, etc, etc...) Case closed. Incidently, this version of Rhiannon is longer than the studio version, and contains some other lyrics not heard on the original. Actually, I like the live version better. -- Walt Tucker Tektronix, Inc.
wjr@x.UUCP (Bill Richard) (08/23/85)
In article <3200@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA writes: > >While it's true that the name Rhiannon is a reference from Welsh myth, >the lyrics from "Rhiannon" don't seem to me to be about such. > I more or less agree that the lyrics of the song aren't obviously about witchcraft I remember seeing the group preforming on one of the old music shows (remember Midnight Special, et al) and Nicks introduced the song with "This is a song about a witch." -- ---- William J. Richard @ Charles River Data Systems 983 Concord St. Framingham, MA 01701 Tel: (617) 626-1112 uucp: ...!decvax!frog!wjr