The Music Thread

[AnBr]

The next one from them is even more impressive. They actually understand the CSNY harmonies.

[goldenvalley]

I've spent the last two nights watching Get Back, a documentary about the month of January during which the Beatles make the Let It Be album and write some music that ends up in the later Abbey Road.  It is all footage shot live during that time when the original thought was that a live show and documentary would be made.  Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame pulled it together and provided (very little) context.  The surviving Beatles and Yoko Ono are producers. It is fascinating and entertaining.  The rifts that would break up the Beatles are apparent as is the amazing song writing ability of McCartney, Lennon, and glimpses of Harrison's ability.  You see them making up Get Back as they go along. It's shocking to realize these men were all under 30 at the time. It's on Disney + if anyone wants to check it out.

[Bact PhD]

Something to get (me, at any rate) into the Christmas spirit. This arrangement, which I refer to as “We Three Kings a la Brubeck,” was done by a local music prof and is a staple at one local church’s seasonal program.

[Bact PhD]

From the "I Wouldn't Think of This Mashup Off the Top of My Head...But It Totally Works!! Department: Here's some holiday...um...cheer:

[AnBr]

Is Old Music Killing New Music?

Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market. Even worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking.

Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market, according to the latest numbers from MRC Data, a music-analytics firm. Those who make a living from new music—especially that endangered species known as the working musician—should look at these figures with fear and trembling. But the news gets worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking. All the growth in the market is coming from old songs.

The 200 most popular new tracks now regularly account for less than 5 percent of total streams. That rate was twice as high just three years ago. The mix of songs actually purchased by consumers is even more tilted toward older music. The current list of most-downloaded tracks on iTunes is filled with the names of bands from the previous century, such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Police.

[Bact PhD]

Dunno, but the “youngsters” seem to be more open to, if not outright preferring, old stuff…and not just ‘70s & ‘80s rock, either. Dear Daughter and the starting QB for the Buffalo Bills (Josh Allen), who are both in their mid-20s, prefer Sinatra or Dean Martin over Lady GaGa or Nicki Minaj. Dear Son has very little use for most of the “pop” music out there; I had to tell him that one thing he was listening to was a big hit when I was younger than he is now!

[LFC]

I'll reshare this analysis video. The reason that some young people are going back in time is that they want to hear things produced by people with musical talent and which isn't overly packaged and distorted for commercial purposes. Back in the 60s and 70s there was PLENTY of fluffy pop but there was also real musical talent being featured. Today there is an ABYSMAL amount of fluffy pop and while there's plenty of real musical talent you have to go look for it. It's not often featured.

The video is 20 minutes but totally worth it. The use of "dynamic compression" really hit me because I had noticed this without ever realizing what was bothering me so much about recent pop music. And the part about just two songwriters being responsible for an outrageous number of pop tunes really explains why so much of it sounds the same.

[LFC]

Now THIS was a musician! Unfortunately he was also a complete and total burn baby.

There are many things in life that are uncertain: Are we in the last wave of the pandemic, or will the variants lap the alphabet? Will all of your hard work pay off with a big promotion or are you busting your butt in vain? Does he love me or does he not?

But one life condition that one would think holds no uncertainty whatsoever is whether or not you have been the victim of a kidnapping. It’s an unfortunate, often tragic situation that most of us thankfully have no experience with. But even without having endured a kidnapping, it seems like a pretty simple concept: someone takes you from somewhere against your will and refuses to allow you to exercise your freedom of movement.

It’s hard to imagine you wouldn’t know it was happening. That is, unless you were Jimi Hendrix.

As the story goes, in the fall of 1969, the famous musician was kidnapped and held hostage for two days during what become known as his “lost weekend.” Even after he was rescued, Hendrix was completely unaware that he had been abducted in the first place.

[AnBr]

[pg]

So here's one... Throwback, cover during COVID lock down. Fleetwood Mac. Very cool- sure, I got this though a WHAT? Yep, cooking show. Rachael Ray. Her husband is a lawyer with one client- of course, his wife. But he also knows music. A producer, also.

Stevie Nicks- OK. I don't know a man in my era who could resist her pictures. But? Always more to the story...Turns out Stevie was a lot better than given credit, because of her early beauty. Turns out, she wrote some of the most influential songs in the 70s than you think. Yes.

So, a version of "The Chain" from The Cringe. I think it's awesome. Banjo and all.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Y1BZhyC6k

[LFC]

A song just popped up in my playlist by a band that I would never have guessed. I like southern rock and really liked this tune this instant I heard it.

If you don't recognize the band name they are the same group who did this bit of 70s pop.

[AnBr]

Feb 8, 2022 17:08:27 GMT LFC said:

I like southern rock

Me too, but mostly older stuff like the Allman Brothers and Dickie Betts. My preferences for things southern trend more towards blues. Give me Johnny Winters any day.

[LFC]

Feb 8, 2022 20:53:07 GMT AnBr said:

Feb 8, 2022 17:08:27 GMT LFC said:

I like southern rock

Me too, but mostly older stuff like the Allman Brothers and Dickie Betts. My preferences for things southern trend more towards blues. Give me Johnny Winters any day.

Love Johnny and the Allmans. Never really got into solo Betts but never tried very hard.

Little Feat is my #1 southern rock band and I think that Lowell George was one of the most talented rock composers of all time. (Might be #1 if not for Becker and Fagen though of course they aren't southern rock.)

Molly Hatchet is one band that doesn't get its due. I love their 3-part guitar arrangements and their version of "Dreams I'll Never See" is head and shoulders over the Allmans version.

Mmmm, mmmm. So much good music.

[AnBr]

[AnBr]

[LFC]

[LFC]

I just bumped into a song I love and completely forgot about. Thanks, YouTube suggestions.

It's on the same album as this classic.

[AnBr]

What the f*ck happened to music?

[AnBr]

[Art Vandelay]

I never thought I would be the person posting a Karen Carpenter video, but yet here were are. I knew she was a drummer, but I didn't recognize she was pretty good.

[Bact PhD]

Two renditions of the standard, "Beyond the Sea."

First, in English:



Then, in French:

[LFC]

Also in French but by Kevin Kline, from the movie "French Kiss." This version is very soft.

[Bact PhD]

This popped up in my YT feed just now.

[Art Vandelay]

I had forgotten how much I liked early Rolling Stones music. Shindig, August 11, 1965.

[Bact PhD]

A snippet from this piece was in a compilation of "Best of 1975 Music" (something like that). I had forgotten how much I liked it, found the video with the full song, and it's been an earworm for a week.