Hot Take/ Musical Confession Thread!

A great example of a swung rhythm is to no one’s surprise is in Doin’ it Death by James Brown.

That bass line divides the measure by 2 sections. The quick three notes on the 1 and the long note starting on the 2. Repeated for 3 and 4 of the measure.

The guitar comping is just a mess of on and off beat playing. It’s almost a clave.

Drummer swings the 8ths and keeps is steady on 2 and 4. I think I hear a pickup note on the bass drum just before the 2 and 4. But I’m listing on my phone.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
I have a friend who’s a drummer, well.. more of an acquaintance than friend really but he is classically trained drummer (went to Berkeley School for Music) and his favorite drummer of all time is Sting’s solo drummer; like not Stewart Copeland from the Police but the dude that drummed on Ten Sommoner’s Tales and Brand New Day. Just for context, I am 40 and this guy is about a decade younger than me. He would list off his rational for why and also list off all the stuff that the guy had been involved with (and he was very accomplished) but at that point I realized that we come from very different place when it comes to our appreciation of music. Which is fine, but I realized I would definitely need to take his opinions on such matters with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...

I love Stewart and the police are a good example of stretching rhythm. I suspect that your guy likes the odd time signatures found in Stings solo work. 5 or 7 beats per measure rather that 4 and 6.

Honestly there are probably better drummers on this board that could speak about all this stuff.
 
Dtknuckles said:
I love Stewart and the police are a good example of stretching rhythm. I suspect that your guy likes the odd time signatures found in Stings solo work. 5 or 7 beats per measure rather that 4 and 6.

Honestly there are probably better drummers on this board that could speak about all this stuff.
Click to expand...
I am not musically inclined so most of that deep dive stuff is well over my head. That being said I love listening to two artists/experts get together and discuss their craft/expertise. I find that enthralling even though I don’t understand much of it.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
I am not musically inclined so most of that deep dive stuff is well over my head. That being said I love listening to two artists/experts get together and discuss their craft/expertise. I find that enthralling even though I don’t understand much of it.
Click to expand...


I’ve always maintained that people that listen to music know a lot more than they think. They just don’t have the words to express what they know.
 
it would simply get boring listing all the interesting drummers in rock, they're obviously there.

but the more I step back and simply look at it objectively it's really not a super hot take. the rhythm in your run of the mill rock band can't compare with afro rhythm, latin rhythm, etc...

if you simply look at the dancing involved with different rhythms, rock music offers the least stunning and intricate dancing. at best it's fodder for a stripper pole... how's that for a hot take?!?
 
Tillman said:
it would simply get boring listing all the interesting drummers in rock, they're obviously there.

but the more I step back and simply look at it objectively it's really not a super hot take. the rhythm in your run of the mill rock band can't compare with afro rhythm, latin rhythm, etc...

if you simply look at the dancing involved with different rhythms, rock music offers the least stunning and intricate dancing. at best it's fodder for a stripper pole... how's that for a hot take?!?
Click to expand...

This just made me think if the video for Rag Doll by Aerosmith. I have a vague remembrance that it was about a stripper.

Edit: maybe rediscovering Areosmith isn't the best thing to do at work when you work at a middle school.
 
Ok, here’s one that I find myself thinking but find rather trite and consider odious when someone else says it: it’s really disappointing when a musician pivots from artist to celebrity. This is a slippery concept, and is totally subjective, but the example I’ll posit here is Moses Sumney.

Aromanticism is such an amazing artistic statement, easily one of the best sounding albums in my collection. Recently though, he’s really pivoted towards the fashion world. He’s gone from this sensitive oddball who thrifts his outfits to a stoic hottie sporting labels and getting seen at fashion week events. His latest album was fine, but felt so impersonal to me.

I think this used to be a more mainstream take, but in the 21st century, where it’s hard to make art pay off, and when you see your favorite artist or their song in a commercial, the thought is “good for you, get that paper.” But it feels like more than that, like you can detect the shift from “artist” to “celebrity.”

This can be summed up as “when I stop liking their music, they’ve sold out,” I suppose. I can feel how wrong I am, how not-my-business it is where someone chooses to focus their interests. But it does seem like certain artists put the music on cruise control as they focus on image.
 
Bull Shannon said:
Ok, here’s one that I find myself thinking but find rather trite and consider odious when someone else says it: it’s really disappointing when a musician pivots from artist to celebrity. This is a slippery concept, and is totally subjective, but the example I’ll posit here is Moses Sumney.

