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What are you listening to? Part III
- Thread starter S.B.G
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Beautiful.
Just beautiful.
On a similar, but related, matter, I assume that you are familiar with W A Mozart's (amazing) Requiem, and might I also recommend to you "Songs of the Auvergne" (Bailero) by Joseph Canteloube, (which is what I am actually listening to, at this very moment).
Yes, I have heard Mozart's Requiem, and I love it! But haven't heard Songs of the Auvergne.
I think by far my favorite sections (movements?) of the Requiem are the Offertoire and Sanctus.
I haven't heard the other ones you mention, though. I'll check them out!
@rm5: A few months ago - well, around two months ago - I recommended the superlative Sanctus from The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace to you, which I recall that you loved.
Might I now suggest that you take a listen to Hymn Before Action and Agnes Dei from the same album?
As I write, I have been listening to them.
Might I now suggest that you take a listen to Hymn Before Action and Agnes Dei from the same album?
As I write, I have been listening to them.
A few from Link Wray and the Wraymen.
Firstly, "Rumble".
Actually, I first heard this particular piece in the movie Pulp Fiction, the scene where Marsellus Wallace's wife (Uma Thurman) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) dine - and talk - together before their unforgettable dance scene. Rumble plays in the background.
That (plus the rest of that stunning soundtrack) persuaded me to seek out the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction (which, as a matter of fact, I bought in Bosnia during one of my early international election observation missions, not long after the Balkan war ended, in 1997).
In turn, that prompted me to seek out some of the music of Link Wray, whom I had never heard of, before coming across the mesmerising track Rumble in Pulp Fiction.
And, from a CD with the title The Best of Link Wray, (now on my computer's iTunes, and also on my iPods) I give you two further tracks:
"Ramble".
"The Shadow Knows".
Firstly, "Rumble".
Actually, I first heard this particular piece in the movie Pulp Fiction, the scene where Marsellus Wallace's wife (Uma Thurman) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) dine - and talk - together before their unforgettable dance scene. Rumble plays in the background.
That (plus the rest of that stunning soundtrack) persuaded me to seek out the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction (which, as a matter of fact, I bought in Bosnia during one of my early international election observation missions, not long after the Balkan war ended, in 1997).
In turn, that prompted me to seek out some of the music of Link Wray, whom I had never heard of, before coming across the mesmerising track Rumble in Pulp Fiction.
And, from a CD with the title The Best of Link Wray, (now on my computer's iTunes, and also on my iPods) I give you two further tracks:
"Ramble".
"The Shadow Knows".
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And now, to the 90s:
A few from the amazing George Michael:
Praying For Time;
Freedom 90;
Cowboys and Angels;
and,
Mother's Pride.
A few from the amazing George Michael:
Praying For Time;
Freedom 90;
Cowboys and Angels;
and,
Mother's Pride.
Who Wants To Live Forever? and The Show Must Go On - two timeless songs from (the superb) Queen.
@Scepticalscribe I had one of the recording studios to myself for a couple hours, so after I was done working, I just listened to stuff for awhile. "The Armed Man" sounded AMAZING through that speaker system—two JBL 308p speakers paired with a subwoofer.
I never got into Wham!, but a music critic I followed sang high praises for George's first two solo albums, and I like them both. Especially the tune "Kissing a Fool". At the time I was playing in a bar band and doing a lot of "sax solos" on my synths, which never did sound very good.*
An unusually large tax return resulted in me buying a good tenor sax, at age 42. I'd already learned a couple wind instruments, but this was my first woodwind, so I already had most of the breathing/tonguing/articulation skills down. I didn't tell my band, learned all the scales, and spent the next two years in the basement with a Jamie Aebersol (sp?) "Blues in all Twelve Keys" CD, just learning to solo. Then, surprised the band on stage, first song we did featuring a sax part was "Heart of Rock & Roll" (Huey Lewis), and I nailed the sax part; we were playing in one of our favorite bars, it surprised the audience too, and I couldn't stop smiling for three days.
Whups got a bit sidetracked. Anyway, during that time I started thinking, an instrumental version of "Kissing a Fool" would sound great on a tenor, with its dynamics changes, "in-yer-face" and quiet parts, where you could use breath tones, screams and growls to your heart's content. I did work it up on sax, but of course the band broke up after 12 (!) years, so it never came to fruition. I still wanted to work up a MIDI arrangement and record it, still haven't....
* What hit single, done by a monster hitmaker both in some band and as a solo artist, reached #9 on the Hot Billboard Charts and saturated MTV, featured a hideous, synth-based saxophone solo? Fifty BotchPoints** awarded to the first correct answer!
** redeemable for absolutely nothing.
It's spelled Aebersold, I believe. And yes, I'm old-school and I actually have the entire library as mp3s. I also use Band-in-a-box to create really good backing tracks, too. It's the same software that Learn Jazz Standards uses for their tracks, if you've ever practiced with those.
I'm so happy to hear someone else other than me practiced a blues in all 12 keys—seriously! That's an underrated skill, honestly. Being able to play anything in any key is really good—I've been getting a lot better at that. I've been practicing this myself for about the past year, and it's really helping! Anyone will feel comfortable if the song is in C, F, or B flat, but D flat, G flat (or their enharmonic equivalent) or B? Too many people can't do that IMO.
Also, the other thing I've been getting a lot better at lately is reading. I actually didn't know how to read music till like 2020 or 2021. Before that, I always relied on my perfect pitch (and therefore, really good ear) to play stuff, but that only goes so far. I think I've progressed quite quickly, because now I can comfortably read most stuff (that isn't too complicated), as well as four-part chorale textures on the piano. I'm still not at the level of a church organist or choir director in terms of reading, and honestly I may never get there, but I've made good progress, I think.
Also, right now I'm learning some incredibly difficult jazz repertoire (they're all original compositions by classmates). Really specific hits and figures everywhere in the score, and VERY dissonant and angular chords and melodies. It's SO COOL THOUGH!!!
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Soundgarden - Down On The Upside....I remember reading there was some disagreement between Chris and the other member's as Chris was comfortable moving in a more commercial direction for their music. I love all their music, but this album is special to me as I first got it and heard it in a time when it felt like my album. The previous albums had come out some time ago, this was current to me and I adopted it with passion. Like the Beastie Boys's Hello Nasty, it's special to me, and I think it has some amazing songs on it.