Favorite Music

Shan, why wouldn't you want to listen to something that dilutes the rage you feel instead of inciting it?

My list:

Nightwish - A metal band mixing normal heavy metal with operah. Their songs are about fantasy, Tolkien and such. Very beautiful but also quite dramatic.

HIM - A metal mix of glam-rock, 80's rock and pop; Billy Idol- and Kiss-like. They sing on things like difficulties of love. They've for instance made a very good remake of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game.

I also like bands like Kula Shaker, The Doors... Björk has some good songs... Richard Ashcroft's "Song for the Lovers" is absolutely beautiful.

(The little Hobbit stares at the curved ceiling of his comfortable hole and thinks for a moment...)

My personal favorite type of music is the singing of Elves, but nobody listens to that much any more. (Gilthalion heaves a deep sigh.)

Instead, I see an incredible range of musical tastes in people who ALL seem to like the works of Professor Tolkien.

I wonder if there is any MUSIC that we all like as well.

It seems that most everyone appreciates modern composers like John Williams. I would presume that the best works (#1 with a bullet!) of the greatest composers through history would be appreciated as well.

I have found that the finest examples of a genre of music can be appreciated for what they are, even if you do not care for the chaff that the Industry incessantly throws in your face.

I haven't had a chance to really listen or collect, but I like the new Celtic Music, especially the more ethereal kind. I also like the new Alternative music that reminds me strangely of the old Folk Music of the Sixties.

I like good old Classic Rock from the 70's and 80's.
(The little hobbit reflects that it is bittersweet to find one's favorite music is now referred to as "Classic.")

Do NOT speak to me of Disco!

The Beatles were magnificent. I'm glad they quit and I'm glad they never got back together. We were spared the possibility of bad Beatles music (as influenced by Yoko Ono). As it is, there is none and that is a Good Thing!

I appreciate Elvis. He actually did a good job of acting in KING CREOLE, a movie made before the Industry took over. And his voice was truly matchless. Too bad he couldn't handle being The King of Rock & Roll.

I can appreciate Glenn Miller for creating Swing, a music that preceded Rock & Roll and helped my grandfather's generation dance away the blues of World War II.

And the Blues! Listen to the old Billie Holliday recordings!

Listen to Mahalia Jackson's early work, loud and strong, unpolished and raw emotion from her soul as she sang for her God.

Listen to the literally deafening discord and to the profane obscenity that together somehow manage to convey messages and feelings of hatred, vengeance, lust, rape, murder, and death to this generation of youth and you can surely appreciate the Evil that inspires it.

Fill your mind with this, and you will twist your spirit and those around you, maiming yourself and others. The spell of nihilistic despair will rob your life of love and beauty and peace that you might otherwise have known.

This doesn't mean you have to listen to SMURF MUSIC either!

(And with that, the little hobbit crinkled his nose as if he smelled something foul. Gil was NOT known for his fondness of Smurfs!)

My music is the Rock/Metal of the style of the 60's/70's.
Like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, OLD Genesis, but also some Flower Power and Blues stuff.

I hate Techno, Rap and derivatives.

But I've only got one left after heading to Calgary to celebrate IronParrot's b-day... could I substitute an almond (very heavily-veiled and harmless reference to the Napster thread) instead?

Limp Bizkit:

I have mixed feelings about them.

Pros:

Endorsement of Napster, free concerts to boot (none in Regina, and even if there were, I don't know if I would go)
Wes Borland (sp?) is a fairly good guitarist
The second-best cover of the Mission: Impossible theme... first would be the Dream Theatre (NOT Theater) job. Durst drones on, but they sampled it perfectly for M:I-2... all the good stuff, no lyrics included.

Cons:

Fred Durst. Details?

He dissed Scott Stapp (who I'd be heavily betting on to win that hypothetical boxing match).
He hung out at the Playboy mansion (You decide whether I'm questioning his moral fiber or am simply jealous).
He allowed and contributed to one track on Significant Other which, aside from having l33t sp33k in it, is eerily reminiscent of poor hip-hop, and sticks out from the rest of the album like a sore thumb. (Try to guess which it is)


KoRn:

I haven't heard a lot on these guys.

Pros:

Perhaps some of the most... attention-grabbing cover art I've seen in a while (not artistically excellent like P86's DBL, but...). Of course, I'm referring to Follow The Leader.
Very interesting work on that seven-string Ibanez.

Cons:

None that I can think of... well, there is one that I just thought of, so scratch that.
The first time I heard "Justin", I came away with a good impression of it, but I couldn't make it all the way through on the second listen.

That's about it.

Blink 182:

Pros:

All The Small Things. I love that song.
The drum tab for their first big single (I forget the name) is both remarkably elegant and simple.

Cons:

Male nudity really isn't my thing.
They're not quite punk.


Rage Against the Machine

Pros:

If I remember correctly, they had some utterly beautiful basework on their STA and Evil Empire.
On those same two albums, De la Rocha (sp?) also conveyed good intensity.

Cons:

The Battle of Los Angeles. This album sucked, period.
"Action". More details at www.ratm.com/new/action/main.html
"Freedom", specifically "S.T.O.P.". www.ratm.com/new/freedom/0003.html . I'm a former Albertan.

