It's Only Words......

Back in England, and in the long ago when song lyrics were finely crafted poetry rather than repetitious two-line chants, on occasion, listening to songs from the USA, I'd come across one or two words "foreign" to me.

#1 Carousel was a favourite movie back then. In The Soliloquy from that musical there was one mystery:

You can have fun with a son
But you gotta be a father to a girl
She mightn't be so bad at that
A kid with ribbons in her hair!
A kind o' sweet and petite
Little tintype of her mother!
What a pair!

Tintype?

I assumed from the context that this was some kind of mirror image. It was many decades later that, wandering around antique stores in the USA, I found out exactly what a tintype is. I suppose they had tintypes in England too, but I wasn't aware of them.

Tintype, also melainotype and ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a sheet of iron metal that is blackened by painting, lacquering or enamelling and is used as a support for a collodion photographic emulsion.
Photographers usually worked outside at fairs, carnivals etc. and as the support of the tintype (there is no actual tin used) is resilient and does not need drying, photographs can be produced only a few minutes after the picture is taken. (Wikipedia)

A couple of tintypes from among husband's collection of vintage photographs - these girls could be exactly what the song lyrics described!

#2 From the movie Easter Parade:

"On the Avenue...Fifth Avenue...
The photographers will snap us...
And you'll find that you're...
In the rotogravure"

Rotogravure? I had no idea, and in those days no handy Google to enlighten me. I've since discovered that when Easter Parade was written, rotogravure was a method of printing used to print photographs in newspapers. Sunday editions would often have a section dedicated to photographs and known as the roto or rotogravure section. So, "you’ll find that you’re in the rotogravure ..." means that your photograph would appear in the rotogravure section, because you'd be interesting enough to report about...

I found these via Google - vintage rotogravure sections. The first features one rather scary photograph, top left, of Klanswomen, the second features more benign subject matter!

#3 Little Deuce Coupe (Beach Boys' song)

I thought at first it was something to do with ice cream - but no. It was a car.
The deuce coupe was a 1932 Ford coupe - called a "deuce" because of the "two" in 1932. A coupe style car in general featured a closed body style with permanently fixed top, usually a two-door car with two front seats and a luggage compartment.

If I'd seen the album cover, or listened more closely to the lyrics, I'd have been less puzzled:

Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got
Little deuce Coupe
You don't know what I got

Well I'm not braggin' babe so don't put me down
But I've got the fastest set of wheels in town

Arty Farty Friday ~ Paul Landacre, Wood Engraver.

Paul Landacre is widely considered to be one of his era's most talented creators of prints in the medium of wood-engraving. Born in Columbus, Ohio, on 9 July 1893; as a youth he shone in the sports arena and studied horticulture at Ohio State University. In 1915 he succumbed to a streptococcus infection rendering his upper body permanently weakened, affecting his mobility. Drawing was a help in overcoming his infirmities. A move to Southern California in 1916 led eventually to work as a commercial illustrator for an advertising agency in San Diego. In 1922 he moved to Los Angeles to study printmaking at Otis Art Institute. Three years later he married Margaret McCreery, an advertising copywriter who worked so that Landacre could concentrate on printmaking full time. Initially making relief prints using linoleum blocks, in 1927 he turned to wood engraving, which became his chosen medium. Self-taught, he did the exacting carving and printing himself. Throughout his career he retained careful control of his work, pulling almost all of his own prints, selecting the ink and paper, and fine tuning every aspect of the printing process.
(Engraving above: Lot Cleaning, Los Angeles.)

Landacre was a dedicated naturalist, as well as a bit of a bohemian. He and his wife lived in a house, some describe it as a cabin, in a secluded area, Edendale, in the hills above Los Angeles. The Landacre's old home, now said to be boarded up, was declared a Cultural Historical Landmark in 2006. During the Landacre's time the area had become quite a bohemian arts scene, peopled by some of the time's well-known arts and literature luminaries....something akin to London's Bloomsbury I guess - though more peaceful, far from the madding crowd. Paul and Margaret Landacre remained in their rural idyll from 1932 until their deaths in 1963, she by cancer, he from complications following a suicide attempt four weeks later.

Landacre's 12 noon chart (his time of birth isn't known) doesn't reveal anything startlingly significant in relation to his artistic style - though the fact that Fixed Star Algol, thought by ancient astrologers to have unfortunate connotation, was close to Jupiter, and quite possibly the Moon too at the time he came into the world, could link to the serious health issues he had to deal with in his youth.

