General Music thread

[Anonymous @]

Oh @arbutus that was the worst part -the underwear, or, eerm,,,the almost lack of it?? (blushes and squirms). Not good at all. The ambulance guys, surrounded by a good deal of interested staff (rubberneckers), wanted to apply a lot of ECG spots to various indelicate places and I had to beg them to wait until we were in the ambulance!  I didn’t want all of my ‘goodies’ (good grief) on view for the world to see. I have to work with these people! Imagine if the students had returned (not for another 5 days), they’d put me on facebook looking decidedly green or white faced. To restore a modicum of calm, I was quoting The Doctor in my head: “today, just dying is a result” or,  “you’re all just bodies made of jelly and water, really”.

The Dave Grusin was great for me too -memories! I haven’t heard his music for awhile. Though I have some Hilliard recordings and I think,  years ago, in the States I saw a concert?  I can’t really remember, there were many. It was one of those years! Kindest,  purofilion

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Bless you, @whisht. I was not a brilliant organist, but I did love it. You could make the most amazing sounds while doing very little. But my timing was all wrong. A few years earlier and the sound was still mainstream; a few years later and it was making a comeback. But in the early eighties, everyone kept asking me if I had a DX7.  ☹

So I went back to school to do the classical music thing, and took harpsichord because I liked the repertoire. Again, I wasn’t the greatest soloist (I’ve never had especially great keyboard technique), but I learned an interesting thing. Accompanying on the harpsichord involves playing continuo, which is a kind of notation where the bass line is written and a series of numbers are used to indicate the chords, and the player improvises the right hand part. This was almost identical to playing from fake books and chord charts, so coming from pop music, in this area I was well ahead of the youngsters with the wads of technique. Such fun. I really loved playing ensemble.

Apparently, the musicians that play with Grusin are all studio players and so capable of that amazing precision. It’s very fun to listen to. I like the Polar Bear, it’s got that crazy energy, although not quite as crazy as 2 Many DJs! That track is hilarious. I think Peter Gunn may be one of those tunes that can only sound good!

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Oh dear, @purofilion, you make me laugh, and it’s really not funny at all! I’m glad you are safely back home waxing lyrical on the forum and producing bonkers theories.

I was lucky enough to see the Hilliard Ensemble some years ago here in Vancouver. They are apparently retiring, which I suppose comes to everyone, but it’s hard to imagine. Rogers Covey-Crump has an astonishing tenor, incredibly high and effortless. I remember seeing him years ago in some kind of workshop, where they were talking about how they might do something, and he just opened his mouth to demonstrate, and went from being a normal, slightly academic looking Englishman, to producing the most angelic, miraculous sound.

 

[Whisht @whisht]

Hi @arbutus – I LOVE that you could improvise jazz and blues riffs underneath the other players on harpsichord! And don’t tell me that’s not exactly what was happening! My imagination is lit and I WANT to hear someone doing that!

In fact, though it isn’t a harpsichord, and isn’t jazz or blues, and is only slightly minimalist (if you squint with your ears and remember how dilettante I am) I thought I’d share this.

It doesn’t even have a Who connection.

But it IS Friday, and something I haven’t heard in far far too long… so hopefully raise a smile for you and Puro (and anyone else!).

🙂

and as you say isn’t YT fantastic – I’ve now just seen this in the sidebar!

and ah, what the hell, to keep this post vaguely Who-related this is about Time

😉

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht     Aren’t they wonderful? I listened to all of those this morning as a sound track for laundry sorting. And smiling, yes. And now, let’s tie together jazz, the harpsichord, and Doctor Who. What’s that? You doubt me? Ha! The power of the YouTube multiverse! (I’m really loving the Doctor Who Music Exchange, by the way.)

[Anonymous @]

I may have found the perfect song for River. Pulp’s ‘My Body May Die’ taken from the Vic and Bob remake of Randall & Hopkirk (Dec’d).

