FACT 195 -- Belly of an Architect

For any of you Factory completists, what do you think of the Belly of an Architect score released as an LP by Factory in 1988 (FACT 195)?

Personally, I think it's fantastic, some of Wim Merten's highlights, and have been looking for a copy of it--although not in LP format. If anyone has it as a CD (which technically Factory did not release), I would greatly appreciate a burned copy or mp3s.

And the film is top-notch too. One of Peter Greenaway's best, even though he used Mertens and Branca for his composers instead of Michael Nyman.

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: For any of you Factory completists, what do you think of the Belly of an Architect score released as an LP by Factory in 1988 (FACT 195)?

Personally, I think it's fantastic, some of Wim Merten's highlights, and have been looking for a copy of it--although not in LP format. If anyone has it as a CD (which technically Factory did not release), I would greatly appreciate a burned copy or mp3s.

And the film is top-notch too. One of Peter Greenaway's best, even though he used Mertens and Branca for his composers instead of Michael Nyman.

David, do you have any of these Merten's albuns?

• “Shot And Echo”
• “The Best of Wim Mertens”

I've been looking for them for some time...

No, I don't, but one of my friends may well have them. He has lots of Mertens stuff.

Here in Italy there is a label whose name is Materiali Sonori where you should find the albums you are looking for. ;)

As far as the film is concerned, does anybody know where it is possible to find it (dvd format)?

Thanks

I have the Disques Du Crepuscule CD release of 'Belly' which has a release date of 1987. Both Branca and Mertens were releasing albums on that label at the time. Most of the Mertens tracks are from 2 other Crepuscule releases "Vergessen" and "Struggle for Pleasure". I have those on CD as well from when they were reissued in 1988. I'm not sure if all of this stuff has been remastered since then and released on different labels. I haven't bought anything by Mertens since 1990, but I have been meaning to look into some more recent releases because a CBC radio show is using one of his songs as an interlude almost every night of the week.

I think that I've seen "Belly" on DVD but it was expensive and I passed on it, though I have to admit that its worth buying for the "Died screaming" version of Roman history that the oncologist gives to the architect as part of his prognostic statement.

cheers, gordon

If I am not wrong (I've seen the movie many years ago) the soundtrack of "Belly of an Architect" does contain some music by In the Nursery as well, doesn't it?

The film is available on an average-priced Region 1 DVD from MGM, and I got my copy from Half.com for about $6.00 US. If you search for used copies on Amazon UK and similar sites, you should find Region 2 DVDs of it that will play in both the UK and Italy.

The "Belly" score is being reissued remastered in September by some UK company with added Branca tracks that were not on the originally released score. I guess I'll have to wait that long.