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Quintus

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I've never been a huge fan of any of the Beatles' post-breakup output, at least not in the "full album" sense of the word.  Lots of good songs from all four, even Ringo on occasion.  Chaos and Creation was a pretty good McCartney album though, IMO.

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Nothing he's put out this century is exactly a classic, but I always play his albums a bunch.  It's just a comforting sound.  It's always pleasant to be listening to new McCartney.

 

In terms of actual classic pop albums, up there with the Beatles albums, McCartney has only released two.  Ram and Band on the Run.

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We're all different. I've never been a big fan of McCartney's solo albums but I do like Chaos and MAF. Many McCartney fans didn't like Chaos, BTW. They felt it wasn't a real McCartney album. Like I said, we're all different.

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He's always enjoyable.  It's mostly just nice to hear a set of songs that are (a) actually focused on songwriting, on existing as songs and (b) thoughtfully produced and arranged for actual musicians to play together.  Uncommon in today's pop.

 

It seems like most pop songs today are just mood pieces, meant to convey a general attitude.  I don't hear much craft in terms of melodies.  I'm just old, probably.

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19 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

He's always enjoyable.  It's mostly just nice to hear a set of songs that are (a) actually focused on songwriting, on existing as songs and (b) thoughtfully produced and arranged for actual musicians to play together.  Uncommon in today's pop.

 

It seems like most pop songs today are just mood pieces, meant to convey a general attitude.  I don't hear much craft in terms of melodies.  I'm just old, probably.

 

You'll probably hate the song (remember, we're all different) but I think Vanity Fair on Chaos is the best thing he's done in his solo career. That and the intro of Band on The Run ... (Like you, mama, like you)

 

 

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"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"  will always be my favorite McCartney solo song.  I like it when he's a bit silly, but not too silly.  "Let 'Em In" walks that line well too.

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6 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

 

It seems like most pop songs today are just mood pieces, meant to convey a general attitude.  I don't hear much craft in terms of melodies.  I'm just old, probably.

You're not old.  It is the truth.  I'm young and I realize this.  Most of what is being written sounds soulless and mass-produced.

Couple of examples: The "Never Be The Same" single from that Havana girl had an excellent structure, but insipid lyrics.  Uninspired melody.

Grande's "No Tears Left To Cry" has a very strong chorus, in spite of the thick autotune, and absolutely nothing else.

The Cromatics's latest single is an example of a mood piece done right, to me at least.

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 I certainly love my fair share of mood pieces.  Lately especially blues-based riffing in both jazz and pop.  But lots of experimental electronic stuff in the past.

 

But man I miss pop songcraft.

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Shucks, I heard these types of videos started working in countries outside the US, guess it's not universal. Hopefully this works:

 

 

26 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

Vid not showing in my primitive country.

 

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1 minute ago, Alexcremers said:

 I love they still have that vintage funk sound.

 

This track is a tad bit more of a stylistic throwback than other tracks on the album: overall, there's a great of synthesis of every decade from the '60s to '10s (up to '18!). It's still as consistently weird, groovy, and layered as anything George Clinton has done over the last 40+ years. He's a true musical legend!

Oh, and for @kaseykockroach:

 

 

 

 

(Listen for a few seconds, you'll get it ;) Imagine hearing that after 7 or so minutes of this track!)

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3 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

@Disco Stu I don't know if you're a fan of George Clinton or not, but as a fan of Steely Dan you might like some of the horns in this track on his newest album (he arranges all of this stuff!):

 

 

 

I have dutifully tried to get into Parliament/Funkadelic many times over the past 15 years.  As someone obsessed with classic pop music of the 50s-70s, I know how important they are in the history of soul/funk/r&b/disco/hip hop.  I own several of the classic 70s albums on vinyl, all of them digitally.  I appreciate the production and the grooves, but something about those albums always seemed to keep me at a distance.  I never felt like I was immersing myself in the songs the way you do with your favorite music.  Partly I think Clinton's particular brand of goofiness never really did it for me.  I really like a few songs though of course.  "One Nation Under a Groove," "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" etc.

 

I will give this track the old college try though!

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I hardly think I'm unique in having my parents help me with college tuition!  Believe me, I had my share of student loan debt coming out.  It just wasn't an overwhelming, crushing burden that followed me all of my adult life like it is for some.

 

As for the Parliament track... eh.  It's an incredibly faithful and vibrant sounding recreation of their classic sound, which is impressive.  But there's a lack of focus to Clinton and co's funk that just rubs me the wrong way.  Languorous and long-winded.  It's not the lengths of the tracks, but embedded in the riffs and grooves themselves.

