#Angels of Music

[ulrichgebert]

Bevor jetzt auch noch die Urlaublektüre hinterherhinkt, hier noch schnell die total literarische Leseliste.

Die literarische Vorlage. Wie der Film ist sie recht reißerisch, und spielt statt im irgendwie angenommenen Berlin überraschenderweise über weite Strecken in München (ist für Schmuggeltätigkeiten über den Bodensee auch viel praktischer).

Die literarische Nachbereitung. Will Self imitiert einen bekannten Roman von Oscar Wilde. Es sind die 1980, mit AIDS (sonderbar viele AIDS-Dramen gerade...), hemmungslosem Drogenkonsum und Prinzessin Diana. Der attraktive, aber zügellose und unmoralische Dorian Gray scheint nicht zu altern, stattdessen altert die Videoinstallation, die sein Künstlerfreund Basil von ihm geschaffen hat.....

Der literarische Politikunterricht. Der gute Herr Wieland hält den Regierenden -als verschachtelte und mit diversen Meta-Übersetzung-Ebenen (aus dem scheschianischen) Erzählung aus einem fernen Märchenland mit Sultan, Philosoph und natürlich Haremdsdamen- einen goldnen Spiegel vor. Es hat sich offensichtlich in den 250 Jahren seither wenig am Konzept der wohlmeinenden, aber trotzdem die Zustände nur verschlimmernden Regierung geändert, so daß man es eigentlich immer noch hervorragend verwenden kann.

Die literarische Feierstunde von John Waters. Die Freuden der Jugend, das hatte ich hier schon angekündigt, wollte ich nochmal im O-Ton lesen (da hatte ich lustigerweise auch einen Wieland direkt davor). Vielleicht gibt es ja keinen besseren Roman auf der Welt.

Das literarische und popkulturelle Suchspiel in der bewährt süchtigmachenden Kim-Newman-Manier. In den Katakomben unter der Paris Oper betreibt Erik, bekannt als das Phantom derselben eine kleine Agentur, die sich um Ermittlungen und gelegentliche Auftragsmorde für Fälle, in denen die Polizei lieber nicht eingeschaltet wird kümmert. Ausführendes Organ sind -ähnlich funktionierend wie später bei Charlie- immer drei Engel der Musik, die ersten sind (natürlich) Christine Daaé, Trilby O'Ferrall und die bewährte Irene Adler, dazu kommen immer neue aus den Höchst- und Tiefstunterhaltungen, in denen sich Mr. Newman so schön auskennt, besonders freuten mich natürlich die Imitationskünstlerin Mrs. Eynsford-Hill und Gilberte Lachaille, nur Sibyl Vane, die englische Schauspielerin, die gerade erst drei Bücher zuvor als Strichjunge Herman auftauchte, war kein rechter Erfolg.

Das gefeierte literarische Wunderkind befand, in seinem dritten Roman sei es mal Zeit, sich Gedanken über seine unaufgeregt selbstverständliche Homosexualität zu machen, und sorgte damit natürlich doch für einige Aufregung. Obwohl es im Vergleich mit Myra Breckinridge noch geradezu gediegen wirkt. Und nur so ein mittelgutes Ende nimmt. Thomas Mann immerhin befand, es sei ein edles Werk.

[zegalba]

Toshihiko Takamizawa's custom ESP angel guitars

[tending-the-hearth]

i think my favorite type of relationship trope is "stopped believing in love a long time ago" and "genuinely doesn't think they're worthy of love" falling for each other in the MOST romantic way possible

[coquexari]

A break from the sadness.. Hermes design! :3

[ardenzia777]

Pain in Paradise GOD LOVE IN PARADISE IS SUCH A GOOD SONG OMG Like holy heck, the moment i heard it, I HAD to draw!!! LIKE HAD TO THE PAIN, THE ANGUISH, THE DEPTH AHHHHHHHHHHH

[beeclops]

You Didn't Know!

[honoviadakai]

Badly summarizing Hazbin Hotel songs: season 1

Happy Day In Hell:

Local nepo baby is very optimistic for someone who was born and raised in hell but damn it if you don’t find it a little endearing.

Hell Is Forever:

Your gut feeling about the pastor’s son was correct and he is indeed an annoying prick who likes to act God’s always got his back.

Stayed Gone:

Demon Jeff Bezos finds out his Ex is in town, isn’t happy about it and tries to slander the man only for his ex to immediately clap back and serve everyone some piping hot tea.

It Starts With Sorry:

Some of ya’ll are way too forgiving and it really shows…you’re lucky you dorks are adorable.

Respectless:

A 4’11 Millennial bitch serves absolute ✨CUNT✨ at a meeting she didn’t want to attend, local MILF is not amused.

Whatever It Takes:

A MILF and a lesbian sing about how they’d willingly die for the ones they love. It’s sweet but deeply concerning.

Poison:

Local twink took “conceal, don’t feel” way too seriously and now you’ll never be ok again. Have fun in therapy.

Loser Baby:

A DILF and a twink sing about how they’re the biggest losers in hell and it’s the sweetest fucking thing you’ll ever see in your god damn life.

Hell’s Greatest Dad:

2 grown ass men fight for custody over a grown ass woman.

More Than Anything:

The literal king of hell loves his child more than your father will ever love you and you just gotta live with that.

Welcome To Heaven:

The polite Christians are trying to convert you, but they’re really good at show tunes so I ain’t even mad.

You Didn’t Know:

Vindication for everyone who’s the black sheep of their family and now have religious trauma.

Out For Love:

Local MILF hypes up her newly adopted lesbian daughter by telling her love is the ultimate murder weapon.

Ready For This:

Local nepo baby discovers that the fastest way to get cannibals to fight for you is through show tunes and the promise of flesh.

