CD Project rolls on: Wesley is up to bat.
reremouse requested "Wesley" and karabair seconded the motion. I think Wesley is my favorite character in all of Jossverse. While I love Giles and Spike and their mirrored and flipped growth charts, Wes was the one character who spiraled out of control, and then stayed there. (But Fred redeemed him! Aaaaand he shot that guy's knee off for questioning their ability to save her. Fantastic bit.) Going through his timeline I realized that he had some of my most favorite moments in both shows.
And I give you MY WESLEY. (notice the use of "my." Not sure if you all will agree...)
Disc one (yeah, there was just too much for him)
Studious Lad
1. Allegro Assai,Piano Concerto No. 20, Mozart. One of Mozart's most famous piano concertos, and his next to last. The piano was brand new at this point in history. (Harpsichord and piano-forte preceded, which have no noise control.) Mozart had an overbearing father that LITERALLY wrote the book on proper violin play, and was highly regarded in the world of music. He was notoriously hard on his son. Mozart finished this piece a mere 20 minutes before it was first performed. His father famously said after his masterful performance, "you played without incident." And then left. Big parallels with Leopold/Mozart and Roger/Wesley.
The Watcher's Council
2. In The Hall Of The Mountain King, Grieg. I love this piece. It sounds like small men scurrying around the feet of a sleeping demon, then the demon awakes and devours them all.
"They're not girls, they're a job, er, a sacred duty."
3. Englishman in New York, Sting. Yeah, yeah, he's in California, but you get the meaning. Proper and out of place.
4. Bring That Friend of Yours, Dirty Crabber. Naughty song about getting your girl to "expand her horizons." I think it also works for Wes becoming both Faith and Buffy's Watcher. One girl is good and decent, the other... not so much.
5. Paganini's Variation On A Theme, Rachmaninoff. Let's not forget the pining of Wes for Cordelia Chase. This is a hopelessly romantic and overwrought song and was the first song I thought of for this CD. This is the theme from Somewhere in Time? Looks like Christopher Reeve finally saw the penny...
Fired? Me?!?
6. Take This Job And Shove It, Johnny Paycheck. When all hell breaks loose (almost literally) with Faith killing a human, Wes losing her, then the WC catches her, she escapes... And we know through back story on Angel that he's fired. This song is funny in that he bitches and moans and acts tough, but is really just thinking in his head. No balls.
7. Penance, Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack from The Mission. I'm sure Wes suffered (financially, family-wise and the like) from screwing up with Faith. Penance is not remorse or repentance, by the way.
Rogue Demon Hunter
8. O Fortuna, Carl Orff. Let me just let you in on something: Carl Orff is a hack. He's made fun of in the classical music world for his oversimplification of music, for the pretentiousness of his lyrics, etc., etc. However: because of all of that, this song is perfect for our leather clad, motorcycle driving Rogue Demon Hunter. Have I mentioned how funny Alexis Denisoff is?
9. I'm Busted, Ray Charles. Poor Wes staring at the eggs on Cordy's plate, starving because it doesn't pay to be a so-so Rogue Demon Hunter. "The bills are all due and the baby needs shoes, and I'm busted." I used to sing this with my folk's band when I was four. Ah! look at the little child singing about abject poverty! Too cute.
10. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, The Smiths. "See the luck I've had, would make a good man bad." Poor Wes. I know what's coming.
Angel Investigations: We Help The Helpless
11. War on War, Wilco. "There's a war on war, you're gonna lose. You gotta learn how to die, if you wanna, wanna to survive." Have I mentioned that I love Wilco?
12. Dance of the Dream Man, Angelo Badalamenti. This is from the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Good horn, stand up bass and drum. All pulled together with the finger snap. We are now at the Hyperion and there is a cool jazz vibe along with the film noir now that they are a full fledged detective agency.
13. Human Behavior, Bjork. I still haven't decided if this is for the people they help, or foreshadowing of what is going to change in Wes. It's probably both.
14. I Will, The Beatles. "Who knows how long I've loved you..." Fred is in the picture and Wes loves her. "Will I wait a lonely lifetime? If you want me to, I will."
15. Helter Skelter, The Beatles. Remember Billy? And Wes is infected and tries to kill Fred? (One of my most favorite episodes, BTW.)
16. Jungle Fever, Stevie Wonder. Fred chooses.
Disc Two
False Prophet
1. Master of Puppets, Metallica. lml ^__^ lml Holtz is pulling the strings all along and sucks Wes in. This song fucking rocks, and is PERFECT. I don't care if you don't like metal. It works.
2. Judas' Song, Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack. Wanna know something interesting? I mean, aside from the fact that scholars agree that Judas is a figment of literature. And aside from the fact that if Jesus knows all, he knew Judas was going to betray him, thus making Judas essential in the saving of mankind, which really sucks that he is purported to be burning in everlasting hellfire for all of eternity, and if he is essential for saving all of humanity, he is as important as Jesus. And aside from this being tied in to Wes/Angel in heavy overtones: there are no choral pieces about Judas written. None. There are hymns asking for understanding, etc. But no requiems, no agnus deis, nothing. So you get this.