[Whisht @whisht]

he he @arbutus – and there was me waiting for them to kick in with the DW theme…

;¬)

Well, I can’t pong with any harpsichord (at least nothing springs to mind) but the guitar playing does remind me of Fripp (although it also reminded me of Ed Alleyn Johnson from @phaseshift ‘s very first music post on this thread!).

So, because the stars mean so very very much to this forum, I’ll have to go with this one.

However if I think of any harpsichord during the footy (whaddyameani’mnotalwaysthinkingofwho?) then I’ll jot it down.

enjoy (at night methinks)!

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

Is anyone else here a fan of The Yardbirds?

[Anonymous @]

@The Krynoid Man  !!  You bet… Watcha got? 🙂

[Anonymous @]

@ TheKrynoidMan  msg above!  Not much of a message still, probably wrong anyway. Yard Birds unbelievable: so many interesting bands loved by ppl on this site.

[Anonymous @]

@Krynoid  can’t get it right man, we then have Jim Page leading to the Zeppelin!  Kindest, pur

[Whisht @whisht]

hey @fatmaninabox – a brilliant Companion song!

“…My body may die but my heart will keep loving you baby
Oh, our love will survive the passing of time…”

(weird lyrics for the TV show though! But great to hear a bit of Jarvis again – will have to relisten on something better than crappy PC speakers!)

And @thekrynoidman (puro – no gaps!) feel free to post something even if (perhaps especially if) no one likes them!
Now, the Yardbirds are hardly a bonkers choice, there’ll be plenty of love for them around here (though maybe we should start a “I’ve a bonkers favourite band…”)

🙂

[Whisht @whisht]

oops – just re-read my reply to @arbutus and realise that i edited out my bit about loving how you found a song called “Parallel Time” which includes a harpsichord! I wibbled on about it and re-wrote whatever it was, but then realise it never made it.

Personally I blame my distraction with the footy. Won’t happen again

🙂

[Anonymous @]

thank you @whisht for that. I cannot type. Not today….did you mention ‘the footy’? Now, down under, that’s Aussie Rules or some awful head butting ‘oo ah oo ha’ type thing which terrifies me. On the other hand, soccer’s good. Now, in England and increasingly, here footy is soccer…unless it’s Rugby…just as confusing as The Doctor’s many lives

[Anonymous @]

@ the lot of you… I personally love ‘Eight Miles High’ by the Byrds is it?  Love the layered harmonies and the evident’ stoned quality’ too…adds a bit…of class. Well, maybe not 🙂

[Anonymous @]

@whisht thanks for the Eno BTW, absolutely fantastic. So many on here have a good portion of my LP collection! Actually the Harman/ Kardon speakers on this Toshiba laptop picked it up very well…. Reminds me a little of Mike Oldfield, of course. Keep Dreamin’ everyone, Goo’ nite to you all, puro

[Anonymous @]

@whisht and @arbutus one last thing…I’m useless at pasting links but if anyone can find Penguin Cafe’s Perpetuum Mobile on YT, it would work for Who! I remember playing Music for Found Harmonium on dual piano. Great fun! Again, good night to ye all. syncopated dreams?

 

[Anonymous @]

@purofilion – Perpetuum Mobile just for you 🙂

[Anonymous @]

@whisht – I don’t think it’s your speakers that are the problem, the audio quality on that clip is a bit dodgy to say the least.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Oh, goodness, so much fun. Where to start?

@fatmaninabox   Well played. Not just the lyrics, but the whole feeling of the music is very River!

@thekrynoidman   Love the Yardbirds. When I was young, I wanted to grow up to be a hippie.  🙂  I am still a very retro tree.

@purofilion    Yes, the Byrds! I actually have one of theirs to post, which I will momentarily when I find the link.

