Okay, well I'm 18, but let's face it, most music today is done on a synthesizer about either having premiscuous sex or senselessly killing random people. And call me crazy, but I'm not into much of it. People often ask:
"What kind of music are you into?"
To which I simply reply:
"GOOD music"
I started this topic because I was listening to the radio today, and I only liked maybe 2 of 20 or 30 songs I heard. I began to go through my really old collection later just to get some relief from the crap I was hearing on the radio. And I'm in sort of a chill mood today, so I listened to some of a really old group, The Platters. Recorded in 1959, my oldest favorite song has to be Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. I really reflected on the music and lyrics and got so lost in it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=57tK6aQS_H0
Does anyone else have any old music they like? Gotta miss the days when musical talent was more appreciated. :(
(By the way, I'm always happy to make mp3's and midis for games :))
Quote from: Domithan on Thu 26/06/2008 19:24:56
Okay, well I'm 18, but let's face it, most music you hear on mainstream radio/TV stations today is done on a synthesizer about either having premiscuous sex or senselessly killing random people. And call me crazy, but I'm not into much of it. People often ask:
"What kind of music are you into?"
To which I simply reply:
"GOOD music"
I started this topic because I was listening to the radio today, and I only liked maybe 2 of 20 or 30 songs I heard. I began to go through my really old collection later just to get some relief from the crap I was hearing on the radio. And I'm in sort of a chill mood today, so I listened to some of a really old group, The Platters. Recorded in 1959, my oldest favorite song has to be Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. I really reflected on the music and lyrics and got so lost in it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=57tK6aQS_H0
Does anyone else have any old music they like? Gotta miss the days when musical talent was more appreciated. :(
(By the way, I'm always happy to make mp3's and midis for games :))
There's a LOT of great music about if you can be bothered to look.
Since you're emphasizing "old"... I guess the oldest stuff I've listened to more than briefly and found awesome is Antoine Busnois (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Busnois). Probably his most famous song is a four-voice motet called In hydraulis. It's great. Oh, and Georgian choral music is nothing short of really awesome, and probably counts as really old, considering that the Georgian tradition of polyphony (so I've heard) predates Western polyphony--and then we're talking well over a millennium ago. What can I say. The Georgian tradition of polyphonic music gets my rocks off.
Seriously, though, (though that is not to say that the previous is not serious) if The Platters (or even Jerome Kern in this case) are "really old", then I am not able to pick one old song, even as an example. The vast majority of all music is not exactly new, you know.
Quote from: EldKatt on Thu 26/06/2008 20:51:39
Since you're emphasizing "old"... I guess the oldest stuff I've listened to more than briefly and found awesome is Antoine Busnois (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Busnois). Probably his most famous song is a four-voice motet called In hydraulis. It's great. Oh, and Georgian choral music is nothing short of really awesome, and probably counts as really old, considering that the Georgian tradition of polyphony (so I've heard) predates Western polyphony--and then we're talking well over a millennium ago. What can I say. The Georgian tradition of polyphonic music gets my rocks off.
Seriously, though, (though that is not to say that the previous is not serious) if The Platters (or even Jerome Kern in this case) are "really old", then I am not able to pick one old song, even as an example. The vast majority of all music is not exactly new, you know.
Well, as far as mainstream goes >.>
I mean, for example, you could go to your local mall and ask everyone who Tony Williams was, they'd probably say "Wasn't he that tiger on the cereal box?" And I know there's TONS of great music out there! I'm just saying I think the world has gone a bit under par with its current taste in music.
Quote from: Domithan on Thu 26/06/2008 21:06:40And I know there's TONS of great music out there! I'm just saying I think the world has gone a bit under par with its current taste in music.
I think there's no such thing as a "current taste of music". There has been good music in the past and there's good music available nowadays, but you have to search for it. Fact is, you can't expect good music from radio and television. The mainstream music that is selled and broadcasted is just crap (with some exceptions). Oh, and it always makes me angry that they play new singles the whole day long, but no song that is more than a month old.. But just look at the music coming from the 80s, it's mostly horrible too.
But this:
"What kind of music are you into?"
"GOOD music"
...is exactly what I always say when I'm asked. There's no specific genre I'm listening to and no specific music period or whatever.
Well, the oldest songs I'm listening to are from the 70s, e.g. from The Doors..
Quote from: matti on Thu 26/06/2008 21:21:36
But this:
"What kind of music are you into?"
"GOOD music"
...is exactly what I always say when I'm asked. There's no specific genre I'm listening to and no specific music period or whatever.
Heh...I literally got smacked once for saying that. My friend says it's a cheating answer :D. Nobody is going to say they listen to 'bad' music. The only thing I know from the Platter's is the Great Pretenders song. The oldest song I've been listening to? Greensleeves, currently.
