The Stranglers of Bombay (3 Stars)

This is a film made by Hammer Studios in 1959 loosely based on true facts. It takes place in India in 1829. Captain Lewis of the British East India Company is puzzled by the disappearance of hundreds of people in his district. He wants to investigate, but his superior officer doesn't think it's a priority, because it's only natives who are disappearing, not white settlers. It's more important to protect the goods being traded. Captain Lewis is so anxious to find out what's happening that he resigns his post so that he can investigate as a free man.

He discovers a mass grave, which leads him to a cult of Kali worshipers who strangle their victims with white scarves. Their motives aren't 100% clear in the film. Many of the cult members murder victims in order to steal, but it seems that the main reason for killing is to bring human sacrifices to Kali.

Kali is worshiped as the Goddess of Death, but most Hindus don't consider her to be evil. She's considered to be the mother of all, which is in contrast to the violent figure which is portrayed in paintings and statues.

At the time of its release photos of the actress Marie Devereux were used to promote the film. That's false advertising. She hardly appears in the film. She's one of the Kali worshipers who sits listening while the priest describes his plans. Her role should have been expanded to make the film more interesting. There's not enough action to make the film exciting. It's one of Hammer's weaker films.

Red Notice (4 Stars)

Netflix Thursday #6

This is a film that I watched today, knowing nothing about it in advance. I just saw the names Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds and thought to myself that it couldn't possibly be bad with two such wonderful actors.

The film is about three golden eggs studded with jewels that were given by Mark Antony to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. All three eggs were lost after their death, but two of the eggs were found in 1907. One of the eggs is now on display at a museum in Rome. The other is in the possession of a private collector.

Dwayne Johnson plays John Hartley, an FBI agent visiting Rome after being tipped off that the egg will be stolen. He arrives too late, due to hindrances by Interpol and the museum director. Nolan Booth, a notorious art thief played by Ryan Reynolds, has already replaced the egg with a fake, but he hasn't yet left the building. After a spectacular chase Hartley captures Booth and retrieves the egg, but it's stolen from police custody under his nose.

The tipoff came from another international art thief known as the Bishop. This is actually a woman. What do you call a female bishop? Evidently the word bishop is still used, because the church has no female bishops. The word bishopess (which sounds wrong to me) is used to describe a bishop's wife. The Bishop is the film is played by the Israeli actress Gal Gadot. She's set Hartley up by planting evidence that he was responsible for stealing the egg. Booth and Hartley are imprisoned in the same cell in a high security prison in Russia.

From this point on it becomes a buddy movie. The cop and the crook have to work together, first to escape from prison and then to find the Bishop. Their search takes them from continent to continent. It also involves stealing the other two eggs to reunite all three of them. Didn't I say that the third egg was lost? Yes, but Nolan Booth knows where it's hidden. It was discovered by the Nazis in Egypt, and now it's in a hidden bunker with Nazi loot in Argentina.

The film isn't as funny as I expected. Nolan Booth is a humorous character, constantly joking, but that doesn't make the film itself funny. John Hartley is an all-business straight guy. Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds are a perfect on-screen partnership.

I like the film a lot, but I found the plot twists at the end irritating. Why do screenwriters think that a plot twist is needed in so many films today? I miss the good old films where a plot went from A to B without diversions. So a simple plot makes a film predictable? So what? I like predictable films.

"Red Notice" is a Netflix original film, so it isn't available on disc. With a budget of $200 million, it's the most expensive film ever made by Netflix. Two sequels are planned. I can hardly wait!

I almost forgot to tell you what the film's title means. This screenshot should explain it.

The King's Man (5 Stars)

Disney Wednesday #8

This is a prequel to the 2015 film "Kingsman", sometimes known as "Kingsman: The Secret Service". It shows how the Kingsman spy organisation came about at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The film's main character is Ralph Fiennes as Orlando Oxford, the Duke of Oxford. He was a war hero in the Boer War, but he became a pacifist after being disgusted by what his country was doing. When the First World War breaks out, his son Conrad is determined to join the army, but he refuses to give him permission while he's underage. In 1916 Conrad turns 18, so he's able to sign up for the army without his father's permission. Orlando is a friend of King George, so he asks the king to keep him away from the fighting. Conrad realises what's happening, so when he's posted to a position in London he exchanges identities with a young Scottish soldier. Conrad volunteers for a dangerous mission on the front line, and he's awarded a Victoria Cross. Posthumously.

The First World War was a family affair. King George of England, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and Tsar Nicholas of Russia were cousins. This didn't stop them sending armies against one another. Orlando tried diplomacy to make the three cousins stop fighting and be friends, but it wasn't possible.

Britain and Russia were allies against Germany. A shadowy Scottish figure who calls himself the Shepherd wants Germany to win the war, so he uses the monk Rasputin to persuade Nicholas to withdraw his troops. This puts Orlando in a difficult position. He wants the war to end, but not with Germany as victor, so he has to stop Rasputin.

