The Music Video Thread II :

pumeco

@Blaze'
Welcome to the madhouse, and it's cool to hear Kettu's been promoting the thread :-P
BTW, I thought "My Dying Bride" wasn't too bad.

@Kettu
I never realised YouTube could be such a pain in the arse for finding certain music. Still haven't found exactly what I wanted you to hear, but I have some versions close enough and will post them later. Just a few more to find.

pumeco

OK Kettu, here's the track I had difficulty placing second to Impossible Dream (real difficulty).

Before you hear it, here's an explanation. Impossible Dream is a song I heard a long time ago, and like I said, when I heard it it was one of those tunes that got me whistling it for a long time. However, it's fair to say that what Honda did with it, giving it footage and adding the roar of the engines, is what really added the "goosebump factor" to it for me, because without that, it doesn't have quite same musical adrenalin to it.

This second track got placed second because, I think, the visuals aren't there, but listening to it again just now I still got goosebumps and at one point, even a spine tingle (oh yes I did, just wait until you hear it). If this song is so good without the visuals, I can only imagine what it would be like if it had the same visual treatment Honda gave to Impossible Dream ;-)

If there was such a thing as an "unfairness ratio", then you're about to experience one big-time, because fact is, this track is relatively unknown. It's actually a B-Side to yet another beautiful track. It's lucky some Japanese fan has uploaded this otherwise I wouldn't have been able to show you. Anyway, I'm babbling, so just think Matt Monro, Frank Sinatra, Joe Longthorne, all of those who have covered stunning ballads. Well, they should have covered this as well.

Now that you have the other track, I'd love to hear, in laymen's terms, what connects them. You already said something that got my attention, and I'll question it once I have the lowdown from you (which I really look forward to). You mentioned that Lara Fabian had a good vocal that was more about power, and I agree. Well, here's a vocalist who is noted for the emotion put into the work.

Goosebump time, play it at least twice and be sure to use 1080p to get as much 'air' as possible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64TFobO53N8

And for convenience of comparison, here's the previous track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHWX2YTolwQ

PS: I would also be interested to know which of the two you like best, and why.

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

Now that you have the other track, I'd love to hear, in laymen's terms, what connects them. You already said something that got my attention, and I'll question it once I have the lowdown from you (which I really look forward to). You mentioned that Lara Fabian had a good vocal that was more about power, and I agree. Well, here's a vocalist who is noted for the emotion put into the work.

Goosebump time, play it at least twice and be sure to use 1080p to get as much 'air' as possible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64TFobO53N8

And for convenience of comparison, here's the previous track:
http://vimeo.com/18992156

PS: I would also be interested to know which of the two you like best, and why.

Oh wow. This is surely an emotional performance, and the lyrics ring very true to me.

So, what do these songs have in common... Apart from the general sonic texture. I think, the way the melody moves: there's no dissonant, "harsh" steps. And then, I think I hear complex chords, like the seventh chords. Is it laymen enough? It's a major chord with an extra note on top, sounds very pretty. There's a chart I found that shows the note positions for them on the staff: http://www.thecipher.com/seventh_chords_of_major.html - try playing them on your keyboard.

And you know... this song kept me thinking involuntarily of that "Je suis malade" one. One of those songs that my friends tend to play to me. I youtube'd it, et voilà... the top result is by a certain Serge Lama (and then there's Lara Fabian, I think it's either her or Dalida's version my friends like to put on... or both...). And when I googled the lyrics for "Alone" (I like looking at the whole song at once), one of the authors was listed as "S. Lama", must be the same one because this definitely sounds French, from the way the melody moves... the song is wistful, but the melody is a little "playful", if you compare it to the "Impossible Dream" which does less jumping up and down, I think. There's that certain "playfulness" in many French songs.
You also mentioned Sinatra, and "My Way" is the one both songs reminded me of - because of the seventh chords, I think... And then I remembered "My Way" was also translated from French! It's called "Comme d'habitude", but I don't remember who did it originally... If I know anything about French music, blame my friends and their obsession with French music...they call themselves "Francofolies", "French-crazies" =D

Which one I like best... Hard to say, they're both beautiful songs. I think, if we take these tracks as they are, I'd go with "Alone" because Ms Mouskouri's voice strikes a deeper chord within my heart, her delivery is very solemn and... haunting? But while I was looking for the authors of "Impossible Dream" (to see if they were by any chance French, however unlikely - and they aren't), I found a version that Elvis did. And the way Elvis sung any song is guaranteed to move me. He was by no means perfect, but had that special something... So with the Elvis version, it's a tie. I can see why you were struggling!

Elvis Presley, also known as "The King", doing "Impossible Dream", most likely live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4wTwt_D9qM

...and then I started thinking in what songs that I regularly listen to seventh chords are that prominent. Most of them are by Peter Hammill, either solo or with Van der Graaf Generator... His song are rarely "conventionally" pretty, there's a fair share of dissonant and/or unusual twists in melodies and arrangements. Here's one... If you have about twelve minutes of time. The metaphoric lyrics have that SF tinge: http://www.hammill.ru/vdgg76s.html#270 - read them before you listen but don't worry if they don't seem to make sense right away... Hammill is notorious for very unconventional lyrics.

And then, listen. Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (the majestic part that is most heavy on seventh chords first comes in at about 02:40):

http://www.progarchives.com/mp3.asp?id=166

Oh yeah, VdGG is a British band, too =)

pumeco

... and I've forgotten to answer questions again :-P

Mustakettu85 said:

I'm sorry, I've just seen the post!! Must have been some forum notification glitch...
Same here, haven't been getting notifications for hardly anything lately.

Mustakettu85 said:

The song is very pretty and has wonderful lyrics with a lovely spiritual message. I've never heard it before - who did it, BTW?

I can only go by the Wiki which states Mitch Leigh is the composer and lyrics are by Joe Darion. The guy you see on the video isn't actually singing, he's just miming. The person you hear singing is Andy Williams.

...but I've seen the lyrics quoted here and there. And even though I've never heard it, it has that "instant familiarity" that is considered to form the basis of a "classic hit" - the chord progression is pleasantly recognisable yet is not really some tried and true I-IV-V, and the melody moves mostly in consonant intervals. It seems seventh chords are very important for the arrangement - I tend to think of them as "high fashion" because they're used in many classic pop or jazz hits. Do you like jazz?I'll leave the chord thing for when I've heard your thoughts on the other song, but as for Jazz, yes, I do like Jazz but again it's a bit like with classical music, I'm just an absolute prick when it comes to knowing who did what.

I'm still looking for some tracks and among them you'll notice Jazz, or at least a feel of Jazz makes it's way into a lot of them, and funny enough, I read that the guy who composed Impossible Dream was also a Jazz musician - so there's definitely something "Jazz" in the stuff I like.

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

You probably know what I'm going to say before I even say it; I thought the best one was "Energize Me". It's not what I'd listen to but I thought it was better than the others in that list.

Well yeah, I did have a feeling you were going to choose it =)

Look... there's this band, Epica. I dislike them for many reasons, but there's one track I can't get over. It's just soo damn simple - when I play it, I usually just play power chords... but I love the bold leaps in the melody, and, well, I guess the fact that it's acoustic. Take a listen - even if you don't like it, you'll at least see a pretty Dutch girl in the video... //actually this is an After Forever spinoff, and I'm happy the guy went to form this Epica because early After Forever was almost as boring as Epica is//

Epica - Solitary Ground:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb17Yc1a8lE

And just for the heck of it: one of the early After Forever songs I like, "Emphasis" - the melody is interesting, but the guitar/keyboard riffs put me to sleep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sHjB5aHgo - the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56WYlHS6Vq8 - a better quality audio upload

pumeco said:

TATU almost always released in both Russian and English. You need two albums to get both languages, but at least there's a choice. Some are better in English, some are better in Russian.

Could you please post some of your favourites? I've only heard "Not gonna get us" in English, and, as I said, nothing apart from the singles.

pumeco said:

Again, thanks for the kind words, you just made my head swell!

You're welcome, and it's okay if your head swells unless it prevents you from wearing a Gary Cooper hat! =)

pumeco said:

I'm ashamed I know so little about who's who with the classical composers, especially, as I said, I do respect the music.

That's OK. We can always play this "do you like it" game =)

And then there's that French site www.deezer.com - it has two "radio stations", "Classique Vocal" and "Classique Instrumental". It might be tricky to find them, though - so try these links:
http://www.deezer.com/en/radio/radio-116 - vocal
http://www.deezer.com/en/radio/radio-117 - instrumental
You may need to register or login with facebook if you use it, before it lets you play the music. The cool thing is that all the info is there =)

So, a couple of my favourites... Sung by Marilyn Horne.

"Che faro senza Euridice" from Gluck's Orfeo & Euridice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bUAM0ER-Dw

"Perche turbar la calma" from Rossini's Tancredi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5omp5y9NkPA

pumeco said:

The only consolation I have is that my playing technique allows me to do things a correctly taught person probably wouldn't do, and I suppose sometimes it comes out nice and 'different'.

This made me think of Ken Hensley... The guy behind much of the early Uriah Heep stuff. I generally prefer their late 70s or (universally hated) 80s period, but it's just because I don't like David Byron, their original singer, that much... Basically he's also a self-taught keyboardist and said similar things about his playing. I think it's just as fine for non-classical music, unless "wrong" technique makes your hands tire when playing.

You must have heard this 10,000 times... but isn't it still cute... Uriah Heep - July Morning, live 1975 (more British bands!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP_y2ZG_gM4

pumeco said:

I like reading such things, it's not a rant to me, more an insight really.

Thanks =)

pumeco said:

The analogue purists aren't knocking digital, they're simply trying to get through to those new people in the industry that the "high-end" is analogue, not digital.

Well, if that is the heart of the matter, it's strange that some people don't get it... The thing is, generally within any technology, "high end" stuff is, as a rule, the stuff that costs more. And it's much the same for all aspects of a musical performance, like, the instruments. (OK some guitars ARE ridiculously overpriced for their design faults, but these are unfortunate exceptions)

The fact is that digital is only ever good if you don't want the qualities of natural audio - and I never saw the attraction in it.

And still, such people exist. Even among rock performers. At least, their stuff sounds like freaking MIDI through an old FM synth, and they don't appear to be on such a tight budget - if they have managed to get that plastic sound out of analogue gear, this must imply some outrageously perverse talent...

now you're sounding more like an analogue purist :-P

Haha, thanks, but I'm no purist - unless we're talking about artistic expression, now this is where I get zealous (or drums... LOL) I'm just a very practically minded loud-voiced singer with that type of tone that generally needs a little harmonic oomph to sound convincing on record.

And I have to ask, so does this mean you have a website for your band, somewhere we can hear you play and sing?

Thanks for asking, but... Not yet. I've been trying to get some talented people to work with me for the last ten years, but they lose interest quickly or get distracted by the "real life". I should probably gather courage and make some simple songwriting demos so that I could start searching for people to collaborate with online... But it's on the backburner as of right now (I need to remain focused on some "real life" stuff for a while). Basically, my biggest problem is that I'm a slow arranger (music programming feels very tedious to me) and not that much of a guitar player (I can't play solos). I have a keyboard, but even if I were a good keyboard player, you can't really play a guitar solo on a keyboard, the "feel" is too different.

If I ever get this off the ground or somehow sneak into a "ready-made" band, I will most likely announce it here on the forums. Though this looks to be a trademark "DAZ soon" away LOL

I'm not sure you'd like my stuff anyway, I'm heavily influenced by bands you weren't much impressed with =D

I didn't even know Russia made MP3 players, sounds like the Russians made a deal with Samsung or something.

No, no, Samsung and other Korean brands have nothing to do with it. This is a local brand that builds portable electronics using generic components like the Rockchip circuits. The quality varies from model to model, but it's still better than more popular brands because those are terribly overpriced for their similar quality lapses.

And it's great to hear you would never buy a song from iTunes, me neither, not just because of the greed, but because I prefer physical media. Some good news recently is that Vinyl sales are on the increase and the download bubble has already burst (it was only a matter of time until that happened).

I like physical media, too - mostly CDs because even if vinyl weren't that expensive, it is too fragile for me to handle. Though vinyl disks have giant sleeves that are great for artwork... But I am really grateful that people invented digital distribution because there are albums I would not be able to buy otherwise (either they can't be shipped to Russia or the delivery prices are insane). And then there's those albums that go out of print too quickly (the more obscure the band is, the harder it is to get their stuff - and I mostly like obscure bands). And there's always a matter of storage space, too =)
What saddens me is that not every digital retailer carries lossless formats or album artwork. The best thing is, of course, to buy directly from the artist, or at least from a service like cdbaby that has the best royalties, but not every band these days has this luxury... Most are still slaves to the record label.