Yeah, mainstream music from the sixties was crap too.
We think that the rolling stones and led zeppelin were mainstream back then, but they weren't. Someone like Fabian was the James Blunt of 1958-1961, but nobody knows who he is anymore (don't go look it up, it's crap).
Since about ten years ago everyone started looking back: you got people making big band music (Brian Setzer) doing fifties pop/jazz (Jamie McCullum & to a lesser degree Robbie Williams), people did sixties rock, disco came back (Madonna) oldschool hiphop got back, you name it.
Music is richer now than it ever was, because everyone's doing something else. I like it anyway. Just don't listen to commercial radio, but go look for something else.
One Giant Leap for instance mixes western music and world music. Marvellous album.
Some old stuff I like:
1964: Coltrane "A Love Supreme" (free jazz)
1971: Marvine Gaye "What's Going On" (soul / gospel with socially conscious lyrics)
1960's: Sam Cooke (great voice)
1973: Joni Mitchell "Blue" (singer/songwriter, brilliant, I love her)
Some older stuff I like:
"I Put a Spell on You" a song by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (best rock 'n roll ever)
"Blue Velvet" a song by ... ehm... can't remember.
"Autumn Leaves" a song by Johnny Mercer
Ella Fitzgerald ("Pure Ella" is my favourite album, just her voice and a piano)
Some really old songs I like:
"The Wild Rover", "Women of Ireland", "Waltzing Mathilda", "A pub with no beer" (all from before 1900 I think)
Some really, really old stuff I like:
Bach's Mattheus Passion, Mozarts Requiem.
Sorry, ranted a bit. Music is very dear to me. (Quote from Kurt Vonnegut: "Music to me is proof of the existence of God. It's so extraordinary.")
@Babar: Surely you know "Earth Angel" from the Back to the Future movie? It's also by the Platters.
Earth Angel, Earth Angel, will you be mine? My darling angel, love you for all time, I'm just a fool, a fool in love.
Now see what you made me do?! I didn't even look the lyrics up on that. Thanks for making me look silly :P. But why would you think I'd know it? Haha..Do I exude so much awesome, I'd just have to know that song from Back to the Future?
If you wanna go that far back, I myself am fond of Tchaicovski, who doesn't love the nut cracker? :P Ooh, I like Coltrane as well, I've got the entire Coltrane/Miles Davis set, but I'm far more into Coltrane, being a sax player myself :P.
Edit: And as far as newer stuff, I do enjoy it! Don't get me wrong, I'm kinda into Swtichfoot and call me queer, but I admit to liking a few evanesence songs, Weezer, The Strokes, etc. etc.
Sure,
Johnny Cash "Big River" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_21p14TAXM) 1957
Buddy Holly "Everyday" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMezwtB1oCU) 1957
Kingston Trio "Tom Dooley" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=AoBLGE2cCdU) 1958
Roy Orbison "Crying" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07NMA51D46c) 1961 <<<< this recording is SOOO haunting and beautiful
Jackie Wilson "I'm Comin' On Back To You" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6_OE485hQs) 1961
Harry Belafonte "Jump In the Line" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEy89l0SOZs) 1961
Ennio Morricone "Fistful of Dollars" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqjcoTzhaIk) 1964
Sam Cooke "Sugar Dumpling" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NslG1E_FKvM) 1965 <<<< Repeat the first minute 12 times in a row and still can't get enough
Sam & Dave "Hold On. I'm Coming (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4DHY_9gOs) 1966
Nina Simone "Sinnerman" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSasf8GBfV4) 1966
Dusty Springfield "Son of a Preacher Man" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJM5K51peVw)1968
Dolly Parton "Jolene" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiO3SIOOc_4) 1974
Bob Dylan "Anything. Even if he's just stoned and laughing its good" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eiASBBuFso)
and sometimes I'm the mood for Sinatra but that's becoming less and less every year. Same with Elvis, the more I hear the more turned off I become. Just over saturated to the point of exhaustion, really.
Ah, but the story of buddy holly is so sad, to die that young :(
And once in a while, a local radio station (AM naturally >.>) pays him a tribute, and they tell stories about him, it makes me so sad :(
Quote from: Domithan on Thu 26/06/2008 21:58:59
Ah, but the story of buddy holly is so sad, to die that young :(
That seems to be a tradition in the music business. Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain all died with 27. Okay, Buddy Holly was just 23, but it's all quite early.. :(
Don't forget Mozart and Schubert; both dead before turning 30. (seems Schubert got to 31)
Oh, well, here's something that can still make me cry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwTdqPkluY
(the song was written in 1939 while were on the subject of old songs)
Wich Doctor
Domithan: You're contradicting yourself. You said:
Quotemost music today is done on a synthesizer about either having premiscuous SEX or senselessly killing random people. And call me crazy, but I'm not into much of it.