The Kingsman spy agency isn't formed until 1919 when the war is over.Orlando has learnt lessons from the conflict. There has to be a secret society that isn't controlled by any government, a society which is able to work for peace.

Gemma Arterton plays Polly, a maid who becomes one of Kingsman's founders. A maid? The film is anachronistic in its portrayal of women. In those dark days of male chauvinism women didn't have equal rights, but the Duke of Oxford treats her as his equal. She may work for him, as far as the outside world is concerned, but she's his closest companion and trusted advisor.

"The King's Man" has less humour than the two Kingsman films set in the present day. I can't say whether that's good or bad in itself, but it gives the film a different style to the others.

The film is available for streaming on Disney Plus only five months after it was in the cinema. I'm glad, for purely selfish reasons, but that's a sign that the film wasn't successful at the box office. That's unfortunate. Adolf Hitler is introduced in a mid credits scene, so I was hoping for a sequel to be made soon. There's still hope.

Hitler is played by the young German actor David Kross. In Germany playing Hitler is a right of passage. It happens to every actor at some point in his career, even if he doesn't have a physical resemblance. Am I exaggerating? When I have time I'll make a list of all the German actors who've played Hitler.

A film that's found its way to streaming even faster is "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness". It's streaming less than two months after it was released, and only three weeks after I saw it in the cinema.

Success Rate:  - 0.7

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Wine: Rolf Willy Lemberger Weißherbst

It's been more than a year since I last wrote a wine review. Does that mean I haven't been drinking wine? No way! I often drink wine, and I've been drinking more since I was discharged from hospital two months ago. My stomach is still playing up, and wine is one of the few pleasures I can still enjoy. I usually drink a glass late at night, shortly before bed.

The reason I haven't been writing about wine is because I've been drinking wines that I've written about in the past. I don't write about the same wine more than once, or at least I haven't done so until now. Maybe I'll do it if I change my mind significantly about a wine.

Over the last 12 months I've been drinking the Eberbach-Schäfer wines that I love so much, but I've also been drinking the Rolf Willy Samtrot Spätlese, which I still consider my favourite wine. It's not so easy to buy. It isn't stocked by my local stores. Apart from that, it costs about twice as much as the Eberbach-Schäfer wines.

"Weißherbst" is a type of wine that's exclusive to Germany, made according to strict rules. It's made in a similar way to Rosé wines, but it's only allowed to be made with one type of grape from one location. Most (though not all) Rosé wines are a mixture of different grapes. Another difference is that Weißherbst usually has a higher alcoholic content than Rosé, which is brought about by picking the grapes later in the season.

I'm never sure whether to drink Weißherbst wines cooled or at room temperature. Yesterday I drank a glass at room temperature, and I didn't enjoy it. The wine had an acidic taste that clashed with the natural sweetness. Today I cooled the wine first. Much better! The acidity is hardly noticeable. Despite the strong flavour of the Lemberger grapes, there's a pleasant sweetness. It's a very refreshing wine. I'm drinking in the evening as I write this, but I can imagine this would be a good wine to drink outside on a sunny day.

After a random visit to a supermarket in a nearby city I stocked up with a variety of wines that I haven't drunk before, so I'll be writing about wine more often in the next few weeks.

Klaus Schulze: La Vie Electronique 4 (2009)

La Vie Electronique 4  (1975 to 1976)

Track Listing (CD 1):

1.

Just an old-fashioned Schulze track

73:28

1975  Live

Track Listing (CD 2):

1.	Shadow Piece	13:10	1975-76  Live
2.	I sing the Body Electric	49:15	1976  Live
3.	Das Herz von Grönland	14:16	1976  Live

Track Listing (CD 3):

1.	The Andromeda Strain	41:46	1976  Live
2.	Make room, make room!	28:57	1976  Live
3.	Darkest Steglitz	07:43	1976  Live

Rating: 5 Stars

The fourth album in the La Vie Electronique series is made up entirely of live recordings.

"Just an old-fashioned Schulze track" was probably recorded at a concert in Fürth, Germany on 4th October 1975. That's what the writing on the tape box says, but KDM isn't 100% sure.

"Shadow Piece " was recorded at a concert in 1975 or 1976.

"I sing the Body Electric" was recorded at a concert in Rouen, France on 20th April 1976.

"Das Herz von Grönland" was recorded at a concert in Oberhausen, Germany on 7th November 1976.

"The Andromeda Strain" was recorded at a concert in Rotterdam, Netherlands on 9th May 1976.

"Make room, make room" was recorded at a concert in the Netherlands in May 1976.

"Darkest Steglitz" was recorded at a concert in Berlin, Germany on 15th December 1976.

The recording quality is first class, with the exception of a couple of tape faults on "I sing the Body Electric". Apart from this the music is indistinguishable from his studio recordings. There are no audience sounds. It was usual for Klaus to have state-of-the-art recording equipment on stage, and I assume it was plugged directly into his instruments.

