Pink Floyd

[Old Blue 2]

I know you're knowledgable about musik, so I'll try to explain what I mean:

I love musik, even make it myself. I don't follow genres or eras, I follow energy: moods, structures & atmospheres, specifically a lot of dark, hypnotic, eccentric, trippy, experimental, cosmic vibes...but they need a bit of an edge far away from cliché, sentiment or familiar structures.

It means I love a lot of work from Arvo Pärt, Lana Del Rey, Steve Reich, later Kate Bush, Ligeti, later PJ Harvey, Miles Davis, Radiohead, Iva Bittová, Harmonia, Einstürzende Neubauten, Sun Ra, Can, Laurie Anderson, early Sonic Youth, Neu!, early Soundgarden, Psykovsky, Juno Reactor, Balinese Gamelan and many more.

There's not many standard-songwriting guitar bands among that lot. They encompass all kinds of genres, nationalities & eras but all share similar vibes. It's like they've tapped deep into the more hypnotic appeal of musik where the concern is creating a vibe rather than an emotional response. It's like the aim isn't emotional, it's deeper than that, more about a feeling of being one with the sound. Whereas with say The Beatles, Oasis or pop music the aim is to emotionally connect with the listener, but not in the same way as actually becoming one with the sound, which is less about emotion and more about pure being. That's not to say one type of connection is superior to the other, there's objectively no such thing as better or worse be it a band or a vibe. But it does mean I tend to follow musik which more connects to pure being than merely emotionally connects. As a classical example, I'm more Beethoven than Mozart, but I expect a Beatles fan to be more Mozart than Beethoven.

Does this make sense or am I waffling bollocks?

I would say your next-to-last paragraph could be viewed by some (not me) as waffling bollocks. 'One with the sound' & 'pure being'. Steady on...

It's all about enjoyment of the music for me. Within that, there is what I perceive a problem. Having played guitar for about 53 years, and gigged for 49, for decades and decades I find that uponlistening to something, I instantly start to dissect it, the chord progressions, the moves from verse to chorus to middle 8, etc.. I can't help it, but I wish I didn't do it. I have often wished I could be that person who hasn't played a note in their life, and just listens to a song and thinks 'That's great', and doesn't give anything any more thought. But I can't.

Music IS an emotional connection. That's why we like some, and dislike others. And that applies to bands also. While I believe the Beatles are the biggest and greatest ever, I think half of the 'White Album' is garbage. But when they got it right (which was most of the time IMO), they were different class to anything before or since (IMO again).

 

[Old Blue 2]

I've always thought that "Nirvana" is way to good a band name for no one else to have thought of it. Turns out I was right, they settled out of court in the 80's apparently so the real Nirvana could use the name. Its weird, even the font used on that album cover looks like the Nirvana font on the logo.

I understand it was all settled quite amicably.

 

[Parker]

I understand it was all settled quite amicably.

I heard Kurt was "All Apologies"...

 

[COYBL25]

Final Cut for me.

But it`s also a very difficult album to listen to, if your not in the right frame of mind, as it`s just so unrelentingly bleak.

Such a powerful album, best listened to on head phones, as you miss all the " subliminal " little evil whispers in the back ground.

It`s one of my favourites for a long drive by myself, full blast.

It`s like combining the the poetry of the " war poets " - Sassoon, Owen etc with sublime rock music.

Genius.

* Walters is a massive prick though.

 

[dholliday]

I'm expecting pelters for this, but I've got to be honest, I'm not that arsed about Floyd. The post-Syd stuff is about as psychedelic as a pint of real ale, and if there's anything more tedious than Dave Gilmour wanking off his fretboard, it's Roger Waters banging on about politics and his issues with women.

lol no pelters from me, your post was too entertaining for that

 

[Khalekan]

shirley the greatest band there ever was?

Been massively into them since first hearing On The Run in 1994: it tickled my techno bones while introducing me to the psychedelic, prog & avant-garde.

Having another big Floyd listening session for the first time in yonks, still amazed at how different each album is to each other. Also with the film The Wall we have a proper classic piece of cinema.

What's your favourite?

for me,
Album: The Wall
Song: Atom Heart Mother suite
Solo: slide-guitar on Shine On part II
Synth: Minimoog solo during middle-section of Dogs
Lyric: the entire The Wall, but other than that: "only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air" is epic dark poetry
Instrumental: On The Run

not keen on: post-Waters albums


For those that don't know it, here's the astonishing Atom Heart Mother suite (a rare Floyd piece which is co-written by someone outside of the band, in this case Ron Geesin):

No, that would be The Stones, Doc


But The Floyd are pretty good too.

 

[Khalekan]

..don’t have them on my I-pod which says everything to me.

