rsk@pucc-k (Wombat) (08/07/85)
Curiously enough, very few people actually mailed in their responses;
so this list is culled from correspondence, posted articles, and my own
collection. If you have something to add, please *mail* it to me; if there
are a lot of changes/additions, I'll repost this again in the future.
My address and a (probably incomplete) list of people who contributed appears
at the end of the article.
Al Stewart: "The Sirens of Titan" (Vonnegut)
Alan Parsons Project: "I Robot" from Asimov stories.
Alice Cooper: On "School's Out", the words "Klattu barrada nicto"
occur in background vocals near the end of "My Stars".
Amon Duul II: Much sf-oriented material. German band.
Anvil: "Mothra"
Aphrodite's Child: The album "666" is the veritable armageddon waltz.
Vangelis was in this band back then.
Bedford, David: "Star's End"
Billy Thorpe: "Children of the Sun"
Black Sabbath Sort of. Tends to black magic et. al. Try "Technical
Ecstasy" for beginners, "Paranoid" for advanced,
"Black Sabbath" (1st LP) for demented.
Blue Oyster Cult: "Black Blade" on E.T. Live is another tune done
with Moorcock. See also "Veteran of the Psychic
Wars", "E.T.I.", and "The Subhuman".
ELO: "Mission (A World Record)" on "A New World Record".
The entire album "Time".
Captain Beyond: "Astral Lady", "Voyagers From Distant Planets", etc.
Lol Creme/Kevin Godley: "Consequences" is an ecological parable.
Dave Greenslade: "The Pentateuch"
David Bowie: "Space Oddity" (most emphatically NOT "Major Tom")
discusses eerie experiences in orbit. Also has
a film, "The Man who Fell to Earth".
Deep Purple: Occasional forays into SF. "Space Truckin'", "The
Mule" (Asimov's 'Foundation'?), etc.
Elton John" "Rocket Man"...perhaps from Bradbury's "Illustrated
Man"? Anyway, another road song.
ELP: Occasionally...esp. "Karn Evil 9" from
"Brain Salad Surgery". See also "Tarkus".
FM: "Black Noise"
Flanders & Swann: THE ROAD GOES EVER ON, settings of Tolkein songs.
Flash Fearless and the Zorg Women, parts 5&6: another weird IGTB type
collaboration album from the late 70's with some
well-known rockers on it.
Fleetwood Mac: "The Green Manalishi with the Two-Pronged Crown"
(Judas Priest did an eminently forgettable version)
"Rhiannon" might be about a Welsh witch.
Genesis: "Watcher of the Skies", "One for the Vine", perhaps
"The Return of the Giant Hogweed" (Hello Triffids),
"The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (surrealism), and
"A Trick of the Tail" (fantasy). Oh, and "Get 'em
Out by Friday".
H.P. Lovecraft: one album...contains "At the Mountains of Madness".
Estimates place them from late 60's to late 70's.
Hansson, Bo: "(Music inspired by) The Lord of the Rings"
Hawkwind: The all-time consensus champion for sf-oriented rock.
*Some* of their albums are: "Hall of the Mountain Grill",
"In Search of Space", "Quark, Strangeness, and Charm",
"Space Ritual--Alive in Liverpool & London",
"Warrior on the Edge of Time".
Michael Moorcock, a member of the group, has in fact
written some fantasy-sf, including "Time of the Hawklords",
a fantasy about the band saving the world. He co-wrote
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars", from the soundtrack of
"Heavy Metal". He also released a solo album late in
the 70's.
Hendrix, Jimi: Delta blues, except that the delta is on Mars.
See "1983...A Merman I Should Turn to Be",
"Hey Baby", and "Third Stone from the Sun",
and lots of other stuff.
Jeff Wayne: "War of the Worlds". H.G. Wells' story with
Richard Burton doing narration.
Jefferson Airplane: "Blows Against the Empire" (album)
"Have you seen the Saucers?" from
"Thirty Seconds Over Winterland". Also did
CSN&Y's "Wooden Ships" (post-nuclear holocaust).
