General Music thread 2

[Whisht @whisht]

@wolfweed – wow. brilliant! Deep bow.
(had to double check that was “Little Roy” and not “Deep Roy”).
Awesome.
Dub always helps a cover version.

[Anonymous @]

@whisht Yep, I also love the contrast between ‘nasty’ Nick and his softer side. I posted ‘Where The Wild Rose Grow’ and ‘Henry Lee’ last Halloween which I find beautiful in a creepy kind of way so here’s a couple of ‘nasty’ ones from ‘Murder Ballads’.

and Stagger Lee. A word of warning for those unfamiliar with this one, it contains extremely bad language – not for the faint hearted.

[Whisht @whisht]

Hi @purofilion – its funny. I was trying to post a long list of wildly varied stuff that Morricone has done over the years. However, I’m limited to just a few of his vast library that Ive actually heard.

And each seems to use plenty of bass, romantically sweeping violins and a pure noted melody either on voice or instrument like pan pipes or oboe of course!
Though this I always found sickly (and like hooked-on-classics!)

So much for variety(!),but I still think his stuff is incredible.

I guess this is one of his most famous and has oboe, voice and sweeping brass and strings!

Ignore the awful visuals – its just the best sound quality I could find!

[Anonymous @]

With the various versions of ‘Hallelujah’ being posted, I thought I’d throw this one into the mix. It’s my favourite version, probably because it’s the first one I heard. Thanks Shrek

[Whisht @whisht]

ah @fatmaninabox – that Stagger Lee – I love it.

I could almost do an entire thread on Stagger Lee versions (someone should write a history on it as a song). Its a standard that must have hundreds of versions, but Nick’s is by far and away the most foul-mouthed and nasty and is imo brilliant!

He draws on the previous versions and spits them out.

The first time I heard his version was live. He started singing it and I slowly recognised the story and thought “ooh this is Stagger Lee” and then he starts talking to the barkeep….

😉

[Anonymous @]

The Spaghetti Western Orchestra performed a selection of Ennio Morricone’s tunes a few years ago at the BBC Proms. Although not really a fan, I watched it out of curiosity and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here’s ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’

or alternatively, the full concert is here.

[Anonymous @]

@whisht – Stagger Lee was the first time I’d ever heard NC & TBS. They used to play it at least 3 times a night on VH1 (late at night of course) when it was first released. My initial reaction was 😯 ‘what the **** is this pile of ****’ but thanks to VH1’s relentless playing, I love it now 🙂

[Anonymous @]

One more then I’m off to bed (maybe).

I’ve finally remembered the song of Ennio Morricone’s that was use for the theme tune to ‘The Life and Times of David Lloyd George’.

[Whisht @whisht]

he he – just found the Live version that I saw in Brixton of that mother****ing song that potty-mouthed @fatmaninabox mentioned earlier.

Honestly, Stagger Lee is the hardest man in music (he’d make Mack the Knife fall to his knees!)

don’t have nightmares!

n’night

😉

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

One of Morricone’s lesser known soundtracks (mainly because most people don’t realise it’s him)

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@thekrynoidman

I have long wondered whether this a Morricone score at all, but instead a John Carpenter score with, perhaps, minor tweaking by Morricone. It does sound strangely similar to numerous other John Carpenter scores for movies he directed.

 

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht   The Ship Song was actually ScaryB’s contribution. I love those performances that are so hushed, have so much silence, that you almost hold your breath listening. What a riveting performer. Nice voice, but it’s what she does with it. (And I must say, it almost seems unfair that someone so talented is also so gorgeous!)

But yes, Nick Cave. It’s always refreshing to hear such a lovely deep voice in the midst of all these tenors. Whether ballads or edgier stuff, I love a baritone. And @fatmaninabox, that Stagger Lee is something else. I’m familiar with some of the more bluesy versions, not heard that one before. I liked it best in the early verses, where there’s an amazing sense of building tension. I found that the language actually distracted from that tension in the later versions.

Yes, that Rod Stewart Pinball Wizard is timed a little oddly, isn’t it? My first introduction to the song was actually the Elton John version, as the Who version just slightly predated my rock-listening years. I actually have a great fondness for Sir Elton. In the midst of the guitar-filled seventies, he was a beam of piano light!

