FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on Jun 1, 2015 4:59:00 GMT
Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your door.
- William Blake
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on Jun 1, 2015 4:51:25 GMT
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on Jun 1, 2015 4:41:29 GMT
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on Jun 1, 2015 4:27:00 GMT
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on Jun 1, 2015 4:20:28 GMT
I like Hitchen , I agree with front door angel, i don't like Jim Morrison, I think God is a bi-polar woman ( look around, who is quite behind on her record keeping and proper distributions of rewards and punishments...and if God is dead, there's gonna be hell to pay when she or he finds out. I think God is a bi-polar woman also! And Jesus was her avatar! And Buddha too. Maybe even Muhammad. And Robin Williams. And Jim Carrey. And Dolly Parton! But I like Jim Morrison, though I like him much better as a poet than as a musical performer. And if the biopic with Val Kilmer is in any way accurate, I sure wouldn't want to hang around with him for too long. But seriously, Morrison's Lords and the New Creatures is a great book of poetry, despite what some critics might say. He was a better poet than a lyricist. In my opinion, that is. Most people would say the opposite. But I'm Opposite-Man. Fear me, evildoers! "Time is a straight plantation" resonates with me in a thousand ways. There may be no such thing as a real time machine, because if you think about it logically, well, let me think about it some more... Going forward in time might be possible, if Einstein was right; but going back in time? Impossible. Leastways 'at's what I rekkin, mm...hmmm. Biskits n mustird...mm hmm...
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on Jun 1, 2015 3:53:13 GMT
Great thread....much with which i agree, much of which makes sense...and some above my head but no so far above my head that I don't appreciate admirable thoughts and insights about Tull and beyond being volleyed between a pair of Tullies with big brains. One point that stuck out....least favorite Tull album would still surely make the trip to the desert island ahead of other groups' finest moments? Yup. As far as the original thread thought: The way Stormwatch, in retrospect, forms a thematic bridge between the Green of SFTW and HH and the machinery theme on 'A', more than proves that they are related as proposed by FDA....and, as the Dog points out, Ian is working on a body of work and therefore themes, connections, straight lines, curved lines and punch lines can be drawn between all the albums, consecutive and apart. True. I think perhaps only Ian knows exactly what Ian is up to, or was up to, or will be up to. I wrote a huge review of Aqualung on Amazon and regret large bits of it because I went too far trying to get at a man's motivations who is not only a complete stranger to me but who is my superior in virtually every way. I have the option of editing out the bits that I am a bit ashamed of, but I leave them be because I like to be a living testament to man's imperfection and his predilection for error. I wear my heart and my reputation on my sleeve online and in person, and while this may be a bad idea - what with identity theft and the inevitability of self-incrimination and embarrassment in a number of areas - I stick to it, as a means of self therapy as well as survival. If I don't understand myself and my actions, then what is my identity worth anyway? But back to IA: I'm glad my A-quad theory hasn't been completely slammed yet, though I suspect it may happen. I started the thread not so much to further a hypothesis that is no doubt irrelevant and frivolous, but to expand my participation at this great board and to engender conversation, wherever it leads. The idea of A being a logical extension of the pastoral trilogy seems accurate to me, but what you say, steelmonkey, is sensible also: the entire Tull/Anderson catalog is a unified work that spans almost 50 years, a legacy any musician would be proud of, including the great classical composers, with whom IA stands-up as a peer, not an also-ran. I took a listen at the Jethro Tull Group's Youtube channel to David Palmer's music for a UK documentary that featured Coronach. While the original music is superb, I think the version with IA singing is superior, and I would wager a week's pay (amounts to precious little nowadays) that Dee Palmer would agree. Even after the infamous "sacking" before the A album, she still speaks in glowing and reverent terms of her former bandmate, and attests to his unique musical talent, despite the fact that Ian cannot read formal notation, which to him, in his own words, "may as well be Chinese".