The music is all excellent, but the outstanding track is the (supposedly) old-fashioned track on the first CD. It's the most exciting piece of music I've ever heard from Klaus.

I've just reviewed four LVE albums in a row, all from 2009. When the LVE series began KDM promised four albums a year from 2009 to 2012. He kept this schedule for the first eight albums, but in 2011 the releases slowed down. I'm reviewing Klaus Schulze's albums in order of their release, so it means that the LVE albums will begin to interweave with his newly recorded albums.

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La Vie Electronique 4 Liner Notes

Listening to Klaus Schulze's catalogue in the 21st century, re-experiencing the gargantuan works that defined both his illustrious career and the much-heralded genre of electronica loosely defined as "space music", does anything emerge on point? Only that where others dared follow, Schulze fomented the lead, and he's barely looked back since. Oh, stylistic frontiers are sometimes explored again in order to yield further riches, concepts established in the bygone days of the 70's rear their heads again, but more often than not, Schulze epitomizes what many consider to be the pinnacle of 20th century Teutonic electronica. Rather than truck in calcifying prog-rock or degenerate into the stultifying realms of "new age", Schulze harnessed all the great instrumental tools of the era (Moogs, ARPs, EMS, and other names that evoke ancient analog heaven) and essentially forged his own musical niche. In so doing, he amassed a back catalogue with few rivals, single-mindedly pursuing a creative course that one could spend the better part of a lifetime absorbing.

Even now, the mind reels when considering that Schulze's auspicious debut, IRRLICHT, is well over 35 years old. The charmingly primitive electronic organ and orchestral processing that makes up that highly provocative work, though no doubt redolent of its date and place (the evolution of instrumentation and its attendant technology is a potent dating system, especially in the realm of electronic music), manages to broach levels of awe, for it still sounds like nothing else. Id-altering, suffused with the purple twilight of psychedelia, Schulze is right in appraising IRRLICHT as resembling "musique concrète" more than the traditional "space music" he would soon become tethered to. Of course, that very sonic construct would emerge full-force on CYBORG, and proceed apace through BLACKDANCE, PICTURE MUSIC, and TIMEWIND (all three of which sport some of the finest faux-Dali covers ever to grace an electronic music record jacket), culminating in the now-classic sequencer matrices of MOONDAWN. Stunning and genre-defining as these records are, Schulze's subsequent work was already making tentative moves away from the tyranny of the sequencer grid that rubberstamped his early material, and, with the advent of digital synthesis (and the baby steps of MIDI) came whole new worlds to conquer. 

But let's face it: the man was already boldly going where none had gone before. The hallucinogenic freak-outs that imbibed Schulze's tenure with Ash Ra Tempel, and even his early days with colleagues Edgar Froese & Co in the first incarnation of Tangerine Dream, sowed the seeds and provided impetus, but it was only when he struck out on his own did many realize a potent form of electrified sonics was being birthed. Previous volumes of these newly reissued portions of the massive ULTIMATE EDITION box set have made it painstakingly clear that Schulze in studio and Schulze live were two related but contrasting propositions. Undoubtedly, all of the pioneering initial Schulze sides are stone-cold classics, yet the numerous, live-recorded pieces scattered across this spate of new issues is testament to how totally magnetic (and historically important) the artist's multi-tiered sound canvases, painted in front of spellbound audiences, truly were. 

This all makes for some expansive listening marathons. Patience is required but rewarded; on the first disc of this set alone, "Just an Old-Fashioned Schulze Track" (from 1975) peaks at a seemingly daunting 73 minutes, but getting from A to B (or, more clearly, from beginning to end) is what makes Schulze's music absolutely gripping in totality. It also helps to understand from whence come his imagistic titles. An avid follower of science fiction film and literature, Schulze has referenced authors on past works (see "Study for Philip K. Dick" on LVE 2), but the correlations run wide and deep on this set. As well they should; science fiction indeed can find its sonic analog ("pun" most intended) in electronic music's labyrinthine genres and sub-categories, but nowhere are futurist concerns more abundant than in the Germanic synth orchestrations of Schulze and his colleagues.