Of course the only reason these measures have to be taken in the first place is because of the damage iTunes and other such crap has done to music retailers worldwide, and because our governments are incapable of dealing with industry and job threatening monopolies.

I actually see it a bit differently. For me, iTunes, music retailer chains and record labels are all part of the same God-awful showbiz machine that promotes "flavour of the month" instead of letting the artist grow. The whole mainstream showbiz model of today is EVIL, to me. I see the Internet as a chance for changing that, hopefully dragging the showbiz moguls down and soiling all the shiny suits of those record label executives who issue mindless orders to the A&R departments that actually maim and cripple unsuspecting young bands who are so happy to get that darned coveted record deal. And those who won't comply get their careers ruined because of one line in legalese fine print that they unwittingly had signed under.

I love sites like reverbnation and mikseri because there's a lot of unsigned talent there. And even if they don't have the budget for "big" records, I'd rather hear something less perfectly sounding but at least, faithful to the band's artistic intent.

The artist, right now, is the most disposable part of the "food chain". And this makes me very sad.

Mustakettu85

BlazeMystEra said:

Oh wow... so many great links here... I guess It'll take me a few days to sort through that, thanks Mustakettu85 for pointing me here :)

Welcome!! Yeah this is the thread to get lost in =)

BlazeMystEra said:

Somehow this thread inspired me to listen to some of my faves again... I don't really know how to categorize them... Never been good at that :) Hmm... I admit I haven't read all the sites yet and this might be linked already... but...

My Dying Bride (especially For my fallen Angel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLmspcgrYrY

One of my closer friends likes them a lot. Always think of her when I hear them =)

...why does youtube show POISON in related videos?!?! LOL

or the Wolfheart Album...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtbUPfhA18c

Ooh Moonspell... We were listening to them with schoolmates when I was about fourteen... This one and "Irreligious" too... We thought "Sin/Pecado" to be somewhat of a sell-out...

Found a superb live version of one of my favourites off "Irreligious" - with Anneke van Giersbergen guesting! \m/

Moonspell - Raven Claws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYymEGpq6Hw

And for a less "heavy menu" how's about Bands like Airbourne?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQBtVQ0TxWA

These are totally awesome!! The singer sounds like a lot of my 80s favourites rolled into one...

BlazeMystEra

Because Youtube is "awesome" like that? ;) :P

Hmm... what did I listen to at the age of 14... you know the first 'Rockband' I ever heard was Bon Jovi... and my Mother would have kicked me out had I ever bought a cassette (yes, yes, cassette...) of Bon Jovi... it was OK for my brother though, who was 5 years younger and didn't listen to music back then anyway, so... I uhm... borrowed what I gifted to him? ^^

I was about 17 when I got across Music that I would have gotten into real problem with my mother for... you know... Kiss *lol* I was such a 'Pop-Tart' My first CD though was a nice "Oldies" CD ... first time my mother and I could agree on music... the Beatles. The agreement was gone though when a friend gifted me with a Doro cassette... and from there it went uphill for me (or downhill if you ask my mother ;) )

I just remembered something I wanted to link... so I'll stand here and wait for the verbal slaps *g*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMgaTb9apSE
Because it's somehow sick *lol* to me it feels like a mixture of ... I don't know... Sailormoon, Terminator and Every Parents Nightmare ;) But somehow it just... fits.

pumeco

Thanks for that, Kettu, I appreciate it :-)

I'm preparing a link-fest for you so that I can answer the questions and provide links at the same time (a lot of stuff seems closely related to another things). I've learnt two things from what you told me, so it was definitely worth me asking. I wont get the big post done today, but in the meantime here's another favourite along the same lines as my top two, and indeed, has a sort of "My Way" about it. It's unfortunate I can't find the album version of it (which is the best version ever sung IMHO), but at least I've been able to find the artist. This is a live version sung by Joe Longthorne, someone I know through my sister being friends with his father. I've actually had his father sat in the back seat of my car, and I tell you what, watching his father navigating in and out of the back seat of a three-door MG Metro, was quite amusing - lol

Anyway, please bear in mind that he was fighting cancer when he performed this, so he's not himself, he's tired, swollen, and can hardly walk in this one. I'm pleased to say he beat it and now looks a good ten years younger than he did in this clip.

You said you like to see lyrics, so I've included them here for you to soak-up before you hear it. Bear in mind that I posted these lyrics based on the way he sings it on the album, so there are some differences. Anyway, hope you like it - I think you will.

If I Never Sing Another Song

In my heyday, young girls wrote to me
Everybody seemed to have time to devote to me
Everyone I saw, all swore they knew me
Once upon a song

Main attraction, you couldn't buy a seat
I was the celebrity celebrities would die to meet
I've had every accolade bestowed on me
And so you see ...

If I never sing another song
It wouldn't bother me
I've had my share of fame
You know my name

If I never sing another song
Or take another bow
I would get by, but I'm not sure, how

Always posing, but you love it all
Though you have to learn to act like you're above it all
Everything I did, the world applauded me
Once upon a star

Framed citations, hung on every wall
Got a scrapbook full of quotes, I can't recall them all
There was a time when I thought all the world belonged to me
And so you see ...

If I never sing another song
It wouldn't bother me
I've had my share of fame
You know my name

If I never sing another song
Or take another bow
I would get by, but I'm not sure, how

You can listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_lhHyT0Z50

.

pumeco

Mustakettu85 said:

Oh wow. This is surely an emotional performance, and the lyrics ring very true to me.

So, what do these songs have in common... Apart from the general sonic texture. I think, the way the melody moves: there's no dissonant, "harsh" steps. And then, I think I hear complex chords, like the seventh chords. Is it laymen enough? It's a major chord with an extra note on top, sounds very pretty. There's a chart I found that shows the note positions for them on the staff: http://www.thecipher.com/seventh_chords_of_major.html - try playing them on your keyboard.Right then, the sonic texture makes sense for a start. I have a thing for high-pitched strings and perfectly placed horns etc. In fact, as odd as it might sound, it's a often the sound of the horn that bring-on the goosebumps.

The chord page you linked to is just scary to me, it has those "musical dots". You were only "layman" enough for me to understand a seventh chord because thankfully, I've had this book since I got my first keyboard, and seventh chords is about as far as I got, haven't even looked at the book for years.

A very visual guide and the only way I could grasp it, at least back then:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Keyboardists-Picture-Chord-Encyclopedia-Piano/dp/0825611326/

Mustakettu85 said:

And you know... this song kept me thinking involuntarily of that "Je suis malade" one. One of those songs that my friends tend to play to me. I youtube'd it, et voilà... the top result is by a certain Serge Lama (and then there's Lara Fabian, I think it's either her or Dalida's version my friends like to put on... or both...). And when I googled the lyrics for "Alone" (I like looking at the whole song at once), one of the authors was listed as "S. Lama", must be the same one because this definitely sounds French, from the way the melody moves... the song is wistful, but the melody is a little "playful", if you compare it to the "Impossible Dream" which does less jumping up and down, I think. There's that certain "playfulness" in many French songs.
You also mentioned Sinatra, and "My Way" is the one both songs reminded me of - because of the seventh chords, I think... And then I remembered "My Way" was also translated from French! It's called "Comme d'habitude", but I don't remember who did it originally... If I know anything about French music, blame my friends and their obsession with French music...they call themselves "Francofolies", "French-crazies" =DI looked-up the Fabian track and it wasn't bad. It was a bit lacking 'flow' I think you call it, but it was definitely OK.

The most interesting thing you said there was that it "sounds French". That got my attention because years ago I used to think the same things about certain songs, but at the same time, I thought, nah, how can something sound French. On the one hand, something can sound like, for example, Japanese if it has traditional Japanese instruments in it, but remove those instruments and would it still sound Japanese? I dismissed the fact that something could sound French for the same reasons, but reading your comment there, it seems perhaps I was right, things can sound French.

Extra interesting about the French thing is that I do like a lot French music, especially French pop. Here's a track I like, she's French but sings in both English and French, and one of the main reasons I like this track (apart from it being super-catchy), is the chord sequence. It seems relatively basic, but I love this chord sequence. Is this chord sequence somehow French?

In English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z15snGzGFpo

In French:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=240S04eCCC0

Live (here purely for men's enjoyment):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6omsDyFNlk

Mustakettu85 said:

Which one I like best... Hard to say, they're both beautiful songs. I think, if we take these tracks as they are, I'd go with "Alone" because Ms Mouskouri's voice strikes a deeper chord within my heart, her delivery is very solemn and... haunting? But while I was looking for the authors of "Impossible Dream" (to see if they were by any chance French, however unlikely - and they aren't), I found a version that Elvis did. And the way Elvis sung any song is guaranteed to move me. He was by no means perfect, but had that special something... So with the Elvis version, it's a tie. I can see why you were struggling!

Elvis Presley, also known as "The King", doing "Impossible Dream", most likely live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4wTwt_D9qM

...and then I started thinking in what songs that I regularly listen to seventh chords are that prominent. Most of them are by Peter Hammill, either solo or with Van der Graaf Generator... His song are rarely "conventionally" pretty, there's a fair share of dissonant and/or unusual twists in melodies and arrangements. Here's one... If you have about twelve minutes of time. The metaphoric lyrics have that SF tinge: http://www.hammill.ru/vdgg76s.html#270 - read them before you listen but don't worry if they don't seem to make sense right away... Hammill is notorious for very unconventional lyrics.

And then, listen. Childlike Faith in Childhood's End (the majestic part that is most heavy on seventh chords first comes in at about 02:40):

http://www.progarchives.com/mp3.asp?id=166

Oh yeah, VdGG is a British band, too =)I'm just glad they both come across as beautiful songs.

Regards Mouskouri's voice, yes, definitely haunting, although I must admit I don't have any of her albums so I'm just basing that on the two songs I have of hers, the A and B side of a vinyl I got when I was a teen - it was the first time I ever asked my parents to buy me a record, so even then there was something powerful about the music to make me do that. Side A, of course, was absolutely super as you are about to hear.

Side A:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4saETJVfkfQ

Side B:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64TFobO53N8

I should point out that it was Side A that made me want it, Side B, "Alone", just happened to be the most amazing B-Side. You might even like Side A better than Side B, it has that amazing "prettyness" you speak of to it. At this point I should also point out that I'm not some soppy guy, the words to Side A meant nothing to me, I was a kid and it was only the melody that struck me.

As for Elvis singing "The Impossible Dream", you're not gonna like this, but I thought it was bloody awful. Never could stand Elvis, irritating beyond belief, always sounds as if he's putting an act on, which of course he is. VdGG, again, I thought it was bloody awful, just didn't sound musical to me. It was quite weird as well, so for me not to like something that is weird, that's really saying something :-P

Mustakettu85 said:

Well yeah, I did have a feeling you were going to choose it =)

Look... there's this band, Epica. I dislike them for many reasons, but there's one track I can't get over. It's just soo damn simple - when I play it, I usually just play power chords... but I love the bold leaps in the melody, and, well, I guess the fact that it's acoustic. Take a listen - even if you don't like it, you'll at least see a pretty Dutch girl in the video... //actually this is an After Forever spinoff, and I'm happy the guy went to form this Epica because early After Forever was almost as boring as Epica is//

Epica - Solitary Ground:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb17Yc1a8lE

And just for the heck of it: one of the early After Forever songs I like, "Emphasis" - the melody is interesting, but the guitar/keyboard riffs put me to sleep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sHjB5aHgo - the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56WYlHS6Vq8 - a better quality audio upload"Solitary Ground" sounded promising but I didn't like the vocal, whereas Emphasis, again, don't like the vocal, has that Operatic tone to it and a lot of female Opera singers irritate the crap out of me.

Mustakettu85 said:

Could you please post some of your favourites? I've only heard "Not gonna get us" in English, and, as I said, nothing apart from the singles. My favourite TATU tracks are the lesser known ones, and my absolute favourite of theirs is a track that in many ways, equals an ABBA track (even the way they filmed it appears to be a nod to ABBA profile shots). When you think "ABBA", you think quality lyrics, melody, harmony, and of course, production. If there was ever proof that TATU are more than just the publicity-seeking machine people think they were - this is that proof:

My favourite TATU track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98kgUvnbTLM

That track is what TATU were cut out to do, they're a duet and their vocal differences really work together in that track. It's a real shame they didn't do more like that. I knew from the early stuff they were going to be a big hit. People mock and mark "All The Things She Said" and "Not Gonna Get Us" as attention-seeking marketeering due to the "spin" surrounding them (which of course it was), but behind all that are unmistakably well-crafted pop music - "melodies that stick" - a TATU trademark.