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 20:09:00 GMT
Time is a straight plantation
- James Morrison
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 19:16:55 GMT
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 13:26:01 GMT
The aforementioned composer who hated Mahler's music, whose first name was William, and whose last name still eludes me, was asked what he thought of Mahler's music, and his response was: "It stinks." never knew RVW didn't rate Mahler's music. I only go for the music of a composer 'cos in the long run that's the most important facet of such a person. Still you learn something every day which is good. True! And you just narrowed my blind spot by being so straight-up and rational. I have an account at a classical music site where I can stream anything for free and have options to buy whatever track or album I want. Off to check out Mr. Williams... But first: During my "conversion" I sat in front of my monitor gazing at some site where biblical passages kept popping up (I was at some Bible oriented site but cannot recall why or which site it was). One of them said something like: "You will look into the eyes of your teachers." In my manic, chemically-altered state of consciousness ( ), I was convinced that God was speaking directly to me. I was, of course, the Center of the Known and Unknown Universe (CKUU, for inconvenience) at the time. I ended up on my sofa watching the film Jarhead, and in my muddled state I stared into the eyes of all the actors, who of course were speaking directly to me. I had a profound experience that I can't explain without more of your time and about two thousand more words. When I came out of the hospital a day or two later, I was still addled but coming around enough to realize how truly silly I had been. I watched Jarhead again, months later, and it was a completely different film than the one I watched the first time. What am I getting at? A thank you for teaching me something. Even though I can't see yer eyes.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 9:55:09 GMT
The aforementioned composer who hated Mahler's music, whose first name was William, and whose last name still eludes me, was asked what he thought of Mahler's music, and his response was: "It stinks."
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 9:46:17 GMT
Ouch!
While I have greatly enjoyed the RVW that I've heard: one or two of the symphonies, some sacred pieces, etc., I have a blind spot to him due to the fact that he strongly disliked Mahler, my favorite composer. Actually strongly disliked doesn't quite cut the mustard. It seems to me from the reading I did that he didn't even think of Mahler as a "real" composer, but as an "imitation" of a composer? I'm sure you know a great deal more about his feelings for Mahler than I do, maddog, and I'd love to hear them, even if it broadens my blind spot.
I know of several well known composers who couldn't stand Mahler, Stravinsky being one, and William something or other being another: a well-known and highly touted Brit composer whose name escapes me at the moment.
Then there are guys like Bernstein, who dedicated a good deal of his life to raising Mahler's reputation among his peers and the bloke in the street. But each to his own. We all hear things differently, and music affects each individual in a unique way, or so I believe.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 9:15:34 GMT
The A-quad theory.: There is much talk about the pastoral trilogy of albums by Jethro Tull, which comprises Songs From the Wood in 1977, Heavy Horses in 1978, and Stormwatch in 1979. It occurred to me that the A album of 1980 is a logical progression from those three albums, if you really think about it. SFTW was focused on Ian's love of English history, particularly the Elizabethan period, as well as pagan traditions that reach back to ancient times. Musically it seems baroque and or Elizabethan, from the beautiful a capella eponymous track's opening, through the incredible music on Velvet Green, etc. HH moves forward in time to the age of agriculture and the beginning of the industrial age: the lament in the eponymous song over the replacement of heavy horses with machinery, the mention of trains in Journeyman, etc. Stormwatch focuses on the sea rather than land, but also moves forward in time. Now, with the A album, Ian moves still further in time to embrace the technological age, and this seems to me to be a logical progression from the last three albums? The album cover is decidedly set in what was then not only the modern age but in a possible future, as well as a nod to the possible discovery of alien life forms, though Flyingdale Flyer is not about an alien visitation necessarily, but on a misconception or hoax, or so it sounds to me. You never know with IA exactly what he's thinking. His lyrics can be interpreted in so many ways. Then there are mentions of air travel in Black Sunday, big business and money moguls in Working John Working Joe. And then there is side B, where several songs have something to do with the technological age: Protect and Survive, Batteries Not Included, Uniform. And there is the lovely and moving And Further On, which is one of Ian's best tributes to the possibilities - or doom - of mankind. If this theory of mine has been spoken before, sorry, but I have not seen it. Bear in mind I don't do much reading on this or other Tull boards. I glance here and there and go about things in a rather half-arsed way. I suppose I should go to Amazon and check out reviews of the A album (which I haven't done at the time of writing this). Depending on what I find I'll return and either apologize some more or expand on "my" theory. I hope this engenders some