Venus, planet of the arts, is conjunct Mars (energy), and sextile Saturn (discipline) on one side and Neptune (creativity) on the other - possibly reflecting the more exacting elements of his chosen artistic genre, and his insistence on carrying through the whole process himself....a somewhat more rigorous process than simply wielding a paintbrush! There are some paragraphs from Landacre's own words on wood engraving technique HERE.

Unless born after 9:00 PM his natal Moon would have been in Taurus, ruled by Venus - which seems likely, a later birthtime would put Moon in Gemini.

There's little online from which I could glean information on Paul Landacre's personality, very few photographs of him, none of his wife. They obviously shunned publicity and chose to remain part of a close community of like-minded individuals in their rural idyll. That aspect of Landacre doesn't shine through the 12 noon chart. Sun in Cancer could indicate a deep need to withdraw, though his three Leo planets would tend to counteract that. His ascendant might indicate that side of his nature more clearly, perhaps putting a number of personal planets in 12th house?

I like Landacre's prints, would be very happy to hang some around our walls! A few examples are shown below, click on them to see slightly bigger versions (there are lots more available via Google Image). Some of Landacre's work made me think of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, or sometimes those of Tamara de Lempicka or Henri Rousseau - similarity must have to do with the style of that time period.

Edge of the Desert

Growing Corn

Forest Girl

Sultry Day

Wood engraving for Donald Culross Peattie's book Flowering Earth

A Woman

Children's Carnival

Shell

Three Kids and a Horse

In the News ~ Alex Jones, John Brennan.

From videos available online it appears that Piers Morgan allowed Alex Jones to make himself look even loopier than usual in a TV interview this week ranting about the need to retain the gun culture in the USA. See HERE for a clip or the full segment.

I don't follow Alex Jones, but occasionally come across stuff quoting him. I'm not sure exactly what to make of him, other than that his obvious ability to attract attention is well-honed! There's a kind of oblique sense to some of his beliefs - can't quite agree, can't quite disagree. I can agree with this comment by "ceti" at Common Dreams:

Alex finally got on mainstream news and he blew it by trying to fit years of conspiracy theorizing into one single rant.

But he emblemizes a lot of what's wrong with America's paranoid fringe. Because they reject anything to do with communism outright, they are left with very few tools to understand the world systematically, even if their instinct on what's wrong is genuinely pointed in the right direction.

So we have End the Fed, without understanding its role in finance capitalism, or the New World Order without US Imperialism. The focus on gun rights is also misdirected, given that not a single American assault rifle has ever toppled a domestic tyrant. Instead, American guns have brought a lot of death and destruction around the world.

In many ways, Alex and a few others on the internet serve as another system of control to disappear thoughtful people down the rabbit hole, when really, the actual conspiracies are pretty obvious and all encompassing. What allows him to flourish is the utter marginalizing of the real Left that actually does challenge the system as it is, not as it is imagined to be.

If anyone wonders about Alex Jones' astrology, he's a Sun Aquarius type, and one who I consider is letting the side down - or is it that he's really showing up the Water Bearer's true colours? (See also Sara Palin, Dick Cheney, Glenn Beck). This rogue Sun Aquarian type shows up, mainly, in the USA, doesn't it? There's a stronger dose of Aquarius's modern ruler eccentric Uranus involved in their natures.

For a detailed rundown of Alex Jones' natal chart see a piece by astrologer Francis D. Grabau at Starpath Visions.

The president nominated John Brennan to head the CIA in place of David Petraeus whose zipper problems led him astray, far enough to result in his resignation (we've been told). John Brennan looks a deal scarier than ol' Dave ever did! I've yet to see a photograph of him smiling, checked Google Image - there are a couple of forced smirky smiles, which seem the best he can manage. After preparing this post I went back to reading Les Miserables, and just by chance, on page 100 which marked the extent of my progress through the huge tome, read a description which exactly fits Mr. Brennan: "The sight of him suggested that he was continually absorbed in the contemplation of something terrible", though in the novel it refers, of course, to ex-convict Jean Valjean's appearance, early in the story.