A bit later you said:
Quotemy oldest favorite song has to be Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. I really reflected on the music and lyrics and got so lost in it.
I looked into lyrics and found out that this song has got the word "love" repeating itself at least 4 times. This has led me to a conclusion that this song is about love. And as we all know, love is a surrogate to sex and sexual arousal, invented for censorship.
So, now you're telling me that you reflected on the lyrics about the thing, you're not really into. Doesn't make much sense to me.
About me: You know, you sometimes get a feeling that you want to get close to this guy, and punch him hard with a baseball bat, screaming "For a love of Christ, please stoo-oh-ooop!". Well this OLD music surely awakens this feeling. Honestly speaking, it gives me nausea. Always had.
Quote from: Lionmonkey on Fri 27/06/2008 00:27:28
About me: You know, you sometimes get a feeling that you want to get close to this guy, and punch him hard with a baseball bat, screaming "For a love of Christ, please stoo-oh-ooop!". Well this OLD music surely awakens this feeling. Honestly speaking, it gives me nausea. Always had.
welp, most the music you DO like probably was inspired by it in one way or another so mmmmlph! (flicks nose with thumb)
Quote from: Lionmonkey on Fri 27/06/2008 00:27:28
Domithan: You're contradicting yourself. You said:
Quotemost music today is done on a synthesizer about either having premiscuous SEX or senselessly killing random people. And call me crazy, but I'm not into much of it.
A bit later you said:
Quotemy oldest favorite song has to be Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. I really reflected on the music and lyrics and got so lost in it.
I looked into lyrics and found out that this song has got the word "love" repeating itself at least 4 times. This has led me to a conclusion that this song is about love. And as we all know, love is a surrogate to sex and sexual arousal, invented for censorship.
So, now you're telling me that you reflected on the lyrics about the thing, you're not really into. Doesn't make much sense to me.
About me: You know, you sometimes get a feeling that you want to get close to this guy, and punch him hard with a baseball bat, screaming "For a love of Christ, please stoo-oh-ooop!". Well this OLD music surely awakens this feeling. Honestly speaking, it gives me nausea. Always had.
So, Love = Sex?
I don't know about you, but my relationship with MY girlfriend isn't solely based on sex. The reflection I had with this song was not in any way shape or form sexual. I would HARDLY consider what I said contradictory, when you have songs these days with lyrics such as "Aww skeet skeet skeet skeet" on "bitches". Am I not making sense here? Smoke Gets In your Eyes is about heartfelt romance, not random sex with different people. Also, I must believe if you can't find talent in that song or at least feel some appreciation for it, you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Quote from: Domithan on Fri 27/06/2008 02:41:11I must believe if you can't find talent in that song or at least feel some appreciation for it, you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Translation:-
"If you don't agree with me, you must not know what you're talking about."
I could equally say that if
you can't see the talent, or otherwise appreciate the songs on the radio that are "done on a synthesizer about either having premiscuous sex or senselessly killing random people", then you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Lionmonkey's right, though - love songs have always been about sex.
"Love Me Tender"? "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"? "Dream Lover"? "I Want to
Hold Your Hand"?
The only thing that's changed is the use of the language, which just reflects how people these days are less easily shocked/offended.
Of course "Smoke..." is an exception, but there are exceptions these days, too.
But if you can't read subtext, then clearly you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Quote from: Ultra Magnus on Fri 27/06/2008 04:26:57
Quote from: Domithan on Fri 27/06/2008 02:41:11I must believe if you can't find talent in that song or at least feel some appreciation for it, you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Translation:-
"If you don't agree with me, you must not know what you're talking about."
I could equally say that if you can't see the talent, or otherwise appreciate the songs on the radio that are "done on a synthesizer about either having premiscuous sex or senselessly killing random people", then you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Lionmonkey's right, though - love songs have always been about sex.
"Love Me Tender"? "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"? "Dream Lover"? "I Want to Hold Your Hand"?
The only thing that's changed is the use of the language, which just reflects how people these days are less easily shocked/offended.
Of course "Smoke..." is an exception, but there are exceptions these days, too.
But if you can't read subtext, then clearly you aren't quite the musical expert, so maybe this isn't the topic for you.
Are you KIDDING?! Will You Love Me Tomorrow is perhaps the only one of those songs even REMOTELY close to being about sex. There's a difference between love and sex, and if you don't think so, you need to straighten out some ideas in your head. I Want To Hold Your Hand, by The Beatles??! It's about puppy love!!! There's NO WAY this song could be mistaken for sex, unless you link every instance of the word "love" to the word "sex". It isn't my opinion that synthetic music requires no talent to perfrom. Sure, someone has composed this music, but nobody performs it. No performance = lack of talent. Lack of talent = lack of artistic musical appreciation. People composed AND perfromed then, and some do now, but not nearly as many.
