Diamanda Galas' first album, originally issued as a 45rpm 12" on Y Records in 1982 and subsequently reissued on Mute, heralded the appearance of the most viscerally exciting and extreme vocalist to appear on the new music scene in many a year. Her incredible voice and enormous range, from the subtlest whispers to guttural bellows to impassioned shrieks with everything in between, and her huge sense of drama commanded instant attention. The Litanies of Satan consists of two pieces, the title track based on texts of Baudelaire and "Wild Women with Steak-Knives" listed as being "for solo scream". The latter is actually a series of vignettes with differing vocal characteristics employed for each section, from piercing banshee wails to quiet, whispered invective. The lyrics appear to relate to the ravings of a particularly vicious madwoman, and when Galas yells out, "And I am not talkin' about meatballs, I am talkin' about steak!" the cowering listener feels compelled to rush out and deliver her order. On "The Litanies of Satan," she employs electronic effects both to enhance certain qualities of her voice (for example, extending its sibilance) and to overlay multiple lines, creating an unearthly choir of demons. Its evocation of life in Hell is both gripping and, most important, without a trace of the maudlin or superficially gothic. Rather, it is one of the most successful vocal/electronic works produced in its time. It's arguable that Galas never surpassed her first effort in either passion or creativity but The Litanies of Satan is certainly the disc to start one's exploration of her career and an amazing document on its own. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1 Wild Women With Steak-Knives (The Homicidal Love Song For Solo Scream) 12:04
2 The Litanies Of Satan 17:46
Text By – Charles Baudelaire
Vocals [Uncredited], Tape [Uncredited], Effects [Uncredited] – Diamanda Galás
23.4.22
DIAMANDA GALÁS - The Litanies of Satan (1982) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Masque of the Red Death (1988) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
The Divine Punishment
1 Deliver Me From My Enemies
1a I. This Is The Law Of The Plague
1.b II. Deliver Me From Mine Enemies
1.c III. We Shall Not Accept Your Quarantine
1.d IV. Εξεαόυμε [Deliver Me.]
1.e V. Υιατί́́, Ό́́ Θξό́́ς?
1.f VI. Psalm 22 (Excerpt)
2 Free Among The Dead
2.a I. Psalm 88
2.b II. Lamentations
2.c III. Sono L'Antichristo
Text By – D.galás
Saint Of The Pit
3 La Treizième Revient (The Thirteenth Returns)
4 E Ξeaóy Me (Deliver Me)
Performer [Chains] – F.M. Einheit
5 L'Heautontimoroumenos (1857) (Self-Tormentor)
Written-By – Charles Baudelaire
6 Artémis (1854)
Written-By – Gérard Nerval
7 Cris D'Aveugle (1873) (Blinds Man's Cry)
Drums – F.M. Einheit
Written-By – Tristan Corbière
CD2
You Must Be Certain Of The Devil
1 Swing Low Sweet Chariot
2 Double-Barrel Prayer
Guitar – Kurt Schmidt
3 Birds Of Death
Guitar – Kurt Schmidt
Percussion – Peter Zimmermann
4 You Must Be Certain Of The Devil
5 Let My People Go
6 Malediction
7 The Lord Is My Shepherd
22.4.22
DIAMANDA GALÁS - You Must Be Certain of the Devil (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Originally issued as a 45 rpm 12" on Restless Records, You Must Be Certain of the Devil was, at the time, Galas' most song-oriented and rockish release and would remain so until her collaboration with John Paul Jones. Though inconsistent, at its best it reveals her as a remarkably strong and effective regular singer (if that term may ever be applied to her), delivering bluesy, hook-filled songs with drive and conviction. This is seen both in her chilling, re-worded version of "Let My People Go" and, most effectively, in the remarkable "Let's Not Chat About Despair," possibly the most piercing, eyes-wide-open song about AIDS, its symptoms, and societal prejudice against sufferers ever recorded. Other tracks are less successfully realized, including the simplistically sarcastic circus atmosphere of the title track and her overly pyrotechnic rendition of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The highs outweigh the lows, however, and make this both a vital pickup for Galas' fans as well as an excellent entry point for those interested in her work who are coming from rock. PJ Harvey fans might find this album especially revelatory. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1 Swing Low Sweet Chariot 2:44