For some background on John Brennan see Alex Kane's article 5 Terrifying Facts about John Brennan. Also Obama’s CIA Pick Stinks of Torture, Targeted Killings by Peter Z. Scheer at truthdig.com:

Rather than use his electoral victory to shove a dove down the throat of the national security establishment, President Obama seems to be sticking it to the left, by nominating the intelligence veteran to head the CIA. Brennan was prevented from becoming CIA director in Obama’s last term because the former chief of staff to Bush’s CIA director George Tenet had the stink of torture about him. Now, he is the man most credited with an assassination program that features, among other things, a secret presidential kill list.

I haven't found any astrologer's thoughts on his natal chart yet. Let's have a gander at a 12 noon version, as his birth time isn't known:

His chart is nowhere near as scary as his photograph. This chart could easily belong to a writer, painter, photographer or poet: Mercury conjunct Neptune, Sun conjunct Venus. Saturn in Scorpio sextile Mars in Virgo might be the least benign factor here, or perhaps Pluto conjunct Jupiter. If a deathly Pluto conjunct expansive Jupiter were on or close to his ascendant - that could fit.

Moon would be in Sagittarius whatever his time of birth. Sun in precise perfectionist Virgo, Moon in expansive free-rolling Sagittarius are two very different facets of his nature.

Perhaps any passing astrologically-literate reader might add their thoughts on Brennan's chart - Mike? Help!

Ritual Sacrifice ~~ Agonalia

A note at Wikipedia's page for today, 9 January mentions that in Roman times the date would have marked the first Agonalia or Agonia. This is an obscure archaic religious observance celebrated in ancient Rome several times a year, in honor of various divinities. Ancient calendars indicate that it was celebrated regularly on January 9, May 21, and December 11. The object of this festival was a disputed point among the ancients themselves. The offering sacrificed to the guardian gods of the state was a ram.

Sacrifice. Which hapless early human culture first dreamed up that concept? Or was it one of those mysterious practices which cropped up all over the inhabited areas of the globe more or less concurrently?

The practice of ritual sacrifice can be traced further back than Roman and Greek civilisations. Ancient cultures of South America, Scandinavia, Britain, the Middle East all show evidence of ritual sacrifice having been part of their way of life. Appeasing or cajoling "the gods" would seem to have been the point of it all. The spilling of blood, whether animal or human, was powerfully symbolic - fresh blood had the mysterious, even magical, ingredient signifying life itself. Blood, then,was the highest offering possible. This idea of blood being a magical entity was carried through also by early practitioners of magick.

Gods who need appeasing or cajoling though? How did that idea arise? Perhaps due to the rigours of climate: droughts when water became hard to find, hurricanes, gales, floods, scorching heat, deep snow, heavy frosts all could interfere with primitive routines and the need to find food and shelter. For some reason the early human brain decided that all their various travails must be the doings of some unseen hand, belonging to some unseen being - who had better be appeased and cajoled if life were to continue in their neck of the woods.

That was all once upon a time stuff - in the 20th/21st century:

"And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made........" (Paul Simon)

In the Wee Small Hours....

I wonder how 2013 is panning out already for others? I don't like it much so far! Husband has been laid low with a very nasty cough and cold for well over a week. I've slept on the couch in the living room for the past 4 or 5 nights to allow him the freedom to cough with required shrillness, get up, wander around, devoid of worries about disturbing his spouse. I've so far avoided the worst symptoms of whatever virussy affliction his is, though not for much longer - the tonsils are fighting a brave rearguard action, but............

Anyway, during my nights exiled to the couch I've been encouraging sleep by watching whatever movie I could find on TV until the eyes began to close automatically. There are some rather strange movies around in the dead of night! A couple of old black and white sci-fi offerings were good for a quiet laugh; then, another night brought a newer (2003) British-made movie, The Mother shown sometime between 1 and 3 am.

Oh my! I was to quickly realise why this film had been relegated to the early hours. Several scenes wouldn't have been out of place in a real porno movie. British film makers have certainly moved with the times, put the old "lay back and think of England" thing well and truly to rest.

The biggest shock was to see actress Anne Reid who I remembered last seeing in the iconic English soap opera Coronation Street, back in the late 1960s and 70s, playing the part of sensible northern gal, young mother of twins Valerie Barlow, who, after several years in the part met an untimely end, electrocuted while drying her hair with a faulty appliance. It was an unsettling leap from her portrayal of young Valerie Barlow to the 68 year old grandmother, May, who in early widowhood takes leave of her senses and sensibilities and.......well what ensues involves a young Daniel Craig playing a 30-ish Darren, carpenter and handyman (very handy, as it turned out), doing construction work on her son's swish London house.

