Music Part Two (2 Viewers)

[Linda]

The first thread started by Pucksterguy had so many posts that it was loading sluggishly.
So, Voila - Part Two

{updated by Laron — January 6, 2018)

How about a sticky thread to post your favorite music? It could be whatever your listening to from rock, blues, jazz. classical whatever. Also personal compositions and performances(nudge, nudge,wink,wink Ged) whatever. One could listen to songs in one tab whilst perusing the latest news on the rest of the forum.

The above quote is from Pucksterguy's original thread which Linda mentioned, that being this one here. I wanted to include the purpose of the thread.

I think it's a good reminder to mention that Puckster thought it would be an idea to open up this thread in one window, and play a song, whether it's a new one just posted or an oldy, while browsing the forum, which I am doing right now as I update the original thread here.

 

[Sinera]

First!

Let's get funny a bit starting Part Two. Or better: lovely and cute. Combined with musical hardness. Which actually IS... funny.

And it seems impossible I know. Just discovered them 2-3 weeks ago and am still hooked. Two given laws for me do not apply anymore since then:

First, I never thought that Metal could be cute. As cute as a few months old kittens or puppies are.
Second, neither had I thought (according to my own proud musician ethos) I'd ever like one of those artificial vocal pop groups / boy/girl pop dance groups casted together by the music industry that spits a new one out in a planned way almost every year - at least in Europe. Well. I have to make a double exception here because this is hilarious.

First of all this is so great for me since the backing band is excellent and they've actually not been casted beforehand, so this is the more organic part. They are first-class musicians.
Secondly, it's because the girls do an extraordinary and excellent performance I've not seen anything like this before this way, not in any other boy or girl group I had to watch.
This regards singing, choreography, show and all. The choreo fits the music perfectly, it's even quite hypnotic imv. Of course they have been trained by the industry to do so, everything is scripted, I know this as I know the music industry and how they do it. And yet I have greatest respect for them. Moreover since it's not easy to 'survive' with this and like this before a normally quite purist/traditionalist and die-hard metalhead crowd. And they do!

Let's not forget ... this is at the same time still Metal. I never thought this combination possible. The main singer sings wonderfully for her age. The bass player (the funny bald guy that has a happy time all-out) is amazing. The drummer and the guitar players, too. The 2 dancers and background singers are amazing (and ... cute).

I've watched this quite a few times and it will not be the last time. Have an open mind when you watch it, even if you're not into Metal. Btw. it's called "Kawaii Metal" (which actually means "Cute Metal" in Japanese). And now it is even being embraced by metalheads around the world - as one can clearly see in this English audience going wild like it was Slayer, Priest, Maiden or Metallica on stage. Which again ... is funny.

 

[Linda]

Well, Sinera, after that intro, I had to watch the video. I've seen kids perform before, but it is music geared more to kids and teens. Who in the world are those girls, and how do they have that stage presence?

 

[Sinera]

Maybe the Japanese are perfectionist in some way. Scaringly perfectionist.


There is another Japanese girl of almost the same age who is actually one of my favourite drummers. I'm a former drummer myself.

She is said to be one of the best in the world already. And she is barely twenty now and been playing like that for years already. It's Jazz/Fusion this time - one of the most difficult things to play. She's already playing with many of the big names in the Jazz-Fusion but also Rock-Fusion music scene, in Japan and internationally. She must be Buddy Rich's grand-daughter.

I am always beyond words and in awe when I watch her play. I was a drummer and back in the days when I was as young as she's now and a little older (mid-20ies). I thought I was pretty good back then, or at least good enough for what I wanted to play. I came never even near her sublime level. Never ever.

Certainly these prodigies (all over the world) have a spark of the divine in them. But it is also a kind of Japanese thing I cannot explain, imv. They have some excellent musicians in all genres and at all instruments over there.

Here's one of her vids (at age about 17-18 or so) from a drum workshop she did.


Here she's touring with one of the most famous Jazz guitar players (rehearsal filmed):


This is her band in the studio:

 

[Linda]

Sinera, well these must some of the kids born with extraordinary gifts. I think of jazz as more of an adult or maybe experienced style of music. So, to hear that young lady play drums on that jazz piece blew me away.

 

[Sinera]

"Hold on, hold onto the minute
And sing it, and live it
It's always there
Hold on, hold onto the minute
And feel it, believe it"

Brandnew and surprisingly uplifting song from a musical genius who normally makes rather sad or at least 'deep-thought' songs. (Sign of the shift and changing times maybe?). Fans and YT-commentators are disturbed by this. Also by the fact that he even smiles one time in the video. Actually, he's a bit like me, I also rarely smile, it's just the way we are ... that introvert (quasi asperger's) deep mind type ... I feel a soul connection to this guy ... maybe we came to here from the same planet ...

