The Clown's pretentious music thread. (music that only really smart people like)
- Thread starter HymanKaplan
- Start date
This is one of the most insane and strangest concept albums I've ever come across. I really can't think of another album quite like it.
The plot is up to a lot of interpretation, but on the surface it's about a Puerto Rican ex-gang member in NYC that has some sort surreal, dream-like Alice in Wonderland type journey to the underworld with themes of sexuality, redemption, finding real meaning to your life, and a bunch of other crazy shit. Is it real? Is the character in a coma? Does he die? It's.... out there man.
Plus, here's a pretty fantastic writeup from The New Yorker on the writing of the album if you're bored:
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-ulysses-of-concept-albums
The plot is up to a lot of interpretation, but on the surface it's about a Puerto Rican ex-gang member in NYC that has some sort surreal, dream-like Alice in Wonderland type journey to the underworld with themes of sexuality, redemption, finding real meaning to your life, and a bunch of other crazy shit. Is it real? Is the character in a coma? Does he die? It's.... out there man.
Plus, here's a pretty fantastic writeup from The New Yorker on the writing of the album if you're bored:
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-ulysses-of-concept-albums
There will probably never be another venue like the original Dame. Both the music and the vibe were always great there. The Burl is close, but just not the same.
Yes, Brian Auger is a cool dude and great storyteller. There are other youtube interviews with him that are FUN to listen to.
Also, here’s one of many by Leslie West … this one is his cool story about meeting and jamming with Hendrix. West was a cool dude, too. I am sorry he’s gone.
Here’s “Never in my Life” with the killer riff that West said Hendrix really dug. It’s a great riff and I thought about posting it in the Opening Rift thread. I’ve always loved the song and the riff. I was lucky to see West and Mountain play it at The Palace in Louisville, as they co-headlined with Deep Purple.
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Here are three (3) full albums … special, I think:
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Not gonna lie, the entire instrumentals of this game relax me.
You know what one of my favorite video game songs was/is? The song that plays during Rainbow Road on Mario Kart 64
See...you went against your own rules, and in the same breath, admitted you're truly clueless. His song writing has no peers, and if you would actually listen, you would understand. Instead, just stay in your box of weird music that doesn't take a 6 yr old mind to understand.....it's just weird music.
I expected better, instead, you admitted you're nothing more than a novice. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
There is the Michael Jackson/Stevie/Steve Winwood vibe in their music, but you should have led with the Spyro Gyra riffs if pretension was what you were seeking.
Something my kid turned me on to. At times it sounds like two people playing two different songs, and other times ...
The world would have been better off if your dad had just jerked off on a rock for the ants to eat.
“His song writing has no peers”
This is fantastic lol
This is fantastic lol
Song writing breakdown for THE BO$$ - Jungleland
Beneath the city two hearts beat, soul engines running through a night so tender - beneath the city. So, in the sewers?
In a bedroom locked, in whispers of soft refusal and then surrender - Uhhhhh, rape?
In the tunnels uptown, the Rat's own dream guns him down as shots echo down them hallways in the night - hallways in a tunnel. Sure. Why not?
Nobody's watching when the ambulance pulls away or when the girl shuts out her bedroom light - What? Taking the dead guy away in an ambulance?
Peerless.
Beneath the city two hearts beat, soul engines running through a night so tender - beneath the city. So, in the sewers?
In a bedroom locked, in whispers of soft refusal and then surrender - Uhhhhh, rape?
In the tunnels uptown, the Rat's own dream guns him down as shots echo down them hallways in the night - hallways in a tunnel. Sure. Why not?
Nobody's watching when the ambulance pulls away or when the girl shuts out her bedroom light - What? Taking the dead guy away in an ambulance?
Peerless.
Clap your hands everybody, and every bodyclap your hands.
If you all keep propping the service door open, then he's going to keep making his way back in. Rules have reasons people, and if you can't follow them, well...
Mark, the PRIMARY requirement for this thread, is that the artist hasn't enjoyed huge commercial success. If you want to listen to an endless litany of retread Pete Seeger mope folk songs, set to a quicker beat, and a horn section, that are penned by a NJ simpleton, have at it, but this thread isn't the place to do it. Take it to Applebees, or the Merrick Inn.
I don't think Springsteen's music has ever been pretentious. HOWEVER, he was critically acclaimed like no other artist in the 70's and this was before he had huge commercial success. So the Fazoli's comment - as if Springsteen was Foreigner or Reo Speedwagon o - doesn't fit.
I also think there is a difference between "pretentious" music and "music that only smart people like". Pretentious music could include (as someone mentioned) the worst and most bombastic prog rock like ELP. This was music that was hugely popular and entertained arenas full of middle American kids stoned out of their gourds.
That is totally different from truly "intellectual" music like Zappa or Beefheart or krautrock/art rock stuff from the 70s.
I also think there is a difference between "pretentious" music and "music that only smart people like". Pretentious music could include (as someone mentioned) the worst and most bombastic prog rock like ELP. This was music that was hugely popular and entertained arenas full of middle American kids stoned out of their gourds.
That is totally different from truly "intellectual" music like Zappa or Beefheart or krautrock/art rock stuff from the 70s.
Springsteen is a great songwriter and stage performer. Acoustically, his voice is terrible and grating while his style is cheesy and pretentious.
You know, you've popped up on the radar a lot lately. and the similarities between you and Mark are uncanny. And, up to this point, I've let it go. But just like UKO, you're missing the primary GD ****ing point of this thread. And no, Springsteens music isn't pretentious, it's just stupid, and formulaic dreck. It's a dime store novel series.
And, if that is your thing, fine, . But it is massively popular with probably huge numbers of records sold, which, if you and Mark had bothered to understand the point of this thread, which is partially to poke fun at music nerds, and partly to perhaps introduce some folks to music/bands they'd never heard of before, I wouldn't have to keep making this post. It's easy to start a Bruce Springsteen thread. Anyone can do it. I'll bet the conversation and insight will be "peerless"...
When King Tut came out, I was in HS. It got played so much that people started to get angry if someone played it on the jukebox etc.
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