 

In this edition, the referents eclipse numerous sources. CD Three finds Schulze originating his own themes for "The Andromeda Strain", using his signature coalsack atmospheres and metallic hues to paint a phenomenally vivid environment of dark viral menace, the direct antithesis of Gil MeIle's laboratory experimentations yet every bit its other-dimensional twin. "Make Room, Make Room!" opens out of a sea of dirty pulses amidst clanking machines and misfiring pistons, effectively mirroring from Harry Harrison's source novel the angst of an overpopulated society on the brink. CD Two tackles no less an artist of similar Schulzian stature than Ray Bradbury, the centerpiece of which is the near-50 minute piece titled after one of the author's most famous story collections, "I Sing the Body Electric". This six-part suite, recorded at a solo concert in France in 1976, is a simply glorious piece of sonic art, as reflective of science fiction imagery as the technological ends that Schulze uses to justify his aural means. Here, his synths simply sing; they ascend, They soar, they glide on infinitely rising thermals. Were it not for the unfortunate baggage that visually accompanies the word "spiritual" when describing atmospheric electronic music (it's where that term "new age" tends to be uttered), one could easily define this piece in such a manner. Grandiose, in the best sense, complex and quite exploratory, these sounds feel both timeless and ageless, regardless of the instruments used in their creation. If there is any more apt a title for a Schulze piece than "The Machineries of Joy", I'm at a loss to come up with one; it perfectly describes both its primer and subsequent sonic alchemist, the technician and his equipment operating in blissful synergy. 

The phrase "music of the spheres" is defined as "a music, imperceptible to human ears, formerly supposed to be produced by the movements of the spheres or heavenly bodies". Schulze's legacy – considered from either his halcyon days or drawn from contemporary quarters – is most definitely perceptible, but it's easy to draw parallels between the gravitational forces of his immense sonic constructs and the motions of astral bodies. Both connote great scope, broker galactic vision, requirements that should hold Schulze's work in just as everlasting accord. 

(Darren Bergstein, August 2008)

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Lisa Gerrard - Come Quietly (2009)

Lisa Gerrard (vocals)

Klaus Schulze (keyboards)

Rating: 4 Stars

This is a CD that was originally sold at Lisa Gerrard's concerts. Later it was available from Lisa Gerrard's website. It was listed on Amazon, but marked as "Currently unavailable". I waited and waited, but it was never available, except as an MP3 album for download.

Unlike the other collaborations, this album is all about Lisa Gerrard. Lisa's voice dominates while Klaus provides backing music. Nominally, Klaus has two solo tracks, but it's still backing music, because the CD's seven tracks are just one piece of music with track breaks at relevant points.

I'm curious when this album was recorded. Klaus and Lisa lived on opposite sides of the world and only came together for concerts. Was it recorded when they had a few hours free before a concert? If anyone knows, please leave a comment below.

WWF 1997.04.14 - Monday Night Raw

Location: Johannesburg Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa

Commentators: Jim Ross, Honky Tonk Man, Vince McMahon, Jim Cornette

This event was recorded on 9th April 1997. Jim Ross and Honky Tonk Man are giving live commentary in South Africa. Vince McMahon and Jim Cornette are giving additional commentary in America. The American commentary must have been added later, because there's a six hour time difference. If there's a reason for the double commentary, I don't know what it is.

Match 1. The Godwinns vs Legion of Doom

This is a revenge match for the Legion of Doom being drenched with pig swill last week (or two days ago). British Bulldog and Owen Hart enter the arena. Bulldog hits Animal (of the LOD) over the head with his tag team title belt behind the referee's back, and Phineas Godwinn pins him.

Match 2. Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Jesse James

After a fast start by Triple H, Jesse James has the advantage. While Chyna is distracting the referee, Honky Tonk Man hits Jesse James. Triple H pins him. After the match Jesse James challenges Honky Tonk Man to enter the ring, but he chickens out.

P. S. Don't you think that Chyna looks hot with her hair down?

Match 3. Rocky Maivia vs Savio Vega

Savio Vega defeats Rocky Maivia in a non-title match. Surprisingly, the other members of the Nation of Domination don't interfere.

There's an interview with Steve Austin in America. It seems to have been recorded in Muncie, Indiana after last week's live broadcast went off the air.

Match 4. Goldust vs The Sultan

Goldust has a clear advantage against the Sultan for most of the match. Then Triple H and Chyna enter the ring and attack him, so the Sultan is disqualified. The Sultan is the wrestler who will be later known as Rikishi.

Match 5. Mankind & Vader vs The Headbangers

Neither team has an advantage until Mosh of the Headbangers spits some sort of powder in Mankind's eyes. The referee sees this happen and disqualifies the Headbangers. Mankind is blinded and attacks Vader.

After the match the lights go out and the Undertaker threatens Mankind in a recorded message.

The Commandant, who we first saw in last week's Monday Night Raw, enters the ring to talk badly about weak Americans. He promises that the Truth Commission will come to put everything right.

Match 6. Ahmed Johnson vs Crush

Ahmed Johnson, the clear crowd favourite, defeats Crush despite repeated interference from the other members of the Nation of Domination.

Dilo Brown has been a member of the Nation of Domination ever since it was formed, but he still hasn't been explicitly been named in television broadcasts.

Faarooq issues a challenge to Ahmed Johnson. He says that if Ahmed can defeat Savio Vega, Crush and Faarooq himself he'll disband the Nation of Domination. The conditions of the challenge aren't clear. Is it a three-on-one match, or does Ahmed have to fight them one after another?

