RIP Fritz Muliar, actor of “The Good Soldier Švejk”

image via www.knowledgerush.com

RIP Fritz Muliar, 89, Austrian actor best remembered beyond the boundaries of his native Vienna for playing the title role in the 13-part TV series, Die Abenteuer des braven Soldaten Schwejk.

The Good Soldier Švejk is the abbreviated title of an unfinished satirical novel by Jaroslav Hašek. A number of literary critics consider The Good Soldier Švejk to be one of the first anti-war novels, predating Remarque‘s All Quiet on the Western Front. Furthermore, Joseph Heller said that if he had not read The Good Soldier Švejk, he would never have written his novel Catch-22.

David Toop @60

David Toop @60

Ocean of Sound (1995) – David Toop [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]

The book can be had as cheaply as£2.25,$6.59 orEUR 6,07.

David Toop is celebrating his 60th birthday today. The first of his works I read was Ocean of Sound, it is in my opinion the best book of music writing of the 20th century. Sadly, Toop’s publication of his latest book, Ways of Hearing[1] has been delayed.

His masterpiece, however, is Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds is a music theory book written by British author David Toop and first published in 1995 by Serpent’s Tail. The book discusses topics such as ambient music, synaesthesia, aether and imaginary worlds British music magazine The Wire said upon its release that “its parallels aren’t music books at all, but rather Italo Calvino‘s Invisible Cities, Michel Leiris‘s L’Afrique fantôme, William Gibson‘s Neuromancer … David Toop is our Calvino and our Leiris, our Gibson. Ocean of Sound is as alien as the 20th century, as utterly Now as the 21st. An essential mix.”

Of all the things I admire about Toop’s writing, two things stand out.

First his insistence on treating music in the first place as sound. Secondly his ability to connect topics to far-ranging other topics, his ability to digress meaningfully.

If you are into late 20th century (un)popular music, be sure to check Toop’s abecedaria written for The Wire: “The A to Z of Dub“[2] (1994) and “The A to Z of Electro“[3] (1998).

Fashionable Contrasts (1792) by James Gillray is Icon of Erotic Art #44

Fashionable Contrasts (1792) by James Gillray

As well as being blatant in his observations, James Gillray could be incredibly subtle, and puncture vanity with a remarkably deft approach. The outstanding example of this is his print Fashionable Contrasts;—or—The Duchess’s little Shoe yeilding [sic] to the Magnitude of the Duke’s Foot. This was a devastating image aimed at the ridiculous sycophancy directed by the press towards Frederica Charlotte Ulrica, Duchess of York, and the supposed daintiness of her feet. The print showed only the feet and ankles of the Duke and Duchess of York, in an obviously copulatory position, with the Duke’s feet enlarged and the Duchess’s feet drawn very small. This print silenced forever the sycophancy of the press regarding the union of the Duke and Duchess.

The print was originally published by Hannah Humphrey on January 24, 1792.

It is Icon of Erotic Art #44.

Audrey Hepburn @80

Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929 – January 20, 1993) was an Anglo-Dutch actress, performer, ballerina, fashion model, gay icon, sex symbol and humanitarian, noted for her performances in films such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and her waiflike appearance.

The waif look was then known as “gamine”.

The “gamine” look of the 1950s, associated with actresses like Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron and Jean Seberg, was, to some extent, a precursor of heroin chic.

Jahsonic @ Tumblr

Last November I introduced At Her Discretion[1], my first exposure to the phenomeneon of micro-blogging. Today I took the Tumblr service for a test drive[2][3] and I was quite pleased with it.

Tumblr is a web 2.0 micro-blogging platform that allows users to post text, images, video, links, quotes, and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can “follow” other users and see their posts together on their dashboard.

Compared to other web 2.0 social internet services:

Compared to Del.icio.us[4]: Tumbler has no social bookmarking.

Compared to Facebook[5]: Tumblr is public so it lets you reach a ider audience, but its ease of use is worse that that of Facebook.

Compared to Twitter[6]: Tumblr may be a future competitor to Twitter, Twitter does not allow image previews.

