Best Ever Albums

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Boltzmann — Thu, 5 Apr 2018 10:08:26 GMT

Author: Boltzmann

Posted: 04/05/2018 14:08

Funny enough I sometimes experience the complete opposite: when I hear music I don’t like, I try to amend it by tapping and stuff. But Armstrong probably didn’t mean it literally. With that in mind I totally agree: the least requirement for music is rhythm. I would add the total amount of movement is an indication of how much you enjoy the music... but that doesn’t really sound like a good quote.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

PurpleHazel — Thu, 5 Apr 2018 05:40:35 GMT

Author: PurpleHazel

Posted: 04/05/2018 09:40

Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:

Well, we should probably take that quote within the context of when it was said. I know that Louis only lived until 1971, so even if he said it then, I'd probably have to agree.

This is the key point. Even if the quote was from an interview in the TV age, we can assume Louie favored swing, New Orleans jazz and city blues; he famously didn't like be-bop.

The disco era was when some dance music gave up trying to be good all-around music. Though there's quite a bit of good disco, the beat itself was less interesting than funk's (supposedly easier for white people to dance to) and you had disco like Silver Convention that wasn't trying to be anything much more than a danceable beat. In the 80s and beyond, when drum machines and synthesizers became prevalent, the divide between utilitarian dance music and music that made an effort to be good only increased.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

rkm — Thu, 5 Apr 2018 00:12:00 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 04/05/2018 04:12

Cool doco, btw.

Lots of other cool quotes to come. There’s one where Gerard Early (I think that was his name) is talking about Billie Holiday or Miles Davis, and says something about how all the best jazz has a feeling of loneliness about it.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

rkm — Thu, 5 Apr 2018 00:03:50 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 04/05/2018 04:03

Cerebral music (like prog)
Emotional music (well, there’s lots)
Physical music (like funk, or things that make you tap your foot)

Music appeals on these levels, to varying degrees...

I probably dislike any music that is purely one of those things...

The best music has all three, just like a well-integrated human being.

Afterthought:
Some humans distrust one of these. As if the cerebral were the enemy of the spiritual, the emotional were the enemy of the intellectual, and the physical the realm of base desires. Perhaps this explains music taste: that we dislike music that emphasises the thing in ourselves that we trust the least.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

RoundTheBend — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 21:19:31 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 04/05/2018 01:19

I have a friend who calls movies documentaries and documentaries movies.

I like Ken Burns, but there are limitations and oversimplifications in documentaries.

The context was an interview and literally the clip (now paraphrasing because I watched it last night) was an interview of Armstrong saying:

Well, there's good music and there's bad music. Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music.

It was amongst a time in the doc when it was talking about his influence from Joe King Oliver... so not really a great context. Maybe a bit about how they mixed jazz with ragtime...

So right... the bit wasn't really Armstrong giving his dissertation on how to review music from beginning to end. Just thought you guys might like that single attribute he highlighted/wanted to discuss it.

I will say this, I tap my foot (although lightly) at classical concerts, to rock concerts, to jazz concerts... sometimes it's harder or neigh impossible to tap your foot to more experimental music...

And I'd have to say out of all the music I love, I can indeed tap my foot to it.

But I also don't think he was saying that is the only qualifier as many of you have pointed out... there's plenty of shit music you technically can tap your foot to it... perhaps the key is... do you want to tap your foot to it?

Also - I think what he meant by tapping your foot, is it gets your mojo workin' - it moves from your brain to your soul and that indeed is a fantastic definition of good music.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Luigii — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 17:52:54 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 04/04/2018 21:52

YoungPunk wrote:

@Luigi

Well, my understanding (from youtube) is that the DJ plays a song like "Dancing Queen", then there is a cool interlude, then he plays something like "More, More, More", I think... And they do that for the whole party, I'll have to ask my Dad...

I could see that. Then again I do remember on Janelle Monae's Electric Lady had stuff like that.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

YoungPunk — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 17:24:08 GMT

Author: YoungPunk

Posted: 04/04/2018 21:24

@Luigi

Well, my understanding (from youtube) is that the DJ plays a song like "Dancing Queen", then there is a cool interlude, then he plays something like "More, More, More", I think... And they do that for the whole party, I'll have to ask my Dad...

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

AAL2014 — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 17:11:16 GMT

Author: AAL2014

Posted: 04/04/2018 21:11

YoungPunk wrote:

Anyways a famous musician saying it completely validates this point.

Well, I think it gives it a bit more validation but doesn't by virtue make it true.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Luigii — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 16:37:39 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 04/04/2018 20:37

YoungPunk wrote:

But the disco interludes rock! :)

Wait when did a disco interlude occur? I curious right now.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

YoungPunk — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 16:32:20 GMT

Author: YoungPunk

Posted: 04/04/2018 20:32

Luigii wrote:

There are good disco albums. It's just I prefer artist that revolved around the funk era. And don't worry about not liking a lot of disco. It happens.