3. Requiem: Rex Tremendae, Mozart. This is the last piece Mozart wrote, and it was not completed. It's his most famous work. Rex Tremendae translates to Tremendous God. A requiem is a hymn or mass for the dead or dying. You know the horrible moment after Wes' throat has been cut and the tramp finds him and you think he's saved, but he's only robbed and drug into the bushes? This is the song in my head.
It translates to:
I groan like a guilty man
Guilt reddens my face
Spare a supplicant, O God.
Mournful that day
When from the dust shall rise
Guilty man to be judged
Therefore spare him, O God.
Mericiful Jesus, Lord grant him rest.
Scruffy Wes
4. Eyes of A Stranger, Payolas. "In your look I sense a danger/ you've got the eyes of a stranger." This is from the movie Valley Girl. It kicks ass and is smoky and dangerous and wistful. And man, did New!Hard!Wes look like a stranger. (Where's the good Connor/Wes fic??)
5. Young Lust, Pink Floyd. "Oooh, I need a dirty woman." This is a Lilah fucking song, if ever there was one.
6. Remorse, Ennio Morricone. Remember how I said penance wasn't remorse or repentance? He's getting there.
7. Mass: Agnus Dei, Martin as sung by Dale Warland Choir. (remember to say: ahn yoos day-ee) An "Agnus Dei" is a ritual prayer to the Lamb, usually seeking repentance. This particular one translates to: "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on me, grant me peace." Lamb... lamb.... Ram? Just sayin'.
Mind Wipe - I Work Where??
8. Let Me Go, Cake. I can't decide if this is to Lilah, his father, or Fred. It's probably all three at some point.
9. Had a Dad, Jane's Addiction. This is definitely for Roger. Cyborg Dad shows up, Wes doesn't hesitate (which made Mr. Stoney jump out of his seat with a "holy shit!") to shoot him. And Wes pukes. And it isn't his father. In the song: "I've got this funny feeling/ he's not there at all."
She's Infected
10. If I Could, Phish. I heart Phish. This is the song that makes believers out of the "jam bands suck" group. "Take me to another place she said. If I could I would but I don't know how." Fred's dying made me so sad. The woman who sings on this track has the most heartbreakingly beautiful voice... "Stay with me, till time turns over." Waahh!
11. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?, Travis. 'Cause Wes is a little self-focused. Everyone else lost her, too, dude. I know. I want to cuddle Wesley to my chest and stroke his pretty feathers.
The Mission Comes First
12. Let Go, Frou Frou. "There is beauty in the breakdown." And he dies, and I was sad for days.
13. Float On, Modest Mouse. "Even if things get heavy, we'll all float on." It was all about the mission, no matter what. And this is about us after the show ended, in a way.
And I give you MY WESLEY. (notice the use of "my." Not sure if you all will agree...)
Disc one (yeah, there was just too much for him)
Studious Lad
1. Allegro Assai,Piano Concerto No. 20, Mozart. One of Mozart's most famous piano concertos, and his next to last. The piano was brand new at this point in history. (Harpsichord and piano-forte preceded, which have no noise control.) Mozart had an overbearing father that LITERALLY wrote the book on proper violin play, and was highly regarded in the world of music. He was notoriously hard on his son. Mozart finished this piece a mere 20 minutes before it was first performed. His father famously said after his masterful performance, "you played without incident." And then left. Big parallels with Leopold/Mozart and Roger/Wesley.
The Watcher's Council
2. In The Hall Of The Mountain King, Grieg. I love this piece. It sounds like small men scurrying around the feet of a sleeping demon, then the demon awakes and devours them all.
"They're not girls, they're a job, er, a sacred duty."
3. Englishman in New York, Sting. Yeah, yeah, he's in California, but you get the meaning. Proper and out of place.
4. Bring That Friend of Yours, Dirty Crabber. Naughty song about getting your girl to "expand her horizons." I think it also works for Wes becoming both Faith and Buffy's Watcher. One girl is good and decent, the other... not so much.
5. Paganini's Variation On A Theme, Rachmaninoff. Let's not forget the pining of Wes for Cordelia Chase. This is a hopelessly romantic and overwrought song and was the first song I thought of for this CD. This is the theme from Somewhere in Time? Looks like Christopher Reeve finally saw the penny...
Fired? Me?!?
6. Take This Job And Shove It, Johnny Paycheck. When all hell breaks loose (almost literally) with Faith killing a human, Wes losing her, then the WC catches her, she escapes... And we know through back story on Angel that he's fired. This song is funny in that he bitches and moans and acts tough, but is really just thinking in his head. No balls.
7. Penance, Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack from The Mission. I'm sure Wes suffered (financially, family-wise and the like) from screwing up with Faith. Penance is not remorse or repentance, by the way.
Rogue Demon Hunter
8. O Fortuna, Carl Orff. Let me just let you in on something: Carl Orff is a hack. He's made fun of in the classical music world for his oversimplification of music, for the pretentiousness of his lyrics, etc., etc. However: because of all of that, this song is perfect for our leather clad, motorcycle driving Rogue Demon Hunter. Have I mentioned how funny Alexis Denisoff is?