Basic Instinct (5 Stars)

This is an incredible film, so good that I've watched it six times since 2010, including twice last year. That also means that I've written all I can about it. Read one of my old reviews. You can find them listed in my alphabetical list of posts.

Success Rate:  + 5.2

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Klaus Schulze: La Vie Electronique 3 (2009)

La Vie Electronique 3  (1975 to 1976)

Track Listing (CD 1):

1.	Alles ist gut	36:19	1975  Live
2.	Well Roared, Lion!	09:21	1975  Live
3.	Der Blaue Glaube	32:17	1975  Live

Track Listing (CD 2):

1.	Fourneau Cosmique	25:35	1975  Live
2.	Die Lebendige Spur	12:45	1975  Live
3.	La Présence d'Esprit	17:35	1975  Live
4.	Der Lauf der Dinge	20:47	1975

Track Listing (CD 3):

1.	Zeichen Meines Lebens	32:09	1975  Live
2.	Semper Idem	11:37	1975
3.	Wann soll man springen?	15:07	1975
4.	Experimentelle Bagatelle	04:11	1975
5.	Kurzes Stück im Alten Stil	07:02	1975
6.	Gewitter	09:23	1976-1978

Notes: Harald Grosskopf plays drums on "Gewitter".

Rating: 5 Stars

The third album in the La Vie Electronique series contains mostly live recordings. When I say "Live" I mean that they were recorded at concerts. Technically speaking, most of the studio recordings in the series were also live, because Klaus was improvising at his keyboards.

 All the tracks on CD 1 were recorded at a concert in Munich, Germany on 30th May 1975.

"Fourneau Cosmique" was recorded at a concert in France in April 1975.

"Die Lebendige Spur" and "La Présence d'Esprit" were recorded at concerts in Germany in October 1975.

"Zeichen Meines Lebens" was recorded at a concert in Munich, Germany on 24th October 1975.

Apart from the first two live tracks on the first CD, this is a brilliant album. For me the highlight of the album is "Der Lauf der Dinge", which is hypnotic in its constant repetitions.

Klaus Schulze's music has been given many labels, including ambient and new age. I shan't comment on the label new age, because it's a catch-all phrase that includes a variety of modern music styles. I just want to say that his music isn't ambient. The best definition of ambient music was made by Brian Eno on one of his album covers. I no longer have the text in front of me, thanks to my CD collection being stolen by Thomas Kuzilla of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, so I'll have to quote it from memory. He said that ambient music is music that fades into the background. If it's raining, ambient music should be listened to at a low volume that allows it to blend in with the sound of the raindrops hitting the window pane. That's not Klaus Schulze. His music should be listened to loud enough to exclude everything else.

The liner notes for LVE 3 are written once more by the American journalist Darren Bergstein. More than in the liner notes for LVE 2, it seems like he's going out of his way to be unintelligible. KDM's translation into German is easier to read.

---

La Vie Electronique 3 Liner Notes

Thanks to volumes like this one, no longer can newcomers (or even diehard enthusiasts) desiring Klaus Schulze's music use the excuse of its unavailability to deny themselves the pleasure of experience. Already, the glut of this singular musician's back catalogue has been revived in full, beautifully reissued and repackaged; all of his original, notoriously hard-to-find (well, at least for those of us living on the other side of the Atlantic pond) recordings, most containing additional tracks, are now easily obtainable, and instantly collectable. The ear can become reacquainted with the vast expanse of Schulze music from its earliest beginnings right up and into its modern incarnations, robust with the now-patented lengthy irises, numerous kaleidoscopic events, and the still-innovative breadth of tonalities that have become the artist's stock-in-trade. 

Despite the music's technological carbon dating, there's nary a wasted sequence, motif, or idea throughout; some of Schulze's exploratory beginnings are in fact witnessed in full bloom. This, the third volume culled from the original massive Schulze box set ULTIMATE EDITION, represents much of the artist in a live setting, featuring many an improvised piece in addition to his site-specific epic undertakings. Trading the dry air of the studio temporarily for the manifest rush of live performance always seemed to evoke great drafts of creativity in Schulze that continue unabated to this day. Certainly there's no doubt that being able to slowly unwind your ideas in the comfort of the studio and it's massive banks of electronic equipment naturally informs the very font of creation. But on stage Schulze, whether bringing readymade ideas to the party or working it out right there on the fly, seems to channel the latent energy of a live gathering directly into his viscera, the resulting electricity splayed out in to the audience in great zaps of molten synthetic energy. Schulze's work, like most musicians, wasn't always forged in studio isolation; across the wealth of his catalogue, many of his grand statements were recorded right on the front lines of many a chosen performance space.

