Hello all! I have now had my BEA account for ten years, and while I regularly visit these forums and read a fair amount of what you folks post, I've never been much of an active participant. Mostly I just post in the "What album are you listening to right now?" thread whenever I drop by. But you seem like some pretty cool people, if your commitment to the discussion of all things music is any indicator. Pat yourselves on the back.
And that brings me to the purpose of this 'diary', with which I intend to accomplish 3 things:
1. Get to know this community better and, dare I say, even become a part of it.
2. Discover new music, and revisit music I may have written off prematurely (most of the music I now love took many listens to grow on me).
3. Become better at articulating my thoughts on the merits and flaws of music (and art generally).
Number three is the big one and the primary reason for doing this at all. I've never felt totally comfortable discussing my taste in art (music included). I just don't seem to have the vocabulary for it. I'm happy to list off what I like for anyone who's interested, but I'm at a complete loss when asked why I like it. I just do, and that's that. There's not much if any reasoning behind it; it's all feeling. I don't think that's a problem, necessarily, but I do think I could at the very least improve my ability to communicate those feelings to others and make some sort of a case for why I like what I do. Who knows, maybe it could even open up new ways for me to enjoy art.
So here's the plan. Anyone who wants to participate, just say so and I'll add your name to this list:
AfterHours
Tilly
Tha1ChiefRocka
Tap
babyBlueSedan
Mercury
dihansse
Luigii
Then we'll do the following:
A. Whoever is at the top of the list, you get to pick an album you love and want to discuss, or I can pick an album from your chart if you don't want to choose. It can be something you love and I hate, something we both love--anything at all, as long as you love it and are prepared to defend your love of it. If you let me choose, I'll prioritize albums toward the top of your list that I don't 'get' or simply haven't heard.
B. I'll give the album a listen, and then we'll discuss it. What's good about it? What's not so good? Where does it fit into the context of music history? Anything relevant. And I'm not afraid to dig deep. If a particular discussion point requires familiarity with some obscure corner of the music world that I haven't visited yet, I'll do the necessary homework. As long as you can tell me what that homework is. I expect to listen to the chosen album a minimum of three times over the course of our conversation; I want to give it a real shot. Anyone who's interested in the discussion is encouraged to participate. I want to get to know all of you, and I want all of your perspectives.
C. Once we've taken the discussion as far as it will go, the person at the top of the list gets bumped down to the bottom (if they still want to be on the list, that is), and we start over at A with whoever's next.
This is an experiment. I don't know how long these conversations will last, or if this thread can sustain my interest (or anyone else's) over the long-term, or if anyone else is even interested at all, but I figured I'd throw it out there and see if I get any takers.
Last edited by Rhyner on 11/16/2017 17:35; edited 4 times in total
I'd be down to get in on this, looks like I'll have a bit of time to think but I'll try to think of something cool for this edit: rn I'm thinking D.I. Go Pop by Disco Inferno, looking at yr chart I think this is some good rock incorporating electronic stuff that we can get a good chat going on
Awesome! It's cool to see so many responses so quickly. I've added all four of you to the list.
AfterHours, it looks like you're first. Would you like to pick an album yourself or should I select one from your chart?
Feel free to pick a Rock/Jazz album from my charts, or Classical work (links to which are included on my replies, and can be found in this same Music Diaries forum) _________________ Best Classical Best Films Best Paintings
I'd be down to get in on this, looks like I'll have a bit of time to think but I'll try to think of something cool for this edit: rn I'm thinking D.I. Go Pop by Disco Inferno, looking at yr chart I think this is some good rock incorporating electronic stuff that we can get a good chat going on
Feel free to pick a Rock/Jazz album from my charts, or Classical work (links to which are included on my replies, and can be found in this same Music Diaries forum)
Let's start with your Rock/Jazz chart.
Okay, just looking at your top 10 now... I see there's only one album I've never listened to, and it's Unit Structures by Cecil Taylor. So I could pick that to hear something new.
On the other hand, there are a few albums I've already heard that I don't particularly care for, and it could be interesting to talk about those and see if I can change my mind about them. Trout Mask Replica grabs my eye the most in that regard. Very little about that album holds any kind of appeal to me.
And then there's The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, which I adore. It could be fun to dive into that one, seeing as how we both think it's great. But I said I would prioritize stuff I'm not familiar with or don't understand, so I'll choose one of the other two.
Trout Mask Replica is higher on your chart. Let's go with that.
I'll go ahead and listen to it again, but here are my thoughts as they stand right now.
This album does not go down easy. Given only a surface listen, it's a cacophonous mess. I think we can agree on that. The question is whether something worthwhile is buried underneath a merely superficial ugliness, or if it's just ugly to the core.
Trout Mask Replica crops up regularly in best-of-all-time album lists. This fact, combined with its bizarre album art and the even more bizarre music within definitely lends it significant allure. What in the world is this curious artifact? Why is it so loved when it seemingly tries so hard to be unlovable? This album seems almost like a gateway to a higher level of music appreciation. If only I can learn to see what is good in this monstrosity, I have a chance of joining the club of the truly musically enlightened.
Okay, I doubt anyone actually thinks that, but that strange allure is definitely there. Because of it I've listened to the entire album several times, and it has not clicked for me yet. I do admit it has its enjoyable moments, but they're brief and infrequent. For instance, I like the opening line: "My smile is stuck. I cannot go back to your frownland." But the music that goes with it is just...not good. And the subsequent lyrics are not as clever or fun, and they're delivered in an odd manner that seems at odds with their content. In fact the entire album feels at odds with itself in this way, and it doesn't add up to anything of merit, for me personally. I do kind of like 'Sugar 'n Spikes', but I think I overall dislike (or at best have a neutral opinion of) every other song on the album.
I haven't given up on it yet, though! Convince me I'm wrong. Why do you have it at number two on your overall Rock/Jazz list (tenth greatest work of art of all time on your all-inclusive list), AfterHours? And anyone else who sees merit in Trout Mask Replica, what exactly is it you're seeing that I'm not? As I said in the original post, I'm willing to do homework. Is there something I should read, watch, or listen to that will put it in perspective? Any and all thoughts are welcome.
Meanwhile, I'll give it another listen and report back with any additional thoughts.
Oh hey, I don't exactly like Trout Mask Replica but I respect it and will try to add a bit on that perspective. But one thing that I can add here now, I haven't actually watched this yet but I will before posting next, but I've heard this is quite good. An in-depth, 30 minute analysis of the opening track, Frownland.
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