As for other favourites, I prefer the later tracks because the voices aren't as high-pitched as they were in the early stuff, meaning you now get to enjoy the TATU musical flair without the ear pain :-P

White Robe - English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3bCJ-rqkMw
White Robe - Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYTO4piTi48

Sparks - English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sXkdRwCPo
Sparks - Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOcmSsBfafg

Mustakettu85 said:

You're welcome, and it's okay if your head swells unless it prevents you from wearing a Gary Cooper hat! =)I prefer my woolly hat as it allows for ample head expansion :-D

Mustakettu85 said:

That's OK. We can always play this "do you like it" game =)

And then there's that French site www.deezer.com - it has two "radio stations", "Classique Vocal" and "Classique Instrumental". It might be tricky to find them, though - so try these links:
http://www.deezer.com/en/radio/radio-116 - vocal
http://www.deezer.com/en/radio/radio-117 - instrumental
You may need to register or login with facebook if you use it, before it lets you play the music. The cool thing is that all the info is there =)

So, a couple of my favourites... Sung by Marilyn Horne.

"Che faro senza Euridice" from Gluck's Orfeo & Euridice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bUAM0ER-Dw

"Perche turbar la calma" from Rossini's Tancredi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5omp5y9NkPAAs you probably gathered due to my comment above, I like classical music but don't like the singer added. I like to hear the orchestral arrangements of classical music, and I like music that feels to be inspired by it, but I don't like singers added to classical music - it's strictly an instrument like for me.

If there's four genre's of music I cannot stand, they are Opera, Gospel, Rap, and Dub-step, yet if you mix Classical, Rap, and Dub-step in just the right amount, you end up with something really very cool indeed. I think this track is great, I really do, and I absolutely love the chord sequence.

A stroke of genius, a nice track and video ruined only by the shitty quality, low volume upload typical of VEVO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRzMtlZjXpU

This made me think of Ken Hensley... The guy behind much of the early Uriah Heep stuff. I generally prefer their late 70s or (universally hated) 80s period, but it's just because I don't like David Byron, their original singer, that much... Basically he's also a self-taught keyboardist and said similar things about his playing. I think it's just as fine for non-classical music, unless "wrong" technique makes your hands tire when playing.

You must have heard this 10,000 times... but isn't it still cute... Uriah Heep - July Morning, live 1975 (more British bands!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP_y2ZG_gM4

At last, something that had a good chord sequence and sounded musical :-)

Well, if that is the heart of the matter, it's strange that some people don't get it... The thing is, generally within any technology, "high end" stuff is, as a rule, the stuff that costs more. And it's much the same for all aspects of a musical performance, like, the instruments. (OK some guitars ARE ridiculously overpriced for their design faults, but these are unfortunate exceptions)

What nonsense, I don't know where you picked that up from (probably YouTube judging by how ridiculous it sounds), but whoever gave you the impression that "High-end" was related to price, was talking through their arse. But even if that were the case, analogue wins hands down because it is so expensive even large studios cannot afford it (which is why they're forced to use digital).

How expensive is the High-end, well, here's a little piece of high-end analogue:
http://www.ams-neve.com/products/outboard/1081-mic-preamp-equalizer

That'll be just £6,800.00 for the 3U version, and if you're feeling flush, how about the 7U at just £24,000.00. So Kettu, just promise me you wont ever say something like that when you become famous and get to hear yourself through one of those fancy analogue consoles. Of course the price is prohibitive, and there's no way on earth the cost is justified for the materials or even the labour, unless of course, you're a studio that must have the very best that money can buy. Remember that it is the purpose of the studio to capture the best it can, and with digital, no matter how good, that cannot be done because the best it can be is in analogue form, not digital.

YouTube is full of crackpots who haven't a clue what they're talking about, take no notice of them.

And still, such people exist. Even among rock performers. At least, their stuff sounds like freaking MIDI through an old FM synth, and they don't appear to be on such a tight budget - if they have managed to get that plastic sound out of analogue gear, this must imply some outrageously perverse talent...

You mentioned earlier that digital has it's place for people who want it to sound digital. To an extent I agree, there might be the odd band out there that would actually benefit from digital, but for the most part it's a false positive.

Back in the eighties, when the Fairlight CMI arrived, the technology was new and the bit-rate and resolution were moderate to say the least. But despite the fact the resolution was so low, recordings of that instrument sounded fantastic because even though the instrument was digital, it was getting recorded in analogue. It resulted in a crunchy, solid sound, where the crunch came from the low-fi digital and the solidity came from the high fidelity of analogue.

Here's an example of analogue "helping" digital, be careful not to blow your head off, analogue is stamped all over it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SRUwv781fk

That track is basically what my setup is, digital instruments that get mixed and recorded in analogue - and the result - amazing.

Haha, thanks, but I'm no purist - unless we're talking about artistic expression, now this is where I get zealous (or drums... LOL) I'm just a very practically minded loud-voiced singer with that type of tone that generally needs a little harmonic oomph to sound convincing on record.

You might not be an analogue purist, yet, but there is always hope :-P

Thanks for asking, but... Not yet. I've been trying to get some talented people to work with me for the last ten years, but they lose interest quickly or get distracted by the "real life". I should probably gather courage and make some simple songwriting demos so that I could start searching for people to collaborate with online... But it's on the backburner as of right now (I need to remain focused on some "real life" stuff for a while). Basically, my biggest problem is that I'm a slow arranger (music programming feels very tedious to me) and not that much of a guitar player (I can't play solos). I have a keyboard, but even if I were a good keyboard player, you can't really play a guitar solo on a keyboard, the "feel" is too different.

If I ever get this off the ground or somehow sneak into a "ready-made" band, I will most likely announce it here on the forums. Though this looks to be a trademark "DAZ soon" away LOL

I'm not sure you'd like my stuff anyway, I'm heavily influenced by bands you weren't much impressed with =D lol - Well as long as it doesn't result in a band sounding like Elvis' music, I wish you the best of luck ;-)

I like physical media, too - mostly CDs because even if vinyl weren't that expensive, it is too fragile for me to handle. Though vinyl disks have giant sleeves that are great for artwork... But I am really grateful that people invented digital distribution because there are albums I would not be able to buy otherwise (either they can't be shipped to Russia or the delivery prices are insane). And then there's those albums that go out of print too quickly (the more obscure the band is, the harder it is to get their stuff - and I mostly like obscure bands). And there's always a matter of storage space, too =)
What saddens me is that not every digital retailer carries lossless formats or album artwork. The best thing is, of course, to buy directly from the artist, or at least from a service like cdbaby that has the best royalties, but not every band these days has this luxury... Most are still slaves to the record label.Well said.

I actually see it a bit differently. For me, iTunes, music retailer chains and record labels are all part of the same God-awful showbiz machine that promotes "flavour of the month" instead of letting the artist grow. The whole mainstream showbiz model of today is EVIL, to me. I see the Internet as a chance for changing that, hopefully dragging the showbiz moguls down and soiling all the shiny suits of those record label executives who issue mindless orders to the A&R departments that actually maim and cripple unsuspecting young bands who are so happy to get that darned coveted record deal. And those who won't comply get their careers ruined because of one line in legalese fine print that they unwittingly had signed under.

I love sites like reverbnation and mikseri because there's a lot of unsigned talent there. And even if they don't have the budget for "big" records, I'd rather hear something less perfectly sounding but at least, faithful to the band's artistic intent.

The artist, right now, is the most disposable part of the "food chain". And this makes me very sad.Yup, they're evil, and what amuses me is that we've never had it so easy for promoting and distributing our own music. If ever I get around to recording an album, I've always said that I would use it to support the cassette community out there. It makes sense for me to do that because I'm a fan of the format and love the idea of releasing solely on cassette. It's surprising how many people do it now, it's slowly building and the really cool thing is, because you're releasing to a format that is no longer flooded, it's easier to get noticed, in fact, I'd say it's practically impossible not to get noticed in such communities. You get to hear stuff no one else would hear, releases that will never be released on digital, and earn some equipment pocket-money in the process.

It's also very cool to be releasing on cassette, I mean how many people do that. It's not for people with visions of fame, but then, people who are prepared to do stuff like that aren't really bothered about fame anyway.

pumeco

Sorry, accidentally copy/pasted Kettu's link for the favourite TATU track, edited now, here's the right one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98kgUvnbTLM

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

Thanks for that, Kettu, I appreciate it :-)
I've learnt two things from what you told me, so it was definitely worth me asking.

You're welcome! I'm glad you found something useful in my posts.

pumeco said:

This is a live version sung by Joe Longthorne, someone I know through my sister being friends with his father. I've actually had his father sat in the back seat of my car, and I tell you what, watching his father navigating in and out of the back seat of a three-door MG Metro, was quite amusing - lol

Ah cool =) Well, Mr Longhorne surely doesn't look that bad in that video! I'd never have guessed he was sick if you hadn't told me... Thanks for the lyrics! Interesting how while the lyrics are very poignant, the music is heartfelt yet optimistic... I guess this was the songwriter's intent. I think the chords are simpler here, but you don't necessarily need them all jazzed up all the time =) All in all, I totally loved the track, it has a lot of what I find most attractive in popular music... Thanks!!

And it reminded me LOTS of that old Soviet hit by Alla Pugachova (penned by Igor Krutoi, he's also playing the piano). "Love like a Dream" (youtube says Lara Fabian covered it later, why isn't it surprising anymore LOL)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYVGY69pAbo

pumeco said:

The chord page you linked to is just scary to me, it has those "musical dots".

You know, if I ever had a right to give you advice, it would be this: become familiar with the "scary dots" =) The staff notation is here to stay, and it's very convenient actually. Especially for reading music. For writing music in software, I tend to prefer "piano roll" (easier to visualise chord relationships), but sometimes I use the staff, too.

pumeco said:

The most interesting thing you said there was that it "sounds French". That got my attention because years ago I used to think the same things about certain songs, but at the same time, I thought, nah, how can something sound French. ...

I think it's a matter of statistics. People who live close to each other tend to share "culture" (i.e. an inconceivable number of mind-shaping factors), so they tend to use certain gimmicks when doing things, including writing music. When we hear enough music done by people from a certain country, we notice, subconsciously or consciously, what these works have in common, and this shapes our idea of "French music" or anything else.

pumeco said:

Extra interesting about the French thing is that I do like a lot French music, especially French pop. Here's a track I like, she's French but sings in both English and French, and one of the main reasons I like this track (apart from it being super-catchy), is the chord sequence. It seems relatively basic, but I love this chord sequence. Is this chord sequence somehow French?

What a cool little track =) A bit repetitive for me (though sometimes repetitive stuff works for certain moods of mine), very Mylene Farmer... and here you go, her name is in the credits LOL
I'd say not the chords, the chords do sound very basic i.e. widely used, this pop rock thing that started with The Beatles, I'd say... but the arrangement has that French "playfulness".

pumeco said:

I should point out that it was Side A that made me want it, Side B, "Alone", just happened to be the most amazing B-Side. You might even like Side A better than Side B, it has that amazing "prettyness" you speak of to it.

Aww thanks for this link, it really is super pretty! You're right, I think I like it better than side B, just because it sounds more hopeful and optimistic. Side B is great for the real dark type of mood...

pumeco said:

As for Elvis singing "The Impossible Dream", you're not gonna like this, but I thought it was bloody awful. Never could stand Elvis, irritating beyond belief, always sounds as if he's putting an act on, which of course he is.

Funny, I call it "theatrics" and this is exactly the reason why I love Elvis =) If you know anything about Russian theatre traditions, Elvis is more "Meyerhold" than "Stanislavsky". "Larger than life", of mythic proportions.

VdGG, again, I thought it was bloody awful, just didn't sound musical to me. It was quite weird as well, so for me not to like something that is weird, that's really saying something :-P

Ahaha, well I suspected they aren't your cup of tea =) VdGG are indeed not that accessible - that's the real oldschool progressive rock (though the best prog guys hate this term LOL), more experimental than anything. Subverting established patterns. Peter Hammill's solo stuff is more "traditional"... Well, sometimes...

