Just curious how many people out there feel truly moved by certain music.
I think we can all relate to how a sad, slow song and make you feel a little down, or how a really upbeat song can get you amped up, but I just heard a really good rendition of "God Bless America", and it, like most any other patriotic song, or a peice of music that I have a strong connection to for whatever reason, gives me chills from the top of my head, to my face, down my back, and I get goosebumps on my arms.
I've been making music since I was 6 or 7 I think, still do. I know not all people are affected like this - my girlfriend doesn't get sensations like these from a song, but I wonder how many others are like me?
When my little brother was in Iraq, Toby Keith's American Soldier would make me cry, wondering when oh when is that kid getting home. He's home safe now, his tour of duty with the army done........THANK GOD!!!!!! THANKS LITTLE BRO!!!!!!......................................... .................................................. .....now I'm gonna go to his house and crack a beer with him, because I'm thankful I can!!!
Who Are You - The Who Wet Sand - Chili Peppers Rusty Cage - Johnny Cash Look at Me - The Waiting Death and All of His Friends - Coldplay
My wife thinks I'm nuts when I say something akin to "This song changed my life," or "...and then, when it breaks out of the bridge here into the reprise of the chorus, then wham!"
I'm fairly addicted to music... okay just call me a music junkie. Moved by lots of music. I used to play piano and guitar but dropped them in my teens. I figgered I was a better fan than a creator. Your description of the way music moves you could have been written from my own hand. Some songs really talk to me. Some are near perfect in my book when the lyrics and the voice and melody all align. I find myself drawn to singer/songwriters. I'm not much on pure performers. There's something about the delivery of a song from the person who wrote it. Pandora exploded my CD collection and wrecked my budget but I always have good tunes playing in the garage. Sundays are spent in the church of Ray Wylie Hubbard. The only exception is riding. I never listen to music when I ride but prefer to hear the songs I really like in my mind so I can enjoy the wind.
+1, Ray Wylie Hubbard. He'll be playing this Saturday with Brendan James Wright and the Wrongs at the Shed, next door to Smoky Mountain HD/BUELL.
I was quite fortunate to work for Scott Maddux there- as it turns out, Scott is a major music junkie, bringing the likes of Junior Brown, John Hyatt, Darrell Scott, James McMurtry, Ana Popovic, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Derek Trucks, and many many more to play at the Shed.
Soren Kierkegaard once said "hearing, the ear, is the truest of the senses." He was expounding on the dilemma of writing music and then having a librettist write lyrics for the music- Kierkegaard felt that this ruined the purity of the music, with the single exception of Mozart's Don Giovanni. I tend to agree.
The most powerful music in my collection generally will be instrumental jazz, but there are many gifted singer/songwriters out there as well. Hubbard ranks in the top tier- he could read the phonebook and you'd be entertained. The openers for him this weekend, Brendan James Wright and the Wrongs, are quite good as well- bought his CD a few weeks ago, every song is a gem.
Recommended ear candy:
Most any Chick Corea recording- electric band, akoustic band, Return To Forever- he's a true genius.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones- Tales from the Acoustic Planet
Herbie Hancock- The New Standard (SUPER good, very surprising arrangements)
Annie Lennox- Medusa
Lyle Lovett- Joshua Judges Ruth
Scott Biram
The October Project
Crowded House (My alltime fave "pop" band, incredible musicianship, forever a crying shame that Paul Hester killed himself)
Peter Gabriel
Bill Frisell- "Gone, Just Like a Train"- FASCINATING guitar work, another genius
Van Morrisson's Moondance
Esperanza Spalding
The Police
Sting, "Bring On the Night", both the recording and the video documentary. This documents the beginning of the Blue Turtles band shortly after Sting left the Police. GREAT stuff- the track "Burn for You" on a good hifi will set you down a minute or two.
Most anything from Branford or Wynton Marsalis, ESPECIALLY if Branford's playing with Kenny Kirkland (RIP Kenny)- reference Jeff "Tain" Watts' "Citizen Tain", +1 for all you jazz drum junkies
et al ad nauseum...