2 Double-Barrel Prayer 5:05
Guitar – Kurt Schmidt
3 Let's Not Chat About Despair 4:57
Sampler [Strings] – Naut Humon
4 Birds Of Death 5:18
Guitar – Kurt Schmidt
Percussion – Peter Zimmerman
5 You Must Be Certain Of The Devil 4:57
6 Let My People Go 3:21
7 Malediction 4:19
8 The Lord Is My Sheperd 1:32
Drums – Charlie Terstappen
Lyrics, Vocals, Organ [Hammond], Piano, Synthesizer, Keyboards [Bass], Composed By – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Plague Mass (1984 End of the Epidemic) (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Diamanda Galas, who has been known for both her own work and as a singer of extremely demanding modern scores, created this heart-wrenching cry about the physical suffering caused by the AIDS plague being compounded by the shameful arrogance of self-appointed moralists. Maintaining an incredible intensity and depth for over an hour's solo vocal (recorded live at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC, with suitably minimal band and electronics backup), Galas proceeds through Mahalia Jackson-influenced spiritual singing, saxophone-like wails, to dramatic dialogues in many dialects and languages ("there are no more tickets to the funeral") to engrossing Portuguese fado singing to taking on the attributes of Satan (in "Sono L'Antichristo," "I Am the Anti-Christ") in order to challenge the concept of a vengeful, instead of compassionate deity (and society), much as Nina Simone did in her controversial song "God Is a Killer" in the '60s. The Mass ends with the heartfelt lyrics "I go to sleep each evening now dreaming of the grave and see the friends I used to know calling out my name. O Lord Jesus, do you think I've served my time ?." At times, the singing is "self-indulgent," but, oh well. by "Blue" Gene Tyranny
Tracklist :
I. There Are No More Tickets To The Funeral 13:13
Written-By – Roy Acuff
II. This Is The Law Of The Plague 11:45
III. I Wake Up And I See The Face Of The Devil 6:00
IV. Confessional (Give Me Sodomy Or Give Me Death) 4:17
V. How Shall Our Judgement Be Carried Out Upon The Wicked? 8:37
VI. Let Us Praise The Masters Of Slow Death 5:55
VII. Consecration 3:44
VIII. Sono L'Antichristo 3:09
IX. Cris D'Aveugle 10:02
X. Let My People Go 6:05
Traditional
Arranged By – Galas
Credits :
Drums, Percussion – David Linton
Grand Piano, Written-By – Diamanda Galas
Percussion [Electronic] – Ramon Diaz
Producer, Keyboards [Electronic] – Blaise Dupuy
Tape [Tapes], Electronics – Michael McGrath
DIAMANDA GALÁS - The Singer (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
While the blues had always been a presence in Galas' work, The Singer was the first time she presented them on their own and she did so in a stark manner, with only herself on voice and keyboards. Her piano playing is fairly harsh and jagged, almost evoking a reined-in Cecil Taylor. But it's her vocal work that fans are interested in, and here she strikes an often awkward balance between her natural bent toward extreme stylings and the more conservative forms that the material tends to require. On several of the pieces with little in the way of melodic hooks, she speak-sings through, adding typically ornate embellishments that do little to enhance the earthiness of the matter at hand. She succeeds more often when the song has an inherently captivating theme, as on "Gloomy Sunday," where Galas' sense of drama and pathos works wonderfully. The highlight, though, is her reworking of "Let My People Go" into a thoroughly chilling hymn to the victims of AIDS. The Singer is one of the more accessible entry points into Diamanda Galas' world, if a slightly confining one that only hints at her greater gifts. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1 My Love Will Never Die 3'53
