hmmm...OK, if I could choose one band to see...dead, defunct, or alive and kicking...PORTISHEAD!!!!! They did a live concert with a half orchestra in New York a while back. I have the VHS (eek!) and CD, but can only try to imagine the sound live.

I think my second choice would be Pink Floyd@Wembly Stadium. Shine On with that big ass light on top of the stage :D

and a very close 3rd, Jimmy Hendrix at Monterey Jazz Festival

Arctic Stones-

For a good introductory album of beautiful Cuban Jazz I suggest downloading the Soundtrack (I think, a friend told me this after I showed him the album) called Buena Vista Social Club. It is incredible, I'm not very good with words so I'll just let you guys listen and tell me what you think.

I suppose "good music" is really user defined. I'd take Brandenburg Concerto No.1 over The Candy Shop ( 50 cent ) anyday. But for some I know its the other way around.

ah.. soulless misogynistic music. Brought to you by the G-Unit.

You guess I'm young? That's a compliment. Thanks.

My point is more of an observation that the music of the 1960's and 1970's, which I grew up with, was supposed to be fresh and revolutionary, liberating and rebellious, but after four decades it ironically has become "the old standards" that the people of the 1960's were trying to get away from. I was trying to create the image of a person in the 1960's listening to 1920's music. If we encountered one, we would probably say "You're listening to music from 40 years ago. Don't you see what's happening all around you now?" My view on music was probably influenced by my punk/New Wave friends in the 1980's, for whom Job One was to overturn "corporate rock."

So if I seem young, it's probably because I'm not content with thinking that I want to spend all day listening to music from decades ago. I'm still curious, still want to explore. Yes, my collection still includes music like Supertramp, Rush, and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, plus Beethoven and Bach, on vinyl, and they are still excellent. Heck, I even want to pick up some Chopin piano music soon. But not enough people are listening to Matthew Herbert, Baby Mammoth, Komeda, the Dining Rooms, Lamb...and they deserve my attention just as much.

Put another way, the 1960's were driven by the new electric guitar. I always want to know, who is doing something interesting with the incredible palette of sounds and effects provided by today's instruments and tools, many on the Mac?

There's no other way this thread could have gone. "Good music" will always be like "good religion." What's good is what supports your particular world view, depending on when and where in the world you grew up, who you hang out with, and how you were educated.

Conference of the Birds
 

Well, I’ve gote "Conference of the Birds" by the Dave Holland Quartet. But that’s a far cry from Liszt. :rolleyes:

ArcticStones, Mind if I chime in on this one? Mine have to do with the area of soundtracks because that is where the money is as was the church during the 18th century.

Mike Kamen (Band of Brothers Soundtrack)
Danny Elfman
John Williams
James Horner
John Debney

Rapping (and censoring) a 14th century author
 

Schneb, your latter point is the crux of my objection to much of the Rap of Marshall Mathers – although I have to admit that Eminiem is a huge musical talent.

You may be interested to know that Canadian Baba Brinkman recently put some of the works of the classical 14th century author Geoffrey Chaucer to HipHop. In fact he is touring English schools with this music. See BBC article.

A particularly hilarious point is that Baba felt compelled to tone down Chaucer, so as not to offend the sensibility of modern youth. That’s brilliant! A 14th century author being censored in order to make it palatable to a 21st century audience! :D


Best regards,
ArcticStones

I think this use of Rap is brilliant--especially as an education tool. However, I would not use the word censorship, but sanitization. Basically, it's cleaning it up a little for the kids, which I think is very responsible art. Bravo and kudos to him.

However, this is not new. The Jews for years have forbidden their children to read the Song of Solomon until they become adults. When you understand the poetic content of his writing, you can see how explicit the text really is.

The ecstacy of Union…
 

A fascinating comparison! Is it true that the Song of Solomon follows a long tradition where religious experience and longing for union with God is expressed in sexual terms? And that the ecstacy of such union is expressed as the climax and bliss of lovers? I believe you find the same in some Sufi poetry, for instance.

At least that is my own reading of these wonderfully ecstatic texts! In other words poetic expressions of love/longing and fulfillment on several parallel levels …


With best regards,
ArcticStones

A classic redone! :-)
 

I heard this the other day on Internet radio and can't get it out of my head. A country/bluegrass version of "I want you to want me."

http://www.running-time.com/wgwg.htm

That's a great course to take. Learning to appreciate different kinds of music is a very good thing. If you can get out and listen to some live music as the course goes along that's even better. I have heard Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, and Ray Charles live and they made a big impression on me.

It was interesting to watch that happen! The Ramones came along and poked fun at how serious the scene was getting. Then the Talking Heads came along and suddenly the 60's style sounded dated. Around that time, maybe a little later, there was a band made up of veterans of the San Francisco 60's music scene. You could say that they waved the flag of surrender by naming themselves "The Dinosaurs."

That is very astute observation. Yes, there is a parrallel between Song of Solomon and God/Jewish nation as well as Christ/Church. But mostly, it's a great guide to a very pleasurable marriage. I have a friend who commissioned an illustrator to draw the woman as literally described in Song of Solomon. It was grotesque with goats as hair, palm tree body, doves for eyes, teeth of bald sheep, two fawns for breasts etc. It's a great picture!

Song of Solomon
 

So, the Torah/Bible has its own "Kama Sutra"? It is very interesting that the Holy Book(s) place such important emphasis on ecstacy and carnal pleasures.

Perhaps the Song of Solomon should be the focus of more sermons, at least for adult audiences? Never have I heard a preacher touch on this book on a Sunday.

Well, not to dwell on the point, but a lot of sexually oriented Rap texts seem restrained and "colourless" in their language by comparison... I think many "modern", hip audiences would be surprised – how much more modern our spiritual ancestors were than is commonly believed. :)


Best regards,
ArcticStones

I have, because all my teachers preach through the Bible chapter by chapter. The best I have ever heard regarding Song of Solomon is by a teacher named David Hocking. Here is the outline of this great set of teaching...

http://tinyurl.com/7vhxb

Sorry to get WAY off the subject, but hey, the coats don't seem to mind. ;)

OK, before I post my list, I think that saying anything definite about music is very difficult. I change my taste in music frequently. But here is a list of some of the bands/artists that I seem to come back to again and again:

Rock: The Rolling Stones, Turbonegro, Hellacopters, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Metallica, The Ramones

Pop: Morrissey, U2

Alternative: Beck, Portishead, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Blur, Bjørk

Rap: Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Jay Z

Jazz: Charlie Parker (The Bird), Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis

Classical: Mozart, Vivaldi (the four seasons), Grieg ...


-seagull