But the disco interludes rock! 😄

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Luigii — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 14:28:16 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 04/04/2018 18:28

YoungPunk wrote:

Hmm.. maybe not, I am not a big fan of disco music, what a paradox...

There are good disco albums. It's just I prefer artist that revolved around the funk era. And don't worry about not liking a lot of disco. It happens.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

YoungPunk — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 14:12:52 GMT

Author: YoungPunk

Posted: 04/04/2018 18:12

Hmm.. maybe not, I am not a big fan of disco music, what a paradox...

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

YoungPunk — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 14:07:09 GMT

Author: YoungPunk

Posted: 04/04/2018 18:07

As someone who went to parties when the dance era was starting (do people still party?) I agree with Louis Armstrong 100%. It was hard to find a party you could be part of in those days but I never once left a party because of bad music, although maybe it was because I was so drunk?

Anyways a famous musician saying it completely validates this point.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

AAL2014 — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 12:56:03 GMT

Author: AAL2014

Posted: 04/04/2018 16:56

Although I get what Armstrong was saying here, and let's be honest him saying it alone gives it more validity, it's definitely a blanketed statement.

I play the drums and for the past couple years pop/classic rock/top 40 gigs have been common for me around my area. Most of the songs I'm playing at these gigs aren't necessarily from my go to artists, some songs I've just never liked. But specifically as the drummer my job is to keep time and play in the pocket to the point that the audience can feel it too. When people dance or just tap their toe at these gigs I don't necessarily think of it as them saying "Hey, what a great song", as much as it's them probably giving into the alcohol and being affected by the sound coming at them enough to start moving to it.

Of course this is just one example. Music at the end of the day is art, an auditory painting spread out through a certain amount of time and can be perceived anyway the listener chooses to interpret it. I can't often tap my toe to Napalm Death's most recent album, but I like it.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Tha1ChiefRocka — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 12:14:37 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 04/04/2018 16:14

I can tap my foot to this, but I wouldn't call it good.

Link

It's all about that Allegro tempo though. I looked it up, this song is right in the sweet spot, 136 BPM. Allegro is between 120 BPM and 156 BPM.

For slower tapping the Andante tempo, which is 76 to 108 BPM, is near walking pace, so songs in that range would be easy to tap to as well.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Luigii — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 12:01:29 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 04/04/2018 16:01

Michael1981 wrote:

True. There is definitely a time and place for that kind of break down.

But when I listen to music I want to feel things physically (as well as intellectually and emotionally). I don't want to lose that physical experience by becoming so in awe of the way that things are constructed (or in awe of the musicians themselves).

It would be like never laughing at jokes because I'm too busy trying to figure out how they were thought up. But then praising the comedian for being so clever.

I would agree on the joke parallel. However, when I am in awe within a music sense I would argue that it is when the artist won the highest grade from me as an individual. Though I do understand the plight of just going with the flow on the first round of listening to a piece of music. Until you or anyone else gets at least three to five listens on a regular listening journey, then as an individual can go into heavy detail on an album.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Anonymous — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 11:54:38 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/04/2018 15:54

Luigii wrote:

I do agree that if a piece of music makes you move, if would hold a personal feeling to you as an individual. But I also do agree that critics need to put descriptors on how the groove and song is built.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Luigii — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 10:55:43 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 04/04/2018 14:55

bobbyb5 wrote:

As someone listens to a fuck-ton of dance music, I can tell you that's not true. An awful lot of it that you can tap your foot to, not to mention dance to, is not good music. You can definitely tap your foot to it but a huge amount of it is horrible. Of course this is true of any kind of music I guess. Rock, jazz or anything else I suppose. I know what Louis Armstrong meant by that though. If you can tap your foot to it, it makes it even better.

I know what you are referring to. But to me "bad" dance music doesn't even get a positive reaction from me. It's either being bored out of my mind or just leaving the area.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Luigii — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 10:39:40 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 04/04/2018 14:39

Michael1981 wrote:

I like the idea that good music evokes a physical response. This is much overlooked in music criticism which I think is often a bit too intellectual. How often does a critic say-this album really makes me want to boogie? Not enough!

I do agree that if a piece of music makes you move, it would hold a personal feeling to you as an individual. But I also do agree that critics need to put descriptors on how the groove and song is built.

Re: "Anything you can tap your foot to, is good music."

Anonymous — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 07:55:15 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/04/2018 11:55

I like the idea that good music evokes a physical response. This is much overlooked in music criticism which I think is often a bit too intellectual. How often does a critic say-this album really makes me want to boogie? Not enough!