Kommienezuspadt - Alice [290]

Waits mangles both minds and the German language, as translation expert Justine Houyaux rejoins Sam and Martin for this call to punctuality. We explore linguistic alterations in other directions, as well as the image of madness and the ways that meaning is projected onto misheard or uncomprehended language.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Kommienezuspadt, Alice, Tom Waits (2002)

Prisencolinensinainciusol, Super Best, Adriano Celentano (1992/1974)

Komme Nie Zu Spät, The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased)

Il Seme del Rap, Quel Punto, Adriano Celentano (1994)

You Know Me (music video, dir. Phil & Olly/Diamond Dogs), Reality Killed the Video Star, Robbie Williams (2009)

A collection of Mondegreens, via YouTube

Justine Houyaux' website for further reading
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Alice - Alice [286]

Carrollian scholar Justine Houyaux rejoins Sam & Martin to look at the eponymous opening track for our 19th season, Alice. We chat about the sorrow and violence in the song, the lyrical density and the overlap between the writing of Waits and Carroll, as well as other adaptations of the Alice stories.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Alice, Alice, Tom Waits (2002)

Alice falls down the rabbit hole from Alice (Neco z Alenky), timecode 13m0s - 16m0s (dir. Svankmajer, 1988)

Alice (Neco z Alenky), dir. Svankmajer (1988)
Available from Amazon Prime Video UK and Amazon Prime Video US.
There's Only Alice, The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased)

Is That All There Is?, Is That All There Is?, Peggy Lee (1969)

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Alice background - Alice [285a]

Before embarking on our Alice season, we thought a little context on the books, the play, and the biography of the major players would be relevant (for us as well as you, dear listener). So we welcome Carrolian scholar Justine Houyaux to talk about the writing of Charles Dodgeson, his friendship with Alice Liddell, and the adaptation by Robert Wilson, Paul Schmidt, Kathleen Brennan and... who's the other guy?

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
There's Only Alice, The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased)

Untitled (Barcarolle), The Alice Demos, Tom Waits (1992 - unreleased)
Unable to find a link to this
Alice Documentary, The Late Show (BBC, UK) - via YouTube (1992)

Alice Documentary, unknown origin - via YouTube (1992)

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland with Angelika Zirker, Virginie Iché, and Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, The Forum, BBC Sounds (2017)
Justine Houyaux' website for further reading
Log into the Spotify web player to hear these tracks.