A good portion of this three CD set well-illustrates Schulze working his otherworldly mojo out in the limelight. What is it about the pulsing cascade of interlocked synthesizer keystrokes that make for such enthralling listening? Though his music can scarcely be labelled "minimalist", much of the same mantra-like hypnotism that buttresses his music shares more literal definitions of the style. The two half hour plus works that nearly inform the totality of CD One (in addition to the zoological sequencer figures that temper Well Roared Lion!") are prime explorations into the metallic voids of mid-70's synthesizers and the science-fictional worlds they evoke. The interstellar winds blowing through "Alles ist gut" could have soundtracked any legion of futurist troopers dispatched by starships; many of Schulze's superbly crafted pulses and arcane tautologies sometimes reincarnate soundcrafters like Louis and Bebe Barron or Oskar Sala. Allowing his pieces to unfold in studious, gradual, supple manners is to get wholly lost in the sound's virtual imaginarium, whether it's sinking deep into darkening, velvety atmospheres or thrust headlong into a pretzel logic of notes.

Considering the shelf date of these works, what makes their impact even more extraordinary is that in spite of being created by the instruments of their day, Schulze's deft hand still engenders in them an utter contemporaneity. Now that analog synthesis and formerly "ancient" rhythm programming has been enjoying something of a modern renaissance (by both enthusiast and musician alike), Schulze's expansive sonic architecture is suddenly in vogue. Not that he's a man content to rest on his laurels: recent works such as "Moonlake" and 2007's "Kontinuum" flex ingrained methodologies to exercise new wrinkles out of his system. Those recordings maximized the limitless potential of his digital arsenal, an extension of the sampling techniques he has mastered to galvanizing effect over the last 10-plus years, but somehow the "purity" of his earlier analog experiments not only hold his recorded corpus in better stead, it bespeaks of an imagistic vitality that's hardly diminished decades down the road.

Immersing oneself wholecloth into the coiling sequencer workout of CD Three's sole live track, "Zeichen meines Lebens", with its starshine dazzle, rocket thruster boost, and serpentine trajectory, suggests nothing less than circuitry thrust into maximum overdrive by the mad synthesist hovering over his mainframe. This image persists in photos of Schulze of the period: setting his controls for the heart of the sun, he often looks like the penultimate air traffic controller, balancing incoming/outgoing sonic cargo with a poised hand and finely attuned muse. Consider the supernatural phantasias that imbibe "Fourneau Cosmique," or the deepcore event horizons glimpsed throughout the aforementioned "Zeichen meines Lebens" and it's not difficult to understand where in fact the origins of "space music" (rather than the horrid appellation "Krautrock") arose in both genre and concept.

This is by no means negating the importance, relevance and sheer wealth of invention on display throughout this set's included studio pieces. Extracted (like all the music collated for this current set of reissues) from the massive (and long out-of-print) collections HISTORIC EDITION, JUBILEE EDITION and the original ULTIMATE EDITION 50-CD opus, CD Three's five studio works also originate from Schulze's mid-70's "golden era". Though part and parcel with the set's then-burgeoning syncopations, they nevertheless provide glimpses into some of Schulze's future directions. So, although heavily vested in the electronic vocabularies of its period, tracks such as "Semper idem" and "Wann soll man springen?" actually embrace strongly the "classical" foundation on which Schulze insists his works are built upon. In the yards of oscillating patterns and vaulting textures can be discerned where Schulze would later avail himself to the wonders of digital sampling, springboards from which he would eventually devise some of the most different and difficult music of his storied career. A far cry indeed from his days as the "drummer" with Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel, yes, but those formulative years spent at the traps led to a seemingly inexhaustive vortex of ideas wrestled deep from the silicon innards of his trusty machines. 

(Darren Bergstein, August 2008)

WWF 1997.04.07 - Monday Night Raw

Location: Worthen Arena, Muncie, Indiana

Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Honky Tonk Man

This is a live broadcast, so when the commentators say "last week" they mean last week.

Match 1. Tag Team Championship, British Bulldog & Owen Hart vs The Godwinns

British Bulldog and Owen Hart come to the ring, united once more after Bret Hart's passionate speech last week. Or was it two weeks ago? They're carrying the flags of the United Kingdom and Canada respectively. Owen holds a short speech in which he thanks his brother Bret and berates America. He threatens that they'll beat up Shawn Michaels or anyone else who speaks badly of Bret.

They defend their tag team title against the Godwinns, Henry and Phineas. Bulldog and Owen retain their title after a rough match with a lot of cheating. As they're leaving the arena, the Legion of Doom are waiting for them. The Godwinns come from behind to throw a bucket of pig swill at them, but they duck and the Legion of Doom are drenched. The Godwinns and the Legion of Doom fight while British Bulldog and Owen Hart stand laughing.

Match 2. Steve Austin vs Billy Gunn

The match see-saws between the two competitors, but Steve Austin has the clear advantage. It's not a wrestling match, it's a brawl, and nobody can defeat Steve Austin in a brawl.

After the match the Honky Tonk Man goes into the ring to offer his sympathies to Billy Gunn. He says that he may have lost the match today, but with Honky Tonk's help he has the promise of being the best. All he needs is some good clothes, a haircut and sideburns. After listening to his offer, Billy knocks Honky Tonk over and leaves the ring.