In looking for a pic to include here I came across an article where Ms Reid, now 77, said she "wishes she had Been sexually wilder". Hmmm.....really? Now that is bravado - or would the correct term in this case be bravada?

Suffice to say that the characters and their doings in Coronation Street were always far more believable and true to life (as we knew it then) than I found the unrelievedly nasty characters and attitudes portrayed in The Mother: May's husband, son, daughter and their respective spouses. Surrounded by that lot there's little wonder May experienced a loopy turn or two: bewitched, bewildered and generally discombobulated.

Dune, showing the following night, even with its Kwisatz Haderach, Bene Gesserit, the spice Melange and giant worms proved far too tame to keep my eyes open longer than through the first hour. Last night it was an hour or so of The Day After Tomorrow, enough to give a gal nightmares - but I'd seen it before, and therefore immunised against after effects.

Meanwhile, during daylight hours, it has not been possible to go see Les Miserables at a movie theatre in a neighbouring town. I doubt we'll make it now, virussy affliction rules it seems. There'll be a DVD soon enough, 'til then I'll sink my head into the doorstop of the Les Miz book, it arrived yesterday. I read up to page 42, and to my surprise found it a pleasantly easygoing read.

Spinning Threads.....

Today, 7 January, used to be known as Distaff Day, or in England St. Distaff's Day (there was no St. Distaff though - the name was, for them, a joke). The distaff was a tool used in the spinning of flax or wool fibres; these are first wrapped around the distaff to keep them untangled before heading for the spinning wheel. The term distaff eventually came to be used in reference to the female side of a family "the distaff side".

Distaff Day was the first day after the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas and marked by women, because their work at the distaff was then meant to be resumed. "The duty seems to have been considered a dubious one, and when it was complied with, the ploughmen, who on their part scarcely felt called upon on this day to resume work, made it their sport to set the flax a-burning; in requital of which prank, the maids soused the men from the water-pails." See HERE.

Following the thread....to a song, it is Music Monday:

Spinning Wheel, written by Canadian vocalist David Clayton-Thomas, of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. He described the song, released in 1969, as being "written in an age when psychedelic imagery was all over lyrics...it was my way of saying, 'Don't get too caught up, because everything comes full circle.'"

What goes up, must come down
Spinnin' wheel, got to go round
Talkin' 'bout your troubles it's a cryin' sin
Ride a painted pony,
Let the spinnin' wheel spin

Ya got no money, and ya
Ya got no home
Spinnin' wheel all alone
Talkin' 'bout your troubles and
Ya never learn
Ride a painted pony,
Let the spinnin' wheel turn

Did you find a directing sign
On the straight and narrow highway?
Would you mind a reflecting sign
Just let it shine, within your mind
And show you the colours that are real.

Someone is waitin' just for you
Spinnin' wheel spinnin' to
Drop all your troubles by the river side
Catch a painted pony
On the spinnin' wheel ride...

Vocal David Clayton Thomas, arranged by saxophonist Fred Lipsius, and produced by James William Guercio.

Still following that thread, those lyrics brought to mind a quote from the late, and still greatly lamented, Bill Hicks:

The world is like a ride at an amusement park. It goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it’s very brightly coloured and it’s very loud and it’s fun, for a while.

Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: Is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, “Hey – don’t worry, don’t be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride…” But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok.

Jesus – murdered; Martin Luther King – murdered; Malcolm X – murdered; Gandhi – murdered; John Lennon – murdered; Reagan… wounded.

But it doesn’t matter because: It’s just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It’s only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.

Here’s what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.

AMEN. From Distaff Day, via spinning wheels, carousels and fairground rides, to arrive at those words from an individual not of the female aka "distaff side": "The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one" reminds that there's another facet of The Feminine - a facet we all have within us, whatever our gender.

Blogging... following threads.....it's a funny ol' game!

BOOKS - "a uniquely portable magic” (Stephen King).