I do, Eggs and aoart from a few far and between good tracks you ain’t missing much

 

[Blue 1]

I quite like the Zabriskie Point soundtrack, to be fair, but mainly because it's one of my favourite films.

 

[Khalekan]

..don’t have them on my I-pod which says everything to me.

One of the albums I have on mine, I think it is the one with the cow on the sleeve, devotes the first fifteen minutes or thereabouts to the sounds one hears on the farmyard as the household wakens up in t’ morning

I kid you not.

 

[PITA]

No, that would be The Stones, Doc


But The Floyd are pretty good too.

I tried the Rolling Stones a few years back. Couldn't really get into them. Jagger's very talented but he is the band IMHO. Musically they are competent but no more than that (again IMHO).

 

[dholliday]

I would say your next-to-last paragraph could be viewed by some (not me) as waffling bollocks. 'One with the sound' & 'pure being'. Steady on...

haha! just me then

It's all about enjoyment of the music for me. Within that, there is what I perceive a problem. Having played guitar for about 53 years, and gigged for 49, for decades and decades I find that uponlistening to something, I instantly start to dissect it, the chord progressions, the moves from verse to chorus to middle 8, etc.. I can't help it, but I wish I didn't do it. I have often wished I could be that person who hasn't played a note in their life, and just listens to a song and thinks 'That's great', and doesn't give anything any more thought. But I can't.

Music IS an emotional connection. That's why we like some, and dislike others. And that applies to bands also. While I believe the Beatles are the biggest and greatest ever, I think half of the 'White Album' is garbage. But when they got it right (which was most of the time IMO), they were different class to anything before or since (IMO again).

Nice post, I get you and think you explained it better than me. Tho' I still disagree about the Beatles, even late-60's Rolling Stones were doing more interesting things rhythm & instrumentation-wise than the Beatles.

For pure technical musicianship I hear the Mahavishnu Orchestra are apparently the best, tho' just sounds like over-indulgent wank to me.

Do you like Miles Davis? Bitches Brew, Sketches of Spain & In a Silent Way are good examples of technically-brilliant musicianship allied with emotional heft.

Final Cut for me.

But it`s also a very difficult album to listen to, if your not in the right frame of mind, as it`s just so unrelentingly bleak.

Such a powerful album, best listened to on head phones, as you miss all the " subliminal " little evil whispers in the back ground.

It`s one of my favourites for a long drive by myself, full blast.

It`s like combining the the poetry of the " war poets " - Sassoon, Owen etc with sublime rock music.

Genius.

* Walters is a massive prick though.

I like Waters the man, not sure why so many call him a prick.

Agree with you on Final Cut. Had it on just the other day...always liked it, so many tender beautifully-sung moments...

and still the dark stain spreads between their shoulder blades...

Memories come rushing up to meet me now.
In the space between the heavens
and in the corner of some foreign field
I had a dream

Through the fish-eyed lens of tear stained eyes

 

[Debaser]

Voted for Wish You Were Here, The Wall is a VERY close second.

 

[dholliday]

No, that would be The Stones, Doc

I like a few of the Vietnam-era stuff, some interesting vibes: Paint it Black & Gimme Shelter are great songs. Don't like the 80's cheese, tho'.

I quite like the Zabriskie Point soundtrack, to be fair, but mainly because it's one of my favourite films.

Still never seen it...been on the old watchlist for decades, will move it up the to-do list then.

One of the albums I have on mine, I think it is the one with the cow on the sleeve, devotes the first fifteen minutes or thereabouts to the sounds one hears on the farmyard as the household wakens up in t’ morning

I kid you not.

You mean the last track of Atom Heart Mother:

 

[daza_1973]

Love the Final Cut, but it basically 90% a Waters solo album
So animals for me

 

[Old Blue 2]

haha! just me then




Nice post, I get you and think you explained it better than me. Tho' I still disagree about the Beatles, even late-60's Rolling Stones were doing more interesting things rhythm & instrumentation-wise than the Beatles.

For pure technical musicianship I hear the Mahavishnu Orchestra are apparently the best, tho' just sounds like over-indulgent wank to me.

Do you like Miles Davis? Bitches Brew, Sketches of Spain & In a Silent Way are good examples of technically-brilliant musicianship allied with emotional heft.

The late-60s Stones, when Mick Taylor joined (from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) from Honly Tonk Women onwards, was a glorious period of their history, and for me the best period. The writing blossomed with albums like Sticky Fingers & Exile on Main Street. I do also like some of their early stuff as well.

Mahavishnu left me cold. Too much self-indulgence.

I tried to get into listening to Miles Davis, but I've never really taken to jazz.

Nowadays I'm into old blues, guys like Peg Leg Howell, Barbeque Bob, Cripple Clarence Lofton, Blind Blake, Curly Weaver, Blind Boy Fuller, and gals like Lucille Bogan, Victoria Spivey & Bessie Smith.