The show is interrupted by a soldier marching into the arena. He says that he's the Commandant – or is that spelt Kommandant? – of South Africa's Truth Commission. Next week Monday Night Raw will be broadcast from Johannesburg, so the Commandant has come to America to study the effects of hundreds of years of democracy. He says that democracy makes people weak. In a healthy society the strong rule.

He tells us that one wrestler has gone to South Africa ahead of the others, a man that the Commandant respects. It's Bret Hitman Hart. In a taped interview from Johannesburg, Bret says that unlike America South Africa is a country that knows right from wrong. There's taped footage of Bret walking into a South African arena being cheered by the fans.

Shawn Michaels comes to the ring to be interviewed by Vince McMahon. He talks at length about Bret Hart. He says that they loathe one another. When Shawn first came to the WWF Bret was the biggest star, so he respected him. When Shawn became the biggest star, Bret didn't respect him back. The difference between the two of them is that Shawn can separate the ring from his private life. Back home he's just Shawn. Bret was born into a wrestling family, so wrestling is his life. He thinks of himself as a wrestler 24/7. Bret also points out that Bret left the WWF to join a rival organisation, WCW, stabbing Vince McMahon in the back. He's now returned, not out of any feelings of loyalty, but to make money.

British Bulldog and Owen Hart come to the ring to attack Shawn, but Shawn holds up a steel chair for self defence while the referees pull them away.

Match 3. The Headbangers vs Freddie Joe Floyd & Barry Horowitz

I didn't know these two wrestlers, so I expected them to be jobbers, but it soon became apparent that they're skilled wrestlers. Freddie Joe Floyd especially has had a long wrestling career in various companies. The Headbangers defeat them, but it isn't an easy victory.

Match 4. Ken Shamrock vs Vernon White

This is Ken Shamrock's first match in the WWF, but it's been billed as an exhibition match, not an official match. He fights against Vernon White, a former colleague of his from the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). It's a no holds barred fight, i.e. anything is allowed.  The referee stops the fight when Vernon is bloody from repeated punches to the face.

Jim Ross interviews Ken outside the ring, congratulating him on his victory. Vader comes into the arena and threatens Ken Shamrock, but the ring officials hold them apart.

Match 5. Vader vs Frank Stalletto

Don't you feel sorry for the jobbers who have to face a wrestler like Vader? Frank Stalletto never stands a chance. Several time in the match Vader could have pinned him, but he broke the count at two so he could hurt him some more. Vader is a bully.

Sycho Sid is due to fight Mankind in the main event, but he hasn't arrived yet. Gorilla Monsoon says that he probably missed his plane. That's one of the curses of live television. He says that if Sid doesn't arrive, the only person fit to replace him is Steve Austin.

Steve Austin walks in and said that he's already wrestled once tonight, so he doesn't want to wrestler any more just to save Gorilla Monsoon's little show. He says he'll only fight on one condition. He has to be given a match against Bret Hart at the next Pay Per View. Gorilla Monsoon agrees.

Match 6. Steve Austin vs Mankind

Mankind speaks to the crowd about his enmity with the Undertaker while he's waiting for Sycho Sid to arrive. The Undertaker answers over the Titantron, saying that Mankind must pay for his crimes. Steve Austin comes out, and there's a brutal brawl between the two before the match even starts. Finally in the ring, it's unclear what sort of a match it should be. It ought to be a standard wrestling contest, but Earl Hebner is allowing everything, as if it's a no holds barred contest.

British Bulldog and Owen Hart enter the arena. They say it's unfair that Steve Austin should be given a match against Bret Hart. The Legion of Doom come into the arena and attack Bulldog and Owen while the fight between Steve Austin and Mankind continues. Vader comes into the ring to attack Steve. but he accidentally hits Mankind. Earl Hebner calls for the bell, though it's unclear which one of them he's disqualifying. Mankind and Vader fight one another until Paul Bearer convinces them to make peace.

Dziekuje Bardzo (5 Stars)

After buying "Rheingold" last month I was eager to buy another Klaus Schulze concert on DVD. I was happy to see that the DVD release of "Dziekuje Bardzo" is still available. The CD with the same name contains two concerts, Berlin (12th November 2008) and Warsaw (13th November 2008). The DVD contains only the Warsaw concert, along with a small featurette.

The music is perfect. It shows Klaus Schulze and Lisa Gerrard at their best. As at the Rheingold concert, Lisa stands aloof, never once looking at Klaus, spending most of the time with her eyes closed. In this concert she displays a strange mannerism. At the end of each song she turns to Klaus and laughs. It's like a girlish giggle. This is missing from the CD, and rightly so, but it's a beautiful addition to the live concert on DVD.