@whisht   Ok, you have laid down the challenge. I will think on “bonkers favourite bands” and come up with something in due course.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht  Love the Eno. Did your side win at least? I’m off shortly on a bit of a road trip, to cheer for my favourite team: my son’s! @purofilion, soccer is still mostly soccer in Canada, but over recent years, a lot of the youth clubs here in Vancouver have renamed themselves things with “football” in the name. Some people love it, some loathe it. We also have Canadian football (slightly distinct from “American football”), and rugby (mostly, I think, played at the high school level). My husband has tried explaining Aussie rules to me but I still don’t even altogether understand American football. I tend only to really understand the sports my son plays, due to watching complete games and then listening to his recaps. Oh, and hockey of course, which he doesn’t play, but you can hardly avoid growing up in Canada!

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Okay, retro folk rock and Doctor Who companions! Here is my song for Donna. I have a lot of love for Donna. Beneath her brash, talking exterior, she dreamed of the stars, of following the Doctor out into a brave new universe, of leaving the everyday behind. I think that she would have understood this song, while she was waiting to find the Doctor again.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

And one more, for Robbie Burns. A long-time Vancouver band. My son and I do a rousing rendition of this one every year. (And on a humorous note, he did for several years think that one of the lines referred to “the gathering of the clams”!

[Whisht @whisht]

blimey! – so much to catch up on!

@purofilion – he he, yes I thought of Perpetuum Mobile – a live version is behind the link on my earlier post when I said “…its about time”.
You’ll have to get used to my terrible puns!

🙂

Hope you had a good sleep and feeling better today (and love the fact you played this as well!).

Now, to listen to these choons!

( @arbutus – i’m not sure “bonkers favourite bands” will spark anything, so even if its a band with a bonkers history or even a bonkers theory as to what a track means, who knows, Who knows…?)

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus @whisht boy do I feel better this morning!  Nothing I like more than watching people adore their music and performing it with real sincerity and joy. I loved how in the “clams” (LOL) the audience were going nuts! I remember a really stiff lecturer, Colin Brumby, always taking everything so seriously. Eventually, he loosened up a bit, but not that much. Yes, The Byrds, always a fav of mine and perfect for Donna.

How could  Martha be represented?

Wilf could go with his own music: ‘Hello my Darlings’: can’t post link (too ditzy) , but I’m sure B. Cribbins did sing this? I used to have Hello my darlings (probably not the real name of track) on my answer phone before I became lazy & went with the default: “Nobody’s home at the moment. Please leave your name and a brief message after the tone bla bla”

Arbutus, enjoy the sport’s day (well, last night for me?): cold for sure! Kindest, puro

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@purofilion – no, Charlie Drake sang ‘Hello My Darlings’.

This cover by Bernard seems appropriate for the Doctor’s most faithful (in real-life) companion:

[Anonymous @]

@fatmaninabox  thank you to you 🙂  Just what I needed: I find this a perfect way to be ‘balanced’ in the morning- and a great way to say good night to the day as well.

Kindest, puro.

[Anonymous @]

@bluesqueakpip thank you ! If my friend, who knows all things British from those decades were here, he would have rounded on me with a thump! Yes, Charlie Drake, of course! This leads to a quote from something. Put your name in place of Henry’s: “Honestly, Henry, you make me sick, is there nothing you don’t know? Day after day I sit in class and you reel off everything, Henry. God”  🙂 🙂 Thank you for the Cribbins/memories BTW

Kindest to you, puro

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion   The day was glorious, the wonderful Eagles went down to defeat, but such a beautiful park about an hour’s drive from the city, in the mountains, and the blue sky overhead, with eagles soaring and Canada geese in V’s. And a lovely drive along the sound to get there, with the mist on the water and snow on the mountain tops (and nowhere near the road, thank goodness!). The temperature was unseasonable, I was warm at a game for the first time since October!

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht   I think that the definition of bonkers music is whatever the poster considers bonkers. I’m starting with possibly the most bonkers band in my CD collection (and thank you to the YouTuber who uploaded this track, because I didn’t actually think I would find anything). Polka Dogs hasn’t existed as a band for lo these many years, but for a short while back in the day, they were a marvelous ensemble consisting of banjo, drums, accordion, tuba, trombone, and the really witty compositions of John Millard. I loved them.