(Sorry bout geeking out- yes, music moves me and transports me...)
oh yeah- ANYTHING that WDVX plays. "East Tennessee's Own" listener supported radio station. Listen to their webcast if youn's can...
Be sure to support your local independent music stores!! Waste an afternoon once in a while just sampling stuff- this is how I got much of my collection.
I feel very moved by music if it is done by some one who can move me. I am not a big fan of country music but I was just listening to the new Hank Williams Jr. album and there is a few songs that will are really heart grabbing. Like the one that I think is the single for that album, "red white and Pink slip blues" I have never been laid off but but it made me feel sorry for every one who has.
I really like deep dark blues because they singers put so much soul and feelings in to the music. I love listening to a song that is sang to were you can feel the feelings that went in to the song weather it is love, pain, anger or happiness.
Our CD collections have some parallels. Scott Biram fairly rocks with the raunch although I'm still getting used to his new CD. I think own everything James McMurtry has ever done and I also have Darrell Scott and John Hyatt in the mix. I'm really fond of Malcolm Holcombe and Greg Brown both.
I've only requested two songs be played at my funeral when that time comes; "Stolen Horses" by Ray Wylie Hubbard and "Prairie In The Sky" by Mary McCaslin.
I also dig the likes of Tab Benoit, Joe Bonamassa and John Mooney. Lucinda Williams has just the kind of grit I like in a woman. In fact most of the artists I like have a little gravel in their voice. A newer face on the scene that rocks with some grit is Ryan Bingham. Too much good music out there to ever have to listen to oldies rock on the radio. YUK!
My mother passed away just before Thanksgiving, and my sister and I (in shock) had to scramble to put together everything for the funeral just as we were falling apart ourselves. Lyle Lovett must've had some dark times writing 'Joshua Judges Ruth"- 3 of the tracks on that recording deal with death and dying.
Give Lovett's "Since the Last Time" a listen. Sis didn't quite agree that it should be played, but I wish we had. That song has a great slant on a funeral. Didn't occur to me to play Acoustic Alchemy's "Red Dust and Spanish Lace"- that was one of my mom's favorite CD's. She was the one who gave me my love and curiosity for all kinds of music, gave me my first curiosity into jazz.
FWIW, anyone remember "Jazziz" magazine? Is it still around? Long ago, they gave away a freebie CD with some great stuff on it. I'd LOVE to find a good copy of that CD.
Going to see Motor City Josh and the Big 3 play at a local blues club tonite- support live music, youn's!!
When Darrell Scott came and played The Shed a few years ago, I was called upon to lead him and his bassist Danny Thompson on a local roads bike ride. I was honored, but kinda wigged with a little worry to be responsible for leading these great men down the road. Made it back just fine... just had to go WAY too slow for me and the Buell.
Jb2- Youn's GOTTA find a way to listen to WDVX. They have webcast listeners literally around the world. They're that good. Go to www.wdvx.com and get hooked up!!
They even took the WDVX camper (also famous to their history) to this year's Bonnaroo and did a live broadcast for several hours that weekend. I got to listen to that for a while...
A newly monthly syndicated show for WDVX, partnering with Nashville's legendary WSM is doing very well: "Tennessee Shines", recorded live from the Bijou theater in downtown Knoxvegas. (They're actually doing a show tonite!) Hosted by Jim Lauderdale, packed with talent every time. Usually sold out. A good article on this can be found in the Metropulse archives online: www.metropulse.com
Read all about it!
WDVX is the ONLY local station who plays Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, and so many other great musicians. They are the heirs to a great tradition of country music, bluegrass, all which started up here in these parts of East TN. Reference the Carter Family fold, Earl Scruggs, Del Mc Coury, et al.
"Reference the Carter Family fold, Earl Scruggs, Del Mc Coury, et al." Some of the Scruggs reside near some of us in Milwaukee. My ex's best friend is Earl's niece. They used to go to his house when they were kids, and sit in on the jams. Too bad they were too young to know what they were seeing.
I forget how many artists I dearly love and respect but there's not too many that will bring a tear to my eye like this song by Guy Clark. Wished I knew how to paste the YouTube viewer into a post but I don't. If you love(d) your Dad as much as I did then this song will touch you.