Compared to WordPress: Tumblr excells at creating little visual interesting posts fast, WordPress is better for the longer more pensive posts.

So you can expect me to spend less time on FaceBook, Flickr, Del.icio.us to spend more time at my Tumblr.

Pete Seeger @90

Pete Seeger @90

Pete Seeger (born May 3, 1919) is an American folk singer, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival, best-known in my canon for penning “Turn! Turn! Turn!“[1]

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWg3b15ITS8&]

“Turn! Turn! Turn!” (1965) by  The Byrds

The most successful recorded version of the song is the #1 hit single by pioneering folk-rock band The Byrds, released in October 1965.

Niccolò Machiavelli @540

Niccolò Machiavelli @540

Niccolò Machiavelli (Detail of 1500 portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli, May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) by Santi di Tito)

Niccolò Machiavelli (Detail of 1500 portrait of Machiavelli by Santi di Tito)

Niccolò Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) was Italian historian, statesman and political author. His best-known work is The Prince, the posthumously published treatise responsible for bringing the authorial descriptive “Machiavellian” into wide usage as a pejorative term to denote power-hungry, megalomanic, unethical or despotic practices or methods.

Machiavellian

  1. Attempting to achieve their goals by cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous methods.
    Iago is the Machiavellian antagonist in William Shakespeare’s play, Othello.

The Trip Created By Saint Etienne (2004)

The Trip Created By Saint Etienne (2004) [Amazon.com]
[FR] [DE] [UK]

The Trip Created By Saint Etienne is a compilation album compiled by Saint Etienne.

The tracklisting includes (eleven tracks are Youtubed):

1. Serge Gainsbourg – Cannabis[1] 2. Gene Page – All Our Dreams Are Coming True[2] 3. Gwen McCrae – Move Me Baby 4. Brinkley and Parker – Pander Man 5. Esther Williams – Last Night Changed It All[3] 6. Gloria Scott – (A Case Of) Too Much Lovemakin’[4] 7. Marvin Gaye – Symphony 8. Mamas and Papas – Shooting Star 9. The Supremes – Time To Break Down 10. Ennio Morricone – Deus Irae Psychedelico 11. Kiss Inc. – Hey Mr. Holy Man[5] 12. The Attack – Lady Orange Peel 13. Nancy Priddy – You’ve Come This Way 14. R.P.M. Generation – Rona’s Theme 15. Lalo Schifrin – Jaws 16. Bobby Hutton – Lend A Hand 17. Lindy Stevens – Pennygold[6] 18. The Isley Brothers – My Love Is Your Love 19. T.U.M.E – Love Shortage[7] 20. Ernie Bush – Breakaway 21. Candido – Succulent 22. Jeff Britton – Rub Out 23. Foster Sylvers – Misdemeanor[8] 24. Major Lance – It Must Be Love Coming Down 25. Carl Carlton – I Won’t Let That Chump Break Your Heart

Disc: 2

1. Spanky & Our Gang – Like To Get To Know You[9] 2. The Sandpipers – Never Can Say Goodbye 3. The Poppy Family – Free From The City[10] 4. Mandy Moore – If Not By Fire 5. Ice – Ice Man 6. John & Beverly Martin – Auntie Aviator 7. Euphoria – There Is Now 8. Dillard & Clark – Radio Song 9. Fairport Convention – Autopsy 10. Roger Nicholls – Snow Queen 11. Orpheus – Can’t Find The Time 12. Chrysalis – Summer In Your Savage Eyes 13. Queen Anne’s Lace – Happiest Day Of My Life 14. Alzo & Udine – Something Going 15. The Originals – The Bells 16. Marsha Malamet – I Don’t Dare 17. Dusty Springfield – I Start Counting 18. Scott Walker – Angels Of Ashes[11] 19. Tim Hardin – Speak Like A Child 20. Michaelangelo – This Bird 21. The Left Banke – Dark Is The Bark 22. Julie Covington – My Silks And Fine Arrays 23. John Barry – The Dolls House

I think you’ll like it.