| Invocation |
I am the crow of desperation
I will effect your validation
I spin relentless variation
I scramble in the dust of a failing nation
I was concealed
Now I am stirring
And I have waited for this time. |
| Lesson |
The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in. |
| Benediction |
I remember King David,
With his harp
And his beautiful, beautiful songs;
I answered his prayers,
And showed him a place
Where his music belongs
It's not too far from here;
Come get up off your knees
If you're looking for ways to please...
Sing me no psalm;
You're not King David.
Sing me no high,
Hushed Glory Be:
Sing it to one,
One of the broken
And brother you're singing,
Singing to me
Sing me no deep
Hymn of devotion;
Sing me no slow
Sweet melody:
Sing it to one,
One of the broken--
And brother you're singing,
Singing to me. |
|
| Close your eyes |
| Sunday, July 23, 2006 |
I completely understand why my opinion of the 1987 film Siesta is in the minority. I liked it. In my defense I'll note that this was some time ago. How long? Well, I watched it on Beta.
The film has flaws I'll readily recognize (though I shouldn't discuss them in detail since it is, after all, a suspense thriller). I'm susceptible to rich atmosphere and stunt casting, and Siesta has both. The film was shot in Spain, with lots of golden sunlight, dim shadowy rooms, and all you might expect; and the cast includes Ellen Barkin; Gabriel Byrne (in one of his first major film roles); Julian Sands; Isabella Rossellini; Martin Sheen; Grace Jones (who counts as both "stunt casting" and "rich atmosphere" all by herself); Jodie Foster; and the redoubtable Alexei Sayle as a maniac cab-driver.
Keep in mind that the film comes from the screenwriter who gave the world 9 1/2 Weeks and more than a dozen installments of Red Shoe Diaries, and was directed by Mary Lambert, whose subtlety was honed creating early music videos for Madonna. The apparent apex of Lambert's career since: Pet Sematary (unless Urban Legends: Bloody Mary turns out to be a lost classic). Stay away--unless you have a star-crush on at least one of the principals and a very high tolerance for pretentious symbolism. I had both, so there you are.
 But.
I will brook no dissent from my opinion that the soundtrack is some of the loveliest cinematic music of the 1980's. Created by Marcus Miller and the incomparable Miles Davis in a mere two weeks, the music is at once lush and stark. I've deleted three attempts to describe its beauty; I give up. Open the windows, lie back and close your eyes. You'll find yourself in your own dream-movie, almost certainly better than the original; and if you borrow some of Siesta's stunt-casting for your own fantasy, that's your own affair.
The files are from my cassette copy, cleaned up as best I can; since the pieces tend to glide into one another, I decided against splitting them further than by album side (which still mattered in 1987, but that's another post). You can split the files yourself if you like, or better still get your own.
Siesta: Side One
Siesta: Side Two
By the way--the next post will be all-digital, I swear. No whining, or I won't post the tracks I've got from David Byrne that have never been released on CD. |
posted by Rah @ 9:34 PM  |
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