Jb2- Heck, I forgot to mention, yes, Guy Clark has also played at the Shed.
It was always great to clock out after an ass-kicking day on the sales floor, walk across to the Shed, get an ice-cold PBR tallboy and a plate of my bud Denny's fresh smoked BBQ, and put my feet up.
As long as some meat didn't come up and try to talk business about bikes. I don't miss that at all- nice now, to just be another guy there digging the show.
+1, Stevie Ray!! There are several who have passed on WAY too early, and he is at the top of the list.
Kenny Kirkland, case in point. Brilliant pianist, trained up through childhood in classical, ended up with Sting and Branford Marsalis in the Blue Turtles, among other great achievements.
I actually got to shake his hand and make his acquaintance once upon a time in Knoxville whilst touring with the B.M. Quartet. I think of that hand and the dynamic of him making music when I listen to him play.
>>>>My mother passed away just before Thanksgiving, and my sister and I (in shock)
Interesting . . . that reminds me of a song I've been playing lately about James Taylor's sister passing away on his birthday.
quote:
They brought her back on a Friday night, same day I was born. We sent her up the smokestack, yes, and back into the storm. She blew up over the San Juan Mountains, she spent herself at last. The threat of heavy weather, that was what she knew best.
Good call on Kris. One of my first LP's was his album with Rita Coolidge. Didn't see "Jesse Younger" on the playlist though. Another favorite KK song of mine.
86129squids,
Hard to beat "some" music soundtracks. How many here wore out several LPs of the movie "Easyriders"? Had it on 8-track and cassette too. Christ I'm getting old.
music has been messing with my head for the last few months. been pretty down in the dumps with life and seems like music can be playing all day but the main songs my ears catch are sad songs. or stuff that seems to relate to my situation right now. then there are those songs that make you think of some great times in your life you cant seem to figure out how to get back to, and it only makes things suck even worse now. ugh.
in the car or with my ipod on the bike ive been doing ALOT of station/song flipping. trying to keep the songs up beat or just plain fast paced. and crank up the volume until i can barely think lol. hey atleast it can almost drown out those voices in my head
SHEESH! Missed your ref to Bela Fleck. I have his "Bluegrass Sessions" CD. Awesome!
Complete switch of grooves... been a fan of Ruthie Foster for some time. Great folk artist with a gospel twist and sometimes a jazz twist. She has a song called "Lost In The City". If you ever get bored download a bunch of Court's NYC photos taken at night, set them up in a slide show and listen to Ruthie's song. Enjoy!
This is one of her other songs called "Runaway Soul". The girl has got some gospel roots!
No rice- I listened heavily to Chick Corea when my dad died 20 years ago- some of the most intense and challenging music to listen to, very powerful. No lyrics, just leave the words and thoughts behind and LISTEN. (reference "Eye of the Beholder".) This also applies to the "acoustic planet" disc from Bela Fleck. Also, the Herbie Hancock disc mentioned above- GREAT stuff.
What you're describing is the subconscious effect lyrics can have. Good blues can blur the lines of first/third person POV and either hurt or help. Same for country, etc. Music that stands on its own without the human voice is very worthwhile listening. Detaches you from linguistic thought, drawing you towards the lyrics of melody, which is much more soothing.
No_rice - I've been in the same boat for a long time. I've found the volume has little to do with it, but actually playing those songs with my band is what really brings my spirits up. The bike and the band are the only two times when I can really let go and forget about all the sh!t for a little bit and just live.
Just listened to "One of Them Days" by Brendon James Wright- I recommend you buy a copy of his CD.
Also- Robert Earl Keen, "Feelin Good Again". There are great songs out there to lift you up, just gotta find them.
Go waste an afternoon in an independent/used music store, spend some $$$, check it all out. Despite the endless availability of music online, a real live store is where it's at. Bonus for the other cool peeps and hot chicks...
Damn son, you weren't depressed when you wrote yer profile-
"wide open till you see god, when you do see god, count to three THEN brake(you know why? cause brakes are for pussies, but it's better than running over god isn't it?)"
ROFLMAO just moistened myself.
"Born Free' is the next BJW&theWrongs track- THAT is for you.