What are you listening to pt.2

twietee said:

That's directed towards me, no? Because I've never heard of him. Did wiki him, still no clue. What's he playing like?

George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

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Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue is lovely.....

Well, it is directed more generally towards the thread, but, yes, since you do respond to suggestions re music (and cinema), and you've responded (to my great pleasure) to this, and we like a lot of the same sort of things, why not?

My brother gave me a CD of Scott Walker's 'Greatest Hits' about six years ago for Christmas. As 'Greatest Hits' go, the timespan is mostly 60s, veering into early 70s. At the time, I hadn't heard of him, either.

He was one of these handsome, talented, extraordinarily gifted, individuals with an amazing singing voice, which imbued the melodies (and for all of the sixties optimism, there is an undercurrent of melancholy in Walker's tone, even then), with a more nuanced undercurrent than was usual in the 60s.

Personally, I love it. Like Arthur Lee, (whom I also love), Walker was seen as more 'seminal' and influential on other artists and on the evolution of music, rather than hugely popular.

Depression, angst over his perception that he had been selling out his artistic talents, and further upset over the fact that some of his more experimental, later music was not as highly regarded (except by critics, who raved) as his earlier melodic stuff, meant that he tended to disappear for decades at a time. However, he gave an interview which was published this week in The Guardian, which is to coincide with the release of another new album.

In the 60s, he was known for soft melodic music, haunting chords, thoughtful lyrics, and a wonderful clear baritone voice. Oh, and his extraordinarily clear diction.....

Some songs worth listening to: 'Montague Terrace', 'The Old Man's Back Again', (great bass), 'Plastic Palace People', 'It's Raining Today', 'Copenhagen' (some of the chords remind me of Satie), 'The Seventh Seal', and so on.

Hooka Tooka - Chubby Checker (showing my age lol!)

Scepticalscribe said:

Some songs worth listening to: 'Montague Terrace', 'The Old Man's Back Again', (great bass), 'Plastic Palace People', 'It's Raining Today', 'Copenhagen' (some of the chords remind me of Satie), 'The Seventh Seal', and so on.

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Thank you for the input. Very much appreciated, that sounds very interesting, I'll listen to it in the next days...

....since I haven't finished my adventurous 80s exploration....Au Pairs - Headache

twietee said:

Thank you for the input. Very much appreciated, that sounds very interesting, I'll listen to it in the next days...

....since I haven't finished my adventurous 80s exploration....Au Pairs - Headache

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Well, according to The Guardian interview from last week (which I believe), artists such as David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Jarvis Cocker all respect & revere Scott Walker and see him as a source of inspiration.

Some of those numbers are on You Tube, or rather, you can see/hear (depends on the song) Scott Walker singing some of these songs on YouTube- so (if German policy allows), you can actually hear them......

My brother and I marvel about the internet; honestly, kids today have no idea how lucky they are - able to source information on so many things so easily; we had to trawl, prowl, hunt, track down, seek, find, chase after....information. And, as for obscure musical acts, you'd have to travel to London to find a specialist store which stocked them, or was prepared to try to find them.....

We were talking recently about how - if this invention had existed when we were (nerdish) teenagers, (or, well, for that matter, well into our twenties), I very much doubt we would have managed to do a day's work......

Scepticalscribe said:

My brother and I marvel about the internet; honestly, kids today have no idea how lucky they are - able to source information on so many things so easily; we had to trawl, prowl, hunt, track down, seek, find, chase after....information. And, as for obscure musical acts, you'd have to travel to London to find a specialist store which stocked them, or was prepared to try to find them.....

We were talking recently about how - if this invention had existed when we were (nerdish) teenagers, (or, well, for that matter, well into our twenties), I very much doubt we would have managed to do a day's work......

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Haha, so true! Although I love to trawl, prowl, hunt, track down, seek, find, chase after the obscure curiosities. I'm more of the hunter-collector type I guess. Be it books, music, cloths, places, ideas - you name it.
Also, I always pay a lengthy visit to the Rough Trade shop (Brick Lane, isn't it?) whenever I'm in London. Although I assume it changed significantly during the last decades. Actually, I just thought about finally getting that vinyl player.

Scott Walker then.

twietee said:

Haha, so true! Although I love to trawl, prowl, hunt, track down, seek, find, chase after the obscure curiosities. I'm more of the hunter-collector type I guess. Be it books, music, cloths, places, ideas - you name it.
Also, I always pay a lengthy visit to the Rough Trade shop (Brick Lane, isn't it?) whenever I'm in London. Although I assume it changed significantly during the last decades. Actually, I just thought about finally getting that vinyl player.

Scott Walker then.

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Oh, yes, so do I - I have spent days (actually months, some might say, years) in libraries perusing primary sources - and I love that stuff. And yes, I love the act of tracking down and chasing obscure, or little known information, books, sources, ideas, clothes, places....sure, absolutely agreed.

But the sheer convenience of the internet is simply superlative. If you are an information junkie, a gatherer of ideas and information, it is simply unequalled.