discussion. If not, that is ok too. I'll have to go and have a little lie down and ponder this theory. What I'll add at this time is that most of the Tull albums, or bodies of work which is probably a better term, follow on from the previous BoW, mainly in style and many times in ideas from a previous set of songs. I've never been a paid up member of the trilogy theory preferring to think of SFTW and HH as siblings and Stormwatch and A also being close relatives. So if you like, two pairs of siblings much in the same way as Underwraps and Walk Into Light could be classed by many as being closely related. I do understand those who suggest a "Holy Trinity" of SFTW/HH/Stormwatch but the first two, for me at least, suggest an English pastoral idiom, which those of us who grew up in the countryside can possibly equate to, with the themes that IA writes about, whereas Stormwatch looks ahead to some kind of doomsday or modern day melt down (perhaps) more akin to the ideas suggested in A. Great topic Sir, think this may well solicit some rather fine reading and thoughtful ideas. You know, it never occurred to me to even think about the pastoral trilogy thingy, until I read about it! I usually don't have that kind of perception. In fact, I always thought of Stormwatch as being decidedly different, almost contrary to SFTW and HH. But, after I read and read, I found I had to agree with the trilogy idea. It just made sense. Just as my A-quad theory makes sense to me at the moment, even though in a year's time I will probably look back at this thread and be somewhat embarrassed! I can't help thinking of IA stumbling across this thread in his travels and shaking his head, "Another f&^&ing Tull theory! When will these idiots get a life!"
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 9:06:55 GMT
Sorry maddog! We cross posted whilst I was examining my navel!
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 9:05:24 GMT
Well, I hope I don't wind up talking to myself in this thread. Could be it's just not very interesting, or has in fact been discussed already, in which case a linky to direct me might be of some assistance. I am kicking around the notion of adding a poll to the thread, to see if my theorizing is just sheer ballocks. But I won't do that, naturally, if I'm the only one watching me watching me. By the by, my new avatar is a photo of my mother holding me when I was smaller than I am now. We all start out small. Some of us remain small. I think that despite many opportunities for "advancement", I prefer to remain small. Just watched "Good Will Hunting" for the first time, and was amazed not only by the great writing, but by the way the film struck a chord in me. Or I should say "cord", as in every ounce of bone and sinew. Will laments in one scene how mathematical problems, even the ones that stump geniuses in the field, are so easy for him. The only thing that was ever "easy" for me was learning how to write poetry. It remains the only thing I'm good at. I taught myself how to do it when I was in my mid to late teens, by poring over pages in my brother's English text book: poems by Robert Frost, Tennyson, E.A. Robinson, and Shakespeare, to be precise. When I joined my first online poetry bulletin board, PFFA, in 2001, I was humbled at first, but learned how to stifle my arrogance and self-centeredness by paying attention to what my teachers were telling me. I subsequently refined my skills and spent 7 fruitful years there, for which I was rewarded by being voted 75th best poet on the web in a 2007 poll. If my name had been Zaurle instead of Baurle, I'd have been 93rd. But I consider being 75th a huge honor, being that there were even then literally thousands of people posting poems at the various poetry-oriented BBs. I since went on to Eratosphere, where I gained the attention of dozens of widely published poets, even a few famous ones. However, my stubbornness, or whatever it is, has not given way, and I still eschew formal publication, as I think it's a waste of time and effort. I wouldn't have this opinion if I were born a mere fifty years prior to my birthdate. I only have this view because of the Internet, which, like it or not, is slowly but surely making formal publication a thing of the past. In twenty years' time, or less, there will be almost no need for formal publication, be it in book form, paper journal form, or electronic form. The only reason people will be publishing poetry via small or large presses will be to satisfy a need to see their work in hard copy, or to be assured of their work having demonstrable value in that an editor somewhere was pleased enough to send it to "press". That is a validation, to be certain, but even that will go the way of the dodo bird in time. I love books, and my ego is as strong as anyone's, as is most certainly evident! But as long as I'm alive there will most likely never be a William A. Baurle book in print. Ah well, it is what it is, as my Pop likes to say. But enough about me! Anyone have any thoughts about me? ^ just kidding.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 4:13:32 GMT
As for the title "A":
Much interesting things to think about. Of course the title came about because the tapes were marked with the letter A, meaning Anderson. But, it's still a happy accident, since the letter A has deep significance in the collective mind:
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter was a seminal novel that tackles the subject of adultery, love, religious oppression, morality, and feminism. If you haven't read it, read it! Or at the very least watch the film based on the novel starring Gary Oldman, who is arguably the greatest living actor, IMHO, and the ridiculously beautiful Demi Moore.