Peter Hammill - Airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M6mtKw9n7Q

"Solitary Ground" sounded promising but I didn't like the vocal
whereas Emphasis, again, don't like the vocal, has that Operatic tone to it and a lot of female Opera singers irritate the crap out of me.

So we don't like Simone's vocals, but for different reasons =D She´s not too operatically skilled for me.

My favourite TATU tracks are the lesser known ones, and my absolute favourite of theirs is a track that in many ways, equals an ABBA track (even the way they filmed it appears to be a nod to ABBA profile shots). When you think "ABBA", you think quality lyrics, melody, harmony, and of course, production. If there was ever proof that TATU are more than just the publicity-seeking machine people think they were - this is that proof:

Thanks for the links!! I hope I'll listen to them a bit later, gotta run soon...

As you probably gathered due to my comment above, I like classical music but don't like the singer added.

That´s OK. But beware, one day you may grow into it =P And I'm a huuuuge opera freak, so I will be posting opera stuff anyway, I'll just add large warnings for you not to click on that =)

If there's four genre's of music I cannot stand, they are Opera, Gospel, Rap, and Dub-step, yet if you mix Classical, Rap, and Dub-step in just the right amount, you end up with something really very cool indeed. I think this track is great, I really do, and I absolutely love the chord sequence.

A stroke of genius, a nice track and video ruined only by the shitty quality, low volume upload typical of VEVO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRzMtlZjXpU

Oh. Now this is an example of production that won't let me enjoy the music... the bass, it's mixed in that contemporary sort of way that makes my ears bleed. One of the reasons I can't listen to a lot of mainstream English-speaking music... Anyway, you mean the chord progression in the chorus? It's a pretty popular one... I think Boston used something similar in at least one of their hits...

At last, something that had a good chord sequence and sounded musical :-)

That's your classic rock born in the British Isles, one of the things to be proud of =)

What nonsense, I don't know where you picked that up from (probably YouTube judging by how ridiculous it sounds), but whoever gave you the impression that "High-end" was related to price, was talking through their arse.

There, there. Don't forget I'm a mech engineer/researcher by trade - and at least in Russia, whatever tech you're thinking of, you get what you pay for. Or were you using some specialised meaning of "high end"? Not "state of the art"?

...I'll be back to reply to the rest of the post, either in several hours or tomorrow =)

pumeco

No rush on the responses, Kettu, the thread isn't going anywhere. I was thinking a few days back I've got to start trimming down the size of the posts, they're taking so much time I had to start splitting them myself.

Regards the analogue thing, I was just referring to the "High-end" as being the best. State-of-the-art can be applied to either analogue or digital, both can be said to be state-of-the-art. We have both state-of-the-art digital and analogue systems so the only real way to separate them is that one is the high-end and the other isn't. Analogue is the high-end due to the way it works and what it can handle. The worlds finest synthesizers, recorders, consoles, compressors, hif-fi systems, are all analogue.

If not "High-end" then I would have to use the term "Higher-end", meaning analogue is Higher-end than digital - both in price and performance. Digital audio has no redeeming features other than being cheap and convenient, ideal for the digital age.

Mustakettu85

BlazeMystEra said:

Hmm... what did I listen to at the age of 14... you know the first 'Rockband' I ever heard was Bon Jovi... and my Mother would have kicked me out had I ever bought a cassette (yes, yes, cassette...) of Bon Jovi... it was OK for my brother though, who was 5 years younger and didn't listen to music back then anyway, so... I uhm... borrowed what I gifted to him? ^^

Are we sisters or something? =D Bon Jovi came into my life a bit earlier (I was 10), and even though I'd heard other rock bands before, they were an instant favourite (Second Favourite Band Ever (tm)). My parents thought them completely outrageous (to put it mildly), but they did buy me a cassette, though, - I guess they were hoping I'd grow out of it, but nope... ;P
And why is that younger brothers always get away with anything? =D

BlazeMystEra said:

I was about 17 when I got across Music that I would have gotten into real problem with my mother for... you know... Kiss *lol*

You know, there's that (one?) Kiss album which is not pop. Carnival of Souls. My first Kiss album, accidentally... Have you heard it? It's full of huuuuge 90s riffs and other delightful weirdness, like this song which is sung by that wicked session guitarist Bruce Kulick who happened to be handling the guitars on that album...

KISS - I Walk Alone (feat. Bruce Kulick)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETmWN8thNhI

I was such a 'Pop-Tart' My first CD though was a nice "Oldies" CD ... first time my mother and I could agree on music... the Beatles. The agreement was gone though when a friend gifted me with a Doro cassette... and from there it went uphill for me (or downhill if you ask my mother ;)

Well at least we have different mothers - my mother hates The Beatles =) And Doro is the Queen of Metal!! Let's celebrate!!

Doro with Veronica Freeman and Liv Kristine - Celebrate (live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soAgtcwiLtg

I love all these ladies!

I just remembered something I wanted to link... so I'll stand here and wait for the verbal slaps *g*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMgaTb9apSE

No, that would only be verbal hugs. X Japan are awesome!! Like Mötley Crüe, they are what "neoglam" bands like Crashdiet are constantly aspiring to be but will never become - because 90% of "neoglam" bands are purely f-a-k-e. Wow, turns out I do have negative opinions about something!!

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

No rush on the responses, Kettu, the thread isn't going anywhere. I was thinking a few days back I've got to start trimming down the size of the posts, they're taking so much time I had to start splitting them myself.

Yeah, it's true... BTW have you noticed if the threads bump now or not? There's some info on that in the announcements, but I may have misunderstood...

And I just wanted to highlight this link again for you - http://www.deezer.com/en/radio/radio-117 - instrumental classical music radio. Really, vocals haven't cropped up on this channel yet =)

pumeco said:

If not "High-end" then I would have to use the term "Higher-end", meaning analogue is Higher-end than digital - both in price and performance. Digital audio has no redeeming features other than being cheap and convenient, ideal for the digital age.

I see now, thanks =) In "my" field of engineering "high end" is more clearly cut... but yeah, the more I think about what is happening now in the "tech behind music", the more I realise that there's no rules anymore above a certain price level. Hell, I've heard drummers lament the faults of new top-level big-buck TAMA kits!! And there is a reason vintage Strats, Teles and Gibsons (these are electric guitars) are still highly sought after. Not for "purist" reasons - even the actual assembly quality used to be more consistent.

pumeco said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98kgUvnbTLM

That track is what TATU were cut out to do, they're a duet and their vocal differences really work together in that track. It's a real shame they didn't do more like that.

Wow, thanks, that's a completely new side of T.a.T.u. for me!! This is absolutely "Tom Scholz of Boston goes pop", and even though I can't listen to Boston anymore because of what Brad Delp did, still if I compare anything to Boston, it's one of the greatest compliments I could ever muster.
...the softer side of PMMP kinda seems to be built around the same principles, too. I'm now wondering if PMMP could have been originally conceived as "Finland's answer to T.A.T.u" (or, given the band's strong counterculture edge, more like a parody of them...)

Here's that 2003 breakthrough hit of theirs - I'm not sure you will be able to enjoy it from the musical point of view because it's one of their "punkier" songs, but I hope you'll get a laugh out of the video and the lyrics - be sure to read the translation here before you watch: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/rusketusraidat-tan-lines.html

OK here we go. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome - PMMP, Paulan ja Miran molemmat puolet = Both sides of Paula and Mira... doing "Rusketusraidat"! Now everyone take cover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwhwIa1Xs0U

pumeco said:

White Robe - English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3bCJ-rqkMw
White Robe - Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYTO4piTi48

It's interesting how the lyrics change the song. I've heard the Russian version before, and the English one is almost innocent. The Russian one is downright angry and bitter, the English one is more like a distant observation. And yeah, the lyrics aren't translated, they are just sort of written in the same mood, but not exactly.

pumeco said:

Sparks - English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sXkdRwCPo
Sparks - Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOcmSsBfafg

...and the trend is continued here. And amplified. Do you know that in Russian, it's openly a song about that desire to kill oneself and that darned significant other? I've never heard it, and I guess that because of the lyrics it wasn't widely played here. The English version is subtly metaphorical, the Russian one is murderous.

Both sets of lyrics are good, though, even the Russian ones - they're raw but well-written. Unlike, say, Princessa Avenue whose Russian lyrics make me want to do a 220 to the band and their entire crew LOL

...and on the subject of Lena Katina. You know I love Anette of Nightwish, but I think Lena's part in "October and April" worked better. I can't generally stand The Rasmus, though - Lauri's voice makes me sick, and then there's his obnoxious female fans who actively hate PMMP because Paula is his wife... Anyway, I like the song (and BlazeMystEra - here you go, just what you've just told me about ;D )

The Rasmus feat. Lena Katina - October and April
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW3zN1-0Qvk

You mentioned earlier that digital has it's place for people who want it to sound digital. To an extent I agree, there might be the odd band out there that would actually benefit from digital, but for the most part it's a false positive.

I'm sure there must be some sort of a subculture that crafts some sort of weird electronic music that only uses cheap Casio keyboards and Windows Sound Recorder... I've heard people use random speech samples as "notes", I've heard the most outrageously lo-fi black metal and other things I have no words to describe - there's always something out there that is, well, OUT THERE... LOL

...recordings of that instrument sounded fantastic because even though the instrument was digital, it was getting recorded in analogue.

Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. also used to pair the two up, though in his case, the instruments and effects were analogue (not that many uses for synths in oldschool metal), but recorded to hard disk. Here's one of the two tracks of his you may ever have a chance to like... or not.

W.A.S.P. - Keep Holding On
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNMJSyxEbmU

Here's an example of analogue "helping" digital, be careful not to blow your head off, analogue is stamped all over it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SRUwv781fk

You don't know what you just did. This was my First Favourite Band Ever, as a pre-school kid. I've only had two or three cassettes, though - greatest hits and the like, so I've never heard this one until now. And it's awesome. A whole new side of them, again. Thanks!!

lol - Well as long as it doesn't result in a band sounding like Elvis' music, I wish you the best of luck ;-)

You know, if I ever get compared to Elvis, even if it is going to be you doing it in a negative sense, I will still take it as a great compliment!! Anyway, thanks. And if you ever do release a cassette, let me know, please - I'd love to buy one.

pumeco

Mustakettu85 said:

Ah cool =) Well, Mr Longhorne surely doesn't look that bad in that video! I'd never have guessed he was sick if you hadn't told me... Let's just say he's good at hiding it ;-)

And I reckon Mr Longthorne would be pleased to hear yet another female call him Mr Longhorne. He has a few words for women who flatter him like that. I'll spare you the details but I'm sure you can guess how it goes :-D

Mustakettu85 said:

All in all, I totally loved the track, it has a lot of what I find most attractive in popular music... Thanks!!Great stuff, and in that case, here's yet another you might like. Both the musician and singer are Japanese, but it's sung in English and there isn't even the slightest hint of a Japanese accent. What I like about this track is pretty much what I like about the others, only this one seems to build more gradually, each verse has slightly more to it than the previous.

Follow Me
Follow me, to a land across the shining sea
Waiting beyond the world we have known
Beyond the world, the dream could be
And the joy we have tasted

Follow me, along the road that only love can see
Rising above the fun years of the night
Into the light, beyond the tears
And all the years we have wasted

...

Follow me, to a distand land this mountain high
Where all the music that we always kept inside will fill the sky
Singing in the silent swerve, a heart is free
While the world goes on turning and turning
Turning and falling

You can listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHxEj3UvmNs

Mustakettu85 said:

And it reminded me LOTS of that old Soviet hit by Alla Pugachova (penned by Igor Krutoi, he's also playing the piano). "Love like a Dream" (youtube says Lara Fabian covered it later, why isn't it surprising anymore LOL)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYVGY69pAboIt sounded very musical but I didn't like the vocal, will look for another version though.

Mustakettu85 said:

You know, if I ever had a right to give you advice, it would be this: become familiar with the "scary dots" =) The staff notation is here to stay, and it's very convenient actually. Especially for reading music. For writing music in software, I tend to prefer "piano roll" (easier to visualise chord relationships), but sometimes I use the staff, too.You're right of course, but I have to say that book I linked to earlier is probably partly responsible for me getting away with it for so long. The book is so damn good, really handy, much better than other books like that. I'm the same when it comes to sequencing, I prefer the piano roll over those dots and that's another reason I keep putting it off. But yup, will definitely knuckle-down and give it a bash some day.

