Fitzcarraldo

Title of the second album released by Irish band The Frames. Around the time the album was being recorded, the band received a letter from a lawyer in Washington DC (or some such thing), claiming that, the band name was already taken. Whether out of spite, or actual compliance with the letter, they released the album under the name "The Frames DC". Some hardcore fans still call them "The Frames DC".

The first version released had some slight differences: the songs were in a different order, and there was an additional song called 'Roger', which was the last track. 'Your Face' was then an unlisted track after 'Roger'. This original version is extremely difficult to find nowadays.

The track listing of the album is given below; click on the links for lyrics and explanations

1. Revelate
2. Angel At My Table
3. Fitzcarraldo
4. Evergreen
5. In This Boat Together
6. Say It To Me Now
7. Monument
8. Giving It All Away
9. Red Chord
10. Denounced
11. Your Face
12. (Roger)

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Fitzcarraldo is also, as can be seen from above, the title of a song on the above album. One of the songs that they never fail to play, its hauntingly eerie repeated guitar riff fascinates, while the restless rhythmic violin solo towards the end puts the skills of violinist Colm Mac Iomaire in the spotlight. Written by singer/songwriter Glen Hansard after watching a movie of the same name, IIRC. The lyrics are written below, and aren't printed on the liner notes:

Here.. back.. down along and
Straight.. track.. I have chose the
Long.. road.. that leads me out to
God.. knows.. so I can't stop right now

Even the good stars.. can fall from grace and
Fal..ter; lose their faith and slide (slide)
But I can't get a notion
That's deep enough for

My.. day.. is the first of the ascension!
It's a sad.. way.. we've flown after the storm
And her last.. words.. were "I was only thinking of you!"
In my go.. olden days I was a slave

Well now it's time for.. to sound your voice and
Capture.. what you're after
My.. ship.. was sold right up the river
But I'm not goin'

Down here.. this journey isn't over!
It's a long way.. to the house of Fitzcarraldo!
And her last.. words.. were "I'm always thinking of you!"
In my go... olden days I was a saint

(guitar solo)

(Something's happened to me baby since you've left)

Even the good stars.. can fall from grace and falter
Like lap dogs.. that shroud their mystery
And her last.. words.. were "I'll seeya down in history!"
It's the o...only way that we.. can grow
(I shall eclipse you)... yeay!

\violin solo for rest of song\
(It's a long way to Fitzcarraldo!)
(No I don't want to break you!)
(In the name of something true!)
(Woah no no no no no...)

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (played by Klaus Kinski) is quite a man. He is married to the local bordello owner. He is a schemer. He is a dreamer. He is an Irishman with a crazy Polish accent. But above all else, he is an opera lover.

He’s got a dream. He is going to build an opera house in the middle of the Amazon. Strangely enough, it is hard for him to convince anyone else what a fantastic idea this is, so he schemes a way to make a fortune off of a rubber plantation. With the money for the opera house in hand, the rest of the plan should go like clockwork right? Wrong. They have to get the materials to the jungle. In a steam boat. And there are rapids. And angry natives. And a mountain. Ok enough, you’ll see what I mean.

Released in 1982, Fitzcarraldo marks the fifth time Kinski worked with his dearest friend and worst enemy, director Werner Herzog. I highly recommend a double feature of this and Burden of Dreams, the documentary by Les Blank which follows the production from beginning to almost-end and shows what torture it was get this film made.

Fitzcarraldo is in English, Spanish and German with subtitles. I should warn you about before you see this or any other Herzog film is that, like much of European cinema, the pacing will be slow compared to your average American film. Herzog sometimes takes this to an extreme – his work is often and justly described as hypnotic. Like that one scene (ok four scenes) where he just focuses on the rapids of the Amazon for two and a half minutes (ok three and a half). Though this may sound tedious the rewards of the film are great. The haunting score by Popol Vuh only adds to the experience. You will never forget it.