"Crown of Creation" from Wyndham's "Re-Birth".
Kansas: Lots of stuff. See "Kansas", "Song For America",
and "Leftoverture" for details. Also "Masque".
Klattu: Best know for "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary
Craft", and "Little Neutrino". Albums: Klattu, Hope.
The Carpenters also recorded "Calling Occupants..."
Apparently the song was conceived as prayer to be
recited all over the globe to induce aliens to visit.
Kraftwerk: Sf-themes occasionally. Certainly sounds sf-ish.
Albums include "Autobahn", "Radioactivity",
"Man Machine", "Computerworld", and "Trans-Europe
Express".
Jack Lancaster/Robin Lumley: "Marscape"
Led Zeppelin: "No Quarter" from "Houses of the Holy" is rather
eerie, but no one is quite sure what it's about
"The Battle of Evermore", from Led Zep IV discusses
Ringwraiths. Also see "Ramble On" on Led Zep I
for mention of Mordor and Gollum. See also
"Misty Mountain Hop" on Led Zep IV. Some speculation
that "Stairway to Heaven" is about Saruman's
journey to the west, but nobody seems to be sure.
MC-5: On "Kick Out the Jams", "Rocket Reducer".
Magma: "Ihedits", "Udu Wudu"...sort of cross between German
language research and H.P. Lovecraft. Tried to
invent their own subculture.
Metallica: "Kthulu" [sic] on "Ride the Lightning".
Moody Blues: "To Our Children's Children's Children".
NRBQ: "Rocket 9".
Nektar: "Remember the Future"
Pink Floyd: Of course. "Set the Controls for the Heart of
The Sun" & "Astronomy Domine", (Ummagumma) are
fairly representative. Much of their instrumental
music has an sf/fantasy feel to it. See also
"Piper at the Gates of Dawn".
Planet P: Albums: "Planet P" and "Pink World". Now known
as Planet P Project.
Queen: "Thirty-Nine", from "A Night at the Opera", discusses
the problems of relatavistic travel.
Ramases: "Space Hymns", including great fold-out cover.
Ramatam: "In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns"
Rolling Stones: Wrote the ultimate road song for astronauts,
"2000 Light Years From Home", which on "Their
Satanic Majesties' Request".
Rush: In "2112", the protagonist discovers an ancient
guitar and winds up battling the dictatorial
priesthood. "Red Barchetta" on "Moving Pictures"
is similar, except the guitar is replaced by a car.
See also "Cygnux X-1" (thought to be a black hole),
"Rivendell" (Tolkien reference), "The Necromancer".
Scorpions: "Robot Man" on "In Trance" See also
"Electric Sun" by ex-Scorption Uli Jon Roth.
Schilling, Peter: "Major Tom (Coming Home)"; perhaps a sequel
to Bowie's "Space Oddity"?
Sensational Alex Harvey Band: See "The Tale of The Giant Stone-Eater"
from "Tomorrow Belongs to Me".
Seventh Wave: "Things to Come"
Shadowfax: Much sf/fantasy material.
Spirit: "Future Games" has interspersed fragments
of old "Star Trek" episodes between tunes.
Starcastle: A Yes clone. First album has a nice piece,
"Lady of the Lake".
Styx: Usually has one sf-ish piece on each album. All
of "Mr. Roboto" is a fable. See also "Man of Miracles"
and "Come Sail Away". There is some speculation
that "Lords of the Ring" on "Pieces of Eight" is
Tolkien-derived.
Tangerine Dream,
Jean-Michael Jarre,
Return to Forever,
Weather Report,
Jade Warrior,
Vangelis,
Deodata,
Eno,
Jean-Luc Ponty,
Michael Urbaniak: Instrumentals that could be used
in an sf soundtrack.
The Flock: "Dinosaur Swamps"
The Hitchhiker's Guide: Just a note that the theme music for
THHGTTG is "Journey of the Sorcerer" from the Eagles'
"One of These Nights".
IGTB: Stands for Inter-Galactic Touring Band; Mish-mash
album put out in late 70's with all sorts of people
on it, purporting to be a group on galactic tour.