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus that’s what I meant about Canada in that letter; about the geese, the sun rising over mountains. I’d roam like a sleep walker through those meadows: stunned and a bit drunk with the beauty of it all. A velvety, twilit field, a gorgeous slim birch rising like a ghost into the cool, slim night. And then, a clock tower, white spire, spellbound in the hazy distance with a moss green cot placed gently behind it.   Ah, who says we can’t make reality out of fiction 🙂 Pur.

A win next time?

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@whisht
I only asked if anyone is a fan because they seem to be somewhat underrated nowadays.

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@purofilion It’s @thekrynoidman

[Anonymous @]

@thekrynoidman   yeah, well I know that now, yard bird. 🙂 Honestly. Sorry, I’m watching American TV. Soon, I’ll be saying “whatever” and “cool” and, worse, “dude” 🙂  Kindest, puro.

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Seen this morning on the BBC website. They really shouldn’t tease me like this, I want one of these!

http://bbcradio3.tumblr.com/post/49084800516/first-drafts-for-our-new-line-of-notre-dame-school

@purofilion   Ha. Hilariously, my son and his friends all call each other “dude”, as in someone says something dumb, and the response is “Dude. Seriously?” They all sound like Owen Wilson.

@wolfweed   Good grief! That was definitely good for some Sunday morning hysterical laughter! Too bad he’s not wearing the red sneakers though, those were my faves.  🙂

[Anonymous @]

OK @wolfweed  @arbutus I must very stupid (no denying it) but why does Tennant have a guitar?

[Whisht @whisht]

@arbutus – after reading this

“a marvelous ensemble consisting of banjo, drums, accordion, tuba, trombone”

I have had a rather big grin on my face all day wanting to hear it!!

Fantastically it was not what I imagined!!

I had thought to reply with ‘have you heard this which has tuba on it (on something I hadn’t imagined would have tuba)?

But then when I heard the song you’d posted and my immediate thought was “oh wow – Reverend Horton Heat” which I know its not but…. a tad psychobilly?
Not necessarily their best track but not bad… (and the name of the track is of a great other band which is so not psychobilly that it almost hurts!)

[Whisht @whisht]

@purofilion – why would Ten(ant) not have a guitar?

🙂

though actually I’m sure Capaldoc was in a band* many many moons ago.

*warning – this is not very good. At all. Honestly. Really.

Not at all.

Honestly – he’s better at drawing.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion   I have no idea, but isn’t it great?   🙂

 

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht  And you didn’t think a “bonkers music” thread was going anywhere?  🙂  I hadn’t heard of “psychobilly” but it’s brilliant! I also loved the Amestoy Trio link, I adore that kind of world/fusion sort of thing.

And good catch on the Capaldi/Ferguson band. I’d seen mention of that on a clip I watched of Capaldi on Ferguson’s show, but I’d completely forgotten it. I’d say it qualifies as both Who-related and bonkers!

[Whisht @whisht]

@arbutus – that Amestoy Trio track is great isn’t it? And (unfortunately) better than other stuff I’ve heard from them (it was on a compilation of ‘world music’ or somesuch but seems like a well chosen highlight from them!)

and psychobilly – oh you MUST you must. And was it Puro who said she liked the audience.. well, there’ll be some moshing going on there I reckon!

Now, as for “bonkers” I’m actually trying to listen to “Trout Mask Replica” again and failing.

perhaps the most “bonkers” thing in my collection but I went ‘back’ to it because of the story about how it was recorded. Apparently Beefheart took the whole group up to a house, kept them there in an almost cult-like state to play and rehearse the music so that when they finally went into the studio they were so well honed they laid it all down in a couple of takes.

“The group rehearsed Van Vliet’s difficult compositions for eight months, living communally in a small rented house in the Woodland Hills suburb of Los Angeles. Van Vliet implemented his vision by asserting complete artistic and emotional domination of his musicians. At various times one or another of the group members was put “in the barrel”, with Van Vliet berating him continually, sometimes for days, until the musician collapsed in tears or in total submission to Van Vliet.[4]

According to John French and Bill Harkleroad these sessions often included physical violence.

