What are you listening to? Part III

[Scepticalscribe]

I was searching for a version of "Gymnopédie No. 1" played on non-acoustic instruments, for most versions I've heard contain some sort of… room tone that I don't particularly like to hear. I found more than I bargained for—a cover by artist Giselle Minns that features synth, operatic vocals, and vocoded backing. It's from a classic/electronic fusion album Turning Circles.

Oddly enough, if memory serves, the British Punk group 'Tubeway Army' (Gary Numan's outfit) featured a (non-acoustic, I think) version of Gymnopédie No 1 as the B-side of one of their hits as long ago - or, as far back - as 1980. My brother and I actually had that 45 single at some stage…..

 

[AngerDanger]

Oddly enough, if memory serves, the British Punk group 'Tubeway Army' (Gary Numan's outfit) featured a (non-acoustic, I think) version of Gymnopédie No 1 as the B-side of one of their hits as long ago - or, as far back - as 1980. My brother and I actually had that 45 single at some stage…..

Numan's is the first version of the song I owned and was actually on his second solo album, Telekon. Apparently, its hit counterpart on the cassette was "We Are Glass". Giselle Minns' cover was farther from what I was looking for than Numan's, but I'm rather impressed by it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Numan's is the first version of the song I owned and was actually on his second solo album, Telekon. Apparently, its hit counterpart on the cassette was "We Are Glass". Giselle Minns' cover was farther from what I was looking for than Numan's, but I'm rather impressed by it.

Fascinating.

Strange to relate, Gary Numan's version of Gymnopédie No 1 was the first version of that song that I owned, too, and yes, you are absolutely right, it was the B-side of 'We Are Glass'. My brother and I never bought the album 'Telekon', but we did have quite a few of the band's singles.

In any case, it took me another few years to find a proper classical recording (as a LP) of Gymnopédie No 1 (and 2, 3, and 4).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A terrific track from the 1990s that I have always rather liked: The song is called '7 Seconds' and it was brought to us by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry. Lovely listening...

 

[JamesMike]

A terrific track from the 1990s that I have always rather liked: The song is called '7 Seconds' and it was brought to us by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry. Lovely listening...

Just listened to it on youtube, excellent choice SS! I had not heard the West African language Wolof in a few years. 

 

[AustinIllini]

Given this a listen multiple times, recently. The wife and I are working on playing this (she plays set and I play bass). Not super hard but certainly fun.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just listened to it on youtube, excellent choice SS! I had not heard the West African language Wolof in a few years. 

Delighted that you enjoyed it; I always liked that track, smooth, easy, yet the use of minor keys made it more….interesting, the sort of music that would encourage you to want to know (and hear and learn) more about such music.

Personally, whenever I am abroad, I immerse myself in the music of the region and buy CDs with local music (to the stupefaction and delight of local vendors); I won't quite say that it is a short-hand to understanding nuances of the local environment, but it doesn't hurt to listen and learn and locals are always willing to discuss their musical traditions.

Anyway, I love to listen to unusual forms of music. I have music from Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo (wonderful and wild), Georgia (Caucasus), Afghanistan, the old eastern Europe, Japan, Turkey, South America, Cuba……and so on. Depending on my mood, I listen to the lot.

Just now, I am listening to a lovely track by Mickey Baker called "Lullaby Of The Leaves".

 

[rhett7660]

Been going back and forth between Fear Factory and Lamb of God over the past few days. Right now I am listening to Lamb of God's Embers off of VII Strum und Drang. The back and forth vocals pieces between Randy and Chino is killer! Probably my favorite song on the album right now.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On musical matters, I have pretty eclectic tastes. I like classical music, Baroque, medieval, easy jazz, some punk, rock, trad, folk and so on.

One of the styles that I rather like is the sort of music that Quentin Tarantino uses in his movies, what is quaintly called 'surfing' music, although, Tarantino, quite rightly, to my mind, sees it more in terms of a modern spaghetti western.