Aromanticism is such an amazing artistic statement, easily one of the best sounding albums in my collection. Recently though, he’s really pivoted towards the fashion world. He’s gone from this sensitive oddball who thrifts his outfits to a stoic hottie sporting labels and getting seen at fashion week events. His latest album was fine, but felt so impersonal to me.

I think this used to be a more mainstream take, but in the 21st century, where it’s hard to make art pay off, and when you see your favorite artist or their song in a commercial, the thought is “good for you, get that paper.” But it feels like more than that, like you can detect the shift from “artist” to “celebrity.”

This can be summed up as “when I stop liking their music, they’ve sold out,” I suppose. I can feel how wrong I am, how not-my-business it is where someone chooses to focus their interests. But it does seem like certain artists put the music on cruise control as they focus on image.
Click to expand...
I’ll be honest I did not give much attention past Aromanticism, but yea his IG feed is more about what fashion event he is at or participating in. IDK why the high fashion world latched on to him and why it appealed to him.

Wow I did not know this guy grew up in San Bernardino. He has come a long way. It must be strange to try to relate to these two very different worlds.
 
Dtknuckles said:
I’ll be honest I did not give much attention past Aromanticism, but yea his IG feed is more about what fashion event he is at or participating in. IDK why the high fashion world latched on to him and why it appealed to him.

Wow I did not know this guy grew up in San Bernardino. He has come a long way. It must be strange to try to relate to these two very different worlds.
Click to expand...
Right?! I should be happy for him. But because his path doesn’t align with my expectations, my reaction is “what a waste.”

Unless enough other people say “yeah, Moses fell off.” Then suddenly it’s fact. 🙃
 
Bull Shannon said:
Right?! I should be happy for him. But because his path doesn’t align with my expectations, my reaction is “what a waste.”

Unless enough other people say “yeah, Moses fell off.” Then suddenly it’s fact. 🙃
Click to expand...

Maybe he was always interested in high fashion. It just wasn’t evident in his early career. Maybe it’s just where he found acceptance (commercial and personal). I get it though, we liked him for his music so when he doesn’t focus on that we get disappointed.
 
Dtknuckles said:
This may not spark much heat on hear, but I find Rock rhythmically boring.
Click to expand...
This is how I feel about 70s rock generally, especially bands like Fleetwood Mac. But it’s not just rhythmically boring, there are no melodies, no harmonies, nothing adventurous at all. It’s like after Simon and Garfunkel broke up, all these bands decided that even the gentlest of grooves and interesting songs were to blame and decided to churn out an endless stream of music that’s the sonic equivalent of unsalted, unbuttered mashed potatoes. It’s all so predictable and forgettable. There are a few exceptions (Queen, Stevie Wonder, Stones, Bowie, some Led Zeppelin) but generally it all just puts me to sleep. Even those exceptions seem to lack the urgency and edginess of even relatively conventional bands like the Mamas and the Papas or Herman’s Hermits. I know people hold up the 70s as the pinnacle of great music, but I just don’t hear it.
 
And another thing, I feel like many of the artists that I find annoyingly bland more recently cite 70s music as their inspiration.

www.varsity.co.uk

James Blunt: ‘I am essentially a man known for one song’

Sam Brown sits down with national treasure, James Blunt, to discuss Elton John, Twitter zingers, and hungover Lebanese gigs after his visit to the Union
www.varsity.co.uk www.varsity.co.uk

“While Blunt did not have a clear idea about what music he was going to produce when young, he slowly gravitated towards the sound of the 70s as he matured. “From Elton John, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, and bands like Fleetwood Mac – that was an amazing era of creativity, and a big source of inspiration for me.”
 
Ericj32 said:
I mean, they’re no Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin, or Four Tops. And most of my favorite Stevie Wonder and Stones songs are from the 60s.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they were great too.
Ericj32 said:
And another thing, I feel like many of the artists that I find annoyingly bland more recently cite 70s music as their inspiration.

www.varsity.co.uk

James Blunt: ‘I am essentially a man known for one song’

Sam Brown sits down with national treasure, James Blunt, to discuss Elton John, Twitter zingers, and hungover Lebanese gigs after his visit to the Union
www.varsity.co.uk www.varsity.co.uk

“While Blunt did not have a clear idea about what music he was going to produce when young, he slowly gravitated towards the sound of the 70s as he matured. “From Elton John, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, and bands like Fleetwood Mac – that was an amazing era of creativity, and a big source of inspiration for me.”
Click to expand...
Don’t blame Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen for James Blunt.

I am sure lots of bands you like were probably influenced by 70s Rock too. It’s a highly influential period
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top