And here's my message to the band, which I doubt they'll ever read.

Listen up.
You can have whatever political inclinations you want, and I and the millions won't care. Few will listen to you because you're far "left-wing", and few won't because you are. If you make good music, people will listen.

However...

How can you expect me to buy your CDs when I know very well that the money will not be going into your and the record company's pockets (which I have no problem with), but into the war against me?

When you endorse organizations and people that mock me, the place I live, and the things that I believe in, then how can you expect me to buy into it?

But when I stopped listening to your music altogether was when you committed the highest wrong.

When you made your twisted "message" more important than the music.

Back to business...

Kid Rock:

Pros:

He got credited in the Any Given Sunday soundtrack, and thus brought us P.O.D.'s "Whatever It Takes". My undying gratitude is his because of this.
Only God Knows Why. A very interesting and thought-provoking song... and perhaps, maybe, he isn't breaking the second Commandment...
A quote that he's rumored to have made about Napster... something to the effect of "What do I care? I'm rich."

Cons:

"Cowboy". Country.
Acoustic at the Blockbuster awards. ACOUSTIC!
"American Bad@$$" becomes the Undertaker's theme song. Shameful, really.

Sugar Ray

Pros:

Supposedly, the rest of "Blue" is heavier than the single... was it "Someday"?

Cons:

From all of his stuff that I've heard, his act is quite weak. Not boy-band weak, but...

And now, bmilder. Perhaps we might have found something we agree on at last.

"You're entitled to your own opinion"

Most definitely.

"but that stuff is garbage."

You'll have to be a bit more specific... if you're talking about the entire hardcore and rap genres, then I'll have to disagree. However, as far as the bands he listed...

"Profanity does not belong in music."

Most definitely.

"Other than drums and stuff, it's just shouting."

"drums", "stuff", and "shouting" are what hardcore's all about.

Note that I use the term "hardcore" to mean what some refer to as "rapcore" or "rap-rock".

I do not use it in the sense of "Happy 2 B Hardcore" ( www.cddb.com/xm/cd/rock/8...c6fdd.html ), but more as exemplified by Project 86's "Set Me Up" and the Beastie Boys' early work, "Square Wave in Unison".

"Rap is even worse..."

I am convinced that out of any "genre" can come music which is worthwhile to listen to. I found this in the "techno/industrial" genre in some of Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers' work, in "instrumental/movie score" in... is it Hans Zimmer who did Gladiator?, in rap in some of the Beastie Boys' pre-"Ill Communication" work (I've given up looking for it in country, boy/girl bands, or dance). However, I find that the average music produced by certain genres is more tolerable than others... my favorite would most likely currently be hardcore, with hard rock, punk and grunge at a close second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Bands to check out:


(Hardcore)
Beastie Boys (early albums, and interspersed in albums up to Hello Nasty)
Papa Roach
P.O.D. (Payable On Death)
Project 86

(Hard Rock)
Creed (The only band I can think of that isn't subdivided into something more specific than hard rock)

(Punk)
Green Day
Offspring
MxPx

(Grunge)

Nirvana (Listening to a man who you know to be dead is an interesting experience to say the least)
Stone Temple Pilots (I'd advise you to go for No. 4 first)

"Yes, rap is pretty bad, but rap-rock (a hybryd of rap and rock) such as Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, and Rage against the Machines is pretty cool. Some people consider koRn rap-rock, but I don't. Their new album is definitely not rap-rock."

Hmmmm... a few observations.

"rap is pretty bad"

Covered above.

"rap-rock (a hybryd of rap and rock)"

It seems that you're more or less describing what I refer to as hardcore.

Oh, and it's hybrid.

"Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, and Rage against the Machines"

Machine is singular.

And it seems that you're more or less listing the major-label, MTV/Much-hyped, big-profile bands as examples. There's a lot better than them in the genre... you might want to check out some of the mail-order services.

"Some people consider koRn rap-rock, but I don't. Their new album is definitely not rap-rock."

It seemed to me that Jonathan Davis didn't really fit into the hardcore genre from anything I've heard of his.

DarthNut

"Anyone else like The Who?"

Not really, but I like the Guess Who. "American Woman, stay away from me."

And on the subject of Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5 (I'm assuming that was what you were referring to), it's definitely not rap.

You may call it dance, or R&B, or pop... but it doesn't meet the primary criteria of rap, namely spoken lyrics.

Anduin

"Shan, why wouldn't you want to listen to something that dilutes the rage you feel instead of inciting it?"

That's no good before a football game.

arynetrek:

"Metallica"

They sold out after Cliff died. What a way to honor his memory...

Gilthalion:

"Listen to the literally deafening discord and to the profane obscenity that together somehow manage to convey messages and feelings of hatred, vengeance, lust, rape, murder, and death to this generation of youth and you can surely appreciate the Evil that inspires it.

Fill your mind with this, and you will twist your spirit and those around you, maiming yourself and others. The spell of nihilistic despair will rob your life of love and beauty and peace that you might otherwise have known."

