Vertimus

It could be that whatever she's currently working on on the front burner is 100% finished, and thus this series of events and international travel -- she's got some free time now. As far as her current travel inspiring new songs, it seems we're all for that. Imagine a LDR album inspired wholly or almost wholly by European travel. I can smell the leather of the lederhosen now, and see Lana on the cover in Alpine costume. Nah -- let's go with something Roman, something inspired by Florence, Sicily, and Capri in summer and at twilight. Our Mediterranean goddess.

'Blood & Black Lace'* is an early Italian giallo by Mario Bava with a stylish jazz score by the great Carlo Rustichelli, and is about a series of murders at an Italian high fashion salon. So as a title, 'Blood & Black lace' is certainly possible, either because Lana saw it recently, or just heard the title and adopted it. *Not to be confused with the 1971 drive-in slasher film 'Blood & Lace.'

I wouldn't take anything so vague to heart as either a Yea or a Nay, because most likely, she's working on at least two projects at present, though one is probably in the forefront and one a little more on the back burner. When she says she's excited for what she's working on, she could be specifically thinking of a song she's still writing, a track she's recording, a video she's storyboarding or recording, an album (or two), something like the theater project she's mentioned (or writing the songs for the 'Alice in Wonderland' film, if that's still viable), or anything else. And she only allegedly said that. When someone is asked a broad question, there are two types of people, it seems to me, in my experience: those that answer briefly, as if the question was merely polite, and so their answer is equally short and polite, and those who take the question as sincere, and answer at more length. Lana has always seemed to me to be the first kind, though she of course is also aware that people asking her questions are often looking for a kernel or nugget of hard information.

America, SO underrated. Good taste.

She is already the cult leader — and we’re the cultists.

I think her 'dark' music is spread across her albums, and her darkest song, 'Live or Die,' is unreleased and likely to remain so. As will 'Velvet Crowbar,' most likely. There's definitely darkness in the BTD title track and in 'Blue Jeans.' 'Gods & Monsters' is certainly dark, and 'Cola' has a spooky, witchy force. Personally, I didn't find the 'dark' music on 'UV that convincing, except for the title track. To me, it felt like she was trying too hard to step outside her former persona and prove a point to someone. Had she kept some of the songs she cut from the album, that were brighter, it might have all balanced out. 'Old Money' is dark in its terrible sadness, wanting, and isolation, and I consider it one of her very best. There's certainly some darkness on 'Honeymoon,' starting with the title track, and the vacuity of 'Art Deco' is dark too, as is the weird psychology of the narrator singing 'Music To Watch Boys To.' 'Salvatore' is a brilliant portrait of a blithe femme fatale, and 'Swan Song,' with its resignation, is dark in its own way. It's certainly not upbeat. 'The Blackest Day' is obviously dark. '13 Beaches' is definitely on the dark side, as is 'WTWWAWWJKD,' and 'Heroin' is one of her darkest, and, to me, best. 'Change' is dark, with its poisoned water and air. 'The Greatest,' which witnesses the end of the physical Earth, is certainly dark, as is 'Hope.' There's a kind of apathy on 'CG' that makes it seem somewhat dark to me. 'Yosemite,' which I love, is a borderline dark to my ears, and on 'BB' we get darkness to varying degrees, especially on 'WFWF,' ' 'NOTG,' and in the sadness of the title track (to me, deep sadness is dark). 'Text Book' could be considered somewhat dark. This is what I think we'll continue to see: varying degrees of darkness across Lana's albums, at least those of her own compositions. She's just being honest about life, and doing so without constantly pointing fingers, a la Tori Amos, whose victim-mongering exhausted me and drove me away.

We need a song like ‘Cola’ on the next album.

I hope I said ‘Live or Die,’ when I posted my short list. One of her best.

The original ‘Live or Die,’ one of her best.

So no HD version out there in the ether yet? Just asking for a YES or NO.

Maybe 'Girl From the North Country' will be on the Folk/American Standards & Classics album? It's feasible.

Thank you---the Bob Dylan song is one he credits to himself, but acknowledges was based on an earlier traditional song. Fair enough. He's done the same thing many times and Joni Mitchell did it with 'The Silky Veils of Ardor.' Bob's version included parts of the traditional 'Scarborough Fair,' which Marianne Faithfull sang before it was made famous by Simon & Garfunkel.