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@thekrynoidman   Rhapsody in Blue and Ballroom Blitz. In one post. Are you trying to make me dizzy?   🙂  (That’s actually quite awesome.)

@fatmaninabox   I love the John Cale Hallelujah as well!

And kudos to everyone else posting all the fabulous Morricone music!

[Anonymous @]

@whisht – Oops! I really should read other comments before posting. Seems you’d already posted Chi Mai (same clip as mine too) but craftily hid it in a link rather than embedding.

Still, you can never have too much Chi Mai 🙂

@arbutus – I’m no prude and will freely admit to having a mouth like a sewer (but not on-line or in front of ladies) but agree that the language in Stagger Lee was a bit distracting (and shocking) on first hearing it.

@thekrynoidman – Ballroom Blitz 😀 I haven’t heard that since it was first released. Brilliant.

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus @whisht @Krynoidman @faegrl and everyone I’ve missed -@FatManInABox too. I just woke up at 7.10 am and  listened to several things. Thank you. Now, I’m howling…. as for whisht’s the reference to choirboy Buckley you are so right (with respect to KD Lang). Cale now well, I’m sobbing really….maybe I need a double espresso. Anyone? Tissues?? Do you know what makes Cale’s version so good?  It’s that the piano is out of sync! Slightly out of time, syncopated and with the emphasis on the second part of the bar. Very subtle.

As for Good Bad and the Ugly, s*** (sorry) I had no idea!!! That was a ride and a half. I have it on DVD -I’ve always loved it as a soundtrack. I have to love it because of the oboe. Yeah, I guess, it’s a bit dated. But that opening theme? Mesmerising. God why am I asleep when you’re all awake 🙂 Anyway, what a treat you guys are. Awesome.  Kindest and love, puro.

[Anonymous @]

@ all  @fatmaninabox in particular.  Huh!!  Stagger Lee. You know that espresso?? I had it and spat it up on the computer around the time skinny Nick sang “I’ll pass 60 p***** to get to one fat boy’s *****” You get my drift. Well, I’ve sure woken up now. The Murder Ballads. The stuff you peeps know. Staggering.

[Whisht @whisht]

@thekrynoidman and @blenkinsopthebrave – In terms of The Thing score, had a very quick look at wikipedia and all music guide and it does seem that its a score with a lot of Carpenter’s influence. In fact Morricone may well have re-scored it as well after Carpenter asked for changes.

I’m not sure but it seems that John Carpenter did compose the Theme, but that Morricone composed other elements.
And though i like Carpenter’s music, for me the Theme KrynoidMan linked to almost goes over the top into Hammer-horror organ (I’m half expecting a Vincent Price “hahahahahah!!!” at the end!).

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus I’m staggered 🙂 You have such knowledge of medieval and neo-classical music and also Nick Cave -of which I have conversational understanding and that’s about it! I’m continually amazed by what I read here and how well I’m educated by musical minds. Great way for my day (or any day) to start. Have a good sleep. g’night!

[Whisht @whisht]

btw – was looking for something else and came across this version of Hallelujah.

Now I’ll admit, constant playing of Buckley’s version left me sick of the song and other versions just reminded me they weren’t his version (Shrek!).

So, happened to look at the wikipedia entry on it and saw this quote:

Cohen’s partner, singer Anjani Thomas, said: “After hearing K.D. Lang perform that song at the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2006 we looked at each other and said, ‘well, I think we can lay that song to rest now! It’s really been done to its ultimate blissful state of perfection’.”

So, a pretty definitive version? Ok, so I’ve just listened to Buckley’s for first time in years and now kd Lang’s at this awards show and….

jeezus – you gotta hear this version. Its rather incredible. She isn’t so much as singing as telling.

[Whisht @whisht]

oh and for what is worth (which isn’t much), Nick Cave’s version of Stager Lee is based on a version of the lyrics by ‘Big Stick’ which was in an anthology of prison songs that he came across.

I still love his version, as I was so used to versions by Dr John, and Professor Longhair (can’t find the version I heard as a teenager on the album “Live on the Queen Mary”).