Quote from: Domithan on Fri 27/06/2008 04:43:12
Are you KIDDING?! Love me Tender is perhaps the only one of those songs even REMOTELY close to being about sex. There's a difference between love and sex, and if you don't think so, you need to straighten out some ideas in your head. I Want To Hold Your Hand, by The Beatles??! It's about puppy love!!!
"Love Me Tender" is in fact the only one that could possibly NOT be about sex in that list.
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" is the equivalent of "will you respect me in the morning?"
"Dream Lover" is too damn obvious if you actually read the lyrics (http://actually%20read%20the%20lyrics).
And do you seriously believe that a 23 year old man would want to do nothing more than hold hands?
You're a tool of the doghouse makers. ::)
I'm not saying there isn't a difference between love and sex*, I'm just acknowledging the existence of things callled euphamisms.
* Actually, there may well not be. I'm hardly an expert.
Quote from: Babar on Thu 26/06/2008 21:28:40
Quote from: matti on Thu 26/06/2008 21:21:36
But this:
"What kind of music are you into?"
"GOOD music"
...is exactly what I always say when I'm asked. There's no specific genre I'm listening to and no specific music period or whatever.
Heh...I literally got smacked once for saying that. My friend says it's a cheating answer :D. Nobody is going to say they listen to 'bad' music. The only thing I know from the Platter's is the Great Pretenders song. The oldest song I've been listening to? Greensleeves, currently.
I hate to be Colonel Contradictor but I've actually told a number of people that the music I like is bad.
Mainly because when somebody asks me what music I like to listen to, they're looking for an excuse to tell me why the music they listen to is better. Life is easier if I just agree with them to start with :=.
Quote from: Ultra Magnus on Fri 27/06/2008 05:05:49
Quote from: Domithan on Fri 27/06/2008 04:43:12
Are you KIDDING?! Love me Tender is perhaps the only one of those songs even REMOTELY close to being about sex. There's a difference between love and sex, and if you don't think so, you need to straighten out some ideas in your head. I Want To Hold Your Hand, by The Beatles??! It's about puppy love!!!
"Love Me Tender" is in fact the only one that could possibly NOT be about sex in that list.
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" is the equivalent of "will you respect me in the morning?"
"Dream Lover" is too damn obvious if you actually read the lyrics (http://actually%20read%20the%20lyrics).
And do you seriously believe that a 23 year old man would want to do nothing more than hold hands?
You're a tool of the doghouse makers. ::)
I'm not saying there isn't a difference between love and sex*, I'm just acknowledging the existence of things callled euphamisms.
* Actually, there may well not be. I'm hardly an expert.
Yeah, I do believe that. They were the frikkin beatles, ya know, the same people that wrote about Mother Mary and the Yellow submarine? Get your mind out of the gutter, they aren't euphamisms. Take things literally, and if you don't recognize the difference between love and sex, you aren't gonna be a very satisfying mate for some girl. Plus, by saying that Love Me Tender isn't sexual, aren't you contradicting yourself?
I'd just like to say, sorry to...well everyone, for letting this all turn into a petty arguement, however, I just can't stand to see true talent insulted, and I get easily frustrated when it isn't recognized or acknowleged, playing sax for 11 years, which means more of my life playing it than not, it kinda makes me angry when music that requires such talent to perform is tossed on the back burner, so to speak. :(
Quote from: Domithan on Fri 27/06/2008 05:34:49Yeah, I do believe that. They were the frikkin beatles, ya know, the same people that wrote about Mother Mary and the Yellow submarine? Get your mind out of the gutter, they aren't euphamisms.
Right, and of course The Beatles famously never thought about sex.
That was your point, right?
And they never used poetic license, either, meaning they actually DID all live in a Yellow Submarine?
That's an interesting little fact, there.
Quote from: DomithanTake things literally, and if you don't recognize the difference between love and sex, you aren't gonna be a very satisfying mate for some girl.
Well, that's good to know.
Thanks for the reassurance. :)
Quote from: DomithanPlus, by saying that Love Me Tender isn't sexual, aren't you contradicting yourself?
I'm admitting that that was the weakest example on the list, and it baffles me that you can acknowledge that one and not the others.
Quote from: Domithan on Fri 27/06/2008 05:46:06
I'd just like to say, sorry to...well everyone, for letting this all turn into a petty arguement, however, I just can't stand to see true talent insulted
You're the only one arguing, here.
I'm merely poking a bear with a stick at this point. :D
And how is it insulting to say they used poetic license?
