Diamanda Galas - The Litanies of Satan
 

 

Avantgarde vocalist Diamanda Galas' out-of-print debut features some of her best and most terrifying work.

The Litanies of Satan

has this not been reissued porky, i bought it new about 6 months ago, it is fuckingt awesome

Has it?Didn't know that.Pity the link doesn't bloody work.

here is a transcript of litanies, this is by baudelaire and sung by diamada

THE LITANIES OF SATAN

O thou, of Angels loveliest, most wise,
O God betrayed by fate, deprived of praise,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

O Prince of exile, who was dispossessed,
Who ever rises stronger when oppressed,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

O thou who knowest all, Hell's sovereign,
Known healer of mankind's afflictions,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who the lepers and pariahs doomed
Show out of love the Paradise to come,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who in Death, your mistress old and strong,
Breeds Hope - delightful aberration!

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who dost give the outlaw the proud glance
Which damns the crowd who watch his sufferance,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who dost know where greedy earth enfolds
The precious stones a jealous God concealed,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou whose clear eye knows the deep sepulchres
Where multitudes of metals lie interred,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou whose great hand conceals the precipice
From the somnambulist whom roofs entice,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who by magic softens the old bones
Of loitering drunks by horses trampled down.

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who, consoling frail mankind in pain,
Taught us to make our guns and gun-cotton,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who didst set thy mark, accomplice skilled,
Upon the heart of Croesus harsh and vile,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Thou who put into women's hearts and eyes
The cult of wounds, the love of poverty,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Staff of the exile and discoverer,
Confessor of condemned conspirator,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!

Father to those whom in his sombre wrath
God drove from his paradise on earth,

Satan, have mercy on my long distress!



PRAYER


To thee, o Satan, glory be, and praise,
In Heaven, once thy kingdom, the abyss
Of Hell, where, now, thou dreamest silently!
Grant that my soul, one day, beneath the Tree
Of Knowledge, may rest near thee, when o'erhead,
Like a new Temple, its wide branches spread!

If it has been re-issued on cd i'll buy it.I have it on vinyl.

http://www.bigstarmusic.com.au/

this is where i got it from but not online, the store is behind my house, it is my local

I listened to this today. Downloaded, for my sins. At the risk of getting into preposterous rhetoric, I haven't been quite so disturbed and absorbed by a record in fucking ages. I utterly fucking love this woman.

Ha! Is that shit really serious? or is it parody I've never heard of it.

i went through a phase of listening to this obsessively. If only all ''pretentious'' records reached this level of intensive negativity, i'd happily murder for thrills.

what love?

That's pretty much spot on. I kept saying to myself, "but this is just...fucking incredible". I like a lot of avant-y sort of records (although that's a troubled term) but they rarely get much beyond a fairly cerebral appreciation. I find it near-impossible to talk about Galas without dribbling into hyperbole, but... when she's on form (and let's be honest, she can churn out guff as much as the next person) she just slays all.

Check it

The catholics have kept this hidden from me for a long time.

Galas is so amazing. I saw her in 2007 when shew was touring these ridiculously haunting solo versions of old jazz standards, some of which ended up on Guilty Guilty Guilty. It was KILLER!

Her version of Gloomy Sunday is pretty much untoppable.

I don't have this one though, so I must check it out some time...

yeah gloomy sunday is amazing

does the link work?

Still the baddest bitch around. I wish she'd come back to NY again. She's also one of the best interviewees I've ever read, music or otherwise, which is a real rarity these days.

is that the link to the album?

If anyone wants any boots of her shows, I've got a few.

Nefeli: tell her I love her.

Herr Rhapsody: I could go for some boot action.