 

A few years back I started getting SUPER into soul jazz/jazz funk of the 60s and early 70s.  Those can be similarly laid back and take a long time, but there's an incredible tightness to the ensembles at their best where everyone feels locked into each other.  I love how reliable and fun they are.  Every track is the same basically: a. present main melody, b. let each player solo one after the other as the rhythm section lays down the groove, c. close with main melody.  Very comforting.

 

Some of these players are incredible and they sound like they're having a blast.  I tend to gravitate to the grooviest drummers.

 

Here are two favorite tracks, one with Bernard Purdie on drums, the other with Idris Muhammad.  Both are two of the most incredible drummers of the last century.  I could bliss out to this music for hours.

 

 

Many, many tracks from this period and style form the basis for lots of hip hop songs of the 80s to early 90s.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Nick Parker said:

For selfish reasons I would prefer to avoid this, but...*sigh*, Kasey, perhaps it's time for you to know more about JWFan's past. May this tome enlighten you:

 

 

 

By the way, it's always interesting going through these very old threads.  So many of the personalities who are still around today seem so much less... sour.  More light, fun, and carefree.  Adulthood sucks.

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1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

Languorous and long-winded.  It's not the lengths of the tracks, but embedded in the riffs and grooves themselves.

 

I can understand that, but for me one of the joys of Clinton's material is how he'll subtly and sometimes not-so-subtly weaves different layers and ideas over the same core, sometimes adding subliminal variations as slight as a single piano note, to very extreme changes. Its fluidity is like one of those paintings where the image subtly changes depending on the perspective you look at it from.

 

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

 

By the way, it's always interesting going through these very old threads.  So many of the personalities who are still around today seem so much less... sour.  More light, fun, and carefree.  Adulthood sucks.

 

I try to stay away from those..not only was I a dumb 15 year old then, but let's say my familiarity with the English language then was...developing. I can hardly recognize myself when I read those posts, they were so...stiff.

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3 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

I try to stay away from those..not only was I a dumb 15 year old then, but let's say my familiarity with the English language then was...developing. I can hardly recognize myself when I read those posts, they were so...stiff.

 

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like every one is more sour now than they were 10 years ago.  Maybe we really are at a low point, in terms of mood, across humanity.  In the West at least.

 

Once again I blame social media.  Knowing the thoughts of everyone all the time isn't actually a good thing.

 

Great quote from Jonathan Franzen, especially that last bit about letting the thoughts of other people define your day.

Dh2ditGWkAEgEG_.jpg:large

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7 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

For selfish reasons I would prefer to avoid this, but...*sigh*, Kasey, perhaps it's time for you to know more about JWFan's past. May this tome enlighten you:

 

 

I hope this doesn't imply I'm obligated to draw John Powell comics..

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been nervous to post what kind of music I'm into when I'm not playing film scores...but what the hey, I'll throw it out here and prepare to hide. I tend to throw these into film score playlists, depending on if or where I see fit.

And probably my favorite...

 

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26 minutes ago, kaseykockroach said:

I've been nervous to post what kind of music I'm into when I'm not playing film scores...but what the hey, I'll throw it out here and prepare to hide. I tend to throw these into film score playlists, depending on if or where I see fit.

 

 

 

Was gonna say this sounded familiar, but I then realized I was thinking of the Splatoon soundtrack. :P

 

Ever listen to Capsule? You might like them.

 

 

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The La's are life-affirming manna from heaven

 

 

On 7/22/2018 at 11:02 PM, Koray Savas said:

Thanks for that. I dig it. May I reciprocate with another young up and coming Australian artist?

 

Her guitar work reminds me of Hendrix, mixed with some reggae and psych sounds. 

 

 

Nice.  Laid-back vibes.

 

On 7/23/2018 at 12:18 AM, kaseykockroach said:

Oooh, that reminds me! ❤️

I adore this! 

 

 

I remember finding this song strangely hypnotic.  In a "can't stop watching a really gruesome car crash" kind of way.

 

 

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I feel a little creepy for being a middle age man and liking Grace VanderWaal but think this song is cute and catchy.  Amazing natural talent since she is writer, composer, and performer and only 14 years old!