Written-By – Willie Dixon
2 Reap What You Sow 3'37
Written-By – Michael Bloomfield, Nicholas Gravenites
3 Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? 5'14
Written-By – Roy Acuff
4 Gloomy Sunday 2'59
Written-By – Laszlo Javor, Rezso Seres, Samuel Lewis
5 Balm In Gilead / Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 5'38
Traditional
6 Insane Asylum 4'52
Written-By – Willie Dixon
7 I Put A Spell On You 4'28
Written-By – Screamin' Jay Hawkins
8 Let My People Go 4'57
Lyrics By – Diamanda Galás
Traditional
9 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean 3'09
Traditional
10 Judgement Day 7'01
Written-By – Diamanda Galás
Voice, Piano [Steinway], Organ [Hammond], Arranged By – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Vena Cava (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Vena Cava is about as close as Diamanda Galas has come to a spoken word album, a suite of pieces in which she adopts varying personalities of mental patients or AIDS-related dementia. Between the mumblings and screams she intersperses snatches of songs, including "Amazing Grace" and "Hush Little Baby," but the overall effect is of listening to the carrying-ons of a madwoman, which is presumably the album's intent. But the personae chosen seem somehow banal and prosaic, the same "types" one runs across in any dozen cheap asylum movies, and the episodic nature of the recording reminds one painfully of multiple-character performances like those of Lily Tomlin. The sweep, power, and incisiveness of earlier works of hers, like "Wild Women With Steak-Knives" or "Panoptikon," are largely absent. This was recorded live at the Kitchen, a New York space, and it may be argued that the disc necessarily lacks some degree of theatrical presence, but, despite the astonishing and admirable qualities of Galas' voice, the listener may find the end result surprisingly thin. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1-8 Vena Cava part 1 to 8
Credits :
Accordion, Vocals [There Is A Balm In Gilead] – Philip-Dimitri Galás
Composed, Written, Performer – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS WITH JOHN PAUL JONES - The Sporting Life (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Having explored sheer extremity throughout her fascinating range of solo efforts, Galas takes a turn to the slightly more accessible with her collaboration with Jones on The Sporting Life. Her vocal approach is still something which will freak out the unfamiliar listener, so anyone expecting some VH1-friendly switchover needs to think again. Keyboards are once again her other main instrument of choice, with both Hammond organ and piano used. Meanwhile, the Led Zeppelin bassist and arranger handles production as well as guitar and bass, while one Pete Thomas -- apparently the Attractions' drummer on an interesting side effort indeed -- handles percussion. While it's inaccurate to say the results are Galas fronting Led Zeppelin, Thomas does put in some heavy pounding with a hint of John Bonham's massive stomp. Hints of gently majestic arrangements here and there -- consider the introduction to "Skotoseme" and its understated string swells -- help draw a connection further. On the flip side, Thomas and Jones' rhythms often have a crisp urban funk touch at points, sounding more no wave than heavy metal; elsewhere it's jump blues ("You're Mine," an obsessive portrait of erotic desire) or smoky late-night