Re: Diamanda Galas

[larry@csccat.cs.com (Larry Spence)]

In article <9104090143.13219@munnari.oz.au> shaun@iris.mincom.OZ.AU (Shaun Hayes) writes:
>In article <1991Apr7.214314.3139@desire.wright.edu> it was writ:
>
> >.  Diamanda has (I think) 5 albums:
> >The Litanies of Satan
> >Diamanda Galas
>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is the second time I've seen this one mentioned.
>Can anyone tell me what it's like (!), catalogue numbers, etc.  I'd
>love to get it, but no-one here seems to have heard of this woman....

This is the self-titled album on Metalanguage Records.  Like all the other
cool Metalanguage stuff, it's out of print.  I've seen a catalog number for
a German CD with this "title" on Intercord and posted it to r.m.cd a week or
two ago.  There's another DG fan who has been trying to track down this 
album for a long time, and he's going to try to use the Intercord # to order
it again.  If he succeeds, I'll get a copy and let you know where to look.

> >I haven't gotten the third part of
> >the trilogy yet but I hear she does an a cappella version of "Swing Low Sweet
> >Chariot".
>Yep, and it's chilling (that woman can _sustain_ a note!).  Drop everything.
>GO OUT AND BUY THIS ALBUM.  It utilises the idea of carnival and "spiritual"
>music - i.e. is more "modern" - to take the trilogy through time up to 
>the present (sort of).  The title track and the one about "drink[ing] your
>scotch and soda at the bar" (DAMN! why can't I remember the title?). Brrr.

"Let's Not Chat About Despair."  Agreed, it's pure venom.  Listen carefully
to the effect that comes in on the vocal on the line about "scotch and so-da
at the barrr" -- to use a weird analogy, it sounds like her voice is on a roll
of scotch tape that's being unrolled (hey, I said it was a weird analogy %).

>Talking about giving you the chills.  The only fault with the album is that 
>it's too short.

At least with _Certain_, you can put it on with other people in the room.  
It's almost impossible to play the others at any decent volume with other 
people around.  It's like watching someone tearing the skin off their own 
body with their bare hands.  Not the sort of thing you can converse over. %)

There was a great interview with DG in Forced Exposure a couple years ago.
She mentioned a woman "challenging" her onstage to a vocal contest (the
woman was a gospel singer), which the woman freely admitted to losing.  I
can't think of anyone who can match DG for sheer dynamics, control, and
stamina.  She'd probably do a lousy cover of "The Morning Fog," but Kate
couldn't touch "Wild Women With Steak Knives." %) %)

-- 
Larry Spence
larry@csccat.cs.com
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