Even though this topic references a thread in Miscellaneous, the discussion of the quality of pop/rock music makes it more appropriate for GVT&M, so I'm moving it there.
Songs - I Don't Get It
- Thread starter Captain_Nick
- Start date
I picked my brain and off the top of my head:
Pride by U2
Istanbul by They Might be Giants (no idea how this came to my mind)
The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
Imagine by John Lennon
Iron Man by Black Sabbath
Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine
Beat on the Brat by The Ramones
Asking songs not to be about something personal is a tough order though.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOMQULd5ns0[/yt]
I picked my brain and off the top of my head:
Pride by U2
Istanbul by They Might be Giants (no idea how this came to my mind)
The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
Imagine by John Lennon
Iron Man by Black Sabbath
Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine
Beat on the Brat by The Ramones
Asking songs not to be about something personal is a tough order though.
I'd actually argue that it's impossible to make a good song that's divorced entirely from the composer or "transcends ego." The ones you've listed are less self-involved than many but you can still tell a lot about the person writing it from the composition, word choice, point of view, etc.
I'm sure it's possible to write music that's clinical and has nothing to do with you personally, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to listen to it.
^^ Yeah, as I was trying to think of some, it was hard because most of them reflect back in some way. I think a lot of songs can be personal without being obnoxiously self-centered like say "What a Wonderful World".
I think I understand what you're saying. I'm so far from liking mainstream stuff myself. Most of it sounds terrible, but sometimes there will be a gem, but they seem to be rarer these days. I'm mostly into Folk, Celtic, and Bluegrass, most of these bands probably wouldn't have heard about, which isn't really in the mainstream these days. Some people even consider me out of touch with pop-culture, but I could care less about it as a lot of stuff just doesn't interest me. I guess that kind of makes me sound old. I'm just into the bands I like because I like them, not because they're popular or not.
One of these bands is a Celtic band, and it has quite following in Canada, and starting to garner attention stateside. They're pretty big in Canada, and they even have an American stalker. The kind of fan that really gives fans a bad name. Has a crush on one of the band members, knows where he lives, has staked out his house and literally goes anywhere the band goes, even if it's to Australia, Italy or even as recently as France during Cannes because he was in the Robin Hood movie. Yeah, pretty creepy. The band member has even expressed concern publicly once which hasn't deterred this person. Ugh.
Another band caught my attention as I was hearing Leno from a distance, went to the TV to see who it was and I was hooked, and they had become one of my favourite bands, who are unfortunately no longer together at the moment. Have really wanted to see them in concert, but they never came to Canada.
One of these bands is a Celtic band, and it has quite following in Canada, and starting to garner attention stateside. They're pretty big in Canada, and they even have an American stalker. The kind of fan that really gives fans a bad name. Has a crush on one of the band members, knows where he lives, has staked out his house and literally goes anywhere the band goes, even if it's to Australia, Italy or even as recently as France during Cannes because he was in the Robin Hood movie. Yeah, pretty creepy. The band member has even expressed concern publicly once which hasn't deterred this person. Ugh.
Another band caught my attention as I was hearing Leno from a distance, went to the TV to see who it was and I was hooked, and they had become one of my favourite bands, who are unfortunately no longer together at the moment. Have really wanted to see them in concert, but they never came to Canada.
Apocalyptica...
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTozgoj9OQ[/yt]
Metallica S&M:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAsA00-5KoI[/yt]
And the original studio version:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzKfmmG72Eo[/yt]
There are probably a lot of songs that have gotten the classical treatment...
In the end it's all really just noise right? I'm assuming you think the classical music you enjoy is somehow special, or that it's value is unimpeachable compared to modern pop drivel, but I think you're wrong. A perfect note from a Stradivarius means just as much as a creak in a rusty door to someone who's never heard either. It's our personal experiences that really create the value in music. Every passing generation tends to crap on the next generations music, yet when time goes on that crap eventually becomes the classic. All that amazing music that you think is so great, when it was first created there was some curmudgeon complaining about how it all sounds the same and how he can't understand why anyone would like it. I'm guessing complaining about the lack of value in modern music started exactly one generation after the very first song was written. So in essence the oldest and most oft repeated tune in this thread is probably your own.
You really have to decide what style, if any, moves you.
The example of Rush was a good one. They've changed their style a few times in their 35+ years, but always great no matter what.
I started listening to music around age 8 (1975-ish). Mainly what is now "classic rock" and mid to late 70's pop. Got into some mainstream metal in the 80's, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest. Then later I got into older rock from "before my time", back to the Beach Boys & Moody Blues.
Now, most modern pop or rock sounds the same to me, but I don't hear it outside of the "accidental" stop on the wrong terrestrial radio station, so I don't get to the point where I would hear the difference in styles, themes, etc.
I'll even listen to very small amounts of rap (I don't buy it). I think Run DMC & Cypress Hill are OK at times, but most of the rest pretty much sucks IMO. But still, a lot of different styles within the genre.
The last couple years have been almost all about symphonic metal for me. I still love what I always did before, but I'm so into this "new" genre, I almost never listen to anything else anymore.
The example of Rush was a good one. They've changed their style a few times in their 35+ years, but always great no matter what.
I started listening to music around age 8 (1975-ish). Mainly what is now "classic rock" and mid to late 70's pop. Got into some mainstream metal in the 80's, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest. Then later I got into older rock from "before my time", back to the Beach Boys & Moody Blues.
