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http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Russell-Jon-Sorensen/dp/B002UTNJB6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1275461512&sr=1-4
I just recently purchased this CD after accidentally coming across it while looking up Ken Russell products on Amazon.com. The music is by filmmaker Jon Sorensen. It is listed as his tribute to the world's greatest film director. The music is quite soothing, but also very experimental. I like it a lot. Since, the CD contains no liner notes, I was wondering if anyone out there has any information about the album? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
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I also have the CD and agree with you about his tribute to Ken, good experimental music. He has made other good CDs.
I recommend his film Alien Blood
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004YS61/savagemessiah (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004YS61/savagemessiah)
Sci-fi with the influence of Ken. As one of the extras Jon gives excellent advice for new filmmakers.
There is an article by Jon on the site, with pics of Alien Blood here
www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-article-aliens-delius.html (http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-article-aliens-delius.html)
I know (by email) Jon, so I will see if he can give you more information.
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Thanks Iain. After reading the Jon Sorensen article I definitely want to watch "Alien Blood." The main question I have about the CD is in regard to the titles of the songs, such as "Ken Russell's Dracula, "The Loch Ness Monster," and "Aliens and Delius." They all appear to reference subjects that Ken made or attempted to make. Was Jon ever attached to score Ken's aborted version of Dracula? Thanks again.
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Jon is a longstanding fan of Ken's work (Alien Blood shows this) but he only met Ken in the last few years. I don't think he has composed for Ken.
He has worked on a number of major films, but the roles were uncredited. Internet movie database lists Alien (visual effects miniatures), Time Bandits (visual effects camera), The Empire Strikes Back (assistant camera) and others.
Let me know what you think of Alien Blood when you get it.
Iain
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Thanks Iain for the information. I just ordered a copy of "Alien Blood" through Amazon. I will definitely let you know what I think once I see it. Thanks again.
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Thank you very much, Iain, for the opportunity to participate and hopefully answer a few questions here. Certainly the common ground here is that I am an admirer of Ken's and his work has had a profound effect on my life. I recently had a chance to tell him this face to face and give him a big hug and a kiss. If you guys here have some specific questions you think I can answer, I'll swing around again and attempt to do so. And thank you for the interest in my own work to date.
Jon
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Thought I'd swing back, as threatened, and throw some light on my music album Jon Sorensen's THE KEN RUSSELL.
Iain pointed you to the essay I wrote for this Site some time back, which he brilliantly entitled Aliens and Delius
Taking that as a beginning, Ken's love of music is well known. As far as my own work goes, his ongoing favourite pieces are Jon Sorensen's Witch Symphony and Jon Sorensen's Frankenstein. In other words, the gothic romantic orchestral pieces, (although he's recently been bopping about to my For We Have Tranced And Danced At The Chimes At Midnight and my Prison Break cool high octane album, finding also Jon Sorensen's The Quatermass Experiment "eerie and gorgeous").
So when it came to an album dedicated to Ken, I began with Ken Russell's DRACULA, a film he was going to direct with Mick Fleetwood as the Count, and a film I would have paid a lot to see. Very intense and orchestral and episodic.
Following on from that came Ken Russell's TO THE LIGHTHOUSE which carries an elemental force sweeping along a lot of emotional and relationship turmoil within it's frame, the sounds of the sea and the whales heard against the lighthouse foghorn, sounding amidst the thick mist of human lives and loves, and reminding us that these entanglements will be long outlived by these elemental forces.
COLERIDGE'S DREAM sprang from my memories of Ken's television films about the romantic poets. After Ken and Lisi's house burned down, as a matter of fact, I was able to replace Ken's own DVD's of these two films, William and Dorothy and The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.
ALIENS AND DELIUS is simply a marriage of our two nature's and life and work experiences. My work on films containing "aliens" and Ken's film on Delius, for example, Song Of Summer.
THE DAY KEN SWAM WITH THE LOCH NESS MONSTER is the meeting of two legends, Ken and Nessie, (which we talked about...we both have an interest in the phenomenon).
THE LIVING END is a reference to a film Ken was to make years ago. (I have the paperback right here next to me as I type). The story is black comedy about death, cosmic chaos and the sheer ludicrousness of things. Hence the off-kilter feel to the track sometimes. The cosmic tumblers missing the odd beat.
The CD was presented to Ken by my wife unzipping it from a pocket on my back where I'd carried it to Ken in a leather waistcoat like Quasimodo hauling one of his bells.
The films Ken did'nt do are fascinating. One of them he was offered, SPECIES, would have found him working with H.R. Giger, which would have been fascinating. Since I worked on ALIEN, I knew Giger and his creations, so there's your Aliens And Delius connection again. On that front, it was the 30th Anniversary of ALIEN (1979) last year, and I composed a whole album, ALIEN 5, to mark this, and I wanted to point out to the people here it's a free album download. Also a free download of A Saucerful Of Secrets, a track from Jon Sorensen's The Core Of Dreams album.