 

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Disco Stu's Top 20 Pop/Rock Albums of 1979

 

1.   The B-52’s - self-titled

2.   David Bowie - Lodger

3.   Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery

4.   Fleetwood Mac - Tusk

5.   Talking Heads - Fear of Music

6.   XTC - Drums and Wires

7.   Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door

8.   Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps

9.   AC/DC - Highway to Hell

10. The Undertones - self-titled

11. Supertramp - Breakfast in America

12. Michael Jackson - Off the Wall

13. Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes

14. Elvis Costello - Armed Forces

15. Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle

16. Chic - Risque

17. ZZ Top - Deguello

18. Dave Edmunds - Repeat When Necessary

19. The Alan Parsons Project - Eve

20. Randy Newman - Born Again

 

Disco Stu's Top 10 Singles of 1979

 

1.  The B-52's - "Dance This Mess Around"

2.  Electric Light Orchestra - "Don't Bring Me Down"

3.  David Bowie - "Boys Keep Swinging"

4.  Buzzcocks - "Everybody's Happy Nowadays"

5.  XTC - "Making Plans for Nigel"

6.  Talking Heads - "Life During Wartime"

7.  Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"

8.  Chic - "Good Times"

9.  Dave Edmunds - "Girls Talk"

10.  The Cars - "Let's Go"

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Disco Stu's Top 20 Pop/Rock Albums of 1980

 

1.  Steely Dan - Gaucho

2.  Peter Gabriel - Melt

3.  XTC - Black Sea

4.  David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

5.  Rush - Permanent Waves

6.  Talking Heads - Remain in Light

7.  The B-52’s - Wild Planet

8.  The Clash - London Calling

9.  Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure

10. AC/DC - Back in Black

11. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope

12. Queen - The Game

13. The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms

14. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight

15. Ultravox - Vienna

16. Prince - Dirty Mind

17. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds

18. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz

19. The Jam - Sound Affects

20. The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of a Friendly Card

 

Disco Stu's Top 10 Singles of 1980

 

1.  Steely Dan - "Time Out of Mind"

2.  Rush - "Freewill"

3.  XTC - "Love at First Sight"

4.  The B-52's - "Give Me Back My Man"

5.  Ramones - "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?"

6.  Peter Gabriel - "Games Without Frontiers"

7.  The Romantics - "What I Like About You"

8.  Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Christine"

9.  Mission of Burma - "Academy Fight Song"

10. Roxy Music - "Oh Yeah"

 

 

Ok, I'm done.... for now.  I just became a man possessed for a while there.

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5 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Ok, I'm done.... for now.  I just became a man possessed for a while there.

 

You're scaring me, Stu. I'm half expecting you to make...to make a poll, soon. If you do that, know that I _will_ do the honorable thing and mercy kill you by snapping your neck. Quick, painless. 

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Oh I'd never ask anyone else to make lists on such esoteric topics.

 

I can at least guarantee you that I'm probably the first person in the world to include both "uncoolest progressive rock band in the world and that's saying something" The Alan Parsons Project and "way too cool for school except college punk rock radio" Mission of Burma on a best of rock list.

 

The game I'm playing with myself right now is predicting which song or album above Richard will pick out to quote and say "Nice one, Stu"

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Hmm. "'The game' I'm playing". Is that a clue? I like THE GAME, but I like JAZZ, and HOT SPACE even more.

Some of these I've heard, and some I haven't.

I'm not going to say what I like and what I don't, but I will say this... where's I WANT YOUR LOVE, SHINE A LITTLE LOVE, D.J., BABYLON SISTERS and THE SPIRIT OF RADIO?

Where's TELEKON, RISQUÉ, FLESH+BLOOD,  MANIFESTO and I AM?

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8 hours ago, Richard said:

Hmm. "'The game' I'm playing". Is that a clue? I like THE GAME, but I like JAZZ, and HOT SPACE even more.

Some of these I've heard, and some I haven't.

I'm not going to say what I like and what I don't, but I will say this... where's I WANT YOUR LOVE, SHINE A LITTLE LOVE, D.J., BABYLON SISTERS and THE SPIRIT OF RADIO?

Where's TELEKON, RISQUÉ, FLESH+BLOOD,  MANIFESTO and I AM?

 

Choices had to be made, Richard.

 

8 hours ago, Richard said:

I like THE GAME, but I like JAZZ, and HOT SPACE even more.

 

They weren't released in '79 or '80.

 

8 hours ago, Richard said:

I WANT YOUR LOVE, SHINE A LITTLE LOVE, D.J., BABYLON SISTERS and THE SPIRIT OF RADIO?

 

I only did 10 singles so I only allowed any given artist to have one song each on there.

 

8 hours ago, Richard said:

RISQUÉ

 

#16 on the 1979 list!

 

8 hours ago, Richard said:

FLESH+BLOOD,  MANIFESTO

 

Not my favorite Roxy era, but I do dearly love "Oh Yeah," which is it's #10 on the 1980 singles list :) 

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