Non-Classical Music Listening Thread!

[RussellG]

Can you tell me which songs eddie vedder sings on?

Here you go:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_the_Royal_Albert_Hall_(The_Who_album)

I might add that all of the guests on this album really work well.  Vedder sounds great.  I was a bit dubious when I bought it, but even Noel Gallagher is OK    (I've never got the whole Gallagher bros/Oasis thing).

P.S.  the sound is remarkably good (uncompressed) for a 2003 mastering too.

[George]

Thanks, Russ. 

I'm a HUGE pearl jam fan.

[RussellG]

Thanks, Russ. 

I'm a HUGE pearl jam fan.

Yeah I was kinda aware of that.  I liked a couple of their hits but never really pursued them.  I do think Eddie Vedder has an awesome voice though.

[RussellG]

It was really interesting. I find it astounding that popular music doesn't seem to have "advanced" much from a progressive standpoint since. Most bands that call themselves progressive just force a bunch of different time signatures and keys into a typical I-IV-V base.

I wasn't even aware there were still bands calling themselves progressive around today.  But then I don't know much about modern rock at all.  I thought prog died about 1980...

[George]

Yeah I was kinda aware of that.  I liked a couple of their hits but never really pursued them.  I do think Eddie Vedder has an awesome voice though.

Yeah, I learned to sing by singing along with their first two albums. Being a baritone like him made it much easier for me to learn to sing in my range.

The pearl jam albums show up in the used bins a lot over here. Yield is one of their more underrated albums, IMO.  Riot Act and the second album (vs.) are favorites of mine.

[RussellG]

Yeah, I learned to sing by singing along with their first two albums. Being a baritone like him made it much easier for me to learn to sing in my range.

The pearl jam albums show up in the used bins a lot over here. Yield is one of their more underrated albums, IMO.  Riot Act and the second album (vs.) are favorites of mine.

Any samples?  (of your singing, not Pearl Jam  )

[Haffner]

I wasn't even aware there were still bands calling themselves progressive around today.  But then I don't know much about modern rock at all.  I thought prog died about 1980...

These days there are many "Prog" bands around. From what I've heard of them, they ain't got nothing on, say, Frank Zappa. In fact, Zappa might just have taken "progression in Pop music" to its outer limits.

Or maybe most Progressive Rock/Metal bands are shackled by their Pop Music roots. Their fans tend to prefer bands remaining in their early (inevitably derivative) style forever, and the record labels follow suit. Some (say, Yngwie Malmsteen) hop aboard the pseudo-Paganini bandwagon, playing the same runs and licks ad nauseum, while not caring about composition whatsoever.

[RussellG]

These days there are many "Prog" bands around. From what I've heard of them, they ain't got nothing on, say, Frank Zappa. In fact, Zappa might just have taken "progression in Pop music" to its outer limits.

There's no doubt Zappa was the ultimate "rock composer".  I love most of his stuff I've heard, but the long improvised jazz/prog workouts are my favourites.  Like all of the Hot Rats album for starters.  That stuff of his is actually more accomplished than the output of most of the big name prog acts like Genesis, ELP, Van der Graaf Generator, Camel, etc, IMO.  Zappa rocked!

(Geez he played a mean guitar too).

[George]

Any samples?  (of your singing, not Pearl Jam  )

I used to have a CD recording of a Beatles cover I did in college for a Jazz Vocal class I took but when I moved a few years back, I misplaced it. The song was "She Came in through the Bathroom Window," done with a Samba beat, transposed down a fifth to D Major. It might be in storage and I am going to move again at some point, so if it turns up, I'll post it here. The other option would be to see if my school has any record of the performance.

I have never performed that well in front of an audience. The formality of it all, plus my stagefright, took most of the fun out of singing. I kept trying, but it just didn't work. I sing much better informally, sitting in the parks, just singing accapella for the pure fun of it. I usually do so with my walkman on at a low enough volume to monitor my voice and still hear the chord changes in the songs. Nothing makes me more happy than when I am singing for my own pleasure. Singing is the most cleansing thing I have ever done. I find it to be a constructive way to express frustration, anger, sadness, joy and all the other emotions.

But I digress...

Thread duty:



Sang this one in the park yesterday.  

[Haffner]

"Let's Dance"

[RussellG]

I sing much better informally, sitting in the parks, just singing accapella for the pure fun of it.

Singing in NYC parks doesn't attract...errr....unwanted attention...?   

I appreciate the stagefright issue.  I'm not a great public speaker (let along singer) myself.

[Haffner]

(Geez he played a mean guitar too).

He knew he was great. I guess the only thing I have against Zappa is that I never got this spine-chilling feeling from his music. But, I'm a way overboard Drama/Wagner freak to begin with.

So much of Zappa's music still makes me smile, laugh and "get dooowwwwn"!

I consider that to often be a VERY good thing .

[George]

Singing in NYC parks doesn't attract...errr....unwanted attention...?   

No, I just find a spot away from the crowds.

[George]

"Let's Dance"

The album or the song?

[Haffner]

The album or the song?

The song. The album was good. I was just thinking about best baritone voices in rock, and he naturally (for me at least) came up.

[RussellG]

So much of Zappa's music still makes me smile, laugh and "get dooowwwwn"!

I consider that to often be a VERY good thing .

Oh yeah.  One of my favourite tracks is the last one on Sheik Yerbouti - "Yo' Mama".  The guitar work in that is just scintillating.

[George]

The song. The album was good. I was just thinking about best baritone voices in rock, and he naturally (for me at least) came up.

Absolutely. Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver) is another IMO. A shame that guy can't get his shit together. I think he has one of the best Rock voices of all time.

[karlhenning]

Now on (2003):

Special guests: . . . Kennedy

Wot, The Nige?

[karlhenning]

The song. The album was good. I was just thinking about best baritone voices in rock, and he naturally (for me at least) came up.

"Put on your red shoes and dance the blues."

[RussellG]

Special guests: . . . Kennedy

Wot, The Nige?

Yup.  He plays the violin part on "Baba O'Riley".