These are on the Alien Experience Website. Dedicated to the ALIEN movies.
You download them here:
http://www.alienexperience.com/forum/index.php/topic,6605.0.html
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd139/Bravelaird/JonSorensensALIEN5.jpg)
I guess that's just about it. Except to say, film-maker and artist Dennis Lowe is looking to make a documentary about Ken and I and it's pencilled in for this coming August to shoot. If it pans out, I'll let you know.
Also, I agree it's appauling that most of Ken's films are currently unavailable on decent DVD's. It does'nt worry him so much. He says, "I got to make the films, that's what matters".
With my own Russellesque-Lynchian movie ALIEN BLOOD (2000) still available and selling on DVD 10 years on, (which astonishes me, since I thought it would be on video shelves for a year or two and then disappear), it is a monstrous enigma that Ken's movies are so rare. But mostrous and rare describes the film business.
And no, I've never yet composed for a Ken Russell movie. Yet.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
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Wow! Thanks Jon for taking the time and sharing with us all of that awesome information. I absolutely love the album (Which I've been listening to at least every other day for the past month). Also, thanks for the download links. I can't wait to watch "Alien Blood" which I ordered through amazon, but I still have not received in the mail. I'm also a huge David Lynch fan, thus when you said the film was both Russellesque and Lynchian I got even more excited. It is a real shame that Ken's "Dracula" was never made. Needless to say, it would have been amazing. Thanks again.
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Wow! Thanks Jon for taking the time and sharing with us all of that awesome information. I absolutely love the album (Which I've been listening to at least every other day for the past month). Also, thanks for the download links. I can't wait to watch "Alien Blood" which I ordered through amazon, but I still have not received in the mail. I'm also a huge David Lynch fan, thus when you said the film was both Russellesque and Lynchian I got even more excited. It is a real shame that Ken's "Dracula" was never made. Needless to say, it would have been amazing. Thanks again.
You are very welcome. Always a pleasure to talk about Ken and his influence and if you really like the music, Amazon US have put some 40 full streaming tracks you can listen to free from the 11 albums and 9 EP's "The Jon Sorensen Music Project" turned out between 2007-2010.
You go here. (Apparently the page needs refreshing occasionally to bring the player up):
http://www.amazon.com/Jon-Sorensen/e/B001QXIES0/ref=sr_tc_img_2?qid=1267303655&sr=1-2-ent (http://www.amazon.com/Jon-Sorensen/e/B001QXIES0/ref=sr_tc_img_2?qid=1267303655&sr=1-2-ent)
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There is another free download music track for those of you here.
Jon Sorensen's A MUSE ON MUSIC BY A SCOTTISH PRIEST ON THE ISLE OF IONA.
Totally tongue in cheek and a send-up in the Russell mould. So my pleasure.
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd139/Bravelaird/JonSorensenPriestMusicwwwjonsorense.jpg)
You go here and Right-Click on the Download button to Save, or, you may have to create an entirely free account if that does'nt do it for you.
http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/jon-sorensens-a-muse-on-music-by-a-scottish-priest-on-the-isle-of-iona/11915849?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1 (http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/jon-sorensens-a-muse-on-music-by-a-scottish-priest-on-the-isle-of-iona/11915849?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1)
The track was written for my tribute album to Ken, Jon Sorensen's THE KEN RUSSELL, and I it was on the CD I presented him with, but I changed it on the actual release for the track ALIENS AND DELIUS, (which is a title also in honour of Iain Fisher). Anyway, there it is.
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Jon, a question on Alien Blood if I can.
How did you get it off the ground? Getting locations, cast, technicians etc? How long was filming? What went according to plan and what went off plan? I suspect your methods are similar to Ken's in his later period.
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Jon, a question on Alien Blood if I can.
How did you get it off the ground? Getting locations, cast, technicians etc? How long was filming? What went according to plan and what went off plan? I suspect your methods are similar to Ken's in his later period.
Well, thanks to my usual ham-fistedness with the internet, Iain, I have unwittingly started a new "thread" when I meant to put my answer up here.
You just can't get the bloody staff.
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Jon is a longstanding fan of Ken's work (Alien Blood shows this) but he only met Ken in the last few years. I don't think he has composed for Ken.
He has worked on a number of major films, but the roles were uncredited. Internet movie database lists Alien (visual effects miniatures), Time Bandits (visual effects camera), The Empire Strikes Back (assistant camera) and others.
Let me know what you think of Alien Blood when you get it.