Some people would say that that takes more talent than not doing so.
By the way, I've been playing bass (and guitar) and writing music for the past 15 years.
Feel free to say that they're not "real" instruments and therefore my opinion is clearly worth less than your own. 8)
I always thought "Love Me Tender" was about the sexual act? Especially when sung by Elvis, he just had sex oozing off of him...
Well, of course most songs are love songs, because love is kind of important. I think a lot of people are not annoyed by the fact that's it's about sex nowadays, but that it's more explicit.
In my opinion a song which is just pornographic is flat and boring. Using metaphors makes things a lot more interesting. The song "Milkshake" by Kelis still makes me smile a little, even when it is the grossest metaphor for boobs ever.
Tom Petty also didn't sing about smoking marijuana, but Dancing with Mary Jane (sorry if I spoilt this song for you forever ;))
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for saying everything you want. I wouldn't want Tori Amos to censor herself.
I just like music more when you can interpret instead of having it all spelt out for you.
Also, synthesizer music does require talent. The synthesizer doesn't write the music for you. I'm not fond of Jean Michel Jarre, OMD or Kraftwerk, but I recognize they have talent.
*Sigh*
Holding your opinion against mine is arguing with me.
Sure, the beatles thought about sex, they were human, but since when is that song about it?
I'm not an elitist jerk, I think your opinion is as good as mine.
What I find insulting doesn't come from you, it came way back when this FIRST started when I was told old music "gives me a headache"
I play bass too, beleieve it or not, not nearly as well as sax, but it's not easy, I know.
All my point was from the beggining is that it's a shame that musical talent isn't as appreciated these days as much as it used to be. In the video I posted, there' an entire orchestra full of people where as in many groups today, real true and blue instruments have been traded for a synthetic sound, and when people see someone playing trumpet like a beast it's a shame they don't consider one's time a dedication to making such a great sound and trade musicians such as this in for a computer. And when I say songs are about premiscuous sex with many partners? I'm saying that's just downright dirty and unappealing. When you take a song like "I Want to Hold Your Hand" it's simply something more than pure sex, unless, god forbid, I've been shown, you interpret it that way, for one reason or another.
TwinMoon- I know, and I acknowledged that point, writing takes talent, yes, but the computer plays it for you, and this is where I make my point.
I realize my "maybe this isn't for you" line was a bit arrogant, but I was caught up in defending myself, and I'm sorry for saying that.
Have any of you heard the Shaving Cream Song (I don't remember the actual title for sure)? It's pretty old, and it's really funny.
Quote from: Anteater on Fri 27/06/2008 14:38:18
Have any of you heard the Shaving Cream Song (I don't remember the actual title for sure)? It's pretty old, and it's really funny.
Actually, yeah, and it is, heh :P
Quote from: TwinMoon on Thu 26/06/2008 22:10:44
Don't forget Mozart and Schubert; both dead before turning 30. (seems Schubert got to 31)
...and Mozart got to 35...
Quote from: Ben304 on Fri 27/06/2008 05:19:20
I hate to be Colonel Contradictor but I've actually told a number of people that the music I like is bad.
Mainly because when somebody asks me what music I like to listen to, they're looking for an excuse to tell me why the music they listen to is better. Life is easier if I just agree with them to start with :=.
A most excellent tactic! Thank you, Guru Colenel. I spent almost a year with a room-mate whose taste in music was hugely divergent from mine. While I walked away with appreciation for some of what he listened to, he still maintains that what he heard from me is crap :P.
Quote from: TwinMoon on Fri 27/06/2008 12:44:59
Tom Petty also didn't sing about smoking marijuana, but Dancing with Mary Jane (sorry if I spoilt this song for you forever ;))
And Puff the magic dragon was not about smoking weed, and Yellow submarine was not about drugs, and Michael Bolton's 'Can I touch you there' is not...oh wait a second, it is :P.
I dunno...I find it kinda silly to be singing in 'code'. I can imagine someone going through the lyrics, trying to find 'translations': "Ah yes, the trumpet mention there is obvious a reference to genitalia, the slab of beef they're talking about is most certainly a reference to secretive man-love, and the cocoa powder is actually drugs". I mean, I get that at certain points in history you couldn't exactly be singing openly about the stuff, but still.
As far as it goes for a aurally uneducated fellow like me, it's generally 3 things I appreciate in a song: the actual music, the meaning of the lyrics, and the 'sound' of the lyrics (whatever the technical term for that is). If the sound of the lyrics are crap, but the music is good (like many heavy metal songs I've heard), I can't bring myself to listen to it- why couldn't they have just made it an instrumental?! Even with 'parts' of the music: Even a song has "Teh Greatestest Riff in the World!" but the rest of the music is basically khch-khch-khch-khch-BRAAAAAAM, I can't bring myself to listen to it, and cutting up the song seems kinda....wrong :). I guess that may partly be where my liking of rap and hip-hop comes from- the way some of the songs play with the words and the meanings and such, even though the music may be just average.