Anyway, while I know the music of The Shadows, and indeed, Link Wray, (both of which I really like) has anyone here any further recommendations along those lines? Such as The Marketts?

 

[tshrimp]

Toby Mac. New album just came out. Haven't gotten into this new album as quickly as the older stuff, but I was that way with the one before and the songs grew on me as usual. Lecrae - Still like "rebel" album best.

http://www.lecrae.com/home

 

[JamesMike]

A PostmodernJukebox cover.

 

[pachyderm]

 

[rhett7660]

Given this a listen multiple times, recently. The wife and I are working on playing this (she plays set and I play bass). Not super hard but certainly fun.

These guys put on a hell of show. I have seen them twice and have not been disappointed.

Re: Playing the song, that is awesome!!!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Tonight, I am listening to an old favourite: the composer is the Russian (Soviet) Sergei Rachmaninov, with the First Movement (Moderato) from the Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor. A beautiful piece of music.

And then, this is being followed by the sublime Second Movement (Adagio Sostenuto) to the same piece of music, the Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor. Magnificent.

 

[AngerDanger]

More Giselle Minns—her version of "O Quante Volte," (MP3) which is a piece I'd not heard prior to Minns'. Like other songs released on Turning Circles, it reminds me of the work Kelly Bailey and Mike Morasky did for Valve (Wikipedia).

 

[AustinIllini]

 

[AngerDanger]

The Magnetic Fields' "Nun's Litany"

 

[pachyderm]

it's not a thread bout crooked vultures.









see?

sucks when people are like that, doesn't it?

 

[AustinIllini]

A couple of Non-Chili Peppers Flea projects

 

[pachyderm]

they suck too.

 

[AngerDanger]

A Gary Numan song, "I Die: You Die," covered by The Magnetic Fields. Like Gary Numan's cover of "Gymnopedies" No. 1 was the first I heard, my first exposure to The Magnetic Fields was on a search for covers of Numan's work.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A Gary Numan song, "I Die: You Die," covered by The Magnetic Fields. Like Gary Numan's cover of "Gymnopedies" No. 1 was the first I heard, my first exposure to The Magnetic Fields was on a search for covers of Numan's work.

Ah, yes. I do know where you are coming from, because elements of my own personal musical history & journey are not too dissimilar.

Ever since I first heard it as a teenager, Erik Satie's 'Gymnopedie No 1' haunted me. Those chords played endlessly in my head. Anyway, I adored it, and - yes, in those days - it was not easy to lay hands on such unusual, or minority taste, or challenging music.

Thus, the, my, first recording of this piece - bizarre to relate (and I was extremely grateful to a modern day pop artist for having the knowledge, wit and sensibility to actually take the time to record [his interpretation of] such a piece) - and one where I was able to play this piece to death, instead of hoping that someone with unusual sensibility might play it (occasionally) on radio, was Gary Numan…….

Okay: I liked 'Tubeway Army' anyway. If I hadn't been listening to their stuff, I wouldn't have known that Gary Numan admired Erik Satie. But, my view was that anyone - in the early 1980s - who even knew who Erik Satie was, won my undying gratitude and awestruck admiration…...

 

[JamesMike]

Watching and listening to 1981 Simon and Garfunkel concert in Central Park on PBS (Public Broadcast Service). One of the best concerts ever.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Jon Foreman - Sunlight - Patron Saint of Rock and Roll

Awesome EP.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Watching and listening to 1981 Simon and Garfunkel concert in Central Park on PBS (Public Broadcast Service). One of the best concerts ever.

I have their 'Greatest Hits' on CD (well, on my computer's iTunes library), and have a large - and beautifully produced - boxed set of 4 LPs from a few decades ago containing all of their music.

As with the Beatles, the best of their stuff is ageless, and truly memorable and brilliant. I'd say that concert was worth hearing, and would have been fantastic to have been present at.