American Beauty...

I hope you might enjoy this snippet, mes bloggy chums, for I am at the 'orspital today, having me liver scanned for signs of anything that oughtn't to be there, before (somewhat reluctantly) returning to work tomorrow...

I adore the haunting, mystical quality of Antony and the Johnsons' rare music. They are on tour in Britain shortly, and I have missed the chance of a ticket, because I was afraid to book it only to not be able to go because of my back issues at the time... This happened to me last year and I wasted a small sum of money on a beloved artist that I was unable to go to see, sadly... John Smith, in fact, I spoke of him earlier on in my witterings... He's playing Glastonbury this year, so hopefully greater recognition lies around the corner for that guitar man...

And, here is dahlink Antony, for your delight and delectation... Enjoy every bitter-sweet moment, mes petits petals de rose, and know that you love and are loved... I hope you like the music. A toute a l'heure mes amours fous...

...Antony and the Johnsons is a Mercury Prize-winning music act from New York City. Born in Chichester in England in 1971, Antony Hegarty moved with his family to Amsterdam in 1977 for a year, before settling in San Jose, California in 1981. As a teenager he was influenced by British synth pop of the time – particularly emotive singers like Marc Almond,


Alison Moyet
and Boy George.



His musical style also appears to borrow heavily from folk artists of the mid 20th century, such as Lou Reed, and The Velvet Underground.

Antony and the Johnsons' musical style has been described as Dark Cabaret, and Antony has been known to perform on stage in total darkness... The band's 2005 album, I Am a Bird Now, won the UK's prestigious Mercury Prize and was called Album of the Year by Mojo magazine.






In his song, The Lake, Antony used elements from the 1827 version of The Lake by Edgar Allan Poe, here are the lyrics...

In youth's spring, it was my lot
To haunt of the wide earth a spot
The which I could not love the less
So lovely was the loneliness
Of a wild lake, with black rock bound
And the tall trees that towered around

But when the night had thrown her pall
Upon that spot as upon all
And the wind would pass me by
In its stilly melody

My infant spirit would awake
To the terror of the lone lake
My infant spirit would awake
To the terror of the lone lake

Yet that terror was not fright
But a tremulous delight
And a feeling undefined
Springing from a darkened mind
Death was in that poisoned wave
And in its gulf a fitting grave
For him who thence could solace bring
To his dark imagining
Whose wildering thought could even make
An Eden of that dim lake

But when the night had thrown her pall
Upon that spot as upon all
And the wind would pass me by
In its stilly melody

My infant spirit would awake
To the terror of the lone lake
My infant spirit would awake
To the terror of the lake

Springing from a darkened mind
So lovely was the loneliness
In youth's spring, it was my lot
In its stilly melody
An Eden of that dim lake
An Eden of that dim lake
Lone, lone, lonely...



Please click to enlarge the picture if you cannot see Antony, who flirts with androgynous beauty and breaks hearts with his moving voice... Sometimes Blogger has the habit of gobbling up me photies!

"I'm a human being," Hegarty says. "I was born out of the earth, made of the same stuff as the rest of the earth, as those things you mentioned, like water and sunlight and elements and dust, mountains. ... Obviously, it's a poetic flight of fancy in a way, but at the same time, it's very much grounded in reality."