French described the situation as “cultlike”[5] and a visiting friend said “the environment in that house was positively Manson-esque.”[6]

Their material circumstances also were dire. With no income other than welfare and contributions from relatives, the group survived on a bare subsistence diet. French recounted living on no more than a small cup of soybeans a day for a month[7] and at one point band members were arrested for shoplifting food (with Zappa bailing them out).”
wikipedia

So “bonkers” is what I think when I think of that album and I’ve still never listened to all 28 tracks in one sitting!

what – you want me to post one of those tracks?????!!!!??? well, if I did it would have to be one of the first ones as I’ve never got past track 14 in one sitting…. but its not representative as the others are so effing challenging!

8)

[Anonymous @]

 

@ Arbutus and @whisht  Oh boy, I thought psychobilly?  What the heck is that?  I had no idea this genre existed!  Oh my, I’m giggling. My love of rockabilly extends to a gent I studied with in the States (well two guys, one who works with various orchestras and another who formed a band with some really wild people): Bela Fleck and Edgar Myers. Now, Fleck plays the banjo and is brilliant and Edgar, the double bass. Together, they’re unbelievable! Bela Fleck is known best for his band Bela Fleck and the….Flecktones. But you were expecting that & no doubt know it ! 🙂  Again, if I could paste things (holy heck I gotta learn me that), I’d pop in one.

Now, back to Who for a sec, I was watching a doco on Agatha Christie narrated by the marvellous David Suchet. In it, he spoke of the 10 day search for Agatha that took place when she dumped her car, a Morris Cowley, and headed to a spa attempting to cope with her divorce. I quite liked that episode with Donna, The Doctor and the Giant Bee. Others weren’t so enamoured: but it was tragic and funny, of course.

@bluesqueakpip as to Cribbins & the confusion with Charlie Drake, I was thinking of ‘Right Said Fred’ sung by the former! Great choon.

@whisht – really great things can be awful too -in retrospect. Like the band Devo I so loved that I wore my hair like that for 6 months and covered my eyes with unnecessary eyeliner. Yep, I’m a gal but the hair and eye makeup -not a good look by any means. But, the perm a year later together with assorted plastic accessories: the large striped earrings in cerise and navy, were totally ‘psycho’. For Arbutus: “totally dude, awesome, man”

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus  above, sorry. Clearly, I need a coffee. I haven’t had brekky and must face the day cleaning and naming my boy’s books for school as it starts tomorrow. As do I!  Eeek..

[Anonymous @]

@whisht and @arbutus  you know, your knowledge of all things music surpasses mine. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of the Amestoy Trio before? That track was simply gorgeous and so reminiscent (though from the other end of the world, in effect) of the music one hears walking the streets of Prague with little bands playing amiably together with tiny glasses of Turkish coffee sitting beside their open accordion and guitar cases. Now Whisht, what is ‘moshing‘? Oh, God, not something embarrassing? I’m not 86 (my poor da’s age) -just 46, but still!

And the excerpt from a biography about…who..exactly? Who is Beefheart and Van Vliet? This torture seems medieval or perhaps, irrespective of university rules etc., is somewhat like the tutors’ deployment of ‘practise till you die [because I’ve killed you]’ tactics in order to ensure our music was ‘ready’! Kindest, puro

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht    Yes, Trout Mask Replica, bonkers indeed. I don’t own it but I was lent it years ago, and listened to the whole thing at that time. I vaguely remember liking some of it but feeling that the whole of it was quite, quite mad. But possibly I would understand it better now, as I have a much wider taste than I did back then!

@purofilion   Puro, do I understand correctly? Did you study with Bela Fleck? Goodness, how cool is that? We have only one recording (an amazing and haunting recording of various classical pieces) but I was lucky to have seen him with Abigail Washburn at the folk festival here a few years back. Such a brilliant musician.