Anyway, here we go ... Seventies pop-disco Abba meets joy-of-life style Bollywood dancing. Have fun.

 

[Linda]

Seventies pop-disco Abba meets joy-of-life style Bollywood dancing

Hey, this is great - like the lyrics about being in the present. I love Bollywood dancing - so much joy (and a good workout, too).

Thanks

 

[Pucksterguy]

Tje line every breath is a moment lost forever....gave me the chills- not in a bad way. Ty Sinera. It's nice to have somebody around that can challenge me musically and make me think.

 

[Lila]

Here's 5 minutes of fun in a meld of newer music and old dancers:

 

[Sinera]

There are certainly a few causes for violence in our world.

In 1978, Mr. Peter Gabriel (who had just left Genesis then) had a surprising (?) answer on his first solo album ...

"Fear, fear, she's the mother of violence
Don't make any sense to watch the way she breed
Fear, she's the mother of violence
Making me tense to watch the way she feed
The only way you know she's there
Is the subtle flavor in the air
Getting hard to breathe
Hard to believe in anything at all, but fear"


Question: But who's the father then?

 

[Lila]

Question: But who's the father then?

Justification?
That is, the feeling that violence is okay or justified?

I like the question so I took a try at it

 

[Pucksterguy]

Question: But who's the father then?

Anger

 

[June]

There are certainly a few causes for violence in our world.

In 1978, Mr. Peter Gabriel (who had just left Genesis then) had a surprising (?) answer on his first solo album ...

"Fear, fear, she's the mother of violence
Don't make any sense to watch the way she breed
Fear, she's the mother of violence
Making me tense to watch the way she feed
The only way you know she's there
Is the subtle flavor in the air
Getting hard to breathe
Hard to believe in anything at all, but fear"


Question: But who's the father then?

Fear is the mother and father?

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Pucksterguy]

I wanna hear more NEW bands playing music like the above tracks. More musical/instrumental savvy not just great lyric with a rythem track. Back in the late 70's I saw music turn from a folk based and musically minded to more of lyric based sound-not that there's anything wrong with that lol. But I need new music that reflects my antiquated tastes. Interestingly, I love the musical sounds of Lorena Mckenitt and Enya and other Celtic based sounds. I'm not a huge fan of some forms of Jazz (not all) much of it sounds like everybody taking turns doing solos of random notes strung together in a haphazard way.(just my opinion). Am I just whistling in the dark? or is there something new that will excite my ears???

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Pucksterguy]

Thanks for entertaining my rant

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Linda]

I wanna hear more NEW bands playing music like the above tracks. More musical/instrumental savvy not just great lyric with a rhythm track.

I understand what you mean. The business side of music mucked things up, but the rise of the internet is giving new, independent musicians a chance.

 

[Pucksterguy]

Ya, Linda I gotta start digging around again. haven't done that in a while. You tube is getting stale.

 

[Sinera]

I wanna hear more NEW bands playing music like the above tracks. More musical/instrumental savvy not just great lyric with a rythem track. Back in the late 70's I saw music turn from a folk based and musically minded to more of lyric based sound-not that there's anything wrong with that lol. But I need new music that reflects my antiquated tastes. Interestingly, I love the musical sounds of Lorena Mckenitt and Enya and other Celtic based sounds. I'm not a huge fan of some forms of Jazz (not all) much of it sounds like everybody taking turns doing solos of random notes strung together in a haphazard way.(just my opinion). Am I just whistling in the dark? or is there something new that will excite my ears???

It's difficult because the ELP is more of the usual Classic Prog(ressive) Rock. The Byrds to me seem more Folkrock, but also seem to do a lot of Jams (e.g. like Can did) so it sounds alike indeed. Don't know if I really have a suitable suggestion. It's true that "known" music of this kind is rare. But it was never for the pop charts anyway, true? So one can always find gems when one is looking. On a regional as well as national or international basis.

Maybe you could try Porcupine Tree? Certainly they did some classic progrock with guit solos and the usual old keyboard towers that vanished today almost completely form live set-ups due to computerization.

There are good PT live vids available from the 2000-years. They tour and (seemingly) exist no more today but their bandleader is doing the same thing solo now with different musicians. He kind of 'was' PT anyway. So no big change. Some say he did a bit more of Krautrock than British prog as solo artist.

Believe it or not, his name is Steven Wilson and it is the same guy from the Bollywood video above.


