Non-Classical Music Listening Thread!

[Karl Henning]

Somehow,my non-classical listening of late has mostly been four double-LPs in which a younger me was once immersed: The Beatles, Uncle Meat, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway & Physical Graffiti.

[DaveF]

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Hm - an album I've always really struggled to make sense of, both musically and narratively.  What's the secret - apart from to go back 40 years and get immersed in it?

My constant listening at the moment:

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Somehow,my non-classical listening of late has mostly been four double-LPs in which a younger me was once immersed: The Beatles, Uncle Meat, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway & Physical Graffiti.

What song in the White Album do you like Karl? Me, Dear Prudence, Cry Baby Cry, and Good Night.

[George]

I had his album Cole's Corner on heavy rotation for a long long time after that one came out.

That one will be my next stop, thanks!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Shirley Collins and Davy Graham: Folk Roots, New Routes



Two hugely influential figures in the 1960s British folk revival get together for some tunes from both sides of the Atlantic.

[Karl Henning]

Hm - an album I've always really struggled to make sense of, both musically and narratively.  What's the secret - apart from to go back 40 years and get immersed in it?

The "narrative" of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, whether Peter Gabriel's lyrics or his prose blurb, which originally appeared inside the gatefold (irreconcilable as they are), is simply a hot mess (at best) with the occasional embarrassingly weak "wordplay" which at times mars even the best efforts of early Genesis at worst. I treat the album kind of like a Wagner opera, Dave, in that I pretty much just focus on the music. Apparently (relations already being strained between PG and the rest of the band at that point—IIRC, Mrs PG was having a difficult pregnancy, and the band could have been more emotionally supportive than they were) the band basically communally composed the album song by song, and PG devised/applied lyrics with the music more or less a fait accompli) which anyway supports the notion of receiving the music as the core experience. All that said, it'd kind of surreal to find the audience, in the DVD of a live performance. singing along to "Carpet Crawlers." I love all the rhythmic ingenuity of the album, and of course, Steve Hackett's colors, especially. For me, the outstanding tracks are "Fly on a Windshield," "In the Cage," "Back in N.Y.C./Hairless Heart." "The Waiting Room/Anyway/Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" & "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats."

What song in the White Album do you like Karl? Me, Dear Prudence, Cry Baby Cry, and Good Night.

Manabu, all those plus "Long, Long, Long," "In the Happiness Is a Warm Gun," "Martha, My Dear," "Yer Blues," and I'll ahead and add "Back in the USSR," & "Revolution 9." The last is perhaps arguably amateurish musique concrète, but overall I think Lennon brings it off. Sure, the very first time the album was played "for me," I resented it as a disruption of the flow, and even found it borderline disturbing at the time (makes me smile today to reflect upon that) but I simply enjoy it now—and how else could "Good Night" have been set up so sweetly?

"Ob La Di" is one of a very few Beatles songs that I think, "If I never hear it again, I can endure the loss."

[KevinP]

An old album (1972) I only became acquainted with about a year or so ago. A Tab in the Ocean by Nektar.

I've always been open to prog rock, but not an outright fan in the sense that I could readily talk about any given album or even band, but I like this one a lot, along with their Remember the Future. (The other albums I've heard by them have all been solid but not as good as these two. There's one early album I haven't been able to hear but it's from the same time as these two.)

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

The "narrative" of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, whether Peter Gabriel's lyrics or his prose blurb, which originally appeared inside the gatefold (irreconcilable as they are), is simply a hot mess (at best) with the occasional embarrassingly weak "wordplay" which at times mars even the best efforts of early Genesis at worst. I treat the album kind of like a Wagner opera, Dave, in that I pretty much just focus on the music. Apparently (relations already being strained between PG and the rest of the band at that point—IIRC, Mrs PG was having a difficult pregnancy, and the band could have been more emotionally supportive than they were) the band basically communally composed the album song by song, and PG devised/applied lyrics with the music more or less a fait accompli) which anyway supports the notion of receiving the music as the core experience. All that said, it'd kind of surreal to find the audience, in the DVD of a live performance. singing along to "Carpet Crawlers." I love all the rhythmic ingenuity of the album, and of course, Steve Hackett's colors, especially. For me, the outstanding tracks are "Fly on a Windshield," "In the Cage," "Back in N.Y.C./Hairless Heart." "The Waiting Room/Anyway/Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" & "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats."
Manabu, all those plus "Long, Long, Long," "In the Happiness Is a Warm Gun," "Martha, My Dear," "Yer Blues," and I'll ahead and add "Back in the USSR," & "Revolution 9." The last is perhaps arguably amateurish musique concrète, but overall I think Lennon brings it off. Sure, the very first time the album was played "for me," I resented it as a disruption of the flow, and even found it borderline disturbing at the time (makes me smile today to reflect upon that) but I simply enjoy it now—and how else could "Good Night" have been set up so sweetly?