Oh, I remember Devo! They were a little outside my area at the time, I wanted to be a blues musician! 🙂 Captain Beefheart (aka Don Van Vliet) was a rather strange alt-rock kind of musician in the seventies, very challenging stuff, and vaguely nuts (although I didn’t know the details that @whisht mentioned about that recording). Now, moshing, I think that involves jumping around on the floor in front of the stage at a rock concert, creating general mayhem and piles of bodies. This post dates my attendance at rock concerts, but I had to explain it to the 14-year old, when I bought him tickets to Imagine Dragons that are boringly up in the stands and not down in the general seating area! He was not impressed, but I had to say, “No way. Not until you’re a legal adult and out of my control, sorry!”  🙂

Oh my goodness, school starting. Do you have to make lunches, or does he buy them, or (possibly, in a more sensible household than mine) does he make his own? I find the lunch making thing challenging, because prior to high school he often came home, as we live just a few blocks from the school. But we have kind of settled into a system now, and I’ve figured out what to give him that he will eat and will sort of fill him up. There is a caf where he could go, but then he would waste half of his meagre lunch break standing in line. And I am, as he often tells me, a great mom.  🙂

[Whisht @whisht]

ah @purofilion – I’d like to give you a big hug and say “stop worrying!”

Though not in a cravat-wearing-way. [ahem]
Just…. this is the great thing about meeting new people. You have sooooo much you can tell me about music and stuff. For goodness sake you played Music for a Found Harmonium for fun!!

Captain Beefheart is someone who made some very very fine music. But its never easy to pick out those tracks! This one is something that I love (as I try to play harp, though I can’t do anything like this), but perhaps it highlights his traditional Howling Wolf-like blues singing and playing with its own unusual rhythm. Its basically free jazz and blues. But I must admit I can’t listen to free jazz (hence why I’ve never got far with Trout Mask Replica) but his experimentation leads to wonderful things like this.

gotta love the Captain!

🙂

[Whisht @whisht]

ah @arbutus – I missed your post as I was (slowly!) typing!

Good luck with Trout Mask… I’ve still not done it in one sitting!

But love Devo! Well, some Devo! aw, I’m relying on Best Ofs I’m afraid!

As for moshing… well, I’m 42 but I did a bit of very ‘gentle’ moshing back in the day. Me – I never had a bad experience. I basically kept a wide stance with my legs – that’ll keep you up and swerving enough for people to bounce off! And I have a very very fond memory of pogo-ing with a very short guy (I’m 6 foot but he was barely 5 though stocky) to the Wedding Present.

whaddymeanyouneverheardofthem??!!??

🙂

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht     Ha, yes, I used to desire strongly to be a harp player as well. I had a bit of the soul, but never the chops. Ah, well, I also wish I could play the fiddle. Those two Beefheart links are definitely more accessible than some!

@purofilion    Yes, what Whisht said! You bring loads to the conversation.I’m older than you and I passed at least a ten year period where I had completely given up on music non-classical, so I do have a massive gap in my pop music knowledge. And of course, what was huge in one part of the world was sometimes unheard of in another.

By the way, I meant to say, if you go to the link you want to share and copy the URL field, then paste it into the text box, it will embed your link with your comment. You just have to make sure and put the URL on its own line, with space between it and the text above. Try it, it’s fun!  🙂 That said, I have no idea how Whisht does the cool thing with making the link look like part of a sentence.   😕

[Whisht @whisht]

btw @purofilion – my knowledge of music is thin. Really thin.

I love this thread for expanding my knowledge of music and bands and making me reappraise bands. “rubato – stealing time!” – I’ve now listened to some Chopin but not sure if I’m hearing it but the comments on YT are instructive! “too much rubato!” “Chopin hated rubato!” “ah beautiful rubato -= exactly as Chopin wanted” – all on the same clip!

On which note – @thekrynoidman – I’ll admit I know of the Yard Birds but don’t really know their stuff but I can’t think why their work would be devalued. If anything I’d think that the kids today would be scouring past bands for worth and inspiration (especially if they were thought to be marginalised…. “oh no one understands how great [band x] were but I do..”

I mean, thats what I was like at least!

🙂

[Author]

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