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Spencer McGarry (Part Two)

The final six tracks, of twelve.

Posted 16th June 2010, 2:44pm in Soundtrack
Spencer McGarry Soundtrack: Spencer McGarry (Part One)

Hooray for Spencer McGarry! Goodness, we've not had a Soundtrack feature this long before - we've even had to split it in two parts.

His new album 'Episode 2' (yes, there is a naming trend afoot - it's part of a series of six, each of which deals with a different genre of music. Interesting, no?) will be released on 21st June (there's a review on the way).

So says Spencer: "At the moment I am inbetween listening to music that inspired our recent album (Episode 2) and listening to music that inspired our forthcoming one (Episode 3) and it seems... Madness."

Here we go, then. The final six tracks, of twelve.

Stephen Sondhein - No Place Like London (from Sweeny Todd)

I've very recently started listening to opera and even though this is a musical, it's been a kind of gateway in for me- I was brought the original Broadway version for christmas and it really is quite adventerous musically- unexpected thrusts of atonality, strange melodies, hilariously dark lyrics and allot of death. There are many tremendous songs in the show but the opener is indicative of the whole. The first time I head it, I was astounded by the melodic twists and turns, the continual anchor of the line "but there's no place like london" comes seemingly from no where everytime, the woodwind making the sound of the shipc coming into port and of a bustling city and the utter bitterness of the protagonist ("There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with shit! And the vermin of the world inhabit it...") coupled with his memories of what once was. The song is heavily schizophrenic and ably demonstrates the mind of someone who is about to kill a great many people. It's a real treat as we the audience can sit back and think "hmm... a lot of stuff's about to go down" the excitment is curious and palpable.

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
and the vermin of the world inhabit it
and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit
and it goes by the name of London.

At the top of the hole sit the privileged few
Making mock of the vermin in the lower zoo

Saul Chaplin, Gene de Paul and Jonny Mercer - Lonesome Polecat (from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)

This is best viewed with the accompanying, adventerously rhythmic choreography by Michael Kidd. In this part of the story the manly farmer heroes are simply chopping wood lamenting that they have no babes to have carnal relations with. It's a softly sung pine to a love they haven't yet got, along to the rhythm of chopping up trees and perhaps the first axe dance committed to celluloid (I belive the second was kung fu hustle). Here after they decide to go into town and just kidnap women (it was "them days") - I won't spoil the end for anyone who hasn't seen it, but much more dancing, fighting and singing ensues. This could easily be a Bill Callahan or Jim O Rourke song and we've started playing it live.

Kevin Johansen - La Falla de San Andrés

An Argentine American who sings in Spanish and English. I don't know much about him, but I love this song. It's split into a Spanish and English section that repeat the same lyrics and is a tale of an long winded excuse about a man who had planned the perfect anniversary date with his loved one but who wasn't able to show up. It appears this has happened before but this time he has a novel excuse. The reason he gives is that the San Andrés fault opened- halting his journey and swallowing a load of people, thus is it not his fault but San Andrés'. The song lists all the things he had painstakingly prepared and "remembered this time" from the car, to the caviar and champagne. It's never clear if his excuse is genuine or a tissue of lies and this is part of the charm.

It sounds convolutedly knowing in print, but it joyous and witty both lyrically and musically on record. Kevin has a voice reminiscent of both David Byrne and Gruff Rhys and deals mainly in tango ryhthms which I'm not too familiar with but I may dealve into at some point.

George Gershwin - An American In Paris

A titan of melody and I don't even know that much of his work. This is very influencial on my current album, a tremendously exciting piece, I was able to visit Paris last year and couldn't stop hearing it and although it's applicable perhaps to any metropolis, it seemed to succinctly evoke the dizzying traffic in the centre and the way the automobiles interlock with cyclists and pedestrians and seemingly no one is ever hurt. It also sums up the feeling of a traveller fresh off the metaphorical boat in a new foreign city- "how does this city work? How do I get places? Why have I almost died about three times?".

I have to marvel at George here, how his music can describe the feeling of being on top of Eiffel's tower and of a small rat scurrying in the gutter all within minutes of each other. I imagine it as a zoom shot from the top of the tower itself to a curb and at the various climaxes, perhaps a helicopter shot spinning around the Tour Montparnasse with me on top doing aeroplane arms. I'll have to see the film I suppose.

Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley - Pure Imagination (from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

A very strange song right from the beginning there are those high bells that arn't really in time with anything and chords that I still can't quite decipher. Gene Wilder's singing is sometimes a little weak and in at least once place, out of time with the music and I don't know if this is intentional or just down to his ability but it certainly adds to the dreamy flow. Aside from the visual aspect of the film, the song stands apart as quite a magical moment. I love the synthesis of lyrical intent and magical Disney swoop of the music, and the unbridled optimism that truely anything is possible and easily acheivable. It slips into waltz time for the second verse in a completely unheralded moment, then shoots off into symphonic joy.
It's got an almost atheistical plea that heaven is very much happening right now "if you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it" what a lovely thing to say. It's very much saying - don't wait and hope, appreciate things as they are now and if you don't like it, you can instigate a revolution - "Anything you want to, do it. Try to change the world? There's nothing to it". It makes it sound effortless.

The line "There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination" should be on my grave stone.

Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein - II Bali Ha'i (from South Pacific)

Erie and strange. I remember this as a child, a song about a literal and metephorical utopia- I think in the film there were shots of shrunken heads and my mother would explain that in some places it's just what people do- it really made me a little scared and curious- why would one do that? Anyway the song has stuck with me with all the female backing vocals which sound like scenes from an Indiana Jones film- it's beatifully arranged and orchestrated and quite otherworldly.

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