49 S4: Sci-Fi References in Music List
Description
This article is from the SF references in music List FAQ, by Rich Kulawiec rsk@gsp.org with numerous contributions by others.
49 S4: Sci-Fi References in Music List
Spoons:
Spoons were a Canadian group and had albums 1981-1988. On their first album
"Stick Figure Neighborhood" [1981] there was a song with a computer theme and
with 70's-era computer-sounding music (rather like how people imagined
mainframes would sound like?) The song was about how he was "saving every
word on diskette" of his lover. The chorus was something like "Rejecting
every line, oh oh, oh oh, I'm emptying my mind For Tran, For Tran."
Stackridge:
UK band from the 70's: see "Purple Spaceships over Yatton", "Slark" (monster
gets boy, boy gets girls), and "Frankenstein's Pillow".
Starcastle:
A Yes clone. First album has a nice piece, "Lady of the Lake".
Believe it or not, they're from Pekin, Illinois (across the river
from Peoria). If you like Yes's Fragile-era material then you should
grab their first LP ("Starcastle") and later ones ("Citadel", "Fountains
of Light").
Starr, Ringo:
The song "Hopeless" mentions aliens. His forgettable album "Goodnight Vienna"
has a picture of his face superimposed on a photo from "The Day the Earth
Stood Still" on the cover.
Steeleye Span:
Folk-rockers who tend to sing traditional songs with modern instruments.
"Elf Call" is about elves; "The Demon Lover", a well-known song,
appears on the LP "Commoner's Crown" along with "Elf Call".
Note -- most of their work tends to be Olde Englishe Ballades, which of
course have much to do with things fey and weird. (Prime example would
be "Thomas the Rhymer", a rock version of "Thomas Rymer".)
(See also Fairport Convention.)
Steely Dan:
Fantasy genre rather than straight science fiction: "Home At Last" is a
retelling of the story of the Trials of Odysseus from Greek mythology -
the chorus, "still I remain tied to the mast" evokes the story where he
tied himself to the mast to resist the song of the Siren. Also,
"The Caves of Altamira," fantasizing about cave dwellers who made the
cave drawings in Altamira, Spain. "Sign in Stranger" features a "boom planet"
named "Mizar-5" that is a haven for futuristic criminals and other undesirable
elements. "King of the World" chronicles the daily doings of a survivor of
a nuclear war; very surreal. There's an early demo recording called "Android
Warehouse". One more note: there are a number of Steely Dan references
in most Gibson novels. See also Donald Fagen.
Stepford Wives:
Apparently took their name from the old horror film.
Stereolab:
This UK-based band has a few song titles that are vaguely SF. Most
notable is "The Stars Our Destination" which reminds one of "The Stars
My Destination" by Bester but probably doesn't refer to it. A band that
definitely _sounds_ like it is SF. (The title of one of their albums is
Space Age Batchelor Pad Music. Very apt.) They're noted for their
appropriation of hi-fi hype nabbed from the back of 60's Vanguard
records, as well as for their music (aural op-art with philosophy-essay
lyrics in French and English). Their '94 album "Mars Audiac Quintet"
includes "Des Etoiles Electroniques", "The Stars Our Destination" and
"International Colouring Contest", a tribute to Lucia Pamela.
Steve Miller Band:
"Brave New World" and "Space Cowboy" from the album "Brave New World".
Stevens, Cat:
"Freezing Steel" from "Catch Bull at Four"; also "Longer Boats"
from "Tea for the Tillerman" is about flying saucers. (It may
not be implicit in the lyrics, but Cat Stevens discussed it in
an interview.)
Stevens, Ray:
Song, "Diana and the Robotics", which is about a group
of appliances that form a band.
Stevens, Steve:
The title track "Atomic Playboys" is about nuclear war; there are
probably a few more cuts of a similar nature on the rest of the album.
Album artwork by H R Giger, of "Alien" fame.
Stewart, Al:
"The Sirens of Titan" (Vonnegut) from "24 Carrots". See also the title
track from "Last Days of the Century" and "Red Toupee" from that same
album -- apparently he cited it as SF in an interview. "Nostradamus",
from "Past, Present, and Future" is a little bit occultish.
Sting:
"Dream of the Blue Turtles" has the track "Moon Over Bourbon Street" based,
according to the liner notes, on Anne Rice's "Interview With A Vampire".
On the album "Nothing Like The Sun", "Straight To My Heart" speculates, in
7/8 time, about forms of sharing love in the future; "Rock Steady" retells the
story of Noah(which >could< be considered fantasy); "The Lazarus Heart" is
based on a dream which is apparently a form of the Fisher King story, and has
fantasy elements to it. The title track from "The Soul Cages" also has
fantasy elements. Finally, his "Demolition Man" was updated and used
as the theme song for the movie of the same name.
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