Buddha of Suburbia: Issa's Sunday Service #127

 

The Buddha from Suburbia, the eponymous song from one of David Bowie's most overlooked albums, is named after the 1990 novel by Hanif Kureishi, hence it's literary lineage.  This song is the only one from the soundtrack for the four-part BBC series that Bowie was commissioned to produce and, though classified as a soundtrack, really isn't at all.  There are two very interesting, Eno-like instrumentals on the album, plus a second take of the title track with Lenny Kravitz wailing away on guitar.


Kureishi's first big project (aside from his early stint as a pornography writer) was the screenplay for the great 1985 film, My Beautiful Launderette, a long-time personal favorite of mine.  If you haven't seen it (or perhaps even if you have) here's a 10 minute clip that gives a good feel for the film:







If its one you missed, check it out - among other things, it has a great early performance by Daniel Day-Lewis.

And, finally, here is the official video for the BBC series:








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In case you missed it this week, here is a fine poem by angie werren from tinywords, an exemplary online/print mag which has accepted a new poem of my own for publication in a forthcoming collection:

he thinks again of turning leaves her hands

-angie werren

from tinywords
http://tinyurl.com/7l2c886

Let's finish up with two songs that popped up on the ipod on my walk to work on Friday.  First George cutting through all the bullshit, Beatle and otherwise:








Next, the rock song with the hottest guitar riff ever (got a hotter one?  I'm listening ...):










And rounding it all off with two poems from the magnificent collection of the work of Buddhist Nun Rengetsu, Lotus Moon, to be added to the one I posted previously (you can buy it at an independent seller here:

When a Thief Came

If the mountain bandit
Came to my place
To steal away
Golden oak leaves
He struck it rich!

The Thief

Nor a trace
Of a thief
But he left behind
The peaceful stillness
of the Okazaki Hills.

Rengetsu

the mountain moon
gives the blossom thief
light

Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue

In case you noticed, yes this is lengthier than it should be for someone on partial hiatus, but I did warn you that staying away from music was never going to completely happen.

And yes, it also means that progress continues on the anthology.  Solid progress.

best,

Don

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Go to the LitRock web site for a list of all 127 songs

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