Here's PT live (most songs from all the same gig filmed in HD). The drummer is the excellent Gavin Harrison. I saw them with him live in 2006:

I recommend giving a listen to their albums "In Absentia" and "Deadwing" in full (it's prog after all, so one always should listen to he album).

And here's Wilson solo, a complete gig from 2012. I admit I do not know a single song of this concert, as I did not follow his solo work anymore that much. Of course I know a few of the recent song and the newest album. This concert video of course is on my to-do list, from some sneak previews I had it must be amazing musicianship.
I also will see him next year again since a buddy of mine who's a fan of Wilson (actually because I had convinced him back then of PT ) convinced me to go there with him.
Again, the drummer is also excellent. I am patriotic here because it is (speaking of Krautrock ) the German drummer Marco Minnemann. Imv, he's as good as or even better than Harrison, and that one is already one of the best prog rock drummers there is.

 

[Pucksterguy]

The above was a bit of a rant. However I've pretty much stopped listening to radio and been listening to music on a stick in the car. At work I have music on my phone I listen too. Mostly classic, prog, blues, some celtic and folk. Years ago when I was babysitting my kids I had more time to hunt down new music. Semi retired now, only work 3 days a week. So I have more time to start looking again. Few bands are playing a semi instrumental style ala Yes, or Zep for that matter. I know they're out there.
TY for the effort in putting together that reply, I'll give that stuff a listen over the next couple of days

 

[Sinera]

TY for the effort in putting together that reply, I'll give that stuff a listen over the next couple of days

skipping and skimming through my own art/prog rock files or bookmarks I would have some more suggestions that occur to me that might be interesting for you, but I'll wait and do one after another as I do not want to post too much here at once

 

[Linda]

Live-to-picture concerts

I just got a notice from our local performing arts center about a screening of the first Star Wars movie. The difference is that our symphony orchestra will be performing the score live. I understand that orchestras around the world are doing this as a means to reach a larger audience. I think the Star Wars score is a great choice because the music is so ingrained in our lives - just a few bars and we know what it is. Also, hearing the music live with an orchestra, as it was originally played, must be a moving experience. And no, we won't be going because the tickets are quite pricey - I don't know how many families could afford it.

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Pucksterguy]

 

[Sinera]

Thinking about saving Humanity and Gaia and the (for me) certain fact that no 'outside saviour' or 'god(s)' can or should be solely relied upon, I remembered a quote of this song from the early 80ies.

It was a then GDR band Karat ('carat') who also became famous in the West after the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunited.

I always loved this song and its haunting partly arabic melodies. Once heard it does not leave you for quite a while. This song really was created by divine inspiration in my opinion.

And I also loved its lyrics of course. Highly important and up-to-date now as it was then in 1982. Did not find a translation for this on the internet, so I did it myself on the fly now. Hope it works and I did not destroy it.

As you see the lyrics are all in questions, except the bold ones that refer to the statement I meant. It's not an atheist song though (not for me), but just the reminder that it is up to us humans, and only to us, to save us all.

Der Blaue Planet - The Blue Planet

Tanzt unsere Welt mit sich selbst schon im Fieber?
Is our world already dancing with itself in a delirious fever?

Liegt unser Glück nur im Spiel der Dämonen?
Does our fate lie only in the game of demons?

Wird dieser Kuss und das Wort, dass ich Dir gestern gab, schon das Letzte sein?
Will this kiss and yesterday's promise be the last thing I did?

Wird nur noch Staub und Gestein, ausgebrannt allezeit, auf der Erde sein?
Will there only be dust and rocks, burnt out forever, left over on Earth?

Uns hilft kein Gott unsere Welt zu erhalten.
No god will help us to save our world.

Fliegt morgen früh um halb drei nur ein Fluch und ein Schrei durch die Finsternis?
Will tomorrow morning at half past two the only thing left of us be a curse and a cry flying through darkness?

Muss dieser Kuss und das Wort, das ich dir gestern gab,schon das Letzte sein?
Will this kiss and yesterday's promise already be the last thing I did?

Soll unser Kind, das die Welt noch nicht kennt, allezeit ungeboren sein?
Will our child who does not yet know the world remain unborn forever?

Uns hilft kein Gott unsere Welt zu erhalten.
No god will help us to save our world.

2003 version:


1982 original version (interesting fact: 'game of neutrons' was used instead of 'demons' as a reference to the US/Soviet nuclear cold war back then, 'Neutronen' rhymes with 'Dämonen' in German):


Just remembered they have another great lyrics song about what most if not all spiritual teachers tell us. I think I might be inclined to translate that one here next, too. Stay tuned.