ballads. Galas' subject matter of love, sex, and romance makes audible inspiration: Marianne Faithfull's excoriating take on "Why'd Ya Do It?" seem like a simpering, slushy love ballad; "Do You Take This Man?" isn't going to be played at any weddings any time soon -- at least not unless elderly relatives don't mind lines like "we talked about the wild thing for 24 hours." There's one great ringer of a cover -- the soul classic "Dark End of the Street," given a ragged but right run-through -- while the sleeve photos of Jones and Galas striking poses in a car are amusing touches. by Ned Raggett
Tracklist :
1 Skótoseme 6'27
Diamanda Galás / John Paul Jones
2 Do You Take This Man? 6'09
Diamanda Galás / John Paul Jones
3 The Dark End of the Street 2'42
Chips Moman / Dan Penn
4 You're Mine 5'10
Diamanda Galás
5 Tony 5'37
Diamanda Galás
6 Devil's Rodeo 5'37
Diamanda Galás / John Paul Jones / Pete Thomas
7 The Sporting Life 5'45
Diamanda Galás / John Paul Jones
8 Baby's Insane 4'39
Diamanda Galás
9 Last Man Down 4'50
Diamanda Galás / John Paul Jones
10 Hex 8'04
Diamanda Galás / John Paul Jones
Credits :
Bass [4, 5, And 8 String], Steel Guitar [Lap Steel] – John Paul Jones
Drums – Pete Thomas
Vocals, Organ, Piano, Words By – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Schrei X (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
"This is not ambient music," admonishes a proclamation in the booklet accompanying this release. One wonders why Diamanda Galás or Mute thought this warning necessary, as Schrei X, presented here in both live and studio versions, is essentially a sequence of Beckettian monologues alternately shrieked, spoken, whispered, cried, or spat out, bearing little resemblance to the gentle waftings of Kitaro and crowd. In fact, a mere perusal of the titles of the pieces would presumably ward off the innocent ambient fan. Schrei X is one of the sparest of Galás' albums and possibly loses some effect on disc, where the visual theatricality of her performance (as well as her physical presence) is lost. This plus the fractured nature of the string of short pieces (based on texts found in Job and Thomas Aquinas as well as her own writing) act against any cumulative power that the work might otherwise have. Still, her voice is as powerful, convincing, and just plain scary as ever, and fans of her previous work will want to add this dark offering to their collections. by Brian Olewnick
Schrei x Live
1 Do Room 1:11
2 I - I Am - Dreams 5:01
3 M Dis I 1:13
4 O.P.M. 1:25
5 Abasement 3:11
6 Headbox 2:16
7 Cunt 0:49
8 Hepar 0:55
9 Coitum 1:14
10 Vein 3:56
11 M Dis II 0:56
12 Smell 2:19
13 Hee Shock Die 1:59
Schrei 27
14 Do Room 2:17
15 I I 1:59
16 M Dis I 1:36
17 O.P.M. 1:48
18 Headbox 1:56
19 Cunt 1:43
20 Hepar 1:41
21 Vein 1:54
22 M Dis II 2:01
23 Smell 2:17
24 Hee Shock Die 7:26
Composed, Written, Performer – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Malediction & Prayer (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Diamanda Galas' CD of live covers (of B.B. King, the Supremes, Johnny Cash and Billie Holiday songs, among others) is one of her most accessible works to date. Her screaming, demonic, cacophonous vocal style has been tamed, and throughout Greek anti-ballads to blues, spirituals, and flamenco-classical hybrids, Galas' voice is shown to be a stunningly flexible instrument. Galas croons, intones, grooves and laments with enormous agility and beauty, and accents her singing with minimalism, classical, blues and improvised piano. "Si La Muerte," the highlight of this recording, is an old-style Spanish ballad with hints of flamenco vocal rhythm, enhanced by both classical and minimalist piano. Live: Malediction and Prayer is a dynamic, phenomenal recording. by Lisa Schwartzman
Tracklist :
1 Iron Lady 4'43
Written-By – Phil Ochs
2 The Thrill Is Gone 5'36
Written-By – Darnell, Hawkins
3 My World Is Empty Without You 4'26
