My OperaSong Of The Week #31
Friday, February 24, 2012 12:37:40 PM
Julian Cope : Psychedelic Odin
As you may recall, I'm a great fan of the rock maverick Mr. Julian Cope, and I have a number of his albums. This one in particular, 2008's Black Sheep was fairly hard to get - it's a Japanese import, which I considered myself lucky to find in Berlin....it wasn't cheap either, but totally worth it 
I like his druidity (if that's a word. Well - if it wasn't, it is now! ), because that way of seeing the world suits me too .
This dude has such a lot of good music in his portfolio, that...well, what can I say? His later and current stuff is not as immediately and obviously tuneful or commercial as his earlier stuff, but these days he's more intense, dedicated perhaps, and able to voice his commitments much more strongly, I think. Early JC and The Teardrop Explodes are gone (but not forgotten) - he just writes more directly now, and is thinking, looking, feeling his way around the universe and seeing it, in my opinion, for real and in approximately it's true light.
This album is, as they say, a game of two halves. CD 1 is called 'Return of the Native' and CD 2 is called 'Return of the Alternative' (geddit?). JC manages this all rather well, keeping plenty of melody and form whilst still delivering a certain amount of polemic...although despite the rant at the end of the featured track, this album still sound like the dude who wrote and sang 'Kolly Kibber's Birthday' and 'Passionate Friend', and rants are minimal (well, there is only one really ) The rest of the album is excellent , although...ummmm...'alternative' is definitely a key word here The 2nd CD kicks off with a catchy number called 'All the blowing-themselves-up motherfuckers will realise the minute they die that they were suckers'. Worth it just for that title alone, in my book And, if you like the featured track, I'm quite sure you're going to like this album Highly recommended, and it gets 5 out of 6 on the old musicometer.
Julian Cope's home base, here, an interview, here, another good interview, here, his surprisingly extensive discography, here and his product available on Amazon, here
Youtubes, then :
As you may recall, I'm a great fan of the rock maverick Mr. Julian Cope, and I have a number of his albums. This one in particular, 2008's Black Sheep was fairly hard to get - it's a Japanese import, which I considered myself lucky to find in Berlin....it wasn't cheap either, but totally worth it I like his druidity (if that's a word. Well - if it wasn't, it is now! ), because that way of seeing the world suits me too . This dude has such a lot of good music in his portfolio, that...well, what can I say? His later and current stuff is not as immediately and obviously tuneful or commercial as his earlier stuff, but these days he's more intense, dedicated perhaps, and able to voice his commitments much more strongly, I think. Early JC and The Teardrop Explodes are gone (but not forgotten) - he just writes more directly now, and is thinking, looking, feeling his way around the universe and seeing it, in my opinion, for real and in approximately it's true light.
This album is, as they say, a game of two halves. CD 1 is called 'Return of the Native' and CD 2 is called 'Return of the Alternative' (geddit?). JC manages this all rather well, keeping plenty of melody and form whilst still delivering a certain amount of polemic...although despite the rant at the end of the featured track, this album still sound like the dude who wrote and sang 'Kolly Kibber's Birthday' and 'Passionate Friend', and rants are minimal (well, there is only one really
) The rest of the album is excellent , although...ummmm...'alternative' is definitely a key word here The 2nd CD kicks off with a catchy number called 'All the blowing-themselves-up motherfuckers will realise the minute they die that they were suckers'. Worth it just for that title alone, in my book And, if you like the featured track, I'm quite sure you're going to like this album Highly recommended, and it gets 5 out of 6 on the old musicometer.Julian Cope's home base, here, an interview, here, another good interview, here, his surprisingly extensive discography, here and his product available on Amazon, here
Youtubes, then :
You must be 
Gavin Tripp-Sheedygarlingmatthews # Saturday, February 25, 2012 12:15:05 AM
DHdarkesthour # Saturday, February 25, 2012 1:27:16 AM
Harry...the man!harrytheman # Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:34:09 PM
~ latemate ~Lazeeitus # Monday, February 27, 2012 11:30:24 PM
Harry...the man!harrytheman # Monday, February 27, 2012 11:35:46 PM
Originally posted by Lazeeitus:
Now that is worth mentioning
KittyliciousZaphira # Sunday, March 4, 2012 4:46:18 PM
~ latemate ~Lazeeitus # Sunday, March 4, 2012 7:38:43 PM
FlaRin # Sunday, March 4, 2012 8:57:41 PM
Don't know about you (obviously) but I'm quite fond of the druid way of thinking, not that I am a Druid (or anything else, really), but I do feel that we're surrounded by spirits (whether you wish to call them Tree spirits, rock spirits, water spirits, whatever)....and because of this way of thinking I felt very at home in New Zealand, with the Maori way of seeing the world too - which doesn't disallow this kind of spirituality at all, even though your standard Christianity is the main story there. That's only been there since Captain Cook landed anyway, not so long ago in real terms, and I can assure you that when you get out into the raw, wild country and the bush, the Tapu suddenly makes much more sense and feels more real, immediate and appropriate than anything the average living-room beliefs have to offer
~ latemate ~Lazeeitus # Tuesday, March 6, 2012 9:46:42 PM
FlaRin # Friday, March 9, 2012 6:05:21 AM
'Tapu, an ancient Māori spiritual and social code that was central to traditional society, is about sanctity and respect for people, natural resources and the environment.