Mustakettu85 said:

I think it's a matter of statistics. People who live close to each other tend to share "culture" (i.e. an inconceivable number of mind-shaping factors), so they tend to use certain gimmicks when doing things, including writing music. When we hear enough music done by people from a certain country, we notice, subconsciously or consciously, what these works have in common, and this shapes our idea of "French music" or anything else.That makes sense perfect sense.

Mustakettu85 said:

Aww thanks for this link, it really is super pretty! You're right, I think I like it better than side B, just because it sounds more hopeful and optimistic. Side B is great for the real dark type of mood...Nevermind "Awww", I'm not a soppy guy I tell you - shut-up!!!
And anyway, I never posted Side A, you only imagined it.

Mustakettu85 said:

Funny, I call it "theatrics" and this is exactly the reason why I love Elvis =) If you know anything about Russian theatre traditions, Elvis is more "Meyerhold" than "Stanislavsky". "Larger than life", of mythic proportions.
Yeah, but Freddy Mercury was "theatrical", but he did it without being annoying!

Mustakettu85 said:

Ahaha, well I suspected they aren't your cup of tea =) VdGG are indeed not that accessible - that's the real oldschool progressive rock (though the best prog guys hate this term LOL), more experimental than anything. Subverting established patterns. Peter Hammill's solo stuff is more "traditional"... Well, sometimes...

Peter Hammill - Airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M6mtKw9n7Q
Nope, just didn't do anything for me.

Mustakettu85 said:

That´s OK. But beware, one day you may grow into it =P And I'm a huuuuge opera freak, so I will be posting opera stuff anyway, I'll just add large warnings for you not to click on that =)Actually, I was probably a bit careless there, I'll explain this the best I can.

I can't stand opera when it's the type of voice we discussed of the female vocalist earlier, that sort of "faked-hollow" vocal sound. There are opera singers I thoroughly enjoy listening to (Vitas), but he sings songs that are not always "opera" songs, and even when they are, he makes it more enjoyable, and actually, very cool.

Vitas - Lucia Di Lammermoor (spanning five octaves):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yfFOq_CFQ

So, when I say I can't stand opera, it's just the typical "opera thing" I can't stand. Vitas is fantastic, but then I don't think Vitas is a typical Opera singer. I do like opera, but only very specific types, and he was the one that caused me to like opera (done his way).

Gospel though, god I hate gospel, I think I'd rather slit my wrist than subject myself to even a minute of it. Every time I hear Gospel, I feel like loading a blow-pipe with tranquiliser darts and aiming for the buttocks, just to shut them up until I'm out of audible range. Scary thing is, they love it so much and are sooooooooo energetic, it's almost as if even an atom bomb couldn't shut them up - nevermind the humble blow-pipe!

As for Rap and Dub-step ...

Mustakettu85 said:

Now this is an example of production that won't let me enjoy the music... the bass, it's mixed in that contemporary sort of way that makes my ears bleed. One of the reasons I can't listen to a lot of mainstream English-speaking music... Anyway, you mean the chord progression in the chorus? It's a pretty popular one... I think Boston used something similar in at least one of their hits...I meant the entire song, I'm really surprised you didn't like it. You seem to have a much broader range of likes than I do, and even I like it. They're the only band who produce that type of music to a standard I'm able to listen to. There's a few of their tracks I like. I think what strikes me about their tracks is the inventiveness. It's like they take elements of other genres and structure them cleverly together. I think they make a good musical job of it because, like I say, I cannot stand rap yet they manage to make it musical. I cannot stand dub-step yet they make simple but slick use of it. To top it all off, I love the beat and the fact that they add a classical element to it. One thing common to the tracks of theirs I like, is the musicality despite the fact that their style of music isn't exactly cut out for being musical. I think that's something that separates them from others in their genre. There's definitely something because I normally cannot listen to stuff like that at all.

Yup, I'm very surprised at you reaction to that one.

Mustakettu85 said:

Yeah, it's true... BTW have you noticed if the threads bump now or not? There's some info on that in the announcements, but I may have misunderstood...

Yup, I noticed when I thought the thread had disappeared :-D

And I just wanted to highlight this link again for you - http://www.deezer.com/en/radio/radio-117 - instrumental classical music radio. Really, vocals haven't cropped up on this channel yet =)

It's just as well you did, because last time I visited it I never bothered with it thinking I had to sign-up. Thanks, that's more like it, I visited twice and got a live feed of classical without vocal both times - bookmarked.

I see now, thanks =) In "my" field of engineering "high end" is more clearly cut... but yeah, the more I think about what is happening now in the "tech behind music", the more I realise that there's no rules anymore above a certain price level. Hell, I've heard drummers lament the faults of new top-level big-buck TAMA kits!! And there is a reason vintage Strats, Teles and Gibsons (these are electric guitars) are still highly sought after. Not for "purist" reasons - even the actual assembly quality used to be more consistent.

Same for me, I'm never in agreement with the way price/performance goes. I still use a Yamaha AST-based hi-fi system for critical monitoring (yes, I really did say hi-fi for critical monitoring). Why, because AST is a technology that actually makes sense, and to this day, I've not heard anything on the level of Yamaha's AST gear - no matter how expensive. I once put-up a second-hand synth for sale, and the guy who came to buy it was sort of engineers' dogsbody, he was going around buying-up some equipment for a studio. He came to buy the synth, but couldn't give a crap about it from the moment he struck the keys and heard it though the Yamaha system I had it connected to. At one point I actually thought he was going to try blackmailing me into either selling him the hi-fi or he won't buy the synth. Luckily it never got to that (and I wouldn't have parted with it anyway), but wow did he try!

But it just goes to show that even in environments like studios where they have dedicated monitors, there is such technology out there that handles it notably better. I know it, and he knew it the instant he heard it, even though it cost notably less than a dedicated high-end monitoring system. He wanted it for the same reason I wont part with it.

I often drool over dedicated monitors and have even tried a few, but I always go back to the AST technology, that's how good it is.

Wow, thanks, that's a completely new side of T.a.T.u. for me!! This is absolutely "Tom Scholz of Boston goes pop", and even though I can't listen to Boston anymore because of what Brad Delp did, still if I compare anything to Boston, it's one of the greatest compliments I could ever muster.
...the softer side of PMMP kinda seems to be built around the same principles, too. I'm now wondering if PMMP could have been originally conceived as "Finland's answer to T.A.T.u" (or, given the band's strong counterculture edge, more like a parody of them...)

Here's that 2003 breakthrough hit of theirs - I'm not sure you will be able to enjoy it from the musical point of view because it's one of their "punkier" songs, but I hope you'll get a laugh out of the video and the lyrics - be sure to read the translation here before you watch: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/rusketusraidat-tan-lines.html

OK here we go. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome - PMMP, Paulan ja Miran molemmat puolet = Both sides of Paula and Mira... doing "Rusketusraidat"! Now everyone take cover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwhwIa1Xs0U

With lyrics like that I just had to listen!
Yup, looks like a TATU type thing, but they're certainly no TATU judging by that track :-D

White Robe - English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3bCJ-rqkMw
White Robe - Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYTO4piTi48

It's interesting how the lyrics change the song. I've heard the Russian version before, and the English one is almost innocent. The Russian one is downright angry and bitter, the English one is more like a distant observation. And yeah, the lyrics aren't translated, they are just sort of written in the same mood, but not exactly.

Sparks - English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sXkdRwCPo
Sparks - Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOcmSsBfafg

...and the trend is continued here. And amplified. Do you know that in Russian, it's openly a song about that desire to kill oneself and that darned significant other? I've never heard it, and I guess that because of the lyrics it wasn't widely played here. The English version is subtly metaphorical, the Russian one is murderous.

Both sets of lyrics are good, though, even the Russian ones - they're raw but well-written. Unlike, say, Princessa Avenue whose Russian lyrics make me want to do a 220 to the band and their entire crew LOL

...and on the subject of Lena Katina. You know I love Anette of Nightwish, but I think Lena's part in "October and April" worked better. I can't generally stand The Rasmus, though - Lauri's voice makes me sick, and then there's his obnoxious female fans who actively hate PMMP because Paula is his wife... Anyway, I like the song (and BlazeMystEra - here you go, just what you've just told me about ;D )

The Rasmus feat. Lena Katina - October and April
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW3zN1-0QvkCongratulations on posting the most musical sounding track you have ever posted for me. I will definitely look into The Rasmus, especially if that track is a typical one, they actually sound melodic to me, so thanks!

It was also interesting to hear from a native Russian what she felt about the TATU tracks as well. I guessed a while back they weren't basic translations, but I never knew what the differences were. You mention the Russian version is literally murderous, and that fits in with a difference I spotted in "Sparks". Early in the track (on the Russian version) I notice Yulia shakes her fists and gives a "look" to the camera, she doesn't do that in the English version. Out of curiosity, and due to the murderous intent, what exactly is she shaking her fists about at that point?

As for "Gomenasai" - yes indeed, beautiful track, I can easily picture ABBA singing exactly the same track so it must be good. I love it when they show off, and while it doesn't come across as showing off, I like to think there's an element of "and you thought we were just useless lesbians, suckers" about it. Of course, another classic is one where Yulia decides to show-off her pianist skills half-way through a track - have you seen it?

I don't know what to drool over the most, her piano skills, or that beautiful analogue open-reel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxRSGA-6lhg

I'm sure there must be some sort of a subculture that crafts some sort of weird electronic music that only uses cheap Casio keyboards and Windows Sound Recorder... I've heard people use random speech samples as "notes", I've heard the most outrageously lo-fi black metal and other things I have no words to describe - there's always something out there that is, well, OUT THERE... LOLHah, well, I've got one of those cheap Casios in the attic somewhere, has little buttons for keys and can also be used as a calculator!

Classy stuff, and anyway I love Casio, always have done. They even returned to making hardware synths recently which is just bloody awesome news, especially among all this iPad touch-screen crap lately.

Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. also used to pair the two up, though in his case, the instruments and effects were analogue (not that many uses for synths in oldschool metal), but recorded to hard disk. Here's one of the two tracks of his you may ever have a chance to like... or not.

W.A.S.P. - Keep Holding On
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNMJSyxEbmUWell, had it been analogue or digital, it's not a good recording either way. The song felt reasonably melodic.

You don't know what you just did. This was my First Favourite Band Ever, as a pre-school kid. I've only had two or three cassettes, though - greatest hits and the like, so I've never heard this one until now. And it's awesome. A whole new side of them, again. Thanks!!You had a musical preference when you was a pre-school kid?
Bloody hell, I don't recall I even had the means to play music when I was that age, nevermind have a preference :-D

Here, most epic pop song ever produced, the one that made me want a synthesizer (would even part with Lego for one):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRHetRTOD1Q

And I wish they'd stop promoting "Justin-Twatin-Bieber" under PSB titles, talk about a talent clash!

You know, if I ever get compared to Elvis, even if it is going to be you doing it in a negative sense, I will still take it as a great compliment!! Anyway, thanks. And if you ever do release a cassette, let me know, please - I'd love to buy one.Thanks, but there's no way I'm letting you buy a cassette off' me, I'll send you one on the house. It's something that will happen, because producing an album exclusively for a limited run of cassettes is something I've wanted to do for a while now. It won't be happening until I've got my living arrangements sorted though, life's too much a pressure right now to enjoy such a project, and it's something I thoroughly intend to enjoy so it will have to wait. Eventually though, I'll send you a cassette produced in a mobile home, somewhere off the beaten track in Spain. I hope the quality will be the best you've ever heard from a cassette, although I cannot guarantee the same would be true of the music :-D

pumeco

Just one of many covers of another favourite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ5QEXzPpE0
.

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

And I reckon Mr Longthorne would be pleased to hear yet another female call him Mr Longhorne. He has a few words for women who flatter him like that.

*innocently* Gotta blame Animal Planet and their longhorn beetles! http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/animal-planet-presents/videos/buggin-with-ruud-longhorn-beetle.htm

pumeco said:

Both the musician and singer are Japanese, but it's sung in English and there isn't even the slightest hint of a Japanese accent.
Follow Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHxEj3UvmNs

Thanks! A very atmospheric track, great for late evenings - kind of dreamy... But I'd never have guessed this is Japanese! The singer sounds more like a soul singer of African descent (is this politically correct enough?), and that's cool =)

pumeco said:

Yeah, but Freddy Mercury was "theatrical", but he did it without being annoying!

