Endless years of false rewards lie wrecked in this subversion

[sovay]

I had a miserable night. spatch played Ian Dury to cheer me up, starting with "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3" and eventually getting "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards" stuck in my head; it worked. I am also pleased to have discovered Oppenheimer Analysis, because I had no idea there ever existed a British synthpop duo in the '80's whose frontman performed in character as J. Robert Oppenheimer. New Mexico (1982) is essentially a concept album on the expected themes (and some others) and it's great. I suspect many people, myself included, do not associate "danceable" with the Manhattan Project and the Cold War.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Is this the frontman, in this picture? He looks a tiny bit like Tim Eriksen.

[sovay]

Is this the frontman, in this picture? He looks a tiny bit like Tim Eriksen.

That's him—Andy Oppenheimer. He reminded me of David Byrne.

[thawrecka]

I'm only sad I didn't learn about this band when my father was alive, because he would have loved me to tell him about a dance act with an Oppenheimer theme. (We had a framed print of all but a few of the scientists involved in the Manhattan Project on our living room wall when I was growing up.)

[sovay]

I'm only sad I didn't learn about this band when my father was alive, because he would have loved me to tell him about a dance act with an Oppenheimer theme.

I have art like that. (Sometimes it's mine. My grandfather who used to sneak out to see silent movies never read any of my film writing. My grandmother who acted never saw me in an opera.)

This is my other favorite relevant song, Dana Falconberry's "Alamogordo." I did not write "The Trinitite Golem" to it, but I would have if it had existed in the spring of 2014. Oh, Alamogordo, I saw the brightest light . . .

(We had a framed print of all but a few of the scientists involved in the Manhattan Project on our living room wall when I was growing up.)

That is very neat.

[thawrecka]

Turns out I can't view the Dana Falconberry video as it's not available in my region, after all. Geographical restrictions: constantly making the internet a much more confusing place.

I have art like that. (Sometimes it's mine. My grandfather who used to sneak out to see silent movies never read any of my film writing. My grandmother who acted never saw me in an opera.)

It's so cool that you were in an opera!

[sovay]

Turns out I can't view the Dana Falconberry video as it's not available in my region, after all.

Feh!

All right: does the following fileshare work for you? It doesn't appear to stream at all on Bandcamp.

It's so cool that you were in an opera!

It made me very happy!

[thawrecka]

That is an awesome song! Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

[sovay]

That is an awesome song! Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

You're welcome! It's not the song I bought the album for, but it was instantly my favorite.

[isis]

My father, who is a retired physicist, will be thrilled when I tell him!

[sovay]

My father, who is a retired physicist, will be thrilled when I tell him!

Nice!

(What's your icon?)

[isis]

It's David Hewlett as Rodney McKay, the neurotic genius scientist in the TV series Stargate: Atlantis, keyword "geeky".

[thawrecka]

That is so neat! My father was a chemist but he loved physics and talked about his favourite moments in the history of physics all the time.

I don't have a sufficiently nerdy icon for this comment!

[dhampyresa]

a British synthpop duo in the '80's whose frontman performed in character as J. Robert Oppenheimer

AMAZING.

[sovay]

AMAZING.

And I like their music! I'm so happy!

[gwynnega]

I love Ian Dury, especially "Mischief."

a British synthpop duo in the '80's whose frontman performed in character as J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Oh wow, that is brilliant.

[sovay]

I love Ian Dury, especially "Mischief."

I can no longer remember how I discovered him, except I am pretty sure the first song of his I heard was "Spasticus Autisticus," after which he had my attention for basically ever.

Oh wow, that is brilliant.

Every time I think I have a handle on the weirdness of punk and new wave, something like this happens and it is beautiful.

[drwex]

I always think of "Reasons to be Cheerful" in the same vein as "88 Lines About 44 Women" and "People Who Died" as kind of specifically poetic songs, though I agree many songs' lyrics can be read or sung as poetry. It's also part of my love for Leonard Cohen's compositions, and sometimes people like Lou Reed (though his stuff relies on guitar a lot more, hrm). And of course "Pepper", though I also love the guitar bits in that one.

I feel like there's a playlist in here somewhere.

[sovay]

I feel like there's a playlist in here somewhere.

I just saw this comment. Did a playlist ever resolve?

[brigdh]

Oh, wow, those songs are absolutely delightful! :D

[sovay]

Oh, wow, those songs are absolutely delightful!

I'm so glad you're enjoying them!