Music The music thread

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This is a beautiful anniversary song that Bruce wrote for his wife.
A truly gorgeous song.
Having just had our 38th anniversary, I shared this with my wife
 
catscratchfever said:
But, as good as The Beatles are, they can’t compare to Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 - Paul McCartney himself said that Fela and his band are the greatest thing he has ever heard - he was brought to tears when he saw Fela live in Lagos, Nigeria during the recording of Wings’ album, Band On The Run.

Fela was the inventor of Afrobeat. His band boasted the greatest drummer of all-time, the incredible Tony Allen.

Sure, The Beatles are great and I absolutely love them, but my admiration for their music pales in comparison to what I feel when Fela turns up the rhythm.

I have everything The Beatles ever released + all of Fela’s 77 albums. Both musical giants.

But there is only one real king of music: the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti!

P.S. I was there on my father’s shoulders when The Beatles appeared on the balcony of the Southern Cross Hotel in Melbourne in 1964.

Fela Kuti: Alu Jon Jonki Jon


Fela with Paul, Afrika Shrine, Lagos, Nigeria, 1974
View attachment 1466264
Click to expand...


I listened to a bit of Fela after this reply.

It's objectively good. But it doesn't move me at all.

Great rhythms, phenomenal musicians, interesting African edge (and the undeniable soul that comes with it). I like that it isn't the "over polished" playing that is typical of funk / jazz etc fusion.

But to me, it's still just extended jazz funk jams which don't appeal to me for extended listening, but definitely can be great at times.

All just my opinion of course, as is your love of it and view of him as the "best ever".

The immediacy of the Beatles, the 2 historical talents in the same band (and a brilliant 3rd). The sheer consistency and condensed nature of their output. Their never standing still. Each album was a departure, often then setting trends for everyone else (everyone was largely still doing psychedelia when they released "The Beatles" / White Album).

The songwriting tricks they pulled off based on naive ignorance of "the rules" that became standard.

The fact that they were all individually brilliant, but went to another place together. John's talent was enormous, but without Paul's something was missing.

Perfect storm.

To me what they did is far more impressive than extended afro jazz funk jams, despite them being objectively brilliant.

Acknowledging of course I've listened to a fraction of 1% of Fela’s output.

But what I listened to, while being enjoyable and great, was just not that moving. My dad is always raving about "Yes", and while I get their talent and technicality, it's sort of a bit music for musicians.

This has its place, but I think the brilliance of the Beatles is they have that effortless brilliance (especially vocally and in terms of songwriting) that appeals to serious musicians AND casual listeners.

As musicians, McCartney can play anything. George was a unique guitarist but not amazing technically. More feel and melody. John and Ringo weren't technical, but played so distinctively. Most drummers could run rings around Ringo (is that a pun?) but few manage to play drums so uniquely that it's obvious who it is and songs can be recognised from their drumbeat alone.

So yeah, long story short Fela seems like an absolute musical giant but simply doesn't buzz me.

But that's the brilliance of music and art.

In say sprinting, there's just no real room for debate. Usain Bolt is the fastest and the greatest based on objective results.

Music is entirely different.

John Lennon "ran the 100" in guitar terms far slower than someone like Yngwie Malmsteen, technically no contest, but I'd rather listen to John lay down his rhythms (and his solo on "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is one of the most incredible in their catalogue, and it's a few notes) than Yngwie turn a guitar upside down every time.

Yet two people can say different bands / musicians are the best ever and strangely BOTH be right. You can't say after the 2008 Beijing Olympics that Bolt wasn't the best in the 100 metre sprint, you know? Bolt won, but the guy in 5th ran it so much cooler, so give him the gold...

Typing on my phone during a long drive (passenger haha), so not the easiest (and probably a few typos) - otherwise I'd have probably overdone it even more!

Long story short Fela is great and obviously a legend, no intent to denigrate - juat see it differently.
 
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catscratchfever said:
But, as good as The Beatles are, they can’t compare to Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 - Paul McCartney himself said that Fela and his band are the greatest thing he has ever heard - he was brought to tears when he saw Fela live in Lagos, Nigeria during the recording of Wings’ album, Band On The Run.

