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Unknown Soldier · 09-19-2014, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Ears

[B][SIZE="4"]If asked a couple of months ago, to name my favourite novels, I would certainly have included classics such as George Orwell's 1984 (1949) for the adept use of English in making a polemic and Robert Graves' I, Claudius (1934) for the way in which Classical machinations are brought to life, and might have balanced them with a pulp western by the Piccadilly Cowboy, Terry Harknett writing as George G. Gilman, Edge: The Loner (NEL 1973), that evokes spaghetti western-style imagery. Unforgettable science fiction work such as Robert Heinlein's The Puppet Masters (1951) or Brian Aldiss's Hothouse (1962) would be added. Now, having read it this summer, I would definitely add to the list another science fiction book, La Planète des Singes, known in English as Monkey Planet and later Planet of the Apes, which was written by French author Pierre Boulle (published in 1963). The novel was adapted into the famous Planet of the Apes films, initiating sequels, a TV series and recent remakes.

During the 'space race', which culminated in the success of the Apollo 11 mission, a number of original and imaginative cinema films and TV series were inspired, including: Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds (1964), Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek (1966), Irwin Allen's Lost in Space (1965) & Land of the Giants (1968), Kubrick and Clarke's 2001: a Space Odyssey (1968) and many others. Among these was the Planet of the Apes film (US 1968), starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowell, and directed by the talented Franklyn J. Schaffner (The Double Man 1967, Patton 1970 and Papillon 1973). The plot was mesmerising: a team of astronauts take-off in a Saturn spaceship, become inexplicably lost in space and return to what they think is Earth, but something is amiss and they discover they are on a world where roles are reversed and submissive humans are dominated by apes. Hitherto circumspect astronaut Charlton Heston becomes impatient and utters the so-called iconic film phrase, 'Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!' The conclusion to this first Planet of the Apes film, which I will not reveal, became equally famous (although for this journal writer was a disappointment). Like many fine novels made into Hollywood films, there are similarities, but several significant differences.

I was surprised to see you going into literature here and I know these Planet of the Apes films well but have never read the books. I'm guessing that besides a colourful taste in books you've probably got an equal interest in films from this period.

Quote:

When Ian Gillan left Deep Purple in 1973, he released a trio of surprisingly flat sounding jazz-rock albums, albeit containing some terrific musicians and at least one great album cover in Ian Foss's Clear Air Turbulence (1977). Following a Live at the Budokan album (1977), he changed the line-up, shortened the band name to Gillan and released a promising self-titled album (1978), available only in Japan/Australasia. The following year saw a return to the Ian Gillan of old, with the wonderful Mr Universe (1979), made all the more remarkable by flying in the face of a dreadful production. At around the same time, he performed a triumphant set at Reading Festival, broadcast on BBC Radio 1's Friday Rock Show introduced by Tommy Vance. Gillan built on this success with the more refined Glory Road, a succession of increasingly commercial Gillan albums and even a stint with Black Sabbath for the Born Again album (1983) and tour. Deep Purple, in the mean time, with Glenn Hughes from Trapeze and the unknown David Coverdale sharing vocals, released a series of patchy records, which had moments of brilliance like Sail Away on Burn (1974), but were moving away from the established Purple sound. It all became too much for guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who formed his own band Rainbow and made the glorious Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975), featuring members of Purple support band Elf including Ronnie James Dio. Other solid and big-selling records followed under the Rainbow banner, but were eventually marred by the succession of lineup changes.

Most people regard Ian Gillan's jazz-rock period as quite boring and I've reviewed a lot of his solo stuff in my journal. I was never that much of a fan of Perfect Strangers but am looking forward to to given it another listen when I get t0 1984 in my journal. I always found the relationship between Rictchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan a weird one really, as both knew they were the leading lights of Deep Purple but could never really sort out their differences.