I just like songs with double meanings, because I think it enriches the song.
And it's not just one meaning or the other, those trumpets you mentioned are trumpets and genitalia at the same time.
And I should check my facts, thanks Neil.
Quote from: Babar on Fri 27/06/2008 15:59:31
Quote from: TwinMoon on Fri 27/06/2008 12:44:59
Tom Petty also didn't sing about smoking marijuana, but Dancing with Mary Jane (sorry if I spoilt this song for you forever ;))
And Puff the magic dragon was not about smoking weed, and Yellow submarine was not about drugs, and Michael Bolton's 'Can I touch you there' is not...oh wait a second, it is :P.
And I meant this the other way around, if he did write a song called "Last Time I smoked some weed" it would have been a lesser lyric then "Last Dance with Mary Jane", because it's just a nice metaphor which can also relate to other things: if I were to sell my car I could say "Well, it's the last dance with Mary Jane" which for me makes the song better.
Hm, this might make not a lot sense to you, but that's my opinion.
That is what I meant with that statement you quoted: People can make up or understand or derive whatever meanings they want from a song, regardless of what the original artist intended. Just as they assumed that Puff the Magic Dragon, Yellow Submarine, and Mary Jane's Last Dance was about drugs.
Ah well, in the jungle, the mighty jungle, my lion sleeps tonight.
/me grins and runs away.
I'm so sick of The Beatles, they're not REALLy good songs you know. They just all have good bits in them.
Aaanyway, my opinion is that peole who say "all modern music is crap" are just being lazy, hello? Internet. Myspace. Last.fm. if you're not into stuff on the Tv or radio then you can LOOK for music you like, you don't need to rely on mainstream outlets anymore.
That said...old stuff (pre 1970) I like in no particular order: The Zombies, Nancy Sinatra, Tom Lehrer, Frankie Stein & His Ghouls, Sammy Davis jr, Kay Starr, The Mama's & The Papa's, Cab Calloway and a bunch of stuff from http://blog.wfmu.org/
Quote from: Babar on Fri 27/06/2008 16:27:12
Ah well, in the jungle, the mighty jungle, my lion sleeps tonight.
Hm, what would he mean by that?
Quote from: TwinMoon on Fri 27/06/2008 17:04:25
Quote from: Babar on Fri 27/06/2008 16:27:12
Ah well, in the jungle, the mighty jungle, my lion sleeps tonight.
Hm, what would he mean by that?
O_O
Teehee.
I realised I ws gonna listen old music, when I caught myself singing Earth Angel whilst watching Back to the future.
Basically, If you do not listen to rap,pop,hip-hop,or that popular rock kind of music, you are listening to "weird" music, thus you are "weird". Maybe a bit exaggerated, but to some extent, it works this way. I usually do not want to tell people I don't know what kind of music I listen to, because they usually just lift their eyebrows and I end up saying "I told you". I don't say that new music sucks. I don't like it though. You know, music is 100% subjective point of view on what is nice and what is not.
On topic: For me, a song doesn't have to be new to be good. I frequently listen to music from 60s, 70s, and I just LOVE the 80s music. Electronic music and metal have their roots in the 80s, that's the music I like. And pieces like Tainted Love or Popcorn are just unbelievably good, still, they are old. As for me, nothing, and I mean NOTHING can overcome that dull metal sound the 80s music has. That's something you can't substitute.
How old is old?
I also like the Platters, but I am not a fan. However, music from 20'th century middle era is very darn good, all that bossa, jazz and swing. I often browse all kinds of labels and sites that recover old music from old vinyls. I like The Jazztet, Golson, Goodmann, Raymond Scott with his experimental sounds. The list is big, actually, So its pointless to name anything. I also don't keep any favourites, i like what i like and i definately can't listen same stuff endlessly so that 'favourites' stuff is kind of meaningless.
Gentle Giant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWfmfgHXAfE - Proclamation
One of my older favourite songs.
Not 100% sure when this song was released but I pretty sure it was 1970 something.
There;s a song I love that's 60's like, what a wonderful world. It's not the Louis Armstrong.
The lyrics go like..
don't know much about algebra
don't know much ..ecc
Quote from: Dualnames on Sun 29/06/2008 09:52:31
There;s a song I love that's 60's like, what a wonderful world. It's not the Louis Armstrong.
The lyrics go like..
don't know much about algebra
don't know much ..ecc
Sam Cooke (http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/wonderf0.htm).