You've obviously made some poor choices as far as bands go.

Try listening to Twenty-Three, by Project 86, on their Drawing Black Lines CD... good luck finding it.

(Standard disclaimer goes here, this is all IMHO, don't take me seriously)

As far as the Dream Theater vs. Dream Theatre thing goes, it just occurred to me that I may have the two reversed.

I'm referring to the live version w/electric guitar as the good one.

Wow, you write alot. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, it just must take you a long time. Unless you can type somewhere around 98 words per minute.

As to music, generally I'll listen to anything. But that's a far cry from favorites. Almost all my music is Christian Alternative. Anyone from Jars of Clay, DC Talk, to Michael W Smith. Other than that I'm a country fan, Paul Brandt.

Last time I checked, I can go 120 words a minute... it just takes me a bit longer to think of what to type.

This is not the first time I've started to make a post, and then missed saying what I originally intended to say.

Jars of Clay aren't great. Some of their stuff is okay, but as far as I'm concerned, they're a lot better at writing songs than they are at performing them. A band at my church does a killer cover of Crazy Times...

Is it true that dcTalk is breaking up? I've heard some rumors, but haven't gotten any official word.

I liked it better when you just lurked.

The only problem with that theory being that I've never "lurked" on this board - or on any EzBoard, in fact. I had picked the handle of Johnny( )Lurker long before I even knew what the word "lurk" referred to on a bulletin board.

Anyone ever heard "The Night Santa Weny Crazy"?

Good song.

Shan -
what i meant by "mindless screaming & shouting" was that so much new rock & rap/rock is so repetitive - i mean, i can only listen to so many songs about anger/rage/contemplating suicide/etc. before it all starts to sound the same. & after a point, it just doesn't do anything emotionally.

"Just because it carries a different set a emotions than what you're used to doesn't mean it don't incite some emotions." - very good point. but for me, repetitiveness doesn't incite emotion. imagination & innovation do.

"Yes, mostly this style carries anger, rage, etc. But sometimes, one want to feel those to relieve of his own problems." - i find certain fiery classical pieces much more powerful for this sort of thing, because lyric-less music is so much more open to interpretation & works for so many moods.

Johnny Lurker -

"Metallica - they sold out after Cliff died. what a way to honor his memory..." - maybe they did. but then, for some people, putting their music on CDs & selling them to customers is selling out. and after a founding member dies, the band will inevitably change - metallica survived although they did change, other bands like Led Zeppelin ended themselves.

aryne *

BTW, I find it true what you say about Metallica, and I'm sure that would have Cliff survived, the band would be dead by now...

I feel that he was far more technically adept than Jason Newsted.

Perhaps Metallica would not be quite as mainstream as they are now had Cliff not died, but they would still have been successful... In fact, while Cliff was alive, they accumulated quite an impressive body of work.

But look at what Metallica is now... do you really picture Cliff in this?

They wouldn't have taken the SAME path doesn't mean that they wouldn't still be together and cranking out tunes.

I suppose you could say my taste in music is eclectic at best. I listen to a wide variety of music. It all depends on my mood. My music taste is also anything but static. I enjoy listening to new stuff (as in new to me not necessarily current) and I'm always willing to give something a try. Many of the groups I consider a "favorite" I actually discovered cause someone I knew listened to them. My all time fvorite band would have to be The Offspring. There's just something about the beat and the lyrics that never fails to crack a smile. I have a dry sense of humor and irony and sarcasm/parody just tickle me to no end. Guns n Roses has to be my second favorite but its a close second. As a group I have to say that GNR has a much broader range than Offspring.

I also thoroughly enjoy Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Depeche Mode, AC/DC and Third Eye Blind. I like certain songs from lots of other artists like the Beatles, Jane's Addiction and Blind Guardian. My favorite song is Stairway to Heaven. I don't know what it is about that song but I can listen to it all day and not get sick of it.

Even though there are some types of music I care for not at all, I think it's good to have such a wide range of music around. It provides a means for more comparison/contrast. After all, most music types and/or musicians are influenced by music that is already around. It really makes me angry to hear people who have no idea what they're talking about criticize music genres or a group because "the lyrics are bad" or "the video is too extreme/violent etc" as if that was the only way to judge music.

Oh yeah. HarryPotterbookfan, The Night Santa Went Crazy is great. Weird Al rocks. Do you listen to him? He's another fave of mine.



"So, if it sounds sarcastic, don't take it seriously.
If it sounds dangerous,
Do not try this at home or at all.
And if it offends you, just don't listen to it."

--"Ixnay on the Hombre", The Offspring

"My favorite song is Stairway to Heaven. I don't know what it is about that song but I can listen to it all day and not get sick of it."

AACK! my feelings exactly! ooh, that's weird knowing MY song is also someone else's!

even though Stairway is so popular i really should have expected this...


aryne *

I have just recently started to explore Led Z's music. Stairway to Heaven is a great song, and it will always be one of my faves but it has unfortunely been played to death. Incidently, I could listen to Bron-Y-Aur Stomp over and over again. Also, Going to California. I wish I had discovered that song years ago.