More Than Anything (Reprise):

No, the two leading females are not “just really close friends.” You were told well before this moment.

Finale:

While the main cast is having a Bob the builder moment, 3 local bastards are promising to fuck shit up next season and the person you least expected is having a mental breakdown in the break room.

[0ox0x0xo0]

Toshihiko Takamizawa's custom guitars

[spamtonsometimes]

a specil little bonus... he's such a cartoon character of a man.

[53v3nfrn5]

Toshihiko Takamizawa: ‘Rose Angel’ + ‘Heart Angel’ made by: ESP Guitars, Japan

[drazhaq]

Big Fun!!

+ one of the most iconic quotes from the movie and musical.

[dumbfilmschoolkid]

you: phantom of the opera 2

me, an intellectual:

[itsscaredycat]

loser baby is gonna end up on my spotify wrapped this year and i’m already mad about it (not really)

[broadwayfangirl222]

I wanted to share this animatic I saw on twitter: link's here https://x.com/JosephBaby20/status/1786906326200639644

[girlforyou2]

[sayuri-of-the-valley]

On how Crowley and Aziraphale felt during the kiss (but mainly Crowley here):

Ok so first, the main idea for this huge meta is that a LOT of us noticed how the music from the kiss scene is similar to the nebula one, right?

Second, a lot of us also correctly noticed the parallels between the kiss and how it was to taste food for the first time for Aziraphale: bc of his reactions, the hand on lips, the similar way MS acted both scenes, the little inhale etc. So how was it for Crowley?

Aziraphale's reaction to the kiss is practically a puzzle to solve on its own, so it's fun to analyse it, but basically, in a few words, Aziraphale kissed Crowley and he discovered he was physically starving for him, longing for him, yearning for him, for his kiss, and he had no idea. Just like with the ox. And now he needs to gorge himself in him but he can't. Great amazing heartbreaking chef's kiss someone give MS an Emmy.

But there's already so much amazing meta out there about Aziraphale x Ox ribs x The Kiss that I want to focus on Crowley here, and on the music.

So back to the music. The song in "Before the Beginning" and the song that plays during The Kiss (I Forgive You + Don't Bother) are so similar. They're not *exactly* the same, but they're totally reminiscent of each other. The viewer is immediately reminded of those chords that played in the opening scene. It's no coincidence that the fandom was talking about this fact only minutes after first watching those final fifteen minutes. This is an obvious intentional choice for storytelling reasons (David Arnold is a genius).

I have no expertise whatsoever when it comes to music, so I asked our friend @otsanda to see if that made sense and not only it does and she explained it, but she also uncovered so much more hidden meaning in all of it (musicians are amazing), so check out her meta about the music that not only serves as evidence to what I'm proposing here but it also has so much more juicy information in it 💖.

Back to the point: WHY thought? Why choose a similar song? Why intentionally COMPOSE a similar song for that moment?

Hear me out. WHAT IF, by reminding the audience of the creation of the nebula, they meant to convey to us that, for Crowley, kissing Aziraphale gave him the same feeling that creating his stars did?

THAT'S what the music is telling us. THAT'S why it makes us remember "Before the Beginning". It may sound cheesy, but Crowley may have literally seen stars when he kissed Aziraphale. He couldn't react accordingly (just like Aziraphale couldn't), bc it was an overwhelming and extremely sad moment (the music is also telling us that) for both of them. They knew it was ending . They were both having a moment of huge revelation that was fated to not come to completion. Crowley was right, it was too late.

It makes sense to show Crowley's feelings through the music, bc he was the one who started the kiss, and also he was wearing sunglasses in that scene, it's different from a character like Aziraphale that has all his million expressions for everyone to see at all times. And they've been doing this ever since s1 with the Queen songs that play in his car or in the background.

So my point is: the same song being used there makes me wonder if kissing Aziraphale finally gave him what he lost. His purpose. What Aziraphale was trying to give back to him by taking him back to heaven. There's no need for Heaven. Just kiss him, Aziraphale, and there he'll find the stars you want to give back to him. There you will one day see that smile on his face you saw Before The Beginning. Neil Gaiman and David Arnold I am in your walls 😭

This is what may lead us to see this happiness in Crowley again (not the action of kissing itself, of course, but what it represents to their relationship, them being together, them being an Us).

As @otsanda said: from the music we can interpret that that moment was a Revelation for them. Almost a religious experience. Crowley found his purpose again. What he'd been missing the whole season (or even his whole life since the Fall, but we've seen him especially depressed this season).

I'm not even getting into the poetry of how one can interpret the parallel to the angel's reaction to the kiss as carnal, and the demon's as religious; that would be another whole essay but let's just agree that it's incredibly beautiful. (Let me be clear that I mean here Aziraphale's reaction is carnal specifically for Crowley, and Crowley's is religious specifically for Aziraphale, not religious as in "worshipping god")

"Do you ever wonder what's the point?" Crowley asked in s2e1. The point, for him, is Aziraphale (if you've seen The Good Place you know what I mean). I hope he figured this out with that kiss, even as heartbreaking as it was. Even if it was a (temporary) separation kiss. (I hope Aziraphale figures this out with time too, that he's more than enough to make Crowley happy, that Crowley doesn't need Heaven, or stars, that Crowley needs him.)

Maybe that's why Crowley didn't leave and kept waiting outside until the very last moment.

Aziraphale and Crowley both bit the apple at the end of s2. There's no turning back from that Knowledge now.

Edit: I just have to add here this brilliant colour analysis of the nebula scene by @halemerry. And it's pointed out that during the nebula formation there's a moment when it looks like two people embracing. And the fact that a similar song is used in the actual Kiss scene I just... I have no words