Fela was the inventor of Afrobeat. His band boasted the greatest drummer of all-time, the incredible Tony Allen.

Sure, The Beatles are great and I absolutely love them, but my admiration for their music pales in comparison to what I feel when Fela turns up the rhythm.

I have everything The Beatles ever released + all of Fela’s 77 albums. Both musical giants.

But there is only one real king of music: the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti!

P.S. I was there on my father’s shoulders when The Beatles appeared on the balcony of the Southern Cross Hotel in Melbourne in 1964.

Fela Kuti: Alu Jon Jonki Jon


Fela with Paul, Afrika Shrine, Lagos, Nigeria, 1974
View attachment 1466264
Click to expand...


Sorry to re-quote, but adding to the above (and not trying to change your mind or anything, just discussing) is the sum of their parts thing.

I can't think of a single other band where the contributions of each were so crucial and fundamental.

Choosing bands at random, but the Stones, Dylan, Chilli Peppers, Oasis etc etc were one or two singular talents with a supporting cast.

Most bands kind of are.

Change the rhythm guitarist or drummer in say Coldplay or Kings of Leon, and almost no one would notice.

Musically and personality wise, the Bestles were just transcendental. Some people don't like the music, which I understand in an oblique sense but can't actually comprehend, but the fact remains - they are just it.

If Ringo or George had left the band in 1965, I'm sure they'd have gone on, but the sound, the essence, the magic would be broken.

Fela - as good as I'm assuming he is having heard so little - probably played with hundreds of different musicians over those 77 albums. All probably have their "cool" and their vibe, but it's Fela and I assume Tony Allen carrying it, and a supporting cast executing.

The Beatles magic just goes beyond the catalogue, beyond the albums, and beyond the image to just land in a place no other group of musicians ever has.

Thats what elevates them to me. It's the music, the impact, and the purely self contained musical eco-system they were. Finely balanced sum of its parts, plus George Martin pulling the strings and honing their natural ability into concise output.

Hyperbolic? Yeah. But I also 100% earnestly believe it!

I have argued before the Beatles are the most under-rated band in history, because no matter how highly you rate them it isn't enough. Most people tell me I'm an idiot - a single person has said they kind of get what I'm saying.

And while I'm tongue in cheek when I argue it, I'm kind of not...

So I perfectly accept lots of people have bands and catalogues they enjoy more.

But for what they were and how they did and how those four people somehow found themselves growing up in the same place and time and complimented each other so perfectly - no contest.

And THEN you get into the sliding doors of... imagine if Decca had signed them first up. Or any of the other 18 labels that passed.

No George Martin at Parlaphone. And possibly the same four people, same four talents, and one or two good albums now largely forgotten.

Instead they get turned down across the board and end up on a tiny EMI subsidiary getting produced by a guy who up until then had been making literal comedy record with the Goon Show etc.

George Martin is undeniably responsible for translating their talents into records. No "A Day in the Life" crescendo, no perfectly spliced edit of takes 7 and 14 of "Strawberry Fields Forever" at John's request (which were in different keys AND tempos! "You'll figure it out, George" is what Lennon apparently told him on the way out of the studio after requesting they were the two halves he wanted...) into one immaculate whole. And thousands of other such master-strokes that wouldn't have happened with just the four band members alone.

Anyway, actually enough from me!
 
So you're in a 'pub' band, late 1970s, doing Bolan, Bowie, Roxy and Velvets covers, writing a few tunes of your own. You gather enough good songs to get signed by a label, go into the studio and record. You do Countdown, Sounds, tour, have hit singles. An album is released - it sells well. Things are on the up...

The advance comes from the record label for the next LP...

Very few would go down the road Iva Davies chose...he got rid of the band, invested the money in a home studio, buying one of the first Fairlights in the country. With a drum machine and his guitar, he started writing demos...

Within a few months, one of the greatest Australian LP hits the shelves - Primitive Man. He kept the Icehouse (changing it a third time would be nuts), but it's a solo LP. With producer Keith Forsey, it's all Iva.

