La Belle et le Bête (1982)- Bill Nelson
When I first picked up this record, I thought it was the soundtrack for the Cocteau film (one of my all-time favourites), which would have been great on its own. It was even better though, it turned out to be the electronic soundtrack of a stage interpretation of the Cocteau film from a theatre in Yorkshire in the 80s. I don't know if that sounds incredible or terrible or both. I want to see that play, that's for sure.
From the back cover:
"The Yorkshire Actors Company, under the direction of Andy Winters, have transformed this cinematic tour-de-force into a densely enigmatic stage production. Although performed without recourse to filmic tricks, sets or elaborate lighting, the play manages to convey the conflicts and contrasts between the 'other-worldliness' of the Beast's castle and the squalidness of Beauty's family life. The result is a kind of 'human cinema' where gesture, dialogue and music alone replace the elaborate mechanics of the film world." Yes, "human cinema", aka theatre.
It also has a very long list of every synth, mixing desk and tape machine used in the recording. I won't bother to type them out here, but if anyone seriously does want them, just ask in the comments. I can't actually remember what tracks these samples are of, it doesn't really matter, the whole thing is much of a muchness. (Even though I like it)