'Del Forte County' means 'From the North County,' which is similar in name to the famous British traditional ballad, 'A North Country Maid,' aka 'The Oak & The Ash,' which was popularized in the early 1960s by The Watersons, A.L. Lloyd, Maddy Prior and early Marianne Faithfull in her folk period, who has an album called 'A North Country Maid.' Many British artists covered it. It's a tender, beautiful ballad which would suit Lana perfectly, though I don't know that it could be Americanized. Perhaps 'Del Norte County' is an allusion to it? And Lana is from 'the North Country'; the Adirondacks are pretty high up there in New York State, and relatively isolated out of season, which is most of the year. I hope it's not simply called 'DNC,' which only brings to mind 'Democratic National Committee' to me, and I think we've all had enough of politics right now. A North country maid up to London has strayed Although with her nature it did not agree So she wept and she sighed and bitterly she cried "Oh, I wish once again in the North I could be" For the oak and the ash and the bonny ivy tree They all grow green in the North country While sadly I roam I regret my dear home Where the lads and young lasses are making the hay Where the birds sweetly sing, and the merry bells do ring And the maidens and meadows are pleasant and gay For the oak and the ash and the bonny ivy tree They all grow green in the North country No doubt if I please, I could marry with ease Where maidens are fair, many lovers will come But he that I wed must be North country bred And carry me back to my own country For the oak and the ash and the bonny ivy tree They all grow so green in the North country

She should do at least one surprise release, digitally. I think she could release either a double album of 'Standards/Americana' or release two different projects simultaneously, and neither would hurt her career in the least. Everyone's doing these things now, the ways of the past are gone with all the technological options available. Most of the traditions around physical album and CD releases were totally predicated by the times, the physical production and distribution across the world, etc. If vinyl releases are holding anything up, Lana can easily announce the vinyl will follow within 6 months. Vinyl is largely for Stans and audiophiles anyway in 2022. Go for it, Lana!

Assuming this is an actual era at all. Maybe it's just "the period between albums" and whatever's coming next is a year or more away, thus the silence. I guess we have some evidence that she's in the studio working on something she intends to release next, whenever 'next' is, but I feel that with Lana, one can never be sure of anything.

If she is entering a midlife state of mind, as she is actually entering midlife, and wants to keep cats, walk home from the mall, and watch TV, it may not matter much where she is. I could actually see Lana living in a semi-rural environment, as Joni Mitchell did for much of the 70s, constantly going back and forth from LA to isolated parts of Canada and singing about “fresh salmon frying and the tide rolling in,” and “the arbutus rustling.” If Lana follows the trend of so many musical artists, she’ll continue to record but will also crave midlife calm, isolation, and serenity ( and perhaps marriage and children), and then, about 50, want to return to the spotlight in a big way, pretend she never left or had a slightly diminished career, and try to impress everyone with a ‘youthful’ sound and physical appearance. This is not a condemnation, but simply something I’ve seen happen over and over.

I hope Lana doesn't go New Age. I have to laugh when I see reality programs about the wealthy people of Southern California (where I was born) and the nonsense they believe and are willing to pay very high prices for. She's intelligent enough to read Carl Jung, Jane Harrison, Yeats, Frazer, Lady Gregory and other 'primary sources' and skip the many times watered-down versions that are written for the masses. And she's not an ingenue at this stage of her life.

So: news, or no news?

Summertime Sadness Born to Die Ride Bel Air American Cola Yayo West Coast Black Beauty Old Money Terrence Loves You Swan Song 13 Beaches White Mustang BP, BP The Greatest COCC. Yosemite White Dress IYLDWM Violets For Roses Black Bathing Suit WFWF ENCORE: Serene Queen Hollywood Angels Forever

'All Tomorrow's Parties,' Velvet Underground song from 1966 sung by Nico.

That would be pretty shocking. I think at this point, Lana is beyond that kind of decadence. Any Nico song, whether written by her or not, is pretty much beyond any other artist to pull off, it seems to me.

Arcadia.

I'd also love to see one with FJM, but, in terms of collabs, no matter who the second party is, the result can be good or bad, as we've seen in the past with other collabs. Some good, some less so. I have no absolute faith that a Lana | FJM collab would necessarily be fantastic, or even good. But I'd like to see one.

Thanks friends. His name is new to me.

Is there any evidence that she’s dating Mel or is that just a guess or joke?