My longtime blog buddy, Wisewebwoman, posted a list of 77 books she read during 2012. (See post dated 1 January 2013 at her blog HERE). Wow! I stood back in amazement. I've made a note of a few titles for my own future reference; passing readers, who are also book readers, might be interested in her recommendations too.

My own 2012 list of books read is dismally puny, and not very interesting, in comparison to WWW's, even after adding a couple read in 2011. Here it is:






General

The Summons - John Grisham: Good, quick read.

The King of Torts - John Grisham: Likewise.

The Bridges of Madison County- Robert James Waller : (a re-read) Likewise and Excellent!

A Thousand Country Roads (Sequel to above: by Waller:) : Very good!

Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend (yet another by Robert James Waller): Good - his novels are all quick, easy reads.

I also have yet another of Waller's: High Plains Tango, have started reading, but so far it hasn't grabbed me.


Dystopian/Sci-Fi

A Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood: Excellent!

Dune - Frank Herbert : difficult, too long... still snacking at it piecemeal.

The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula Le Guin: Excellent!

Blackout - Connie Willis : Nope - not an enjoyable writing style for me couldn't get past first chapters, book gone to Goodwill.

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller Jr.: 1/3 Excellent 1/3 Poor 1/3 Good. Roman Catholic references became tiresome.

Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke : Very good indeed.

The Herald - Michael Shaara: Excellent read. Couldn't put it down! Finished it in 2 sittings, could've done it in one but dinner called. Husband read it after me, his verdict: "erm...just okay". (Note: He reads stuff I wouldn't touch with a barge pole!)

Conquest Over Time - Michael Shaara: a long short story/45-page novella, interesting for it's use of astrology in the storyline.

Waiting to be read:

Small Gods - Terry Pratchett

Route 66 ( non-fiction) - Billy Connolly. We saw 3 of the 4 episodes of the TV show on PBS, enjoyed them a lot.

The Anubis Gates - Tim Powers: Part of Christmas prez from husband. I have peeked inside and have grave doubts - but if I don't read it, he will - he is a very disciplined reader - even if he doesn't like a book he will soldier on and finish it. Not me - life's way too short!

On order
The Giver - Lois Lowry. It's mainly aimed at a young adult readership, but as there's a movie adaptation in the works starring Jeff Bridges I might, for once in my life, get to the book before the movie!

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo : The dreaded 1,400 page I have resolved to read in 2013 - no chickening out!

Arty Farty Friday ~ Boris Vallejo, Master of Fantasy Art

Born in Lima, Peru on 8 January 1941, into a family of distinguished lawyers, he gravitated to art and music at an early age. His first aspiration was to be a concert violinist, took violin lessons for seven years. Changed track and studied medicine for two years. His study of human anatomy was almost certainly a great help to him later on when he became a professional artist and illustrator whose works almost always prominently portray a perfect specimen of the human body. With encouragement of friends who had seen his artwork, he decided to apply to the National School of Fine Arts in Lima and was granted a 5-year scholarship to the graphic arts division. He graduated with a "best student" accolade.

In 1964, with a portfolio of some of his works, and 80 dollars in his pocket, he emigrated to the United States, arrived in New York with no knowledge of English. Fellow-Peruvians helped him settle and he was soon producing artwork for advertising, greetings cards, book and album covers, movie posters. Over the years he has produced a huge volume of work for his current specialty, the Fantasy field. His latest art tends towards the erotic rather than straight-ahead fantasy.....sign of the times, I guess!

"I had already been working successfully as an illustrator for a few years, when I discovered fantasy art on an American comic magazine cover. It was a heroic woman fighting a prehistoric monster, and suddenly I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I have always had a special love for the perfect structure of the human body, and fantasy art enabled me to depict muscular and sensuous bodies in all variations in my works. And as I love human bodies, I always try to paint them as beautiful and as perfect as possible".

See
HERE

Vallejo's mastery of oil painting is obvious. His classic sensibilities stem from his admiration of Old Masters such as Vermeer, Rembrandt, Leonardo: "During my early years I used to study the works of such masters again and again. The painters I liked best were two Spanish ones, though: Murillo and Velazquez".

Vallejo married his second wife in 1994 - a fellow-artist of the Fantasy genre, Julie Bell, who also models for him and is a former nationally ranked competitive bodybuilder.

A quick look at Mr Vallejo's natal chart to discover whether his gravitation to his particular style of painting and his choice to paint fantasy/erotic art is indicated.