Maybe that's because he wasn't American? =)

pumeco said:

I don't think Vitas is a typical Opera singer.

You know... Here in Russia he's not considered an opera singer at all. He's thought of as a good pop singer who does inventive things with his falsetto in the studio (and his breakthrough video was called "Opera No ..." something, I forgot the exact number), but that's about all... AFAIK he hasn't ever had any vocal training. To be an "opera" singer, you'd need to project those high notes without a mike, over a full orchestra (and then there are other technicalities). If he has learnt to do it, good. I can't tell because his TV appearances here have always been amplified and, well, playback - not his fault exactly, Russian mainstream pop is almost always playback for technical reasons (including poor acoustics of pop concert halls here).

pumeco said:

Vitas - Lucia Di Lammermoor (spanning five octaves):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yfFOq_CFQ

Now look... You've got a keyboard. How many octaves does it span? About five, I guess. If you press a key on the far left and then on the far right, you will hear that this song doesn't really showcase that range. It is sung around the "fifth" octave (with C4 being middle C), but to truly display a five octave range, you'd need to go from Thurl Ravenscroft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etdMM6VsBos - all the way up to Maria Callas and then some... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkaI7UQTUCg (warning: Callas is THE opera singer, listen at your own risk).

"Five octave range" is generally a marketing gimmick. Actually a singer who has a working range of three octaves (especially in true operatic technique) is impressive enough. Here's a compilation of Callas' three octaves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJKy8E4JKA8

If Vitas has those Ravenscroft low notes somewhere, great. Low notes are always awesome. It's just that I haven't ever heard him use that part of his range, unfortunately.

And BTW, if you're curious, check out these classically trained countertenors i.e. men who sing hiiiiigh notes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fC03m4MXo4&list=PL6C07DD6D34FC6044&feature=plpp_play_all

pumeco said:

I think what strikes me about their tracks is the inventiveness. It's like they take elements of other genres and structure them cleverly together. I think they make a good musical job of it because, like I say, I cannot stand rap yet they manage to make it musical. I cannot stand dub-step yet they make simple but slick use of it. To top it all off, I love the beat and the fact that they add a classical element to it. One thing common to the tracks of theirs I like, is the musicality despite the fact that their style of music isn't exactly cut out for being musical. I think that's something that separates them from others in their genre. There's definitely something because I normally cannot listen to stuff like that at all.

Yes, you're right, they're pushing their genre as far as they can, but it's still not my cup of tea. First of all, when I wrote that the way the bass is mixed "makes my ears bleed", I meant it almost literally: it gives me a very tangible headache in just a few bars. Many mainstream artists (and wannabe mainstream artists), even the rock ones, have this bass thing going on. Some domestic appliances generate those frequencies, too, and I physically can't stand being close to them.
Then, there's that "abstract" thing, like, their artistic intent. I just can't see anything artistic about their lyrics, they aren't even funny. I get they're like that because of the genre which is, basically, "leg music", made for dancing, no one should care what the lyrics are - but I do care. Sorry. I'm not mainstream enough to like dance music for what it is =)
I've listened to the song at work, through the bad speakers - they "ate" the offending bass, so I could listen in more closely. You asked about the chords - it seems they use the same four chords throughout. A variation of I-vi-IV-V, I think (but they seem to have swapped the minor with the major chord, and the other way around, or something...).

And I don't like the way he's rapping. There's been very few instances of rapping I can stand... Mostly limited to Faith No More´s Mike Patton (who makes up for that by simply being an outstanding singer), and then there's this:

King Kobra: rock+rap, apparently, for the first time in history - "Home Street Home" - 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnNEhyXL_1U

Some of the most horrible "gated drums" evah // gated reverb is EVIL, especially if the drummer's good //, but at least the rapping has some sort of emotion. I have no idea who did the rapping part, but it was before Aerosmith released their "breakthrough" single with those three-letter rap guys.

pumeco said:

But it just goes to show that even in environments like studios where they have dedicated monitors, there is such technology out there that handles it notably better.

True. Made me think of this blog, too:
http://forum.recordingreview.com/blogs/paul999/129-studio-monitor-conspiracy.html

pumeco said:

Yup, looks like a TATU type thing, but they're certainly no TATU judging by that track :-D

Well they (as in, Paula and Mira the lyricists and Jori who writes the music) weren't even trying to copy them musically, I think. They've always written their stuff in Finnish, and it is a sure sign that they aren't geared towards the international mainstream market. And Finnish mainstream music is wildly different.

I love PMMP because they have a lot of real serious social commentary songs - they're a punk band at heart even if they don't always sound like punk. Their latest album is, surprisingly, only the "softer" side of them musically, but the lyrics haven't mellowed. Just check this out - even if you don't like the music, the girls have a point, lyrically...

PMMP - Jeesus ei tule, oletko valmis? - 2012

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/jeesus-ei-tule-oletko-valmis-jesus-wont-come-are-you-ready.html - the translation is a bit rough around the edges, but mostly accurate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRanCpnQ-4 - radio rip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D9mX1UZtVM - live

The Rasmus feat. Lena Katina - October and April
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW3zN1-0QvkCongratulations on posting the most musical sounding track you have ever posted for me. I will definitely look into The Rasmus, especially if that track is a typical one, they actually sound melodic to me, so thanks!

You're welcome, I hope you find their other stuff listenable (Lauri's voice is a total turnoff for me). They're actually the most mainstream-oriented Finnish band ever, I'd say.

It was also interesting to hear from a native Russian what she felt about the TATU tracks as well. I guessed a while back they weren't basic translations, but I never knew what the differences were. You mention the Russian version is literally murderous, and that fits in with a difference I spotted in "Sparks". Early in the track (on the Russian version) I notice Yulia shakes her fists and gives a "look" to the camera, she doesn't do that in the English version. Out of curiosity, and due to the murderous intent, what exactly is she shaking her fists about at that point?

Probably that "significant other" - in Russian, the song is about a man and a woman, though it's not exactly clear whose point of view the lyrics are. Maybe both. What do you call those bright spots that appear on the walls when you catch a sun beam in a mirror? In Russian, they're "sun bunnies", like little cute fluffy bunnies. And this is how the song goes, forgive me if this translation is not expressive enough:

Sun bunnies on the wall
Die after the sunset
It's twice easier, being dead
The bunnies fade out and they short-circuit

Chorus:
220 (Volt - in Russia, it's the voltage in the mains) onto oneself
Wrap [the cord] around yourself, and go
220 onto oneself
220 onto her

You're teaching me to wait
You're saying laughable things
While I want to give everything
If it's love, it means it's right away

In your dream you'll never realise
If it's love, it means everything will burn
Bunnies on the wall
They die after the sunset

repeat chorus

Of course, another classic is one where Yulia decides to show-off her pianist skills half-way through a track - have you seen it?

I don't know what to drool over the most, her piano skills, or that beautiful analogue open-reel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxRSGA-6lhg

Wow, this is a super cool video! I haven't seen it before, thanks! More appropriate for a rock band than for a pop band, I'd say, but I guess this is why I like it =) And I have to say that I saw Julia on TV a couple of days ago, in a quiz show, and I don't know if it's some perception inertia of mine or what, but to me, she's one of those women, who, like Halle Berry, actually look better with short hair than with longer.

W.A.S.P. - Keep Holding On
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNMJSyxEbmU

Well, had it been analogue or digital, it's not a good recording either way. The song felt reasonably melodic.

I'm actually not the one to judge if it's good or not (I'm sure Blackie made it sound exactly the way he wanted it to sound back then - he changes his mind sometimes about his past recordings, but when he releases something, it is always exactly what he meant it to be at the moment, even if he gets a ton of negative reviews right away) - it does not detract from the song, so I find it adequate.

Here's that other track you may theoretically like... It's from the same 1995 album which was originally intended to be an acoustic solo album, but wound up much heavier and being released under the "W.A.S.P." name. Not that it changes anything - Blackie may have always wanted a "real band" as in "camaraderie and shared aspirations", but 90% of W.A.S.P.'s output is pure Blackie - for various reasons.
And the lyrics are super soppy, so close your eyes so as not to read them! =)

W.A.S.P. - Breathe - 1995
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PFASSAe0Ik

You had a musical preference when you was a pre-school kid?
Bloody hell, I don't recall I even had the means to play music when I was that age, nevermind have a preference :-D

Well, I had to ask my parents and grandparents to operate the record player and then, the stereo. But I've always been given free reign to mess with the old and battered piano. I never learnt to play it properly as I had no teacher, but I had a couple of colourful children's books that introduced me to staff notation and basic chords.

Here, most epic pop song ever produced, the one that made me want a synthesizer (would even part with Lego for one):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRHetRTOD1Q

Yeah... those were the days. Why did the mainstream music have to become so silly now?..

Eventually though, I'll send you a cassette produced in a mobile home, somewhere off the beaten track in Spain. I hope the quality will be the best you've ever heard from a cassette, although I cannot guarantee the same would be true of the music :-D

Awww how cool! =) Thanks in advance =)

UPD: Just one of many covers of another favourite song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ5QEXzPpE0
.

Is this Eva Mendes the actress??

pumeco

Mustakettu85 said:

*innocently* Gotta blame Animal Planet and their longhorn beetles! http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/animal-planet-presents/videos/buggin-with-ruud-longhorn-beetle.htm
:-D

Mustakettu85 said:

Thanks! A very atmospheric track, great for late evenings - kind of dreamy... But I'd never have guessed this is Japanese! The singer sounds more like a soul singer of African descent (is this politically correct enough?), and that's cool =)I'm not sure what's politically correct nowadays and frankly couldn't give a crap, I say what I like, what I believe in - as should everyone.

Mustakettu85 said:

Maybe that's because he wasn't American? =)No, it's because he was entertaining without the annoying vocal mannerisms. Nothing to do with him not being American, Elton John is't American either and I can't listen to him for exactly the same reason. I don't like the way Elvis or Elton John seem to put on or exaggerate the way they sing in their particular stylistic fashion, it's annoying.

Mustakettu85 said:

You know... Here in Russia he's not considered an opera singer at all. He's thought of as a good pop singer who does inventive things with his falsetto in the studio (and his breakthrough video was called "Opera No ..." something, I forgot the exact number), but that's about all... AFAIK he hasn't ever had any vocal training. To be an "opera" singer, you'd need to project those high notes without a mike, over a full orchestra (and then there are other technicalities). If he has learnt to do it, good. I can't tell because his TV appearances here have always been amplified and, well, playback - not his fault exactly, Russian mainstream pop is almost always playback for technical reasons (including poor acoustics of pop concert halls here). Like I said though, I don't see him as a typical opera singer, and he doesn't really sing opera songs. The fact that he mixes pop with an operatic style is what makes him stand out from the usual "style" of opera singers.

I don't know enough to debate how he compares to other opera singers, but what I do know is that he isn't just a production voice.

Mustakettu85 said:

Now look... You've got a keyboard. How many octaves does it span? About five, I guess. If you press a key on the far left and then on the far right, you will hear that this song doesn't really showcase that range. It is sung around the "fifth" octave (with C4 being middle C), but to truly display a five octave range, you'd need to go from Thurl Ravenscroft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etdMM6VsBos - all the way up to Maria Callas and then some... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkaI7UQTUCg (warning: Callas is THE opera singer, listen at your own risk).

"Five octave range" is generally a marketing gimmick. Actually a singer who has a working range of three octaves (especially in true operatic technique) is impressive enough. Here's a compilation of Callas' three octaves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJKy8E4JKA8

If Vitas has those Ravenscroft low notes somewhere, great. Low notes are always awesome. It's just that I haven't ever heard him use that part of his range, unfortunately.

And BTW, if you're curious, check out these classically trained countertenors i.e. men who sing hiiiiigh notes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fC03m4MXo4&list=PL6C07DD6D34FC6044&feature=plpp_play_all
To be honest I only mentioned the octave range because of what someone said on YouTube and I thought it might interest you, I haven't actually tested it for myself. And anyway, I've got the full eight octaves on my keyboard. thankyou very much :-)

It's one of those 8-octave Technics with weighted keys. No buttons apart from a few selectors hidden on the side of the unit, and sadly no modulation and pitch-bend either - it's just a heavy slab of keys.

Ravenscroft was indeed amazing, wow, so low! And Callas, why I could never listen to her for long periods, I understand what you're getting at. She was also pretty hot judging by the final photo on that last video of hers, but I'd still rather listen to Vitas. Maybe with Vitas being male he has slightly more richness to his voice when it's high pitched, I dunno, but Vitas is easily listenable for me whereas general opera singers aren't.