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
4 Abel Et Caïn 5'32
Lyrics By – Charles Baudelaire
Written-By – Diamanda Galás
5 Death Letter 4'40
Written-By – Son House
6 Supplica A Mi Madre 4'13
Lyrics By – Pier Paolo Pasolini
Written-By – Diamanda Galás
7 Insane Asylum 7'11
Written-By – Dixon
8 Si La Muerte 5'21
Lyrics By – Miguel Huezo Mixco
Written-By – Diamanda Galás
9 25 Minutes To Go 4'35
Written-By – Silverstein
10 Keigome Keigome 4'32
Lyrics By – Nikos Gatsos, Stavros Xarhakos
11 I'm Gonna Live The Life 4'25
Written-By – T.A. Dorsey
12 Gloomy Sunday 3'52
Written-By – Carter, Javor, Seress
Credits :
Vocals, Piano – Diamanda Galás
21.4.22
DIAMANDA GALÁS - La Serpenta Canta (2003) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist 1 :
1 Intro 0:27
2 Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down 5'38
Traditional
3 Burning Hell 10'22
Written-By – Bernard Besman, John Lee Hooker
4 Baby's Insane 4'41
Written-By – Diamanda Galás
5 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 6'58
Written-By – Hank Williams
6 Lonely Woman 6'42
Written-By – Ornette Coleman
7 Frenzy 4'06
Written-By – Augustus Stevenson, David Hill
Tracklist 2 :
1 Blue Spirit Blues 5'10
Written-By – Spencer Williams
2 My World Is Empty Without You 4'21
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
3 I Put A Spell On You 6'23
Written-By – Screamin' Jay Hawkins
4 At The Dark End Of The Street 4'11
Written-By – Chips Moman, Dan Penn
5 Dancing In The Dark 4'34
Written-By – Schwartz - Dietz
6 Dead Cat On The Line 3'39
Written-By – Robert Fargo Greenlee Jr, Jim Payne, Lucky Peterson
7 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean 6'31
Traditional
8 Burning Hell (Reprise) 5'53
Written-By – Bernard Besman, John Lee Hooker
Credits :
Voice, Piano, Arranged By, Management [Director Of Intravenal Sound Operations] – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Defixiones : Will and Testament (2003) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
On November 11, 2003, Diamanda Galás released two albums, ending a five-year recording hiatus with a bang. Both are solo live recordings and present two very different sides of her. La Serpenta Canta showcased her song-based material (mostly blues). Defixiones: Will and Testament, Orders From the Dead is more typical of her operatic works of the 1990s. The album revolves around the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocides carried out by Turkey between 1914 and 1923. Galás has chosen poems and texts in Greek, Armenian, Spanish, French, and Hebrew that express the kind of anger, sorrow, and despair these people probably went through (some texts, like Gérard de Nerval's "Artémis," have no historic relation to the events, but foray into psychologicaly related topics). The music draws from various sources of sacred music (Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Jewish, in particular) to form a hypnotic ceremonial. Galás is a powerful pianist, but her voice dominates throughout, as usual. The album begins with the 34-minute "The Dance," sung a cappella for the most part, except for a discreet drone. Her vocal prowess articulates human emotions in a way that propels them to an epic level, even though the performance is less extreme than some of her most riveting works from previous decades (Plague Mass, for instance). Her vocal range remains highly impressive, but she doesn't aim at frightening and shocking anymore. That said, this relative restraint makes the material all the more moving. The album ends with a rendition of the blues standard "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," also interpreted on La Serpenta Canta. by François Couture
Tracklist 1 :
1-6 The Dance (31:17)
Translated By [English Translation] – Nevart Yaghlian, Peter Balakian
Translated By [Traduccion En Español] – Nicolas Alvarado