Anyway, that’s enough balancing of the angelic with the profane!

[Anonymous @]

@whisht

KD’s version ‘Hallelujah’ made the hairs on my neck stand up and sent shivers up my spine. I was going to post her duet with Roy Orbison to illustrate just how great she is but I was distracted by this cover of one of my all time favourites.

[Anonymous @]

@whisht – from staggerlee.com

In all versions, Stag is the victor, and sometimes he triumphs even after his execution for the murder – by bullying the devil into relinquishing the rule of Hell to him. The version presented here has no such grand dimension.

excerpt from The Life, The Lore, and Folk Poetry of the Black Hustler

NC & TBS also recorded a live version that includes the references to the Devil. It’s a much slower tempo and if I’m honest, I’m not to keen. It lacks the drama of the ‘Murder Ballads’ version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm1MbhXIhT0

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion, I’m still awake!  🙂  Spent much of the day on my computer trying to figure out some blogging software– argh! And come back on here to find your all-too-kind words, and more kd/cohen. Now you’ve done it, @whisht! kd lang gives me goosebumps simply by opening her mouth. She is absolutely incredible. We had some Roy Orbison the other day, so here she is with him. I’ve always adored this song anyway, and the two of them together are dynamite.

[Anonymous @]

@whisht and @arbutus

thank you for posting KD Lang’s performance. Her voice reminds me of so much: of banquet tables, sequined shawls; peacock feathers,  of bowed heads and draped tapestries and crying coronas of celestial light mixed with the mellowness of antiquity. Her voice, when gentle and almost still, carries the warmth and tremble of movement and understanding.

You’re right, she’s “telling”. And it registers subliminally. She doesn’t flinch when she sings and neither is she self-conscious. For Lang, singing is an extension of her body, her thinking and her mind. Like the Indigenous Australians, who have no word for fast, or culture, music or drama, Lang’s music is her. Now, forgive my self-indulgent prose. I wasn’t trying to be a ‘snot’! But I have had some red wine already.  🙂

Kindest, puro.

 

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion   There was nothing “snotty” about your words, they were beautiful! I’m sure kd would agree, and be flattered that her voice conjured up such poetry for you. Off to bed now after dealing with a pile of wet laundry, that I hung on the line hours ago when the sun was shining and the wind was whipping through the yard. Then (because it’s still early in the season and I’m not in the habit of it yet) I promptly forgot all about it, until the hubby said a short while ago, “Wow, it’s really pouring.” Then the penny dropped. Agh. It really is pouring. Oh, well, summer is coming.

Sweet dreams!

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@fatmaninabox   Haha. I missed your mentioned of the Orbison duet when I posted that yesterday. Great minds!

Very much in the style of @whisht’s Dr. John version, my introduction to the world of Stagger Lee was by the Canadian blues band Downchild. These guys were a fixture here in the seventies and are purported to have been the inspiration for the Blues Brothers, with Dan Ackroyd being the Toronto connection. (They also had a great female pianist, very inspirational as there weren’t many here in those days!)

[Whisht @whisht]

Hi @arbutus – you said:

“Oh, well, summer is coming.”

Hold on! We’ve only just had Easter so surely we haven’t skipped a season entirely have we?

[though would be fittingly timey wimey if we have 🙂 ]

[Anonymous @]

 

another Blount or Sun Ra piece. It’s long but worth it. Also being “cosmos’ it’s got a (faint) link to Who!

Enjoy, puro.

PS: he worked with Duke Ellington and quite a few jazz ‘stars’ in Montgomery during the tough years of riots and segregation. Preached peace and love and light and managed to avoid conscription for which his family hated him.

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

I’ve decided to put up one of my personal favourites. I chose this video in particular because it also serves as a tribute to my favourite actor.

[Anonymous @]

@thekrynoidman  thank you for that!  I’m gonna have nightmares tonight 🙂  lots of walloping and severed heads.

[Whisht @whisht]

@purofilion – lovely bit of Sun Ra from the poetess with the moestess.

btw ‘Sleeping Beauty’ on that album is one of my favourites of all Sun Ra as I can’t really get into the more [ahem] challenging stuff they did.