"Ob La Di" is one of a very few Beatles songs that I think, "If I never hear it again, I can endure the loss."

How could I forget Long Long Long! It is a great song (Savoy Truffle too). Warm Gun is very nice as well. I'm sorry, I always skip "9".  Next time I won't and will carefully listen to it. As for Good Night, I read that John asked G Martin for an orchestration "very cheesy." Btw, I find Paul's vocal on Rocky Raccoon quite attractive and professional.


P.s. The cover of Dear Prudence by Siouxsie And The Banshees is great too, imo.

[DaveF]

I treat the album kind of like a Wagner opera, Dave, in that I pretty much just focus on the music.

I love all the rhythmic ingenuity of the album, and of course, Steve Hackett's colors, especially. For me, the outstanding tracks are "Fly on a Windshield," "In the Cage," "Back in N.Y.C./Hairless Heart." "The Waiting Room/Anyway/Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" & "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats."

Ha! Like the Wagner comment - all German speakers I know (who also know Wagner) find his libretti (sorry, Richard, poems) embarrassingly bad.  I clearly need to try again - I've heard The Lamb described as having the best display of rock drumming on any album - although for me Collins hits his peak on Nursery Cryme, despite its generally sluggish recorded sound.

I don't know it, but looking on www.progarchives.com I see that the first track lasts 17 minutes, so must give it a try.  Do you know my beloved Gentle Giant?

[steve ridgway]

I don't know it, but looking on www.progarchives.com I see that the first track lasts 17 minutes, so must give it a try.  Do you know my beloved Gentle Giant?

That's my favourite Nektar album, especially the long title track. I have half a dozen Gentle Giant albums; they made really talented, original and complex prog rock.

[SimonNZ]

[KevinP]

Do you know my beloved Gentle Giant?

I've recently gone off and explored a lot of rock music I'd heard of but never really knew. They were indeed one whose pool I dipped my feet in.

[George]

SACD

[DaveF]

That's my favourite Nektar album, especially the long title track.

Had a listen today, and reasonably impressed at first hearing - inhabiting territory somewhere between Gong and the Genesis of Watcher of the Skies.  The 17-minute track seemed fairly well structured, rather than losing itself in endless solos and experimental whatnot.  You just wish (and sadly this applies to a great deal of prog rock) that they'd got Lennon and McCartney to write their lyrics - for heaven's sake lighten up, guys, stop being so portentous, have fun (although of course with prog, that is part of the fun).  Perhaps that's the appeal of Italian prog, especially to someone not fluent in Italian - you can't understand the damn words.

[Todd]

[SimonNZ]

Its never been clear to me why this fine album is one of my least played Bowies, but I seldom have the urge to put it on.

Enjoying it again now, though.

[KevinP]

. There's one early album I haven't been able to hear but it's from the same time as these two.)

And it turns out that that album (Journey to the Centre of the Eye) has been reissued this calendar year, so I'm now enjoying it.

Not quite as good as the next two, but still good.

[Todd]

Father John Misty under his real name Josh Tillman, Cancer and Delirium.  Stripped down, lo fi music, often just a man, his acoustic guitar, and downbeat, often erudite lyrics. 

[71 dB]

Air Supply - Mumbo Jumbo

I received today this out-of-print CD I was lucky to buy for just 7.38 euros delivered on ebay. This is MY guilty pleasure music. Awesome! 

[George]