Meredith Monk - Book of Days (1988)

[bigtwin999]

This is a great piece of art, but it is not meant to entertain. I am under the impression that its whole purpose is to challenge what art and entertainment are. It is collection of story board images, not connected at all by language nor does it tell a story. It is equally beautiful as a Picaso or Pollack...just not as easy to look at.

[NATEIRICK]

This is shit. The FACT that it doesn't make sense doesn't make it art. It's dumb. Hipsters are stupid.

[GrodaTube]

Super !!!

[als510]

I got here while looking for a song from Enya... well, I wasn't dissappointed while looking for a mystical, energetic song.

[Goditshot]

What. the. fuck.

[MuffinxOverlord]

Nyan cat on acid.

[itsmedude1020]

There must have been some PCP in my tea.

[goldsniper]

WoW.... just epic.

[masercot]

It looks like Prospero's Books if it were directed by Terry Gilliam...

[goback3spaces]

This reminds me of that Russkie film, THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES. It's also a lot like the work of silent filmmaker Georges Melies. There's obviously, a great deal of refinement, art and creative sensibility here.

Why, then, am I not enjoying it? Perhaps because of a certain preciosity, a lack of innocence, and that guy with his tongue sticking out at the base of the grouping.

[simonettavespucci]

@goback3spaces I find it very interesting that you make a connection both to 'Pomegranates' (I actually adore that film and director Parajanov in general) and Melies whom I like, too. Probably it is due to the tableaux-like character of the images, I guess.

To me, that guy with the tongue impersonates some kind of animal, maybe a dog. Otherwise it also might be Mick Jagger in disguise, doing that old tongue trick again. ;-)

[goback3spaces]

@simonettavespucci Jagger's tongue is one thing, that guy's is another.

[simonettavespucci]

@goback3spaces I'm pretty sorry to hear about your tongue fixation. Wished somebody just could lick it off. ;-)

[h2t2pbob]

My struggle.

[SecretAllyWallE]

Only four sane people in this world.

[Tazwegian]

she is a nutcase.

[RacoonHusky]

There is no Mathew Barney without Meredith Monk!

[chalice4ever]

i have a question, it may be dumb but i need to know, those thre characters with stripes and pointy fingers...does that have a specific name? ive looked and researched and nothing, please help!!

[xtb1000]

This actually... great video and great "song". One of the best I've seen on youtube. thanks for posting!

[3moomoos]

do u people hear what ur listening to... i really dont understand how anybody could like this stuff. my english teacher made us listen to the tale and i thought i was crack the whole time i was listening to the cackling.

[Antaeus494]

@3moomoos, you'll probably grow into it when you mature, but for now enjoy whatever you do.

[BlackCadillacs33]

@3moomoos Her music has many sides to it. I bet most people would easily hear the beauty in her pieces "Memory Song" and "Nightfall"

[wtw88]

@3moomoos It makes me feel the magic as well as the chaos of existence. It illustrates our attempts to identify within the jumble of life. We identify thru our prejudices as much as our appreciations. We identify the "reality" of our lives thru the personas we adopt; the fads we follow; the things we think we believe in and those we believe we reject. The madness, the uncertainty, the playfulness... it's all beautiful. It's lovely even as we're scorned, laughed at. It's funny when we're adored.

[reddhen]

oh My goodness I saw this on pbs when I was a kid I really love this !!

[VisualDemonAr]

Overload. *.-

[madeinMAE]

Grande, grande, grande. Meredith es un pedazo de cielo en la tierra. GOD SAVE MEREDITH

[dalo82009]

me gusta mucho este video y Meredith más...

[delusionaldiminutive]

I love this video. I've seen it so many times. What is the name of this song? It doesn't seem to be on the cd. We're performing Meredith Monk this winter at my college. I can't wait :D

[simonettavespucci]

@delusionaldiminutive The song is part of the albums's fourth track, "Churchyard Entertainment."

[simonettavespucci]

@delusionaldiminutive The song is part of the albums's fourth track, "Churchyard Entertainment." It is interesting to note, given all the comments here, that people either love the film, or consider it just crap and have no idea what it is about. - Glad you like the film. I watched it quite a couple of times, too. ;-)

[delusionaldiminutive]

@simonettavespucci

Thanks so much :D I was hoping that we were going to perform this song but we're doing "Fields and Clouds." Which is also beautiful but this is my favorite. This song reminds me of a pagan ceremony but also some kind of medival picture come to life. Everyone has the right to their opinion but I think the people that don't like this song just aren't opening their minds enough. Which is sad b.c. I think this is one of the most accessible Monk songs.

[lovesGenet]

It does not matter if u don't know what it is.That Is very GOOD ! Just let it come to you and LET IT LEAVE YOU ! Come Back often if u can AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TRY TO EXPERIENCE MORE ART WORK FROM LIVING ARTIISTS WHO WORK IN CONTEMPORARY MODE AND YOU WILL LOVE IT AND BE BOTHERED BY IT > LISTEN TO BETSY JOLAS IF POSSIBLE >READ RITA DOVE > WHATEVER JUST LEAVE MOZART AND OLD STUFF ALONE AND U WILL FIND IT"S ABOUT NOW!!!