If its evening where you are then this may alleviate any nightmares from the Krynoid Man’s Cushing montage!

🙂

[Anonymous @]

“that’s h0w I feel” with “A Joyful Noise”  says Sun Ra. Though in ‘Queenslund’ we’d say “noice”.

And it was very noice too @whisht   That was a very sweet piece devoted to divesting me of dreadful night terrors and also the migraine that’s a-creeping. In Aus we say ‘migraine’ like ‘highgrain’ but where you come from you say ‘migraine’ like sea-grain’?  Yep? or Nope? A bit like Cecil pronounced “seasull”.

Gee, it’s early for a Thursday. Tomorrow, being the 25th, is ANZAC day for us. An opportunity for many to miss dawn ceremonies in favour of sleep and another occasion to get drunk and spew forth foul language at the beach whilst chucking beer cans at randoms and peeing in the kiddies bathing pool. Very noice.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht @purofilion

Well, now that we’ve moved into “space jazz”, I’m not sure that I have anything to offer. Will have to give it some thought. I’m thoroughly enjoying your contributions, though!

 

[Whisht @whisht]

So, in the occasional series of “Music that makes you think of an episode of Who” ( @phaseshift – is this what you were crediting me for? If so my dumb, yes it was me and if so I feel an eejit!).

This also happens to coincide with some ‘spacey’ music recently – however it ain’t jazz, and it ain’t an excuse to listen to a very sultry voice.

[ahem]

And as I don’t speak Spanish I don’t know exactly what she’s singing about (I have the album so I think I get the context) but she does sing about a UFO landing.

[PhaseShift @phaseshift Time Lord]

Bugger – missed about two weeks of the most active thread on here at the moment.

Lots of good music posted, and thanks for the recommendations. I have a lot of listening to do.

@fatmaninabox

I think my own disinclination towards other versions of Hallelujah is precisely because of Cale, so thanks for mentioning his version. For me, no other version is necessary.

And good call on the Spaghetti Western orchestra – I posted a link on the last thread. Everyone should watch yours or mine. A superb performance at the Proms.

@faefrl

Glad you enjoyed that bit of Confidential. If you are selecting episodes of Confidential for pay, can I recommend the ones that went with Blink (“Do you remember the first time” as it’s directed by your favourite David Tennant, interviewing writers and creatives behind the scenes). It ends up with a montage that I thought was brilliant “Thanks for the memories”).

Other ones to look out for are the Doctors Wife (which contain readings from the script by Neil Gaiman in the Tardis) and, I think, the one for The Wedding of River Song which contained the time-line for River against Ennio Morricone.

@arbutus

As @Purofilion mentioned, the first couple of albums by the Artic Moneys are immense and well worth checking out. So many good tracks, I’ll pick up “ Do me a favour” which any (ancient) teenager will recognise as a lament to lost love.

@craig

Anything by Howard Goodall is good news, and I remember that series particularly. Don’t you owe us a track from your new website from Easter Monday, or have I skipped over it?

@whisht @arbutus

On the phenomenon of Ukele Orchestras does anyone remember the Frank Skinner documentary on them extract on it here?

Here he is, through the medium of the Ukele, discussing Osama Bin Laden.

@arbutus

Rod Stewart – He really hated this version of his song.Shame, because every time he complained – the sales increased. Who knew that was the secret of success? It was a real party favourite in Goth circles.

@thekrynoidman

Sweet! That was almost a nursery rhyme in the 70s until (for me) the Damned came along.

I loved their version, full of vim, vigour and about twenty pints of Best.

Features Saint Lemmy of Motörhead on bass. Also drunk. I think I’m in the mood for a punk retrospective. Beware.

[Anonymous @]

@phaseshift  I haven’t heard that punk version for yonks!  Talk about head banging;  body twisting:  billions of calories to lose by dancing to that one. The dynamism is unbelievable.

