Music

[Bunnylump]

Yes, it's me again. Starting up YET another thread, but let's face it, it's long overdue.

I'm thinking let us know what you're listening to, what you've found that's worth a listen, information on concerts etc.! Or just observations about music, like this.

I'm just listening to the new MUSE single-United States Of Eurasia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKxN4JyGtoE

Wow, just EVERSO SLIGHTLY like Queen!! What do you think?

I'm quite liking it.

[eirian]

I'll have a listen, I do rather like Queen after all.
Mostly at the moment I'm listening to Classic FM. This is something I swore I would never do when it first appeared, and still frustrates me for the reason I had then - I like listening to whole pieces of music, not just stray movements, but it's just about the right level of music for me first thing in the morning when I just want some background music - and of course, its introducing Thomas to the decent stuff. Pity I don't have the opportunity to brainwash him into liking classical music like Wulf did with me - the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra used to rehearse downstairs from where we lived and I was regularly taken to sit in at the age of 1!!

[SparkOut]

It's not bad at all, very like Queen in many ways, a bit of Zep thrown in for good measure. It does sounds a bit like they're taking their "message" in the lyrics a bit too seriously though and putting it in a "we like this sort of music so probably everyone else will" wrapper. I "quite like it" too, for all that. I don't think they will ever match Queen - but then, I'm pretty sure that's not what they intend anyway.



Pure nostalgia, this: I just got a bunch of stuff out of storage and Wire Train (this one is "The Last Perfect Thing") was amongst it.

I never realised they made any videos ever - trying hard to see past the 80's cheese, but the music really brings me back.

[Bunnylump]

Thanks for that. I enjoyed that very much.

But now the burning question in my mind (yes, I am that shallow) is did you have a hair cut like that? I had the girl's version!!

[Scurra]

There was a whole article in The Guardian today about Muse using Chopin in that piece (which, bizarrely, I discovered yesterday entirely independently), which talks about what sort of classical music would be a good "next step" for people who quite liked it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/ju ... usic-guide

For my utterly mad recommendation? http://www.escradio.com/ is an internet streaming radio station that plays nothing but... Eurovision Song Contest entries. I listen to it for about an hour every week and I'm continually surprised by the fact that there are almost always one or two utterly brilliant songs, albeit largely buried amongst the endless middle-European pop.

[Bunnylump]

You NEVER cease to amaze me.

[brian]

How did I know that Scurra read the Guardian?? (Spelling mistakes and all)

My favourite piece of music is the Wagner Ride of the Valkyries, which is the most amazing bit of orchestration ever.


In case you all have forgotten it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU


And of course, you can listen to my classical favourites on 94.4fm or on line www.salfordcityradio.org on Sundays between 9.00 and 10.00
(All prerecorded at present as I can't get in to do a fresh show with this lump of plaster round my ankle)

[Bunnylump]

Yes, that is very fine. When you're back on air Brian, let us know. I must confess to never having quite made it getting up by that time on a Sunday, but one day...

Oh, and Scurra, I re read what I said (above) and it sounded a bit scathing. It wasn't meant to. I was just amazed that you'd bother to listen to lots of stuff you didn't like in order to NOT miss the good bits!! I call that true dedication!!

Now if we're talking classical, if I really want to relax, there's nothing quite like a bit of Debussy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvUepMa31o.

[Scurra]

But Bunny - how would you ever find things you didn't know you were going to like if you didn't put up with terrible stuff as well?
I think I mentioned that I subscribe to Duke Ellington's theory: there are only two sorts of music - Good Music and Bad Music... and the fun part is that we all disagree about which is which. I am willing to listen to a certain amount of Bad Music (and there is very little that is totally irredeemable!) in order to find the unexpectedly Good, especially when I am uncertain what will turn out to be Good at the outset.

That's why The Proms are so important - you tune in to hear the stuff you know you are going to like, and with a bit of luck you will find something you didn't know about but rather like as well. I usually find two or three things every year that way.

[Bunnylump]

I only caught a bit of the proms this year. And to my amazement there was a girl I went to school with introducing it!!

[Scurra]

They've hardly started, you know! Tomorrow's is #14 out of 76 concerts (and I'm not sure that counts all of the "side events".)

[Bunnylump]

Sorry I meant "I've..."

...yes I know they're still going on and intend to watch more.

[eirian]

And of course, you can listen to my classical favourites on 94.4fm or on line http://www.salfordcityradio.org on Sundays between 9.00 and 10.00
(All prerecorded at present as I can't get in to do a fresh show with this lump of plaster round my ankle)

well, Thomas loved dancing to Nutcracker, although I didn't get to hear what the percusion piece was earlier as he was objecting to my having stopped moving him to it! (wish I was fitter - don't have the muscles to swing him in the air for more than 5 mins at a time!) Not sure that trying to get him to sleep to the Ode to Joy was my best idea though!

[Bunnylump]

I just knew my son was going to be musical. When I listened to music when I was pregnant he used to leap about inside my tummy in time to the music!! (He's got his Dad's sense of rhythm too)!

[Laura]

Moving slightly off topic here, but I wasn't sure where to put this particular query.

My sister and brother-in-law have been here this weekend, and it was the brother-in-law's birthday. Imagine my surprise when two of his presents were CDs by a band named Sigur Ros! So is our Sigur Ros one of them, or is the username inspired by the band, or is it just a big coincidence?

[eirian]

user name inspired by the band I'm afraid. Wouldn't it be fun if he was one of them? But then, I believe they are Icelandic or some such (don't actually know that much about them, but that's probably because I make him listen to them on his headphones! )

[Cenwulf]

Re: The Proms.
I watched it yesterday for a piece I like very much: Holst's The Planets.
I'll probably tune in next week as well, as it's all music from MGM films.

[Wulfruna]

Re: The Proms.
I watched it yesterday for a piece I like very much: Holst's The Planets.

Yes, this was a real highlight - a superb performance. But then, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is my favourite orchestra.... It is one of the things we most miss now that we have moved away from Manchester, where the BBC Phil is based. We used to go regularly to their concerts - in preference even to the Hallé - and enjoyed some fantastic music. As Scurra rightly says, this is also a good way of discovering some amazing new stuff as well, played alongside the more familiar pieces.
As for the Proms - a lot more of the concerts are also being broadcast on TV on BBC 4 - so it is worth keeping an eye on that.

[Bunnylump]

Watching Kings Of Leon on TV BBC 3.They're really good live.

[Bunnylump]

Anyone else enjoying Radiohead at Reading at the moment?