[lovesGenet]

THERE OUGHT TO BE A CHAPEL WITH HER WORK EXCLUSIVELY PLAYING 24/ 7.tHIS IS WHAT DA WORLD REALLY NEEDS. amazING

[fashiongirl911]

lmao what the heck is this

[wikitdevil]

This film floored me the first time I viewed it almost two decades ago and still it is fresh in my mind as if I viewed it only yesterday. I can not recommend this enough.

[enyaonlyif]

what is this???

[akuaman1]

Book of a Days

[piratemer88]

this is....scary....

[hunterbear441]

THIS IS REALLLY WEIRD BUT I CRACKED UP WATCHING THERE RETARDED NESS! :D

[redheadsrk00l]

what. the. fuck

[Apulia2001]

I saw this years ago and never forgot it.

[giulianoandreso]

Esplêndido!

[davylight]

one of the bestestest artistess from our era

[animalrightschick111]

Is she Irish?

[wikitdevil]

@animalrightschick111 LMAO !

[gigno001]

Concordo. Meredith Monk è veramente geniale

[aldonasplin]

ten z prawej to mój kolega z Gdańska, Neptun.

[Antinic]

beautiful voices...

[hellraisingirondude]

me encanto :D

[Dosenbiermachtschlau]

super! 5 sterne!!!

[streetninjas1]

Thats the biggest bullshit

[separatemindz]

you dont feel music

[aldonasplin]

dlaczego ? ależ czuję w lędźwiach aż.

[separatemindz]

a to nie było do ciebie. A propos czego ta informacja, ze pochodzą z Płocka? :)

Tzn, ze jest z pochodzenia Polką?

[aldonasplin]

Żydówką

[separatemindz]

łeeee... to w takim razie żadna sensacja.

Pozdrawiam :)

[rrippp]

i've seen u on other m monk pages. if u think its bullshit then fuck off back to the stuff you like. y'know like Avenged Sevenfold, Limp Bizkit, or maybe a little REO fucking Speedwagon!! keep it safe muthafucka!!

[aldonasplin]

Te TRZY maszerujące z tyłu w czarne paski to ja i moje osobowości!

[separatemindz]

czy to jest jakieś nawiązanie do Podroży na księżyc Georges Méliès'a?

[aldonasplin]

nie wiem. wiem tylko,że rodzina Monk pochodzi z Płocka

[aldonasplin]

Oh my god I have no words!!!!!

[MATTDUNCAN1]

fabulous !!!

[Santiago7Fauno]

Una genia absoluta.

[hey12358y]

Art? Well Ok, I'll keep an open mind, however, it isn't easy.

[GabySkott]

L'un des artistes américains les plus importants : explorant des voies où peut on pris le risque de s'aventurer... Elle me fait songer dans un art différent à Julian Beck et surtout Judith Malina... Meredith Monk est à la musique, ce que sont Kantor au théâtre et Pina Bausch à la danse.

[SydneyLeach]

Someone please murder everyone involved in making this.

[susisonnen]

This is great in so many respects. Meredith Monk is really a genius.

[simonettavespucci]

It is great indeed. However I guess you also go to Renaissance fairs then... ; )

[erinmerle]

I LOVE IT!!!!

[classroomKT426]

No wonder this creeps me out...hate that medieval crap!

[Buttersegen]

GREAT!!!!

[MrRifat]

This is creapy and she probably is a lesbian.

[blockthisuser]

none of creepyness in it, funny yer...

climate or yodorovsky ..yeah

Trolling in your post...100 percent

[maldoror01]

This is why I don't go to Renaissance fairs.

[erinmerle]

hahahah!! XD

[BeXXyBaLeiLa]

hahahahahaha! WTF Meredith...

[mastersd27]

what

[geeker4history]

the cat dudes in the front had me rollin!

[Mordekai1]

wow, this caught me completely flat-footed. Awesome!

[VisualGrower]

super!

[japaneekimchee]

nuts brah

[knifecut]

very derek jarman. i love it.

[kajc67]

I've always loved this. It's wonderful to have found it here on YouTube. Bravo!

[jackal59]

I saw this on USA Network's "Night Flight" (which also ran "The Video Artist" series assembled by David Sanborn and Kit Fitzgerald) back in the 1990s. It's hypnotic and very smart.

[jarcho123]

@jackal59 i get that it's cryptic and surreal and kind of amazing, but how is it "smart"?

[wikitdevil]

@jarcho123 The entire film is smart this is 2 mins of it.

[jackal59]

@jarcho123 That was my reaction to the entire film (as wikitdevil noted). I haven't seen it since the 90s, something I need to correct, but what I remember is how it exposed/illustrated/depicted things like community, prejudice, historical recreation (and historiography as a whole), the roles of "experts" in uncovering and deciding what are important markers of society. At the same time, it's beautiful to look at, often funny, and more playful than pretentious.

[phillydogger]

what