Demon Records re-issue program for all of Frank Blacks solo albums is now in its final phase and of the final three to be re-issued I'm tackling The Golem first, as it was perfect for some Shabbos afternoon viewing, as the album was commissioned as a live soundtrack to the 1920 film The Golem: How He Came Into the World by The San Francisco Film Festival. For the project Frank worked with Eric Drew Feldman, Joseph Pope, Ralph Carney, Jason Carter and Duane Jarvis to come up with a score and song cycle, to tell the story, but not in quite as literal a way as the version by Hobgoblin, on the full sound version that's available on Amazon. I Played the record as the films soundtrack and of course as my Needle drops weren't perfect the narration in Franks lyrics wasn't always totally in sync with the film, but here's my expressionistic review written while watching the film and listening to the album.
Miriam And Florian Theme (version two) plays on grey vinyl almost as grey as the print of the semi colorized films opening credits, as the couple are seen in the lair altering the meaning of the tryst, just as Makanujo starts to have his name chanted as he enters. After the event Rabbi Jehuda is told the Bad News over a skronk jazz solo and he goes running off to prepare the temple for a service of forgiveness, so that they won't be banished from Prague for practicing black magic The clattering rises as they receive the Bad News.
As Florian arrives to issue the edict The Flower Song is a stark contrast, as he has that Flower in his mouth. Inside the lair they all go to hide, no matter (Oh How I Wish I Could) Stay lets the horns and pipes carry you off, to spread The Word from the Ivory Tower, as the terrible news spreads we see Miriam and Florian in close embrace, while panic erupts all around them. Strangely they then throw a banquet to try to entice Astaroth to save them. While Famulus gets caught in the nude Frank makes sure we know all about it.
We then see The Obedient Servant helping his master the Rabbi to get The Golem into his lair and laboratory, all the while the seduction continues, as we are told you are not to die but must go to The Castle instead. The Maharal hears the signal and rises once more as The Golem charmed by the sax his spirit rises and is brought forwards by the Kabbalistic intonation and he shall rise once more.
At last The Golem has come to life.
The Little Stars theme plays as The Golem begins to go to work walking stiffly under the night sky ready to progress to life and fulfilling his mission as savior. As The rabbi sends The Golem out shopping Miriam And Florian's nasty little secret is revealed. Over on the Castle walls it will soon be time for The Conjuring to stop a wedding made in the very fires that only these words can stop.
As the ladies try to lure The Golem off to a world of lust, we hear the chant of Meet Me At The Ghetto Gates as you let my people go, off into the wilderness once more, will The Golem be able to save them from exile under the Stars once more as they blow Tekiah Gedola on the castle walls to signal we have survived and will be able to carry on living in the old town as long as The Golem doesn't turn on us.
The Shofar blowing signals it's time to celebrate a new Custom All The Way by giving thanks to the temple, as The Golem rises once more to save Miriam's virtue. To make Famulus pay for this he is thrown off the tower as the wailing begins and the old town goes up in flames, we must pray for salvation again we must hear The Word once more and go and save the burning town from the wrath of The Maharal, as the rabbi tries to pull Miriam from the flames as he also tries to stop The Golem.
The message as The Clash put it, is that it's up to you not to hear The Word, but The Word will also put The Golem to sleep again. Then we can rejoice in the streets that The Golem has returned to clay once more.
The album finished a couple of minutes before the end of the film but really does work quite well as an alternative soundtrack to this legendary film.
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