Seems a surprising lot of us enjoy Sam Cooke. I pasted Sugar Dumpling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NslG1E_FKvM) earlier but there are so many other songs I love of his.
Talk about a tragic death. (http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/sam_cooke/9.html)
There's a Harrison Ford thing about it.
Yeah, Sam Cooke.
I listen to some old music, of course. Beatles, Doors, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Family,...
But there's also so much great modern music, like Sufjan Stevens, Mars Volta or Mother Tongue (sadly outside of Germany, where Mother Tongue has a loyal following, they're not too popular).
I never escaped in to the past to find great music. Instead I looked harder what's new out there.
I get what you mean about "escaping in to the past" I guess. But the beauty of sound recording is that everything is on an equal playing field except for the distribution factor... sure, modern music will always get more airtime because of corporate interests. But ALL music will eventually be old music. Its just a matter of what ages well and what doesn't.
What frustrates me about following the mainstream is how much credit you give the artist for originality... then years later you discover a song 80 times better that was the "inspiration" for that song you thought was so good. Just look at how many fanboys and girls wrap around the block to go see bands like Limp Bizkit... a shitty artist who idiotically remakes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pp38SR1lMU) Townshend's "Behind Blue Eyes" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_1RqyNdzbE) with the lyrics "L-I-M-P" in a Microsoft Sam voice for no reason, insulting the author.
Yeah I guess some people will find The Who because of Limp Bizkit. A few people at least. But mostly you end up with idiot kids walking around saying "Oooh! Behind Blue Eyes! Yeah I love Limp --- oh he didn't write it? Well I like his version best!" .... no.
This'd have to be my favorite old song, from the '30s: Sittin' Around by Coon-Sanders' Orchestra. (http://ia340911.us.archive.org/1/items/CoonsandersOrchestra3/Coon-sandersNighthawks-SittinAround_64kb.mp3)
Other than that I agree with pretty much all of what Eggie said, and there's also this group called Dion and the Belmonts that did a lot of great songs back then.
Quote from: Eggie on Fri 27/06/2008 16:47:40
I'm so sick of The Beatles, they're not REALLy good songs you know. They just all have good bits in them.
Woah woah woah. You can say this about the albums "Revolver" and "White Album"? Those albums stand up against ANY contemporary album on a musical level. Were they released today (no one having heard them before) they would receive just as much praise if not more than back in the day. Especially if we remove the Beatle's influence on the music industry throughout history (totally inconceivable).
Helter Skelter (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9WuJ3EvNh-0), She Said She Said (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FQ6r7S3_cTE), Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (http://youtube.com/watch?v=31SBJ3MnEE0)
Not to mention the goddamn lyrics! Forget about it.
I'll agree with you that after many years the songs get tiring. They're overplayed to the point of saturation. But that doesn't effect the actual quality of the music. Come on... to call them good bits, and that only? Crazy talk. For instance, I think Aerosmith has been overplayed to death... I can't stand hearing them anymore but I'm willing to admit the songs are OK. But forget Aerosmith - you'd be hard pressed to name a band that musically outmatches the Beatles.
Yeah, The Beatles are amazing.
But you have to listen the whole albums, not just the kinda lame hits compilation "1".
Evenwolf couldn't agree with you more...
Well , behind blue eyes is my brother's favorite(the who version)
Gotta love 'Here Comes the Sun' as well :)
Quote from: evenwolf on Sun 29/06/2008 17:54:17
Quote from: Eggie on Fri 27/06/2008 16:47:40
I'm so sick of The Beatles, they're not REALLy good songs you know. They just all have good bits in them.
Woah woah woah. You can say this about the albums "Revolver" and "White Album"? Those albums stand up against ANY contemporary album on a musical level. Were they released today (no one having heard them before) they would receive just as much praise if not more than back in the day. Especially if we remove the Beatle's influence on the music industry throughout history (totally inconceivable).
Helter Skelter (http://youtube.com/watch?v=9WuJ3EvNh-0), She Said She Said (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FQ6r7S3_cTE), Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (http://youtube.com/watch?v=31SBJ3MnEE0)
Not to mention the goddamn lyrics! Forget about it.
I agree with Eggie, The Beatles are way overrated.
I mean, sure Revolver is still a great album, and The White Album has some great parts in it, but most of the rest of their catalogue is very mediocre.
The lyrics are no great shakes, either. Sure, some of them are poetry, but for every "Something in the way she moves" there are a half-dozen "I am the walrus"s.
You yourself posted links to a song about a fairground ride and one about a guy who works in a market and talks gibberish, and I just don't find either particularly inspiring.
And you can't give them too much credit for their "influence", either.
The mid 60s onwards was an era of constant musical evolution and experimentation where bands' ideas were almost freely shared with each other.