The featurette isn't as informative as the documentary on the Rheingold DVD. It shows Klaus setting up his equipment on stage in Berlin (not Warsaw), and there are brief snippets of Klaus and Lisa on stage in Berlin. Lisa talks about her feelings when she met Klaus, saying she has the greatest respect for him not just as a musician but also as a person.

Here are a few screenshots from the concert:

Of course, pictures alone can't give a good impression of the concert. You need to listen to the music.

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WWF 1997.03.31 - Monday Night Raw

Location: Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois

Commentators: Vince McMahon, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross

This event took place on March 25th, the day after last week's live Raw broadcast. In the history of Raw, the broadcasts alternated between live and recorded broadcasts. In the commentary it's frequently stated that something happened "last week", even though it really took place yesterday.

Match 1. European Championship, British Bulldog vs Owen Hart

British Bulldog and Owen Hart are the tag team champions, but there's been a lot of tension between them over the last few weeks. They've each been jealous of the attention the other has been getting. Last week (or rather yesterday) Owen Hart challenged British Bulldog for the European Championship. It's a long, hard fight with open animosity between the two.

Bret Hart (Owen's older brother) interrupts the fight. He reminds them that they're brothers-in-law. (British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith, is married to Owen's sister Diana).

Bret holds a passionate speech that makes Owen cry. He says that the American wrestling fans have turned them against one another, because America is a country with no family values. They hug one another and leave the ring as friends and family.

Jerry Lawler is also moved to tears. He's in an emotional state for the rest of the evening.

Vince McMahon is annoyed and tells Jerry to snap out of it. A lot of what Bret said was valid, but Vince objects to the message that Americans have no family values.

Match 2. El Mosco vs Super Nova

Sunny comes to the ring as guest commentator. First she sits with the American commentators, then she joins the Spanish commentators and reveals that she can speak fluent Spanish.

El Mosco and Super Nova are two guest wrestlers from Mexico's AAA. The match is fast-paced and athletic, but judging by the silence in the arena nobody cares for either of them.

After the match Sunny comforts Jerry Lawler, who's still feeling emotional after Bret Hart's speech.

Jim Ross interviews the Legion of Doom, who are due to challenge British Bulldog and Owen Hart for the tag team championship at the next Pay Per View. They insist that America has family values, and they'll become the new champions.

Match 3. Jesse James vs Jerry Fox

I believe this is the first time Jesse James has used this name in the ring. Until now he's been known as The Roadie.

Honky Tonk Man comes to the ring as guest commentator. Jesse James easily defeats the jobber Jerry Fox. After the match Honky Tonk Man enters the ring to congratulate Jesse James. He tells him that he'll go all the way to the top with his support. He gives Jesse James his guitar, a family heirloom. Jesse smashes it.

Match 4. Savio Vega & Crush vs Adam O'Brien & Rob Bell

Savio Vega and Crush defeat the two jobbers who make a valiant effort to fight back. Adam O'Brien is the ring name of Adam Pearce, who's been employed as an official in the WWE since 2020.

Paul Bearer was the Undertaker's manager from 1990 to 1996. At Summerslam 1996 he turned his back on the Undertaker and allied himself with Mankind. Now he regrets it and wants the Undertaker to take him back. He enters the ring and pleads with the Undertaker to forgive him. The Undertaker enters the ring and knocks Paul Bearer down. Paul flees the ring, followed by the Undertaker. The Undertaker wants to hit Paul with his urn, but Mankind comes from under the ring and blinds the Undertaker with a ball of fire. Sycho Sid runs into the arena and chases Mankind away.

Match 5. Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Goldust

Goldust has the momentum for the first few minutes. He rushes into the ring and attacks Triple H viciously, wanting revenge for Marlena being injured at Wrestlemania. The tide turns in Triple H's favour, but Goldust is about to bodyslam Triple H when Chyna enters the ring and attacks him from behind. Goldust wins the match by disqualification.

After the match Triple H and Chyna attack Goldust. The ring officials (six referees plus Pat Patterson) attempt to separate them. Triple H attacks Pat Patterson, but Pat fights back. Chyna knocks him on the floor and kicks him repeatedly until Triple H persuades her to leave.

Steve Austin comes to the ring to be interviewed by Vince McMahon. Vince asks him what his thoughts are about Wrestlemania. Steve says that he never said "I quit", so he didn't lose. He wants to fight Bret Hart again.

Bret speaks over the Titantron. He says that he's finished with Steve Austin and will never fight him again.

Match 6. Intercontinental Championship, Rocky Maivia vs Bret Hart

Bret Hart challenges Rocky Maivia for the Intercontinental Championship. The two are evenly matched, even though Bret is an experienced fighter while Rocky is still a rookie. The match is fought fairly, until Bret decides to put Rocky in a sharpshooter around the ring post. Bret is disqualified and Rocky retains the title.

Steve Austin comes out and attacks Bret. Bret is defended by Owen Hart and British Bulldog. The Legion of Doom come out to chase them away.