DIAMANDA GALÁS - Malediction and Prayer [1998]
Obviously the natural heir to Patty Waters' throne as Thee Seductress of Shriek, Diamanda Galás has made some of the most powerfully disturbing albums of the last two decades. I count her among my favorite artists of all-time, yet I must confess something: I very rarely play her music. And that's not a feeble attempt at being a wiseass-- I quite simply very seldom have the emotional commitment that should be mustered to wallow in her oppressive and demanding oeuvre. Her Gospels of Gloom are swaddled in a despair so thick, at times it feels as though you're been asphyxiated by the Cold Hand of Death itself. Hers is not an art form for the passive listener-- her works are best listened to in the clear thinking hours right before dawn, preferably alone with zero distractions.
"Malediction and Prayer" was recorded in various locales during Ms. Galás' November 1996 to June 1997 World Tour. Comprised of covers ranging from B.B. King ("The Thrill is Gone") to Phil Ochs ("Iron Lady") to Billie Holliday ("I'm Gonna Live the Life"), it is a barebones affair featuring only Galás' four-octave voice and her minimalist, classically-trained piano tinklin'-- and believe me, that's more than enough. Her golden throat is an instrument unto itself, capable of capturing immeasurable depths of melancholy as easily as dizzying heights of righteous anger. Particularly striking is her take on the Shel Silverstein-penned "25 Minutes to Go," a minor hit for Johnny Cash. Galás expunges the light-hearted black humor of the original, a novelty song about an outlaw awaiting his execution, leaving its skeletal remains as the funeral dirge its creator is unlikely to have ever imagined. She imbues the piece with such utter hopelessness that as each minute is counted down, the tension becomes nearly unbearable; by the time she's reached the inevitable conclusion, the breath of the hangman might as well be hideously caressing the back of yer neck. Needless to say, it's doubtful you'll be blasting this at the beach this summer.
In comments.
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ReplyDeletepass = sln2008
Great, thanks! In the Fear Of God days, we normally would walk in the places we'd play, carrying a tape recorder and blasting nothing but Diamanda Galas, Laibach, Suzanne Vega, Wagner, Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares or Throbbing Gristle stuff - in one word unpunk music. People normally just shook their heads in disbelief. Diamanda Galas, especially the early material, seemed to be particularly shocking to the average HC kid. So were our 80s.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes. Some of the most amazing music of the era came from the industrial/avant-garde scene. I've never understood the "one kinda music only" mentality. That's like eating the same food every day.
ReplyDeleteI saw the Toronto show on that tour. intense seems like too small of a word to describe the experience.
ReplyDeleteYou ain't just whistlin' Dixie there, my friend. I saw her in the early 90's at a small jazz club in Montreal, and I gotta say it was positively cataclysmic! Moments of bliss dissolving into pure terror. She is among the most intimidating human beings to ever walk the earth. I had the feeling the whole time that she coulda easily kicked the shit outta of the 6'5" bouncer they had at the joint.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit far removed from the stage since the show I saw was at Roy Thomson Hall of all places... but she definitely looked tall and intimidating even from where I was sitting.
ReplyDelete"I count her among my favorite artists of all-time, yet I must confess something: I very rarely play her music." I totally agree. We used to play this record at a video store I worked at while old dudes would browse the porno. When "I'm Gonna Live the Life" would come on they'd all catch the spirit and either leave or double up their order.
ReplyDeleteOh man! I wish I'd had that anecdote when I was scribing the review. Great tale, nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few artist I actually own a cd of... (divine punishment and saint of the pit). Is there any other artist that is capable of uttering despair and anger to such an extent? I doubt. If you'd ever found yourself back in hell, this is the woman that could lead you safely back to a more human environment for even the devil himself wouldn't know how to handle a force like her...
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