I can only guess, but I think the genesis started in 1980 with Paradise Lost, the near-instrumental b-side to We Can Get Together, an effortless slice of Eno-esque pop than one can have on loop for weeks...



His love for T.Rex and 70s glam resulted in another near-instrumental gem, simply titled 'Glam'. While never a single, a video was shot nevertheless, beautifully ahead of it's time with Iva breaking down the walls of strict male identity in the mainstream at a time when Barnsy and the rest were celebrating Saturday nights.



Side A has all the singles, one after another - Great Southern Land, Uniform (a European smash-hit), Hey Little Girl, Street Cafe, Glam...an amazing run of pop classics - while Side B opens with a haunting study of Homer's The Iliad and the Trojan War (yes, kids...pop did that sort of stuff in those days)...



...and closes with a re-recording of Goodnight, Mr. Matthews, originally a b-side to the Love In Motion single, but improved and re-worked here...



Soon enough, a band would be required to promote and tour the album - including supporting Bowie, who loved the LP, on the Let's Dance tour - and the curtain would close. Iva would eventually grow his mullet, the girls would go Crazy and for some of us, the dream-pop would be over.

Or as Iva put it -

When everything goes wrong,
sometimes it makes no sense...
Although you may try
It won't come your way again...

 
ROCKIN BLUES ANYONE??

REECE WYNANS ON KEYBOARD, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD ON LEAD, JOSH SMITH ON RYTHM

MY TYPE OF MUSIC...



 
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Anyone seen the Instafest trend happening on Twitter at the moment? It's an app which can make up a music festival using the artists you listen to the most on Spotify. (link to the app: Instafest)

Here's my festival based on the artists I listen to the most:

1669620579308.png

Not quite sure how The 12th Man, Hal Roach and Crash Test Dummies got in there....
 
winty said:
Anyone seen the Instafest trend happening on Twitter at the moment? It's an app which can make up a music festival using the artists you listen to the most on Spotify. (link to the app: Instafest)

Here's my festival based on the artists I listen to the most:

View attachment 1562780

Not quite sure how The 12th Man, Hal Roach and Crash Test Dummies got in there....
Click to expand...
Here's mine...















I don't use Spotify so it didn't know what to do 🤪
 


Dismayed to learn that Christine McVie has passed away.
Love FWM, and Christine was brilliant.
Her best song imho.
 

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I dig Ozzy punk...



Some people pay attention to this stuff in the States:

www.wonc.org

The "6-litre GTR" Problem

After this article was posted, Zach Belles reached out to Eamon Sandwith during a Reddit AMA to get an answer about the song and car in question. Click HERE to read what Eamon had to say! by Zach Belles Recently, we featured a new song by the Australian Punk Rock
www.wonc.org www.wonc.org
 
Braklet said:
I dig Ozzy punk...



Some people pay attention to this stuff in the States:

www.wonc.org

The "6-litre GTR" Problem

After this article was posted, Zach Belles reached out to Eamon Sandwith during a Reddit AMA to get an answer about the song and car in question. Click HERE to read what Eamon had to say! by Zach Belles Recently, we featured a new song by the Australian Punk Rock
www.wonc.org www.wonc.org
Click to expand...

They're pretty popular in the UK too, btw
 
barmy44 said:
Sorry to re-quote, but adding to the above (and not trying to change your mind or anything, just discussing) is the sum of their parts thing.

I can't think of a single other band where the contributions of each were so crucial and fundamental.

Choosing bands at random, but the Stones, Dylan, Chilli Peppers, Oasis etc etc were one or two singular talents with a supporting cast.

Most bands kind of are.

Change the rhythm guitarist or drummer in say Coldplay or Kings of Leon, and almost no one would notice.

Musically and personality wise, the Bestles were just transcendental. Some people don't like the music, which I understand in an oblique sense but can't actually comprehend, but the fact remains - they are just it.

If Ringo or George had left the band in 1965, I'm sure they'd have gone on, but the sound, the essence, the magic would be broken.