The Beatles took as much influence from their peers as they gave, they just had more publicity because they'd already made a name for themselves as a pop band in their early days.
Most of their best stuff came from George Harrison, anyway. 8)
Quote from: evenwolf on Sun 29/06/2008 17:54:17you'd be hard pressed to name a band that musically outmatches the Beatles.
The Who.
Higher class of musicianship and Pete's a better, more consistent songwriter.
I'd be hard pressed to name a band that musically outmatches The Beatles simply because I think the whole notion is stupid. Music isn't about who outmatches whom. Nobody is the best anything ever. I realize that not everyone has my perspective on this, and I'd be an idiot to expect them to, but having spent much of my time studying music as a craft, and studying the work of great artists objectively and soberly (and "escaping into the past" a great deal, out of practical necessity--often a past way more past than the 60s...), the inherent lack of perspective in a discussion like this really stands out to me.
Weird response. All I was trying to do was corner Eggie into saying "Nickleback" or "Creed". And you are correct, that neither of those 2 bands can be said to be "worse than the Beatles". *smirk*
Ultra- I agree with you on the Who. But the bigger point is that the Beatles are overrated. Not that they can't write decent stuff.
Quote from: Ultra Magnus on Tue 01/07/2008 09:25:05
The Who.
Higher class of musicianship and Pete's a better, more consistent songwriter.
Hooray (http://www.last.fm/user/agagames/charts/?charttype=overall&subtype=artist).
Sorry, but The Beatles didn't release such a boring and uninspired mess like Quadrophonia. Maybe The Who ist just not the right band for me, I didn't like Tommy either, apart from Pinpall Wizard. I mean, I could smell and feel the ambition, but somehow they couldn't fill the album with songs I cared about. It's somehow a nice album to play in the background, but it bores me when I listen closely to it.
Contrary, I love everything from The Beatles, Rubber Soul upwards.
They have a wild assortment of styles, experimented a lot, yet most of their experiments worked out fine (compare that to Pink Floyd...). They are a band who probably inspired more musicians than any other.
There's nothing mediocre about their other albums, I still have to find another pop album like Abbey Road that has the same pop appeal and variety.
Hm......Peeping Tom may come close, but not all songs are that good. ;)
I listen to Pete Townshend quite frequently, so I won't be joining any sides one way or the other. Eldkatt would be quite correct in the sense that you couldn't simply compare the musical talent of both bands. At least, I think I'll choose not to.
Quote
boring and uninspired mess like Quadrophonia.
I don't know about "uninspired".... it might not be inspirational to you... but I'm fairly sure it was inspired.
I love Townshend's rock operas for the reason you mentioned. I play them while I work... the music effects me but the lyrics aren't too overbearing to distract. I end up listening to Psychoderelict about once a week on my ipod. Townshend's rock operas are so awesome but I can understand if someone doesn't take to them. His operas including Quadrophenia & Lifehouse were pretty ambitious, risky musical endeavors. I think that's why I love Townshend so much.
I suppose classical and opera music counts, so yeah, even though I'm not too much into that. This "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" song is wonderful, thanks for the link!
It's actually possible to like more than one band, surprisingly. I own and enjoy every Beatles album from Rubber Soul onwards, but I also adore The Who and have something like 30 Who or Who-artists-gone-solo albums. It's silly to compare two such different bands because of a brief overlap of time during which they were both recording.
Yeah, of course, I also like many different musical styles, but I never did get into The Who.
Well, I only listened to Tommy and Quadrophenia, maybe I should look into some of their other works.
Who's Next is probably more approachable, since the rock opera elements are barely noticeable unless you know where to look for them. Who Sell Out is awesome, but it took a while to grow on me, so you might not like it.
I fell in love with that Chain Gang song by Sam Cooke after seeing a movie with it in, I can't remember the movie, but it was a war style film. I'd love to be reminded if anyone knows. I think it had one of the Sheens in it, maybe both. I guess most people will say Beatles, me included. I like a lot of Elvis, and a lot of old jazz, though I couldn't name any tracks I particularly like. I enjoy listening to Nik Kershaw, but that isn't THAT old. I like a lot of classical stuff which I guess is old, I love Holst, the Carmen Burana tune (sp), tchaikovsky... I would definitely listen to older stuff than any of the new crap that frequents todays mainstream radio stations. But, luckily, there are a few that play some golden oldies. I don't mind a bit of Abba either :p oh and I quite like the Stranglers & golden brown...I was recently told it's about hash?? Hehe
Golden Brown's about heroin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Brown#Song_meaning).
I love my Motown. Especially 'This Old Heart Of Mine' and 'Behind A Painted Smile'.
True classics. It's a shame they don't make music anymore today.