Moreover, for the rapid acquisition of information, it is unsurpassed. I remember when Mikhail Gorbachev, who was then the leader of the country that was then known as the Soviet Union, while on holiday on the Black Sea coast, was arrested as part of an attempted coup d'etat which was attempting to repeal and undo his reforms, a little over twenty years ago; quite literally, it took days to find out what was happening, a nail-biting time.

Years later, in early 2008, I was awoken early one Sunday morning and asked to broadcast two hours later on a national radio station - Kosovo had just declared independence. Unlike when Mr Gorbachev was under house arrest, I was able to check world wide reaction (and confirm facts) online, before going on air, from my home, my mother and brother listening from an adjoining room. I am still in awe of the internet - a marvel which, to my mind, equals the invention of the printing press and the availability of affordable paper (as opposed to parchment) in terms of its revolutionary and historical impact on the world.

Re music, when you have listened to the brilliant (and self-haunted) Scott Walker, try out Arthur Lee (and his stunning album, 'Love Forever Changes'; revolutionary for the late sixties, simply spell binding. And yes, another gift from my brother - though this one goes back to the 80s).

Scepticalscribe said:

Re music, when you have listened to the brilliant (and self-haunted) Scott Walker, try out Arthur Lee (and his stunning album, 'Love Forever Changes'; revolutionary for the late sixties, simply spell binding. And yes, another gift from my brother - though this one goes back to the 80s).

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Then it actually fits perfectly right now. I have an obscure 80s thing going on right now. And the internet is quite useful, I agree. Although I spent quite a lot of time with it. Again, chasing, searching, tracking down....I'm quite glad though I got to know the world before all this started, makes it even better.


Another fine song: Polyrock - Dragging your Feet

twietee said:

Then it actually fits perfectly right now. I have an obscure 80s thing going on right now. And the internet is quite useful, I agree. Although I spent quite a lot of time with it. Again, chasing, searching, tracking down....I'm quite glad though I got to know the world before all this started, makes it even better.


Another fine song: Polyrock - Dragging your Feet

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My mistake in phraseology - the gift of the album was from the 80s, whereas Arthur Lee's album itself was from the mid/late 60s.

Like you, though, I'm also glad I got to know the world before all this started; in some ways, it means I appreciate it more, rather than taking it for granted. And it also means that I remain a master/mistress of the older tried-and-trusted methods of research.......

Scepticalscribe said:

But the sheer convenience of the internet is simply superlative. If you are an information junkie, a gatherer of ideas and information, it is simply unequalled.

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Just a sidenote, because I gathered some small informations this day re Polyrock: let's not forget the convenience of the internet of not paying 90€ (!) for a used version of their re-released CD (note: not even vinyl!), but being able to listen to this great music, produced by Phillip Glass, who, I think, also performed in the meandering Your Dragging Feet by the way, the entire day for free.

This one's on my canyon run playlist

Loving Parkway Drive's newest, "Atlas". Not their best work ever, but there seems to be an emerging trend of theirs, "Good album, OK album, Good album, OK album..."

SkyBell said:

Loving Parkway Drive's newest, "Atlas". Not their best work ever, but there seems to be an emerging trend of theirs, "Good album, OK album, Good album, OK album..."

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I love Sleight Of Hand & Blue and the Gray.

Krafty said:

I love Sleight Of Hand & Blue and the Gray.

YouTube: video

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"Sleight of Hand" is definitely a good one. My personal favorite from the album is "Dark Days"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7lpftvYDMA

Feed me - pink lady

YouTube:

Testament>>The Evil Has Landed.

\m/

The Vergecast.

An underrated, rarely played, classic (which I had forgotten until today) from the early 80s, which I remember that I had really liked at the time:

'Godley & Creme' (in an earlier incarnation, they used to be '10CC'), with a song called: "Under Your Thumb"

Scepticalscribe said:

An underrated, rarely played, classic (which I had forgotten until today) from the early 80s, which I remember that I had really liked at the time:

'Godley & Creme' (in an earlier incarnation, they used to be '10CC'), with a song called: "Under Your Thumb"

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Sounds promising. It's my favorite Rolling Stones song by far....although I don't listen to them much anymore. I'll try a y-tube search later. I've to add, that I hardly can play any of the posted vids from this thread. The Big B must be watching me....

twietee said:

Sounds promising. It's my favorite Rolling Stones song by far....although I don't listen to them much anymore. I'll try a y-tube search later. I've to add, that I hardly can play any of the posted vids from this thread. The Big B must be watching me....

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No, it is not a cover of the Rolling Stones song (which I know, and also like); it is a haunting song in minor keys, one of their own composition, from 1981. Actually, I had thought the title was 'Under Your Thumb Forever', which was how I had recalled it, (because those are the lyrics). Anyway, my brother turned up a few days ago with three CDs (yes, we still play these), which were a selection of obscure 80s hits, including this one.

Even though it is not a RS song, I think you'll like it.

Please delete.

And, now, it is time to take a slow leap into the past, and salute a little piece of classical perfection....an exquisite, timeless, aching, immortal, and oh, so utterly, hauntingly beautiful piece of music.

It is, of course, the inimitable W. A. Mozart, and his "Serenade No 10 in B major, K. 361 "Gran Partita" Adagio".