The theramin also featured in Brit comic Bill Bailey’s live show during which he does various musical pastiches, including one (with the theramin) of the BBC News audio-logo! Very funny, but you have to have been there…

Second, there was a New York Times article about the album, also about science songs in general (who knew there was a Science Songwriters’ Association?!). The article is hosted on Artichoke’s site so you don’t have to worry about NYT registration (thanks!!)

And finally, good news: songs are already written for Volume II: Newton – Zeno! Including ones about Chien-Shiung Wu and William of Ockham. And I simply have to quote this from the Artichoke journal:

Sometimes I daydream that Terry Gross, host of NPR’s “Fresh Air,” is asking me how and why I began writing 26 loosely biographical songs about scientists, one for every letter of the alphabet. “Well, Terry,” I reply as if we were old chums, “it was a bit of a songwriting stunt. The abecedarium, as the A to Z structure is called, has long been a popular device in kid’s books, as well as with one of my favorite artists, Edward Gorey. These days when I sit down to write a song — starting with some rhythmic grunting and a little semi-melodious wailing — I ask myself, `Is this a scientist song?’ About half the time it is, in which case it’s research time. Did you know that when Isaac Newton died, he was a virgin who had neglected to write a will? And that all his furniture was covered with dark red velvet? Can’t wait to work that into Volume Two.” Before she can tell me how amusing this all is, and how great the songs are, my daydream ends abruptly. There’s a telephone in my hand, but Terry Gross is gone and I’m on hold with a credit card company.

“CHAOS NEVER DIED. Primordial uncarved block, sole worshipful monster, inert & spontaneous, more ultraviolet than any mythology (like the shadows before Babylon), the original undifferentiated oneness-of-being still radiates serene as the black pennants of Assassins, random & perpetually intoxicated.

Chaos comes before all principles of order & entropy, it’s neither a god nor a maggot, its idiotic desires encompass & define every possible choreography, all meaningless aethers & phlogistons: its masks are crystallizations of its own facelessness, like clouds.

Everything in nature is perfectly real including consciousness, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. Not only have the chains of the Law been broken, they never existed; demons never guarded the stars, the Empire never got started, Eros never grew a beard.”

The child of night has now his ascent
And crushed lay the feeble in death’s stalwart grip
Searing phlogiston as child rises high
Blinks into darkness when through time he flies

Pretentious phlogiston rock methinks

Amazon also has several books of science poems and songs.