Fela - as good as I'm assuming he is having heard so little - probably played with hundreds of different musicians over those 77 albums. All probably have their "cool" and their vibe, but it's Fela and I assume Tony Allen carrying it, and a supporting cast executing.

The Beatles magic just goes beyond the catalogue, beyond the albums, and beyond the image to just land in a place no other group of musicians ever has.

Thats what elevates them to me. It's the music, the impact, and the purely self contained musical eco-system they were. Finely balanced sum of its parts, plus George Martin pulling the strings and honing their natural ability into concise output.

Hyperbolic? Yeah. But I also 100% earnestly believe it!

I have argued before the Beatles are the most under-rated band in history, because no matter how highly you rate them it isn't enough. Most people tell me I'm an idiot - a single person has said they kind of get what I'm saying.

And while I'm tongue in cheek when I argue it, I'm kind of not...

So I perfectly accept lots of people have bands and catalogues they enjoy more.

But for what they were and how they did and how those four people somehow found themselves growing up in the same place and time and complimented each other so perfectly - no contest.

And THEN you get into the sliding doors of... imagine if Decca had signed them first up. Or any of the other 18 labels that passed.

No George Martin at Parlaphone. And possibly the same four people, same four talents, and one or two good albums now largely forgotten.

Instead they get turned down across the board and end up on a tiny EMI subsidiary getting produced by a guy who up until then had been making literal comedy record with the Goon Show etc.

George Martin is undeniably responsible for translating their talents into records. No "A Day in the Life" crescendo, no perfectly spliced edit of takes 7 and 14 of "Strawberry Fields Forever" at John's request (which were in different keys AND tempos! "You'll figure it out, George" is what Lennon apparently told him on the way out of the studio after requesting they were the two halves he wanted...) into one immaculate whole. And thousands of other such master-strokes that wouldn't have happened with just the four band members alone.

Anyway, actually enough from me!
Click to expand...
You're posting with Capitals??
What about The Stones as a comparative band?
And the musical IQ of say, Fleetwood Mac? Dire Straits?
Or do you only have ears for the Fab 4?
 
Vdubs said:
You're posting with Capitals??
What about The Stones as a comparative band?
And the musical IQ of say, Fleetwood Mac? Dire Straits?
Or do you only have ears for the Fab 4?
Click to expand...

I've grown up and graduated to capitals, yeah... when I started posting again, it just looked kind of silly. Also, I was posting using my phone more, and going back and de-capitalising was a nightmare.

Stones I could honestly take or leave. Haven't listened to their whole catalogue, and they have some stuff thats fine to listen to. But it doesn't move me much.

Fleetwood Mac don't do much for me. Stevie Nicks voice can be great, but again there music doesn't really move me. I listened to the early Peter Green era FM when I first got into guitar. I don't think they've aged well, either. Saw them playing a live set 4-5 years ago, and it was awful. Lindsey Buckingham's playing was really bad.

Dire Straits don't do it for me either. Find them super kitchsy. But Mark Knopfler would have to be one of the most technically brilliant guitarists in pop music.

I have ears for plenty of great bands, from all eras - but I didn't grow up in the 60s, 70s era.

So yeah, I think overall The Beatles have my ears like no one else. Arctic Monkeys are fantastic - reinvention, and Ray Davies meets John Cooper Clarke lyricism.

There's tons I like, and I don't restrict myself to genres. I'll happily listening to Levitating by Dua Lipa (great track!) or anything by Billie Eilish. Through to Beethoven's Piano Concertos. And lot's in between.

None of the bands you've mentioned are 'bad' in my view, by any means. Just an 'oh, that's ok!' when it comes on, mostly. I'm not drawn to those bands.
 
Reppie said:


Genius.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. I have this piece of music in my all time top 3 , and I'm mid 60's so have heard a bit over the years.
 
Reppie said:


Genius.
Click to expand...

A big MK fan, and just today I had this song on repeat driving home from Casey Fields

Mainly because I had not heard it for ages, and the most beautiful lyrics, with thev trademark exquisite guitar work.
 

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