Mustakettu85 said:

Yes, you're right, they're pushing their genre as far as they can, but it's still not my cup of tea. First of all, when I wrote that the way the bass is mixed "makes my ears bleed", I meant it almost literally: it gives me a very tangible headache in just a few bars. Many mainstream artists (and wannabe mainstream artists), even the rock ones, have this bass thing going on. Some domestic appliances generate those frequencies, too, and I physically can't stand being close to them.
Then, there's that "abstract" thing, like, their artistic intent. I just can't see anything artistic about their lyrics, they aren't even funny. I get they're like that because of the genre which is, basically, "leg music", made for dancing, no one should care what the lyrics are - but I do care. Sorry. I'm not mainstream enough to like dance music for what it is =)
I've listened to the song at work, through the bad speakers - they "ate" the offending bass, so I could listen in more closely. You asked about the chords - it seems they use the same four chords throughout. A variation of I-vi-IV-V, I think (but they seem to have swapped the minor with the major chord, and the other way around, or something...).

And I don't like the way he's rapping. There's been very few instances of rapping I can stand... Mostly limited to Faith No More´s Mike Patton (who makes up for that by simply being an outstanding singer), and then there's this:

King Kobra: rock+rap, apparently, for the first time in history - "Home Street Home" - 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnNEhyXL_1U

Some of the most horrible "gated drums" evah // gated reverb is EVIL, especially if the drummer's good //, but at least the rapping has some sort of emotion. I have no idea who did the rapping part, but it was before Aerosmith released their "breakthrough" single with those three-letter rap guys.
Had to stop King Kobra about 25% of the way into the track, and no way could I listen to that over BEP.

As for the ear-bleeding, lol, well funny enough the only time I thought my ears was going to start bleeding was a few months back when I accompanied my sister to an Il Divo concert in Sheffield. It was amazing. We got really good seats near the front side but it meant we were sat directly beneath one of the speaker-stacks suspended from the roof. On the third track I think it was, I honestly thought my ears might start bleeding, it was like I could feel slight physical pressure on my eardrums!!!

Thanks for the heads-up on the chord progression, I'm going to buy a book or two on the subject because I think that's probably the main element that shapes what I like.

Mustakettu85 said:

True. Made me think of this blog, too:
http://forum.recordingreview.com/blogs/paul999/129-studio-monitor-conspiracy.html

It's an interesting blog and I understand the reasoning behind it, but I do not agree with all of it.

Well they (as in, Paula and Mira the lyricists and Jori who writes the music) weren't even trying to copy them musically, I think. They've always written their stuff in Finnish, and it is a sure sign that they aren't geared towards the international mainstream market. And Finnish mainstream music is wildly different.

I love PMMP because they have a lot of real serious social commentary songs - they're a punk band at heart even if they don't always sound like punk. Their latest album is, surprisingly, only the "softer" side of them musically, but the lyrics haven't mellowed. Just check this out - even if you don't like the music, the girls have a point, lyrically...

PMMP - Jeesus ei tule, oletko valmis? - 2012

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/jeesus-ei-tule-oletko-valmis-jesus-wont-come-are-you-ready.html - the translation is a bit rough around the edges, but mostly accurate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRanCpnQ-4 - radio rip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D9mX1UZtVM - live

They bore me, they just do.

Probably that "significant other" - in Russian, the song is about a man and a woman, though it's not exactly clear whose point of view the lyrics are. Maybe both. What do you call those bright spots that appear on the walls when you catch a sun beam in a mirror? In Russian, they're "sun bunnies", like little cute fluffy bunnies. And this is how the song goes, forgive me if this translation is not expressive enough:

Sun bunnies on the wall
Die after the sunset
It's twice easier, being dead
The bunnies fade out and they short-circuit

Chorus:
220 (Volt - in Russia, it's the voltage in the mains) onto oneself
Wrap [the cord] around yourself, and go
220 onto oneself
220 onto her

You're teaching me to wait
You're saying laughable things
While I want to give everything
If it's love, it means it's right away

In your dream you'll never realise
If it's love, it means everything will burn
Bunnies on the wall
They die after the sunset

repeat chorus

Wow, I never meant for you to translate the whole track, but thanks for doing it :-)

Yes, very different, and it seems a bit incoherent as well, especially compared to the English version. Before you translated it I thought maybe they were slagging each other off or something. Regards the "Sun Bunnies", the English term is "Caustics" unless I'm misunderstanding you.

Wow, this is a super cool video! I haven't seen it before, thanks! More appropriate for a rock band than for a pop band, I'd say, but I guess this is why I like it =) And I have to say that I saw Julia on TV a couple of days ago, in a quiz show, and I don't know if it's some perception inertia of mine or what, but to me, she's one of those women, who, like Halle Berry, actually look better with short hair than with longer.

You mean like this (see attached)?

I don't recall I've ever seen her with long hair, but yup, she definitely looks good with short hair. And yes, I know, while the men admire her, you're admiring the trendy leather threads she's wearing - and wondering where you could download the pattern to cut your own :-P

Anyway, new song of hers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_AFd3mmeXI

I'm actually not the one to judge if it's good or not (I'm sure Blackie made it sound exactly the way he wanted it to sound back then - he changes his mind sometimes about his past recordings, but when he releases something, it is always exactly what he meant it to be at the moment, even if he gets a ton of negative reviews right away) - it does not detract from the song, so I find it adequate.

Here's that other track you may theoretically like... It's from the same 1995 album which was originally intended to be an acoustic solo album, but wound up much heavier and being released under the "W.A.S.P." name. Not that it changes anything - Blackie may have always wanted a "real band" as in "camaraderie and shared aspirations", but 90% of W.A.S.P.'s output is pure Blackie - for various reasons.
And the lyrics are super soppy, so close your eyes so as not to read them! =)

W.A.S.P. - Breathe - 1995
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PFASSAe0Ik
Like the other it sounded reasonably musical, but the words on this one seemed too smoothie-blendie into one another. And yes, that was too super-soppy :-D

Yeah... those were the days. Why did the mainstream music have to become so silly now?..That's easy, but I'd be booted of the forum for life if I expressed my opinion on that one.

Is this Eva Mendes the actress??
Yes, and it's just one of many covers of that song. That's one of the newer ones and although I think it's sung too fast, she made a better job of it than a lot of them do, it was certainly listenable. To be honest, one of my favourite versions is one a Second Life member performed and Recorded himself.

Dated graphics now, but quite an interesting take on the song, and one that works pretty well I think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC3IGDIelPY
.

AlfRaMusic

Well, I am back... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzhyKn1ThpU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZbM_MIz4RM&feature=related

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

I'm not sure what's politically correct nowadays and frankly couldn't give a crap, I say what I like, what I believe in - as should everyone.

Well I just don't want to accidentally offend any person of colour. I think they are awesome, and my best friend is ahem of African descent... but she's Russian, and we do use simple words for ethnicities...

pumeco said:

Elton John is't American either and I can't listen to him for exactly the same reason. I don't like the way Elvis or Elton John seem to put on or exaggerate the way they sing in their particular stylistic fashion, it's annoying.

You're officially the first person I know who doesn't like Elton John!! =D
I guess I'm not that sensitive to mannerisms, I just like a strong voice with a decent range and a memorable timbre - and it's also important if the singer hits the notes correctly. Sir Elton fits the bill =)

pumeco said:

To be honest I only mentioned the octave range because of what someone said on YouTube and I thought it might interest you, I haven't actually tested it for myself.

Weren't it you telling me not to pay attention to youtube comments? ;D Anyway, thanks, but the thing is... How did you discover Vitas? I can understand where T.A.T.U. comes from - they are well-known all over the world, but Vitas didn't even do a single Eurovision AFAIK. I've read he's popular in China, but I never knew people listened to him in Europe =)

pumeco said:

And anyway, I've got the full eight octaves on my keyboard. thankyou very much :-)

It's one of those 8-octave Technics with weighted keys. No buttons apart from a few selectors hidden on the side of the unit, and sadly no modulation and pitch-bend either - it's just a heavy slab of keys.

Oh, I think the advantages far outweigh the lack of pitch-bend in this case. Congrats on owning such a fine unit!!

pumeco said:

Ravenscroft was indeed amazing, wow, so low!

Yes, he is indeed! And so are those Russian basso profundo (super low bass) singers found in Church choirs... Here is a youtube playlist with some of this awesome music - I don't know your stance on religion, but please listen even if you're atheist...

Orthodox Church choir - sacred music

pumeco said:

Maybe with Vitas being male he has slightly more richness to his voice when it's high pitched, I dunno, but Vitas is easily listenable for me whereas general opera singers aren't.

Well I'd say it doesn't have anything to do with him being male - male voices generally have far less power in the higher register, for physiological reasons (same as low female ones). I think it's just because you aren't (yet) accustomed to classic operatic voices, so they sound weird (= unfamiliar) to you. Many people seem not to have a deep appreciation of two types of singing in Western music: opera and extreme metal - because these singing techniques are not that closely based on the patterns and mechanisms of everyday human speech.

Just in case you missed this link - a playlist with classically trained highest male voices. They are sort of rare in what we think of as opera these days, but anyway, take a listen, what if you like something =)
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fC03m4MXo4&list=PL6C07DD6D34FC6044&feature=plpp_play_all]Countertenors and sopranists

pumeco said:

Had to stop King Kobra about 25% of the way into the track, and no way could I listen to that over BEP.

Hey but that's not fair, I have listened to your rapping track to the end! LOL

And no, I'm not asking you to choose KK over BEP (KK were an 80s heavy rock band, I'm not even posting their "real" tracks because there are no 80s rock fans here...), it's just a rare example of a rapper voice that does not make me want to hit him over the head with a crowbar. The actual music is irrelevant here.

But now it would be cool of you if you sat through the whole Faith No More video!

Faith No More - Epic - 1989
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yoABwIlX3s

And yes, I think the video is super idiotic, but this band can play, oh how they can play... So you can close your eyes but please listen...

pumeco said:

As for the ear-bleeding, lol, well funny enough the only time I thought my ears was going to start bleeding was a few months back when I accompanied my sister to an Il Divo concert in Sheffield. It was amazing. We got really good seats near the front side but it meant we were sat directly beneath one of the speaker-stacks suspended from the roof. On the third track I think it was, I honestly thought my ears might start bleeding, it was like I could feel slight physical pressure on my eardrums!!!

Oh my XD I'd thought Il Divo were doing very soft music! But I guess if the venue was large enough... yeah that can hurt.

Thanks for the heads-up on the chord progression, I'm going to buy a book or two on the subject because I think that's probably the main element that shapes what I like.

You're welcome, and I think you could start with wikipedia, they have a nifty category, and some articles have playable generic examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chord_progressions

Wow, I never meant for you to translate the whole track, but thanks for doing it :-)

My pleasure! If you need to understand any other Russian song, just ask.

Regards the "Sun Bunnies", the English term is "Caustics" unless I'm misunderstanding you..

You know, I think caustics is for fancy shapes that happen when light hits convex/concave surfaces, like water ripples or magnifying glass, and what if a child just takes an ordinary flat mirror and plays with the light that reflects from it? It would be just a simple bright spot on a wall. Maybe there's just no word for it in English because only Russian children play with mirrors??

You mean like this (see attached)? I don't recall I've ever seen her with long hair, but yup, she definitely looks good with short hair.

I think I like the style in the video more. But maybe it's because her pink lipstick in the photo scares me LOL
I found a recent photo of hers with long hair in a TV guide, if you want, I could scan it for you...

And yes, I know, while the men admire her, you're admiring the trendy leather threads she's wearing - and wondering where you could download the pattern to cut your own :-P

Haha, you're right! But not for myself, more for that best friend of mine, it would be very much her style, she's super slender and edgy.

Anyway, new song of hers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_AFd3mmeXI

Not bad! But I somehow think Lena has a more diverse voice.

W.A.S.P. - Breathe - 1995
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PFASSAe0Ik
Like the other it sounded reasonably musical, but the words on this one seemed too smoothie-blendie into one another. And yes, that was too super-soppy :-D

"Smoothie-blendie" OMG what a fun word =D - what exactly do you mean by it?

Dated graphics now, but quite an interesting take on the song, and one that works pretty well I think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC3IGDIelPY
.

Dated or not, I think the video is very creative. The arrangement is also interesting - how is that style of electronic music called?