A is A: Aristotle and Ayn Rand. Huge effect on culture and political thinking, perhaps a lot of it negative, since Rand's philosophy has engendered in a great many people the exact opposite of what she intended: groupthink and intellectual classism/elitism.
Nota: I am NOT suggesting that IA had any of this in mind, or that he places any significance whatsoever on the letter A.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 3:51:34 GMT
Well, I went to Amazon and read through the reviews of A, and didn't see anything confirming my theory that A is a logical progression from the pastoral trilogy. What I did see is the usual presence of the Five Star Tull Junkies, as well as some bewildering comments, like this one:
It's fascinating to see the degree of variance among diehard Tullians with respect to Tull albums! I can't fathom how a person who says Tull is his/her favorite band could dislike the A album so strongly. I can understand the resentment among Tullians over the "sacking" of key members, over the "reinvention" of Tull (that may have been completely accidental and/or beyond IA's control); but what I can't understand is someone who loves Ian's music disliking any of his albums to such a degree.
I don't dislike any IA and/or Tull release. My least favorite album - probably Dot.Com, is still a Tull album and if I were on a desert island with a choice between Dot.Com or anything by any other band, I'd go with Dot.Com in a heartbeat.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 3:18:22 GMT
The A-quad theory.:
There is much talk about the pastoral trilogy of albums by Jethro Tull, which comprises Songs From the Wood in 1977, Heavy Horses in 1978, and Stormwatch in 1979. It occurred to me that the A album of 1980 is a logical progression from those three albums, if you really think about it.
SFTW was focused on Ian's love of English history, particularly the Elizabethan period, as well as pagan traditions that reach back to ancient times. Musically it seems baroque and or Elizabethan, from the beautiful a capella eponymous track's opening, through the incredible music on Velvet Green, etc. HH moves forward in time to the age of agriculture and the beginning of the industrial age: the lament in the eponymous song over the replacement of heavy horses with machinery, the mention of trains in Journeyman, etc. Stormwatch focuses on the sea rather than land, but also moves forward in time.
Now, with the A album, Ian moves still further in time to embrace the technological age, and this seems to me to be a logical progression from the last three albums? The album cover is decidedly set in what was then not only the modern age but in a possible future, as well as a nod to the possible discovery of alien life forms, though Flyingdale Flyer is not about an alien visitation necessarily, but on a misconception or hoax, or so it sounds to me. You never know with IA exactly what he's thinking. His lyrics can be interpreted in so many ways. Then there are mentions of air travel in Black Sunday, big business and money moguls in Working John Working Joe. And then there is side B, where several songs have something to do with the technological age: Protect and Survive, Batteries Not Included, Uniform. And there is the lovely and moving And Further On, which is one of Ian's best tributes to the possibilities - or doom - of mankind.
If this theory of mine has been spoken before, sorry, but I have not seen it. Bear in mind I don't do much reading on this or other Tull boards. I glance here and there and go about things in a rather half-arsed way. I suppose I should go to Amazon and check out reviews of the A album (which I haven't done at the time of writing this). Depending on what I find I'll return and either apologize some more or expand on "my" theory.
I hope this engenders some discussion. If not, that is ok too.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 31, 2015 2:41:54 GMT
"Since it is obviously inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong" Christopher Hitchens "You'll be praying till next Thursday to all the gods that you can count" Ian Anderson I love Hitch and while he was a great thinker, I don't agree with the above quote, in fact I think quite the opposite. While I don't think any one religion is the right religion, or any righter than others, I think every religion has some small bit of truth, ie: all religions are an interpretation of God and a pathway to God; all religions have some small kernel of truth at their base. It should be stressed that God is just a label, and whatever it is that the term God refers to is ineffable and incomprehensible, ultimately. As a card-carrying, militant atheist until Feb 2011, I understand the arguments pro atheism and used them for years. But since my conversion - which I cannot explain rationally or logically - I can now grok pro-God arguments and sympathize with them. However, my feelings about God are dynamic and I am still an atheist a good deal of the time, except for occasional periods when I am overwhelmed with a deeply felt intuition that there is something far greater behind the cosmos than what scientists have learned. Ian Anderson has said that he is not an atheist. For whatever that's worth, which is probably zero to the power of ten.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 30, 2015 6:26:07 GMT
Bravo, JTull 007!