I see it at once - a Grand Trine (harmonious linked configuration of 3 X 120 degree angles). Linked planets Sun/Mercury in Capricorn with Uranus + possibly Moon in Taurus, and Neptune in Virgo. All the Earth signs - in this case I think that signifies an honouring of traditional art technique in his style, while remaining commercial and successfully business-oriented. Planets involved in the Grand Trine link Sun and Mercury - the artist's core self and mode of thinking to Uranus (and depending on time of birth) Moon: Uranus brings a futuristic modern "feel" to his traditional painting style; also linked is Neptune, the fantasy planet. That pretty much covers it, in context of his art, except that the erotic aspect isn't clearly indicated by the Grand Trine. I can find no time of birth for the artist, his ascendant is a likely key, perhaps a Scorpio ascendant, or Pluto rising?

I'll add just a few of examples of Boris Wallejo's artwork, the best place to see more, in large format, is at the online galleries HERE where his wife Julie
Bell's work can also be viewed - to be honest it's not easy to tell their work apart! Typing the artist's name into a Google Image search will also bring up a huge selection of examples. Much of his work was produced to relate to specific fiction or myth. His painting at the top of the post is titled Atlas (as if you hadn't worked that out already!)

Pygmalion & Galatea

(I think at some point Vallejo must have illustrated a calendar, using the 12 zodiac signs here are 3 examples; the rest can be found via Google Image)

Aries

Aquarius

Scorpio

Mistress of Fire

Mistress of the Air

Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner.

Sir George Martin (and his astrologer son)

Today, 3 January, is the birthday of Sir George Martin, the man whose work with The Beatles helped propel their music to the iconic status it will likely retain forever. There's a good article about him at Salon by Frank Houston, from 2000.

"He was the only "fifth Beatle" who really deserved the title -- without him the '60s' greatest group might never have happened."

"With the exception of Phil Spector’s syrupy post-production on the “Let It Be” album, Martin produced every Beatles recording — from the first single (“Love Me Do”) to the last album (“Abbey Road”). Manager Brian Epstein, their most fervid salesman, may have given the scruffy Liverpudlians an initial gloss, but Martin gave them real artistic polish. He supervised the band’s transition from precocious boys to mature artists, harnessing all that wild genius into the most efficient and dazzling hit-making unit in modern pop.

In all he produced more than 700 recordings in a career spanning 50 years and genres as diverse as jazz, rock, classical, comedy and film soundtracks, with an unprecedented 30 No. 1 Beatles and post-Beatles hits to his credit in the U.K. Now Sir George, Martin may be the most influential and prolific record producer in history."

Sir George describes his job thus: “The producer is the person who shapes the sound. If you have a talent to work with — a singer together with a song — the producer’s job is to say, right, you need to put a frame around this, it needs a rhythm section to do this or that and so on,” he told the Irish Times in 1999. “He actually decides what the thing should sound like, and then shapes it in the studio. He may also be an arranger, in which case he may write the necessary parts … he shapes the whole lot. It’s like being the director of a firm.”


Beatles Historian Mark Lewisohn affirms that:

"George Martin was the perfect producer for the group -- creative, keen to experiment, willing to listen, an expert about music but nicely inexperienced in pop and rock, and a veteran of comedy-sound effects records." Indeed, George's experience with the Goons (Note: The Goons = British radio show starring stellar comic actors Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine, Martin produced comedy records with Sellers and Milligan) had provided him with a diverse repertoire of recording trickery, which came into play when the Beatles, worn by the pressures of live performance and touring, progressed in the studio to ever more complex tracks.......... Martin's patient nature was invaluable........ it took extraordinary diplomacy, exceptional musical expertise, limitless patience and visionary clarity to bring these ideas to fruition and greatness. Sometimes George's genius was knowing when to jump in and offer musical advice; sometimes it was knowing when to go down to the canteen and have a cup of tea, letting them get on with whatever they were up to."

Sir George's personality is said to be a blend of "giddy enthusiasm with cool intelligence and eloquence" and I'd add it has to include a shrewd business sense, and as highlighted above: patience and intuitive tact. His time of birth isn't available online, so I took a look at a 12 noon chart for his date of birth:

Lots to see here - I'll simply pick out what jumped out to me first, a network:

Ruler of his steady, businesslike Capricorn Sun, Saturn, is in emotional Water sign Scorpio and in harmonious trine to Uranus in Pisces. Uranus in Pisces is semi-sextile (helpful) to Venus, planet of the arts in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus and co-ruled traditionally by Saturn). Venus, planet of the arts, in Aquarius is in opposition (balancing) to Neptune (planet of creativity and ruler of Pisces) in Leo.