Mustakettu85

Allibaba said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZbM_MIz4RM&feature=related

I know it's blasphemy, but I also like Floyd after Waters!!

Pink Floyd - Learning to Fly - 1987
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrGuVa-4BVE

Ascania

Bryan Adams - Summer of 69
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjjO_lhf9c

Deine Lakeien - Reincarnation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7u4Ws62GZ8

Deine Lakeien - Love Me To The End
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we3eQtkLzdU

pavelserboris

Shadow G - Step On Stage (Official Music Video 2012) EXPLICIT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6A_XUjIc0M&

This is a music video I recently finished working on with Chicago rapper Shadow G. It was shot in Tucson, AZ over a period of four days. I did the videography, directing, and cutting. I am currently in preproduction for another music video with Shadow G.

Ascania

The woman looks bored out of her mind and and the inconsistent colours and lighting between the scenes make this look cheap, together with this reality show look you've got there with most of the footage.

pumeco

@Kettu
Hope you've not missed me too much, I'm preparing a large reply to post later :-)

@Allibaba
Things are slipping mate, they're not even in the same league as Summer Wine for sheer musical enjoyment ;-)

@Ascania
I agree, the girl looked bored out of her mind :-D

@Pavel
Congratulations on the music video and best of luck to Shadow G :-)

I agree with Ascania about the girl looking bored, although I'm not sure what she meant about the "reality show" thing. If I could criticise, I would say some of the shots should have been underexposed and had the shadows lifted in post in order to avoid white-outs, but I didn't mind the cinematography, it seemed to suit the music.

BTW, tell Shadow G I think the name sounds cool, and let's face it, names are important in such an industry. Dunno what the "G" stands for, but it sounds cool nevertheless.

pumeco

Mustakettu85 said:

You're officially the first person I know who doesn't like Elton John!! =D
I guess I'm not that sensitive to mannerisms, I just like a strong voice with a decent range and a memorable timbre - and it's also important if the singer hits the notes correctly. Sir Elton fits the bill =)I know he's a good artist, just one of those things, same with Elvis, good but not for me.

Mustakettu85 said:

Weren't it you telling me not to pay attention to youtube comments? ;D Anyway, thanks, but the thing is... How did you discover Vitas? I can understand where T.A.T.U. comes from - they are well-known all over the world, but Vitas didn't even do a single Eurovision AFAIK. I've read he's popular in China, but I never knew people listened to him in Europe =)
You're quite right, I should know better than to listen to just anyone on YouTube :-P
As for how I discovered Vitas; it was through the internet.

Vitas and his production team have produced some incredible work, I don't just mean the voice, I mean the audio production is first-class as well. Together it makes for an impressive audible product.

Listen loud, and listen to this right through and have your hand on standby, ready to catch your jaw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn6b5mZZD-I

Mustakettu85 said:

Yes, he is indeed! And so are those Russian basso profundo (super low bass) singers found in Church choirs... Here is a youtube playlist with some of this awesome music - I don't know your stance on religion, but please listen even if you're atheist...

Orthodox Church choir - sacred music
Nope, not religious, and I cannot listen to that stuff either way, it just bores me unless it's forming part of another style of music featuring it as a sort of vocal-pad or something like that.

Mustakettu85 said:

Well I'd say it doesn't have anything to do with him being male - male voices generally have far less power in the higher register, for physiological reasons (same as low female ones). I think it's just because you aren't (yet) accustomed to classic operatic voices, so they sound weird (= unfamiliar) to you. Many people seem not to have a deep appreciation of two types of singing in Western music: opera and extreme metal - because these singing techniques are not that closely based on the patterns and mechanisms of everyday human speech.

Just in case you missed this link - a playlist with classically trained highest male voices. They are sort of rare in what we think of as opera these days, but anyway, take a listen, what if you like something =)
[url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fC03m4MXo4&list=PL6C07DD6D34FC6044&feature=plpp_play_all]Countertenors and sopranistsI didn't miss the link, but I'm lost in discussion about this stuff, I know nothing about it. The most I ever learnt about vocal qualities and it's limitations was playing with Yamaha's Vocaloid. That might sound funny, but it's surprising what you learn to realise when you play around and push things over human limits with it. I certainly learnt to appreciate people who can reach extreme lows and highs after playing around with it. There's an operatic version I was going to get called Prima, that would have been very different in usage to say, Miriam, who sings in a totally different register.

Mustakettu85 said:

Hey but that's not fair, I have listened to your rapping track to the end! LOL

And no, I'm not asking you to choose KK over BEP (KK were an 80s heavy rock band, I'm not even posting their "real" tracks because there are no 80s rock fans here...), it's just a rare example of a rapper voice that does not make me want to hit him over the head with a crowbar. The actual music is irrelevant here.

But now it would be cool of you if you sat through the whole Faith No More video!

Faith No More - Epic - 1989
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yoABwIlX3s

And yes, I think the video is super idiotic, but this band can play, oh how they can play... So you can close your eyes but please listen...
Just so you know, I always listen to what you post and I listen to it right through, never worry about that. If ever I don't listen right through, I say so, so no worries there.

As for Faith No More, I thought they had reasonable rhythm, but they didn't trigger my "catchy music" alarm :-P
I though the compression was amateur as well, to the point it was audibly annoying.

Mustakettu85 said:

Oh my XD I'd thought Il Divo were doing very soft music! But I guess if the venue was large enough... yeah that can hurt.
Now then, I take it the laughing is because you thought the voices of Il Divo were too much for me to handle :-D

Trust me when I tell you this song was incredibly awesome ;-)

However, you really do not want to be sat under the speaker stack when it's being performed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1KpplyLTEE

As for the the show itself, I have to be perfectly honest and tell you it was very enjoyable. I thought they were all very good, especially the Spanish bloke, oh, and the American as well. I mean, I agreed to accompany my sister due to two things. First of all it would be packed with women throwing their knickers on stage, and secondly, I like a lot of the ballads they sing.

I can tell you that I struck gold on the track selection, although the selection of babes attending was actually quite a mixed-bag. Luckily, the old lady sat next to me was well behaved and clearly had no intention of throwing her reinforced underwear on stage for Carlos' pantie collection.

Mustakettu85 said:

You're welcome, and I think you could start with wikipedia, they have a nifty category, and some articles have playable generic examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chord_progressions

Thanks, but it's those bloody dots again, and anyway, the chord book I have is much better for learning than that :-P

My pleasure! If you need to understand any other Russian song, just ask.

Very cool, thanks, that's good to know :-)

You know, I think caustics is for fancy shapes that happen when light hits convex/concave surfaces, like water ripples or magnifying glass, and what if a child just takes an ordinary flat mirror and plays with the light that reflects from it? It would be just a simple bright spot on a wall. Maybe there's just no word for it in English because only Russian children play with mirrors??

As soon as you replied I realised I misunderstood you. I was thinking more of the concentrated light than the shadows. I know what you mean now, but haven't a clue what the proper English term is for them, sorry.

Shadow creatures maybe, I dunno.

I think I like the style in the video more. But maybe it's because her pink lipstick in the photo scares me LOL
I found a recent photo of hers with long hair in a TV guide, if you want, I could scan it for you...

You can if you have some free time, although it's not important.
But yup, even after a rethink, I've never seen her with long hair!

Haha, you're right! But not for myself, more for that best friend of mine, it would be very much her style, she's super slender and edgy.
Now that sounds like a more interesting subject to post, your super-slender friend in her leather gear :-P

"Smoothie-blendie" OMG what a fun word =D - what exactly do you mean by it?
Ah yes, that is one of my specially formulated words. It means that a word seems sort of joined-on in both continuation and pitch to the next. Not precisely so, but gives that sort of impression to a certain level. Sort of like a slight portamento effect.

Dated or not, I think the video is very creative. The arrangement is also interesting - how is that style of electronic music called?
I can't think how I'd place it, probably ElectroExperimental or something.

Anyway, things are really awkward for me right now, but the next time I post here I will have left the UK for good, and will have my mobile home! That's great news, but the bad news is that it will be a while before I'm back here (awww) and I know how much you all miss me, so in view of this, I have decided to leave you with something different, some music I like which has a small story attached to it:

THIS STORY IS OPTIONAL, IT IS JUST NOSTALGIA AND LOVE FOR A FANTASTIC PROGRAM:

It's no secret that I like all things Japanese; the people, the culture, the country. What you might not expect is that it seems I had a love for Japanese things even when I was too young to understand culture etc.

When I was a kid, they used to air a show here called "Monkey" or "Monkey Magic" as I remember it, and until a few years ago, I actually thought it was some childhood imagination of mine, something I either dreamed I saw on the TV or wished was real. But one day while I was browsing Amazon a few years ago, I suddenly decided to type "Monkey Magic" into Amazon search.

I could not believe what I saw: There they were, the four characters I wasn't sure I remembered or imagined (see attached picture). When I saw their faces I can imagine my face must have lit-up like, well, you cannot even begin to imagine. Finding out these characters were in fact real was, I'd go as far as to say, moving enough, but then I found a massive box set that not only had every episode they aired here, but also the episodes they never did (Japanese only episodes). The box set was expensive, but I just had to have it and bought it, and bollocks to the price!

You can feel the overwhelming love for "Monkey" in the reviews, whenever and wherever it is reviewed:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monkey-The-Complete-Series-DVD/dp/B0002PC2RC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8

So what, you're thinking, well I'll tell you so what. Monkey is one of those programs that is just unique (those that know it will understand exactly what I'm talking about), there is simply nothing else like Monkey, nothing. So I got the complete box set, and that of course meant that I would hear the theme-tune again, and you know what, it was so memorable (such a blast form a thoroughly enjoyable past) - I almost cried when I heard it.

One of the original themes from Monkey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1dlaikCaa4

And it gets better, because I then found out that they made a film in recent times, a spin-off of the original program. The amazing characters were played by new actors here, obviously, but you know what, they made such an amazing job of it, it is still "Monkey" and you don't even think of the characters as any different, because well, they're not any different they did it so well.

The modern film:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monkey-Magic-Blu-ray-Shingo-Katori/dp/B001KJ8N0E/

And that brings me to the track I want to show you, because this new film they made, ended with not one, but two tracks. The first track I had never heard before (the one you're about to hear), and when I first heard it, I thought now why the hell did they do that, why not keep the original and update it? But as that track ended it blended into a brand new recording of the original, and the thing is, it wasn't long before I realised, wait a minute, this new song is damn good, really fits, eerily well, it's as good as the original.

So it's like this:

- Original themes play on the original series.
- New theme plays on the film and then blends into a new recording or the original theme (both fantastic).

Here is the new theme, and if you saw it where it belongs, on the film, you would realise what an amazing track it is because of how it feels, it feels like it belongs Monkey, has that fun spirit, and to be able to achieve that after an original theme was so memorable, I think that's one very improbable but amazingly factual achievement.

The new theme (the band is half Canadian, half Japanese):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVWChbPeHYA

pumeco

Better quality audio (sung entirely in English as on the film):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PHgqJK0jY

And another cool track from the same band:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bxnfQjhXu8

Band Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_Majik

Mustakettu85

pumeco said:

Anyway, things are really awkward for me right now, but the next time I post here I will have left the UK for good, and will have my mobile home! That's great news, but the bad news is that it will be a while before I'm back here (awww) and I know how much you all miss me, so in view of this, I have decided to leave you with something different, some music I like which has a small story attached to it:

Hi again! It's awesome to hear your plans are coming to fruition (touch wood)! I can't watch videos right now (various computer\connection troubles), but the story you posted is very touching and the characters look fun =) I'm actually trying now to remember any character names or other searchable terms from a similarly "most likely imaginary" series from my childhood...

I'll scan Julia's photo for you ASAP, but my friend has enrolled in a university in Europe so that I'm not getting to make her pretty clothes any soon! =P

pumeco

No prob's Kettu, connections are a pain in the arse!

Anyway, I reckon it'll be around three months before I'm posting here again, and even when I am, hopefully I'll have less time to post. Had enough of being sat behind a computer, and the good thing is the change is likely to make a big difference there.

Bloody hope so anyway :-P

pumeco

Anyone ever heard or the Gutter Brothers?

The only time I heard them was a movie of OFAH, but the track they produced for it was one of the best covers of this track I've heard. If you're puzzled how I can like guitars but not like a lot of the stuff posted, this one demonstrates a style of using guitars that I like. Sounds slick, catchy, and gritty all at once.

Genre is Skiffle/Blues-Rock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLxiLv3a8gg