New Zealand's indigenous people have upheld tapu since the beginning of time and, while some traditions associated with it are no longer widely practised, the principle survives today as a sacred component of Maori life, lore and custom.
The origins of tapu date back to the time of creation and the gods: Ranginui - the sky father, and Papatuanuku - the earth mother, and their offspring Tane Mahuta - god of the forest, Tangaroa - god of the ocean, and their divine siblings.
Tapu is closely linked to the Māori concept of mana (respect / authority) and many view tapu as the mana derived from the gods.
In early Māori society, almost every activity, ceremonial or otherwise, was connected to the maintenance and enhancement of mana and tapu.
To maintain the sanctity of tapu, certain behaviours or actions were prohibited.
To disregard the rules of tapu was an offence to the gods. Those concerned forfeited divine protection and were therefore exposed to supernatural evils.
The most common manifestations of this evil were disaster, demonic possession or death. These consequences could also apply to family members, lands and tribes. '
Certain sacred or what we might call 'haunted' places are also called 'Tapu'. I know a number of very very straight, normal, tough-as-nails individuals (New Zealanders) who have experienced 'bad' Tapu - where they have 'trespassed' on sacred burial grounds and have experienced multiple occurrences of being knocked over, in thin air (so to speak) - hit with a force strong enough to scare them...at a known Tapu site. They fucked off fairly quickly, as you can imagine.
Sounds ridiculous, and I haven't experienced that myself but I do believe these people because they weren't kidding, and I know them very well....relatively normal generally middle class NZ'ers of European descent. I believe them, and most Maoris would believe without a second thought, as it's part of their everyday way of life and as 'normal' as sunshine and clouds.
I'd say most people in NZ respect tapu.
~ latemate ~Lazeeitus # Saturday, March 10, 2012 1:23:13 AM
FlaRin # Saturday, March 10, 2012 8:52:07 AM
When I first walked the track in I think 1993, there was a place on the path, maybe 3 metres long, which changed the quality of the light, and felt cold, and instilled a feeling of dread. Once passed through, all those 'special effects' vanished and it was a normal, bright warm and sunny day again.
I commented on this to my companion and she agreed, and later, when visiting senior family members, an elderly Aunt said, unprompted, "did you go through 'the place' on that track" and of course we knew exactly what she meant, and I was very, very impressed with the natural assumption by all concerned that it was there and (kinda) normal, a part of the scenery.
We discussed it briefly, it was agreed that it was a 'bad place' and that something very bad had happened there, once.
I didn't return until 2011, and was interested to walk that track again, and I recognised the approximate place on the track but the bad aura had gone. Interesting.
Personally, I think Paganism et al is a much more natural way to perceive what we don't actually see with our eyes, and remains less adulterated by corporate desires to control the masses than the standard living room beliefs (if you know what I mean by that).
I have other instances of this and similar to relate, relatively normal to people in NZ, if you're interested
FlaRin # Saturday, March 10, 2012 9:02:51 AM
It's easy to forget, in NZ, that us Europeans are the immigrants, and many Maori resent Pakeha (whites) and what they've taken from the Maori tribes. They are seeking to get it all back, land ownership, seashore and seabed rights and so on.
They are (or were) a very warlike tribal people and are not at all afraid of confrontation or agression. Having said that, they are the most spiritual people, generally, that I've ever met, much more 'in touch' with life and death than the average European & American (excluding I would think, American Indians, who to my mind seem the most similar people, looking back a few hundred years)
~ latemate ~Lazeeitus # Monday, March 12, 2012 10:09:49 PM
FlaRin # Tuesday, March 13, 2012 6:11:14 AM
I agree about Churches - some marvelous buildings and actually very calm and soothing places to sit in. I must reiterate that I'm not a Druid or pagan as such, I'm not a committed <anything>, it's just that these ways of seeing Life and what's around us make me more comfortable than other ways - I don't begrudge anyone any belief that they feel secure and happy with
The face tattoo thing is common with many older tribes around the world I think, although in the movie it's not impossible that the make-up people were influenced by Maori designs - they're still alive and being used, whereas American Indians and their older traditions are\were probably less accessible for inspiration....just a theory