Words By – Siamanto (Atom Yarjanian)
Written-By [Liturgical Melody "Ter Vogormia"] – Marar Yekmalian
Written-By [With Excerpts From "A Desperate Vitality"] – Pier Paolo Pasolini
Written-By [With Excerpts From "Priere-Litanie" (Psalm 34)] – Anonymous
Written-By [With Excerpts From "Sevda Zinçiri"] – Anonymous
Written-By [With Excerpts From "The Desert"] – Adonis (Ali Ahmad Said)
7 The Eagle Of Tkhuma 2'47
Performer – Boys' Choir Of Deyruzafaran Monastery
Read By [Recitations] – Nicholas Bet-Gulawi
Written-By – Dr. Freidoun Bet-Oraham
8 Orders From The Dead 11'38
Music By ["The World Is Going Up In Flames"] – Diamanda Galás
Sequenced By [Drum Sequencing] – Blaise Dupuy
Translated By [Excerpts From "Farewell Anatolia"] [For "Kedras"] – Fred A. Reed
Words By – Diamanda Galás
Written-By [With Excerpts From "Farewell Anatolia"] – Dido Soteriou
Written-By [With Excerpts From "Zikir"] – Kudsi Erguner
Tracklist 2 :
1 Hastayim Yasiyorum 4'20
Words By, Music By – Udi Hrant
2 Σαν Πεθανω Στο Καραβι 2'38
Anonymous
3 Je Rame 9'10
Music By – Diamanda Galás
Translated By – David Ball
Words By – Henri Michaux
4 Epístola A Los Transeúntes 5'33
Music By – Diamanda Galás
Translated By – Clayton Eshleman, José Rubia Barcia
Words By [With Excerpts From "The Windows Shuttered"] – César Vallejo
5 Birds Of Death 5'08
Words By, Music By – Diamanda Galás
6 Aνοιξε 3'14
Words By, Music By – Yannis Papaioannou
7 Todesfuge 6'14
Music By – Diamanda Galás
Translated By – John Felstiner
Words By – Paul Celan
8 Artémis 5'05
Music By – Diamanda Galás
Translated By – Geoffrey Wagner
Words By – Gérard Nerval
9 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean 6'05
Written-By – Traditional
Credits :
Composed By, Voice, Piano, Arranged By, Producer, Management [Director Of Intravenal Sound Operations], Created, Music Director [Director Of Intravenal Sound Operations] – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - Guilty Guilty Guilty (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1 8 Men And 4 Women 7'38
Written-By – Deadric Malone
2 Long Black Veil 5'39
Written-By – D. Dill, M. Wilkin
3 Down So Low 4'12
Written-By – Tracy Nelson
4 Interlude (Time) 4'27
Written-By – Georges Delerue, Hal Shaper
5 Autumn Leaves 6'39
Written-By – Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kosma
6 O Death 9'01
Written-By – Galás, Traditional
7 Heaven Have Mercy 4'26
Written-By – Jacques Larue, M. Phillippe-Gérard
Credits :
Producer, Arranged By, Art Direction – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - At Saint Thomas the Apostle, Harlem (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1 Verrá la more e avrá i tuoi occhi 8'51
Diamanda Galás
Text By – Cesare Pavese
2 Anoixe Petra 5'20
Lefteris Papadopoulos / Mimis Plessas
3 Angels 5'09
Albert Ayler
4 Die Stunde kommt 9'39
Ferdinand von Freiligrath / Diamanda Galás
5 Fernand 5'39
Jacques Brel / Gérard Jouannest
6 O Death 10'06
Diamanda Galás / Traditional
7 Amsterdam 6'28
Jacques Brel / Gérard Jouannest
8 Artemis 5'31
Diamanda Galás / Gérard de Nerval
Credits :
Lead Vocals, Grand Piano, Mixed By – Diamanda Galás
DIAMANDA GALÁS - All the Way (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1 All The Way 7'17
Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen
2 You Don't Know What Love Is 6'23
Written-By – Don Raye, Gene DePaul
3 The Thrill Is Gone 7'20
Written-By – Lew Brown, Ray Henderson
4 Round Midnight 4'16
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
5 O Death 10'55
Arranged By – Diamanda Galás
Written-By – Traditional
6 Pardon Me, I've Got Someone To Kill 4'57
Written-By – Johnny Paycheck
Credits :
Voice, Piano – Diamanda Galás
+ last month
e.s.t. — Retrospective 'The Very Best Of e.s.t. (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
"Retrospective - The Very Best Of e.s.t." is a retrospective of the unique work of e.s.t. and a tribute to the late mastermind Esb...