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 29, 2015 22:49:21 GMT
Holy crap! I had to pin that one. I'm addicted to Pinterest now. It keeps me from doing more important things like examining my navel. And she's absolutely right. I could travel along behind her in a wheelbarrow for the rest of my days and be happy as one white duck on a wall.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 29, 2015 22:48:00 GMT
Holy mackerel! Holy b*****s more like!! Well, if everything that lives isn't holy, then nothing is holy. William Blake rocks. - William Blake from "A Song of Liberty" [ I think there's a misquote on the page I copied from. I believe it's "pale religious lechery".] www.bartleby.com/235/255.html
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 29, 2015 8:46:53 GMT
Crap, I forgot my quote of the day:
Everything that lives is Holy - William Blake
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 29, 2015 8:36:26 GMT
Capitalism is against the things that we say we believe in - democracy, freedom of choice, fairness. It's not about any of those things now. It's about protecting the wealthy and legalizing greed. -Michael Moore. OnefreeDuck Holy crap! (Raymond's Dad), I need to be paying more attention to the rest of this wonderful board. I have mixed feelings about MM. It seems I have mixed feelings about just about everything nowadays, which, if my TOE (Theory of Everything) is anything close to true, is probably how it ought to be. In my half decade I've been an Objectivist (Ayn Rand), a militant atheist, a converted mixed-up Christian of some indeterminate variety, a libertarian, a long-haired liberal pinko (in my late teens and early twenties), a Buddhist-leaning Hindu-inspired honorary Catholic Messianic Jew of the Spinozist stripe, a conservative retro-progressive humanist and carnivorous latent vegetarian, a raving heterosexual lesbian trapped in a man's body, a left-handed left-leaning God-bothering anti-Calvinistic Methodist Unitarian Universalist, and currently a non-practicing quasi-Christian yoist. I also think the universe may be a gigantic or miniscule computer, or an antfarm, or a dream. I'm (lately anyway) a low-wage earning pro-capitalist tea party anti-conspiracy conspiracy theorist who loves science but mistrusts physicians and scientists, a poet who thinks most poets are thick as a brick, a musically illiterate guitar player with a chronic ear infection and zero interest in stereo speakers and/or audiophilic paraphernalia and gadgetry, a career cook who doesn't give a tinker's damn about fine cuisine and thinks 'fine dining' is a first world elitist fetish, and lastly, a man who adores women who has not gone down on Velvet Green since 2006, despite having a plethora of attractive lady friends and worlds of opportunity. Thus, I am eminently unqualified to determine whether MM is right or wrong. And I maintain the right to be wrong, thank God.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 26, 2015 20:56:49 GMT
I checked out a few songs from Le Noise a while back. It was very raw, uncooked, garage-y. Some of the most elemental music I've heard from an artist. Reminded me of some of the cruder Lou Reed stuff I heard many years ago...but don't quote me on that. I'm just throwing out impressions. By the way, I think I "liked" a few of your songs on SoundCloud, if my detective work was correct.
**I guess Le Noise isn't all that recent. I thought it was newer.
Thanks BDA. I'll check out Le Noise. Glad you likes the soundcloud songs, just wondering how you found me. That's a good question, as I don't remember. Short term memory is all but gone for me. I imagine I followed a few leads and/or a few linkies, and took an educated guess, or half-arsed guess and got lucky.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 26, 2015 7:28:30 GMT
Thanks, Ron, nice to hear from you!
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 25, 2015 5:16:45 GMT
No problem, karma. As you say, our response to music is too subjective and personal for any arguments about who's better to be anything but futile. We all hear things differently. I can really get into Neil Young if I am in a particular frame of mind, especially songs like Sugar Mountain and Cinnamon Girl, which are examples of just how brilliant he could be. I also really like his most recent stuff, his most raw and garage-y music to date I think.