Yes....I know that sounded like a huge muddle. It is, but it reflects Sir George's mixed bag of undeniable talent, a linked network of astrological traits: steadiness, patience and business sense from Capricorn and Saturn, emotional intelligence from a Water link Pisces/Scorpio, a certain appreciation of quirkiness and fantasy from Venus in Aquarius, and Uranus in Pisces.

His natal Mercury (mental orientation) in easy-going Sagittarius harmoniously trines creative Neptune in Leo - more evidence of an ability to appreciate fantasy, softening and adding colour to a potentially more staid and rational Capricorn nature.

It's a pity we can't pinpoint his rising sign or natal Moon position, his birth time being unknown. Moon would have been in either Leo or early Virgo. Virgo would fit an obvious urge for perfection in his work; Leo would fit his draw to musical show-biz. Hard to say which is the more likely.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIR GEORGE!

A SIDELIGHT on Son of Sir George

In the course of preparing this post I noted that Sir George Martin's eldest son from his first marriage, Gregory Paul Martin is, among other things (writer, actor, producer, playboy of the western world), an astrologer. He looks uncannily like his Dad, but apparently they are not very close in anything but looks. From the pieces I've read, Gregory Paul prides himself on being "a bit of a lad", magnet to the fairer sex and all that. Born 21 January 1957 (1.33 AM) in London, England, he has Sun in Aquarius, Scorpio rising. That could be a difficult mix to handle, but his Libra Moon should help! His natal chart is available at Astrodatbank, but curiously they don't mention his work as an astrologer. I wonder why?

I followed a few leads to discover what kind of astrologer his is. His astrology website is ASTROARIA; there's also a video talk by him from February 2012, with Dr. Hildegarde Staninger "In her second hour, Dr. Staninger is joined by Gregory Paul Martin, Astrologer, as they discuss 2012, the Age Of Aquarius and the return Of Divine Feminine/Magdalene energy and why it matters. The eldest son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin, writer/producer Gregory has practiced astrology for 25 years reading privately for colleagues…"

Les Miserables - A Detail and A Resolve

We still haven't made it to the movies to see Les Miserables. Freezing winter weather and minor aches and pains, on the far edge of something flu-like dampened our enthusiasm for the 32 mile journey to the nearest cinema showing the film. We do intend making a try for an afternoon show this week though.

It's interesting, but unsurprising, to see how conflicting some reviews of the movie have been. Beloved 1,400-page novel condensed over the years, in several versions, to the movie screen; then adapted as a stage musical; then further modified as a movie musical.....Somebody, somewhere, isn't going to like what they've done to it, at any of the stages of the story's (d)evolution, but some will enthuse wildly. Each genre has a different perspective to offer, a different way of portraying the story's essence. A lot depends on how well the source material is known and understood by both those adapting it and those watching the adaptations.

To Scratch an itch at the weekend I fished out an old VHS tape of the 10 year anniversary concert version of Les Miz to watch and refresh my memory. A question kept presenting itself to my annoyingly logical mind, it was one I'd wondered about in the past when watching any of the the various non-musical film versions of Victor Hugo's famous novel. Jean Valjean (seen in the book illustration above) progresses from being a convict on parole, then stealing silver candlesticks, forgiven by their owner and being allowed to keep them; then, as if by magic - and with scant explanation other than the passing of time - he has become the owner of a factory employing many workers. In the past I've rationalised that he must have sold the silver candlesticks, invested the money somehow to increase its value, then had the good chance to come across a run-down business he could afford to buy and improve.

Should've read the book, you see! I will do so, soon as possible. In the meantime, a scoot around the net led me to the real answer which does appear in the novel, no doubt in great detail, in classic Hugo style. The answer? It was a matter of "black beads". Beads and bracelets made from, or imitating jet, the black mineral. I know a little about jet, a north of England coastal town I used to know well, Whitby, is famous for its jet and carved jet jewellery; my mother had a jet bracelet and a couple of carved pins, I recall.