Tonio K: "Mars Needs Women" from "La Bomba".
Tubes: "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman", on "Completion
Backward Principle".
Ambrosia: "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" is the 53rd Calypso of Bokonon
from Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut.
Uriah Heep "The Magician's Birthday", and "Demons and Wizards".
Utopia: "Winston Smith Takes It on the Jaw" from "Oblivion".
(Orwell's 1984) Possibly "Adventures in Utopia".
Van der Graff Generator: "Pioneers Over c"
(c refers here to the speed of light)
Yes: Much sf-oriented work. Try "Astral Traveller",
"Starship Trooper" (Heinlein?), "The Gates of Delirium".
See also Jon Anderson's "Olias of Sunhillow".
Zager & Evans: "In the Year 2525". Dated but cute. Was #1 when
Armstrong walked on the moon.
Zappa/Mothers: From "Roxy and Elsewhere" "Cheapness", the story of
a grade Z monster. Other stuff too...
People who helped:
Alan Greig, Brian Ritchie, Charlie Martin, Chisholm, Daniel Dern,
Dave Fiedler, Dave Rosik, Doug Alan, Ellen Keyne Seebacher, Freeman,
Gareth Husk, Henry Vogel, Jay, Jeff Rogers, Jessie, Jim Sullivan,
John Francini, John Romkey, Jonathan D. Trudel, Ken Fricklas, Lewis Barnett,
Lionel, Marcus Hall, Mark Schlagenhauf, Michael Caplinger, Mijjil,
Miles Bader, Paul Anderson, Paul S. R., Peter Alfke, Steve Herring,
Steve Lionel, Steve Tynor, Stuart, Terry Poot, Vlach, William Ingogly.
--
Rich Kulawiec rsk@{pur-ee,purdue}.uucp, rsk@purdue-asc.csnet
rsk@purdue-asc.arpa or rsk@asc.purdue.edusdh@alice.UUCP (Steve Hawley) (08/08/85)
Missing from the list: Steve Vai On the album "Flexable" the sons "Little Green Men" comes to mind. There are others in a similar vein. "Life.. don't talk to me about life. Its so depressing." -Marvin Steve Hawley alice!sdh
mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (08/09/85)
> Hendrix, Jimi: Delta blues, except that the delta is on Mars. > See "1983...A Merman I Should Turn to Be", > "Hey Baby", and "Third Stone from the Sun", > and lots of other stuff. Jimi's blues are not from the Delta. Delta blues refers to acoustic stuff, typically sung by one, usually male, person who also plays guitar or sometimes piano and/or harmonica. Practitioners include Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Lightnin Hopkins, *very* early Muddy Waters, Bo Carter, Robert Pete Williams, Son House, etc. The faster, louder, more electric blues that Jimi's descend from come from Kansas City and especially Chicago, where so many Southern blacks emigrated during and after World War II. Chicago blues have come to dominate the blues scene. Practitioners include Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Slim Harpo, Guitar Slim, T Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, B.B. King, Son Seals, etc. Just setting the record straight Marcel Simon
kimcm@diku.UUCP (Kim Christian Madsen) (08/11/85)
Also missing is: Pink Floyd Saucerful of secrets & Wellcome to the machine. David Bowie Ashes to Ashes, Starman and Memory of a Free Festival. Wings Venus and Mars. Kim Chr. Madsen a.k.a. kimcm@diku.uucp
knf@druxo.UUCP (FricklasK) (08/14/85)
--> Pink Floyd "Welcome to the Machine"
A SF song? Huh? Maybe it SOUNDS science fiction-ey but COME ON!
'`'`'
Ken
'`'`chris@laidbak.UUCP (Chris Granner) (09/26/85)
hi- Tolkien fans looking for references to Mordor and Gollum in the Led Zeppelin tune "Ramble On" will find this tune, not on LZ1, but on LZ2 (third cut on the second side) -- this is arguably the finest tune by a fine band, although to say that the song was ABOUT Gollum &| Mordor is stretching it a bit... -cg(...!ihnp4!laidbak!chris) hail eris all hail discordia