[Anonymous @]

@whisht Thank you for that sultry muse…. Not only did we hear ‘UFO’ we heard a clanging bell and a few references to ‘silencio’ which, along with ‘ola’ and  ‘no so ble qua’, has Who connections (and contains the few words I know of Spanish which I’m told is relatively easy to learn!). Even the voice over sounds like Troughton with a Spanish ‘accenteo’. At about 4.30, there’s a melody which is hauntingly familiar! It reminds me of something.  UHUHUHU I can’t quite get what it is…Also we hear “extra terrestrial” sung over a few times and then “UFO die-oh: well, it sounds like that to me! 🙂

Kindest,  puro.

[Anonymous @]

I was skimming thru some music and remembered that as an Aussie I should include this track from the HooDoo Gurus: Mars Needs Guitars (probably not their best song!)

Rendall, the guitarist and founding member, quit the band before they launched their first album but went on to be 2nd director of the latter Matrix films & more importantly the lesser known film, Cut.

Time for siesta.

Kindest to you and thanks for all the music, it’s a hoot! Puro.

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

I don’t think a lot of you will have heard of this one. It’s Mother Sky by German band Can, used to great effect in a film called Deep End

[Whisht @whisht]

ah @thekrynoidman – love bit of Can (reckon there’ll be a quite a few here).

Was gonna post this for one of the Hallelujah covers for a bit of fun!

[Whisht @whisht]

and posting this for @infinityandbepond @phaseshift and anyone else that likes (my guilty pleasure) Orphan Black which is back on the BBC3 (oh, you’ll have seen all the ads on the BBC for it…).

According to the article Phase posted a link to she gets into Sarah’s character listening to this.

Hope you’re not on your way to bed.

[PhaseShift @phaseshift Time Lord]

@whisht

I’d noticed that on the interview as well. Good taste, that woman. It fits quite well into the stuff I’ve been listening to this weekend.

I’ve just been listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees Peepshow album, and been marvelling at the fact it all sounds so good. Love the track “Burn Up” which does build like a fire raging out of control. Some wag in the comments described it as the world’s first gothic squaredance, which is slightly amusing.

[Whisht @whisht]

ooh – thanks for that @phaseshift – not heard that before and really like it!

I always loved Peek a Boo when I heard it as a single. Bizarre, awkward, driving rhythm, head-nodding/ foot stomping – brilliant!

Just why I never followed up on listening to more from them is a mystery to me… its a mystery, a mystery…

[Whisht @whisht]

and “Goth Square Dancing”?!??

What a wonderful idea!!

And made me think of this particular fave of a ditty

😉

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

Who-y intermission!

[ScaryB @scaryb]

Blink, and you miss pages on this thread!
But it’s fun catching up 🙂
Thanks everyone for a thread that can include Sun Ra, Capt Beefheart, Prodigy, Can, the Damned, Siouxsie, Arthur Darvill (RORYYYY!! 🙂 ), 17th century classical.. and everything in between!
And @Purofilion thanks for your very poetical description of kd – no argument from me!

[Anonymous @]

@phaseshift could have sworn that the Siouxsie soundtrack was a Bela Fleck and the Flecktones track with a female lead! Never heard it before but me like!!  and @thekrynoidman thank you for Can -no, I’d not heard of it as expected. I’ve had my internal terabyte knowledge of music amped up by several thousand bytes in the last couple of weeks. Quite surprised. For some (awful) reason before I found this site, I assumed all Who-ies would be closet fans of ABBA (I like ABBA btw), Elton and would only watch Star Trek Deepspace 9 (or whatever it is ) and watch endless repeats of Blackadder and not much else (I like The Adder). I’d never been more wrong in my life between @whisht and @Krynoid’s choices of the weird and totally wonderful and @arbutus  knowledge of all things choral and medieval. Not to mention a keen love of the best Hallelujah recording.  Hallelujah!!  Kindest, puro

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@purofilion Who doesn’t like ABBA.

[Anonymous @]

@KrynoidMan  was there a point to that? Or were you telling all that I was a fan of the greatest pop band ‘eva’ : ) 🙂

Kindest, really,  and I am sorry about the ABBA thing and for possibly sullying the rep of this great site! 🙂

[Anonymous @]

oops @thekrynoidman above. Another espresso please…

[Author]

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