No need for the embarrassed emoji. In fact, I regret having strayed so far off the topic and getting my panties in a wad.
Thank you backdoor. That's why I love this forum. People are intelligent, polite, and a joy to interact with. I haven't heard Neil's recent work. Can you recommend a good 'recent' Neil Young album ? I checked out a few songs from Le Noise a while back. It was very raw, uncooked, garage-y. Some of the most elemental music I've heard from an artist. Reminded me of some of the cruder Lou Reed stuff I heard many years ago...but don't quote me on that. I'm just throwing out impressions. By the way, I think I "liked" a few of your songs on SoundCloud, if my detective work was correct.
**I guess Le Noise isn't all that recent. I thought it was newer.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 24, 2015 21:45:17 GMT
My point was that Neil has been doing for decades what the other two did for a relatively short period of time and maybe the word "licks" was perhaps a poor choice of words. It was very late when I made the post (what's the emoji for slightly embarrassed . Obviously the merits of a particular musician is completely subjective one and can too often lead to futile arguments which was not my intent. No problem, karma. As you say, our response to music is too subjective and personal for any arguments about who's better to be anything but futile. We all hear things differently. I can really get into Neil Young if I am in a particular frame of mind, especially songs like Sugar Mountain and Cinnamon Girl, which are examples of just how brilliant he could be. I also really like his most recent stuff, his most raw and garage-y music to date I think.
No need for the embarrassed emoji. In fact, I regret having strayed so far off the topic and getting my panties in a wad.
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 24, 2015 9:03:28 GMT
I didn't admire Neil's guitar playing until I learned guitar and studied his style. There is genius there for sure, but his sound is not to everyone's liking. I happen to think his raunchy guitar sound defines him. Moreover, given the length and quality of his his career, he has written more incredible licks than Jimmy Page and Brian May combined. I have to respectfully disagree with your last sentence.
*Silly middle part deleted*
Also, it seems we've (I've) strayed very far from the OP and turned the thread into a discussion about guitar playing. Like Anakin Skywalker, I'm becoming the very thing I set out to rain my wrath upon! Arrghhhhh! Foiled again!
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 24, 2015 3:06:33 GMT
Someone mentioned "tone".......and how Martin was better than someone else etc....... "Tone" is not about the player.......it's about the "rig", the guitar, the pedals, the amplifier. Technique is something else........... PS - I saw Mark Knopfler in concert in Glasgow on Tuesday, brilliant....... Perhaps "tone" is the wrong word but an individual's sound has a lot to do with technique ... how one utilizes tne instrument ... and the" rig". It is tis that I was referring too and Martin is a master and very hard to emulate ... even if one had his rig at their disposal. True! Give a lousy player Martin's guitar and rig, and he/she still won't sound good. A lot of times tone can come down to things like what plectrum one is using, force of attack, use of vibrato with fretting fingers, all kinds of things. Billy Gibbons uses a Mexican peso to get his unique sound, Mark Knopfler and Lindsay Buckingham use their fingers, or fingerpicks, and a total genius like Brian May can play so seamlessly his runs sound like they were played on a violin. Then there are players whose tone is not so good, in my book, like Neil Young and Carlos Santana. Neil's sound is almost as grating as his voice, and though Santana is a brilliant player, sometimes his tone is shrill and hollow - to my ear. *Ducks for cover from the fury of Neil Young fans.*
I do admire Neil Young's songwriting skills, and he is a great performer and I can't shine his shoes when it comes to playing guitar. But dang, that tone!
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FrontDoorAngel
Journeyman
so take the stage, spin down the ages
Posts: 76
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Post by FrontDoorAngel on May 22, 2015 20:14:16 GMT
Someone mentioned "tone".......and how Martin was better than someone else etc....... "Tone" is not about the player.......it's about the "rig", the guitar, the pedals, the amplifier. Technique is something else........... PS - I saw Mark Knopfler in concert in Glasgow on Tuesday, brilliant....... That was me about the tone. My bad, but I don't think I said Martin was "better than someone else".
It still requires a good player's ear to achieve a good tone, no matter what the guitar and rig. There are multiple opportunities to EQ along the stages of recording and mixing.
Witch of course everybody knows.
Forgive me, I was kissed by a witch one night in the woods.
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