Now, most modern pop or rock sounds the same to me, but I don't hear it outside of the "accidental" stop on the wrong terrestrial radio station, so I don't get to the point where I would hear the difference in styles, themes, etc.
I'll even listen to very small amounts of rap (I don't buy it). I think Run DMC & Cypress Hill are OK at times, but most of the rest pretty much sucks IMO. But still, a lot of different styles within the genre.
The last couple years have been almost all about symphonic metal for me. I still love what I always did before, but I'm so into this "new" genre, I almost never listen to anything else anymore.
Let us tackle your stupidly inaccurate generalisations head on...
Metallica - Creeping Death
About the plagues which were bestowed on Egypt, including the plague of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29).
Metallica - The Thing That Should Not Be
About the rise of one of Lovecraft's Great Old Ones, probably Cthulu himself.
Metallica - One
The song is based on the novel Johnny Got His Gun. It tells of a soldier whose body is severely damaged after he is hit by artillery during the First World War. His arms, legs, eyes, mouth, nose and ears are gone and he is unable to see, speak, smell, or hear. However, his mind still works perfectly, and he is trapped inside his own body.
Iron Maiden - The Trooper
Partly based on "The Charge of the Light Brigade", and is about the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, from the viewpoint of one of the soldiers.
Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner
A re-telling of the Samuel T. Coleridge poem of the same title.
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Sang from the perspective of a dying Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt, and how he faces his death.
...just a few examples that contradict your assertions.
See, most "symphonic metal" if I take you meaning just isn't my thing, although I'm very much into other kinds of metal ranging from Black Sabbath,Metallica to Pantera to Rage and say, early Korn.
I get being into disparate styles of music or even disparate bands within a genre. But the OP sounds like he hasn't liked any rock or pop album or song within the last 40 or 50 years. That's confounding enough, but he can't tell the difference?
I've met one guy in my life that's even somewhat like the OP and he's infuriating. He's my cousin's dad and he always used to give me shit for listening to metal and rock and playing it on my guitar. "It's all just so much noise," he used to say.
This was especially offensive to him since MY dad, who plays folk music, was so agreeable to him. In his eyes I was sullying everything my dad ever taught me by using it for such "noisy" purposes.
Anyway, one night, while visiting my cousin at his dad's cottage, he put on a bunch of his music, mostly bluegrass and a bunch of twangy country. He was totally loving it.
Then, without telling him, I threw on my copy of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Couldn't Stand The Weather." He loved it. He was telling me that THIS was music and I was foolish for liking what I liked.
I was furious. This guy was questioning my taste in music and he didn't even know the basis of his lecture was one of MY fucking albums. Anyway, I left it with him, hoping he'd wise up to some decent music he'd understand, but that was 8 years ago and I bet he's never listened to it since. I never told him it wasn't his.
Look, not everybody needs to be obsessed with music, but I don't know how you can't be at least tangentially aware of it given its pervasive place in popular culture.
You're right, but you're wasting your breath, man. If the OP has a genuine curiosity about contemporary music then he needs to listen to an assload of it, just like the rest of us did to refine our tastes.
You can't tell him anything because he doesn't know anything.
You are not winning any sympathies here, bud.
How is it different from any classical opera?
Mostly, this.
I can't get into opera. I've tried and some arias and choruses are marvellous but as an artistic experience I just can't get into it.
The word 'classic' is used far too ubiquitously to mean anything any more. I respectfully suggest 'memorable' is a more accurate description. A DJ referred to Underworld's Born Slippy as 'a classic' the other day. It's a truly memorable dance track and was probably more famous because of its cinematic association; but a classic?
The word 'classic' is used far too ubiquitously to mean anything any more. I respectfully suggest 'memorable' is a more accurate description. A DJ referred to Underworld's Born Slippy as 'a classic' the other day. It's a truly memorable dance track and was probably more famous because of its cinematic association; but a classic?
True. I really dislike metal music as a whole, but even I can find a song or two that I enjoy.
It's almost like the OP never went to middle school. I developed my love of music in middle school by hanging out with my friends and riding the bus. If the song was on the radio on the school bus, there's a good chance that I love it.
I'll admit, I do get tired of love songs, but that's only because there are a lot of mediocre ones out there. I think it's just really difficult to write an awesome love song that doesn't sound like every other love song out there, but when you find one, you know it.
Honestly, you just have to listen to a lot of music and actually pay attention to it. Unfortunately, most music on the radio kind of sucks. Almost all the music that my friends and I listen to would never be found on the radio. Now, the question is, how the hell did I discover this music if it wasn't on the radio? I have no idea. Often I'll hear small parts of songs in TV shows or on commercials that make me go, "Huh, I like that," so I'll investigate online and see if I can find the artist and listen to more of their stuff.
I also got a lot of my music in college when file-sharing was new and exciting and nobody cared that it was illegal. With the network we had in the dorms, you could access the music libraries on other people's computers, so I would often just hit "Play All" and have it on in the background until I found stuff I really liked.
I rate this a 7 on my pseud-o-metre.
It's perhaps the best known and most emblematic track of the 1990's British techno/trance scene. Why wouldn't it be a classic? If someone were to study the history of British electronic music, they would probably stumble upon Born Slippy at some point. That's the definition of classic as far as I'm concerned.
And back to the debate:
- If you want to learn about music, listen to music.
- If you don't like it, do something else.
- If everyone is enjoying something and you don't, it doesn't mean that they're right, but it certainly doesn't mean that you are either.
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