9. I'm Busted, Ray Charles. Poor Wes staring at the eggs on Cordy's plate, starving because it doesn't pay to be a so-so Rogue Demon Hunter. "The bills are all due and the baby needs shoes, and I'm busted." I used to sing this with my folk's band when I was four. Ah! look at the little child singing about abject poverty! Too cute.
10. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, The Smiths. "See the luck I've had, would make a good man bad." Poor Wes. I know what's coming.
Angel Investigations: We Help The Helpless
11. War on War, Wilco. "There's a war on war, you're gonna lose. You gotta learn how to die, if you wanna, wanna to survive." Have I mentioned that I love Wilco?
12. Dance of the Dream Man, Angelo Badalamenti. This is from the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Good horn, stand up bass and drum. All pulled together with the finger snap. We are now at the Hyperion and there is a cool jazz vibe along with the film noir now that they are a full fledged detective agency.
13. Human Behavior, Bjork. I still haven't decided if this is for the people they help, or foreshadowing of what is going to change in Wes. It's probably both.
14. I Will, The Beatles. "Who knows how long I've loved you..." Fred is in the picture and Wes loves her. "Will I wait a lonely lifetime? If you want me to, I will."
15. Helter Skelter, The Beatles. Remember Billy? And Wes is infected and tries to kill Fred? (One of my most favorite episodes, BTW.)
16. Jungle Fever, Stevie Wonder. Fred chooses.
Disc Two
False Prophet
1. Master of Puppets, Metallica. lml ^__^ lml Holtz is pulling the strings all along and sucks Wes in. This song fucking rocks, and is PERFECT. I don't care if you don't like metal. It works.
2. Judas' Song, Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack. Wanna know something interesting? I mean, aside from the fact that scholars agree that Judas is a figment of literature. And aside from the fact that if Jesus knows all, he knew Judas was going to betray him, thus making Judas essential in the saving of mankind, which really sucks that he is purported to be burning in everlasting hellfire for all of eternity, and if he is essential for saving all of humanity, he is as important as Jesus. And aside from this being tied in to Wes/Angel in heavy overtones: there are no choral pieces about Judas written. None. There are hymns asking for understanding, etc. But no requiems, no agnus deis, nothing. So you get this.
3. Requiem: Rex Tremendae, Mozart. This is the last piece Mozart wrote, and it was not completed. It's his most famous work. Rex Tremendae translates to Tremendous God. A requiem is a hymn or mass for the dead or dying. You know the horrible moment after Wes' throat has been cut and the tramp finds him and you think he's saved, but he's only robbed and drug into the bushes? This is the song in my head.
It translates to:
I groan like a guilty man
Guilt reddens my face
Spare a supplicant, O God.
Mournful that day
When from the dust shall rise
Guilty man to be judged
Therefore spare him, O God.
Mericiful Jesus, Lord grant him rest.
Scruffy Wes
4. Eyes of A Stranger, Payolas. "In your look I sense a danger/ you've got the eyes of a stranger." This is from the movie Valley Girl. It kicks ass and is smoky and dangerous and wistful. And man, did New!Hard!Wes look like a stranger. (Where's the good Connor/Wes fic??)
5. Young Lust, Pink Floyd. "Oooh, I need a dirty woman." This is a Lilah fucking song, if ever there was one.
6. Remorse, Ennio Morricone. Remember how I said penance wasn't remorse or repentance? He's getting there.
7. Mass: Agnus Dei, Martin as sung by Dale Warland Choir. (remember to say: ahn yoos day-ee) An "Agnus Dei" is a ritual prayer to the Lamb, usually seeking repentance. This particular one translates to: "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on me, grant me peace." Lamb... lamb.... Ram? Just sayin'.
Mind Wipe - I Work Where??
8. Let Me Go, Cake. I can't decide if this is to Lilah, his father, or Fred. It's probably all three at some point.
9. Had a Dad, Jane's Addiction. This is definitely for Roger. Cyborg Dad shows up, Wes doesn't hesitate (which made Mr. Stoney jump out of his seat with a "holy shit!") to shoot him. And Wes pukes. And it isn't his father. In the song: "I've got this funny feeling/ he's not there at all."
She's Infected
10. If I Could, Phish. I heart Phish. This is the song that makes believers out of the "jam bands suck" group. "Take me to another place she said. If I could I would but I don't know how." Fred's dying made me so sad. The woman who sings on this track has the most heartbreakingly beautiful voice... "Stay with me, till time turns over." Waahh!
11. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?, Travis. 'Cause Wes is a little self-focused. Everyone else lost her, too, dude. I know. I want to cuddle Wesley to my chest and stroke his pretty feathers.
The Mission Comes First
12. Let Go, Frou Frou. "There is beauty in the breakdown." And he dies, and I was sad for days.
13. Float On, Modest Mouse. "Even if things get heavy, we'll all float on." It was all about the mission, no matter what. And this is about us after the show ended, in a way.