Clip from Les Miserables, Book Fifth – The Descent, found HERE (I suspect it comes from one of the older translations of the novel because of the habit of using initials rather than full names. (M sur M = Montreuil-sur-Mer)

From time immemorial, M. sur M. had had for its special industry the imitation of English jet and the black glass trinkets of Germany. This industry had always vegetated, on account of the high price of the raw material, which reacted on the manufacture. At the moment when Fantine returned to M. sur M., an unheard-of transformation had taken place in the production of “black goods.” Towards the close of 1815 a man, a stranger, had established himself in the town, and had been inspired with the idea of substituting, in this manufacture, gum-lac for resin, and, for bracelets in particular, slides of sheet-iron simply laid together, for slides of soldered sheet-iron.This very small change had effected a revolution.This very small change had, in fact, prodigiously reduced the cost of the raw material, which had rendered it possible in the first place, to raise the price of manufacture, a benefit to the country; in the second place, to improve the workmanship, an advantage to the consumer; in the third place, to sell at a lower price, while trebling the profit, which was a benefit to the manufacturer.Thus three results ensued from one idea.
In less than three years the inventor of this process had become rich, which is good, and had made every one about him rich, which is better. He was a stranger in the Department. Of his origin, nothing was known; of the beginning of his career, very little. It was rumored that he had come to town with very little money, a few hundred francs at the most.

It was from this slender capital, enlisted in the service of an ingenious idea, developed by method and thought, that he had drawn his own fortune, and the fortune of the whole countryside.

Reading the book is an essential now! There must be many other tidbits of detail I've missed completely from non-musical movie versions. Finding the best version of the book, for me, will be quite a trick. Unabridged it has around 1,400 pages, depending on edition, and I balk at a 500-page novel! (Book illustration, left, by Lynd Ward).

The net to the rescue again. Reviewers and commenters mostly advise reading the unabridged version, or at least giving it a try initially; if really stumped by it there are abridged versions available too. Purists will insist on the unabridged edition, but there are considerations: the original was written for publication in episodes (as were most of Charles Dickens' novels) paid, I guess, by the length of each piece and number of episodes needed to conclude the tale. Hence it was in the author's best interest to wax into great detail about historical relevancies, and other matters which might assist the reader to fully appreciate the finer detail.
That was then though - before film, TV, internet and other modern distractions. In that long ago era reading a book, magazine or newspaper occupied a much bigger slice of the average person's day.

These days many of us are infected with internet-attention-disorder, expect easy-reading, quick hits. This post, for instance, is already longer than most blog readers would tolerate!

It'd do me no harm at all to re-educate myself in the gentle art of real reading.

In the case ofLes Miserables there's also the thorny issue of the most appropriate version of the novel's translation from French into English. Is it better to read one translated near Victor Hugo's own era, or a more modern translation? An older, literal translation, almost word for word French to English, doesn't sound like my cup of tea. There's a 1970s translation by Norman Denny (1901 - 1982) who was English, and whose work seems to be well thought of among commenters, that one sounds to be a likely bet. The most recent translator, an Australian: Julie Rose, could lean too far towards modern idiom to feel authentic .....anachronistic, I suppose is the term; though her version is likely to be an easier read, and well-received by the American market. She discusses her work in a piece here: What Julie Rose Adds to Victor Hugo.

From an interesting blog: The Art of Translation I found this comparison of the way three tranlators of a short piece of the novel approached it:

I'm in danger of becoming geeky here! Will go for Norman Denny's translation.

My New Year resolution for 2013: to read Les Miserables.

PS: An archived brief post about musical Les Miz with notes on composers' and Hugo's astrology is HERE: The Magic in Les Miz.

PPS: While watching the 10-year anniversary concert tape I noticed some lyrics which will appeal to the astrologically-inclined - verses of a song sung by Javert as he vows to track down Jean Valjean. I'm wondering how much of the song is poetic licence by the musical's composers, or whether this is a close adaptation/translation of Victor Hugo's own words? When I've kept my New Year's Resolution, then I'll know the answer!

Stars
In your multitudes
Scarce to be counted
Filling the darkness
With order and light
You are the sentinels
Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night
Keeping watch in the night

You know your place in the sky
You hold your course and your aim
And each in your season
Returns and returns
And is always the same
And if you fall as Lucifer fell
You fall in flame!