Iain
Hi Iain,
I just recently watched "Alien Blood." I thought it was great. Jon definitely didn't let his limited budget prevent him from making a very bizare, but also extremely entertaining film. Of all of Ken Russell's films, "Alien Blood" reminded me of "The Lair of the White Worm" the most -- the beautiful interiors of the castle, vampires in a modern setting, unconventional action heroes, and camp humor played strait. When Dracula bites his tongue, I couldn't stop laughing even though at the same time I felt sorry for him. The action scenes were really unique in the way they were directed, so unique that I have no idea how to describe them. It is extremely rare to see a film that is just a little bit unusual nowadays, so it is always a treat to see something that is different, and "Alien Blood" is definitely different. That is probably the main reason that I love Ken Russell is that his films are different. I hope Jon makes another film.
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I wanted to thank you very much for your insights on ALIEN BLOOD.
"I hope Jon makes another film".
I think I mentioned my WITCH screenplay and the virtual studio research, but the most likely project will be my short film BID TIME RETURN, which was written and registered with the Writer's Guild Of America nearly two years ago! I have to say people like the script very much indeed. People in the know I mean, other "professionals". But short though it will be, intentionally designed that way, it is technically very challenging. As usual with my stuff. Perhaps that is the one I'll do next year to exercise my film-making chops.
Thanks again!
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"It is extremely rare to see a film that is just a little bit unusual nowadays, so it is always a treat to see something that is different, and Alien Blood is definitely different."
I agree with that. And just like in Ken's films the non-professional actors come up with great performances.
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Thank you very much for that, Iain.
And as a matter of fact, a really entertaining debate and review on the dichotomy of ALIEN BLOOD has just appeared on the web.
Mr Rich and friends over on BLIP.TV. True film fans. Wonderful stuff.
Also some new music coming out which you can all check out at www.jonsorensen.co.uk (http://www.jonsorensen.co.uk)
Including a Christmas Track A CHRISTMAS CHORALE FOR GHOSTS.
http://blip.tv/file/4309982/ (http://blip.tv/file/4309982/)
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd139/Bravelaird/Pnub_47-MrRichsFiveMoreOfTheWorstMoviesIOwnAlienBlood204-739.jpg)
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Swinging by to wish all of you here a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous and rewarding New Year. See you on the other side.
I'm making a new film in 2011, my first drama since ALIEN BLOOD, which I'm really looking forward to.
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd139/Bravelaird/BIDTIMERETURNJonSorensenArt11.jpg)
Some Sorensen music presently on an internet radio station called JANGO.
http://www.jango.com/music/Jon+Sorensen (http://www.jango.com/music/Jon+Sorensen)
You're all welcome to join me there. And if any news arises about the proposed film Dennis Lowe wants to make about Ken in 2011, featuring myself as best supporting actor no doubt being directed by Ken, you'll hear it here first.
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My album Jon Sorensen's Witch Symphony knocked Ken and Lisi Russell out when they heard it. This beautiful piece of CGI, having elements of renaissance and Bacon, and created by my friend Dennis Lowe, with whom I worked on ALIEN (1979), uses my composition Mallach The Soul Gatherer from that album. In the spirit of Ken, images and music, I saw no reason, by the good graces of Iain Fisher who runs this wonderful website, not to give you the chance to see it. Ken always pushed for mythical heroes and imaginative themes. This video is very classicist.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLifeforces
The film, RIDLEY SCOTT: SOUL GATHERER runs 8 minutes.
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Great that Ken and Lisi are to go along to a special showing of SAVAGE MESSIAH later in the year.
They met during a showing of that movie. I asked Ken what was favourite of his films.
"Savage Messiah", he answered. "Mine too", I replied.
New video here for you.
BITHBHED CREIDEAMH
(Immortal Faith)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCJANeDFvTE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCJANeDFvTE)
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Hi, Iain,
Following in Ken's footsteps and example, I am playing the part of The Old Traveller in my new short film drama BID TIME RETURN. Make-up kit was gotten out today and they had a go at me.
Do you think this is over the top?
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd139/Bravelaird/SorensenasMoses.jpg)
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Wow, Charlton Heston parting the waves!!! Spectacular.
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Since you are all fans of Ken's it's a no-brainer you like music as much as he and I do. There are currently 17 FREE music downloads of my work, varied in style, you are welcome to share. They will be available until 17 July 2011 when we will be taking them down permanently. The link is below the art here. To save them to your computer, you either create an entirely free account on the LULU site, or go to the individual pages for each track and right-click on the blue download button and "Save As".
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd139/Bravelaird/GodThing.jpg)
The link is here:
http://stores.lulu.com/bravelaird (http://stores.lulu.com/bravelaird)