SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]

[nutella]

oh I still haven't listened to this yet but I didn't realize it was zelda music? coolio looking forward to it!

[G-Man]

lol looks like g meant to reply to the picture telephone thread

^This

[Tangrowth]

oh I still haven't listened to this yet but I didn't realize it was zelda music? coolio looking forward to it!

Yeah, inspired by and using motifs from Zelda music might be more accurate than saying it is strictly Zelda music, but either way. Really cool stuff.

[Tangrowth]

The album was enjoyable, and well suited to my need to multi-task while listening. I have never played Majora's Mask, but I did still hear familiar melodies from Ocarina of Time (particularly in the last track). I've long had the desire to play through the Zelda collection in full, because I've only ever played OoT and ALttP. Perhaps this will serve as the inspiration, assuming I can find decent emulated versions.

Also, you definitely should try to play Majora's Mask if you can. It's my all-time favorite Zelda game still, although Breath of the Wild gives it a run for its money now.

[nutella]

Omg I recognize the fairy music from botw *heart eyes* I'm not familiar with majora's mask specifically but I really should check it out from what I've heard.

This is all incredibly beautiful so far I love it

[Tangrowth]

Omg I recognize the fairy music from botw *heart eyes* I'm not familiar with majora's mask specifically but I really should check it out from what I've heard.

This is all incredibly beautiful so far I love it

It is seriously ridiculously well-done.

[speedchuck]

Time's End II is just as good in my opinion. While Time's End focuses on the first time loop in the game, Time's End II carries the player through all the forest/swamp related tracks on the way to waking the first giant. Each one is a concentrated adventure, with very different tones to them.

I might like the eclectic-but-still-epic nature of Time's End II better than Time's End, but it may just be because it's newer to me.

Since I put last week's album up a day late, I'll update this tomorrow with MP's submission. Now is not a bad time to submit more albums, either.

[Tangrowth]

Time's End II is just as good in my opinion. While Time's End focuses on the first time loop in the game, Time's End II carries the player through all the forest/swamp related tracks on the way to waking the first giant. Each one is a concentrated adventure, with very different tones to them.

I might like the eclectic-but-still-epic nature of Time's End II better than Time's End, but it may just be because it's newer to me.

Since I put last week's album up a day late, I'll update this tomorrow with MP's submission. Now is not a bad time to submit more albums, either.

I agree that Time's End II is just as good as the first. It's hard to compare though.

[speedchuck]

Week 62: Sun Ra - Lanquidity

Submitted by M Plus 7

Available on Youtube and Spotify

----------------------------------------------------------------***----------------------------------------------------------------

We need more submissions for the coming weeks! [mention]nutella[/mention] [mention]M Plus 7[/mention] [mention]Boomslang[/mention] [mention]insertnamehere[/mention] [mention]thellama73[/mention] [mention]G-Man[/mention] [mention]JaggedJimmyJay[/mention] [mention]triceratopzeuhl[/mention] [mention]A Person[/mention] [mention]Ricochet[/mention] [mention]Charlie Blackmon[/mention] [mention]Quin[/mention] [mention]Golden[/mention] [mention]sprityo[/mention] [mention]dunya[/mention] [mention]ColinIsCool[/mention]

You've been mentioned because you've submitted before. Please submit again! It takes very little time, and we need the variety.

[Tangrowth]

I'll submit:

M Plus 7 - Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out / 2000 / Indie Rock/Dream Pop / 13 tracks / 77:15 / Available on Youtube and Spotify

[Tangrowth]

Hope you guys enjoy this week's submission as well. I thought we could use some simultaneously weird yet accessible jazz up in here.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

There Will Be Fireworks - The Dark, Dark Bright - 2013 / Indie rock / 12 tracks / 48:26 / YouTube and Spotify

[Golden]

I just don't have time to fully participate which makes it feel mean to submit.

I feel like I should catch up on nutella's submissions first of all. They look great. I'll think about a submission.

[Golden]

This will definitely play differently to some people - but for me it's pretty close to the pinnacle of composing, conducting and performing - particularly the Tchaikovsky with Ormandy. There are passages here where nearly every great violinist evidently slows the tempo - Perlman somehow breezes through the entire thing with grace. If I had to list my ten greatest classical music recordings this would be contending for number one (and I'm not even a great violin fan).

I submit:

Perlman plays Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn concertos

Sorry, can't find a playlist, had to reconstruct from individual tracks:

Spoiler: show

[speedchuck]

I just don't have time to fully participate which makes it feel mean to submit.

Don't worry about it.

The five or six of us that are consistently listening, commenting, and discovering music would like some outside influence.

If you want to look at certain albums that catch your eye, we've got them for you. And nutella's submissions are always good IMO, so that's a good place to look.

[Tangrowth]

I just don't have time to fully participate which makes it feel mean to submit.

I feel like I should catch up on nutella's submissions first of all. They look great. I'll think about a submission.

Seriously, don't worry about it.

[Golden]

I listened again today, this time a version from the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra. It was again agreeable and pleasant, which often seems to be the extent of my reception of classical music. To me there always seems to be something missing at the core which limits its ceiling, though clarifying exactly what that is would be difficult. I struggle to draw any meaningful emotion from it; it rarely makes me feel anything. That's not to say it isn't there, because clearly for many other people the effect is quite the opposite. So it sounds good, I liked it well enough, and I cannot honestly provide it with any greater praise than that.

I noticed Rico had previously made a classical suggestion. Was interesting reading the various feedback,

Particularly the bit I italicised from Jay above, because this is pretty much how I feel about most music, but the highest hit rate of emotion for me is with classical. As speedchuck said, classical music is frequently raw genius at work, the likes of which it's rare to find in modern music which is frequently the product of some kind of hive mind that had a jam session. When I listen to classical music, I can usually understand and empathise with the emotion of the composer; or, where the composer is deliberately telling a story, the characters involved.

I mean; you're the greatest musician of your time and you're going deaf? Beethoven's 7th symphony, second movement. You can feel that sorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tchaikovsky's violin concerto was written shortly after his divorce; the divorce came because he was gay. What he managed to write in the aftermath of that was both tumultuous but also uplifting - I can hear, literally, his sorrow and relief upon the page.

Mendelssohn developed something of a love affair for Britain; he also managed to maintain an air of being casual and happy to the general observer, despite actually being a little cantankerous. You can hear the influence of being in Scotland clearly here, as well as a sort of British upper-classness to it all; It's a counterpoint to the Tchaikovsky. Where the Tchaikovsky is beset with genuine real emotion, Mendelssohn avoids it (but conjures his environment in place of it).

[sprityo]

I didnt want to submit because i dont actively keep up with SAW but if you want something i can suggest Something to Believe In by Young the Giant

great album

[G-Man]

I should be caught up by the end of the week. I'm not sure what to throw in the hat next. I feel guilty that four out of my top five SAW albums so far are my own submissions.

[speedchuck]

My submission:

Alan Parson's Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination / 1976 / Progressive Rock / 11 tracks (on youtube) / 42:38 / available on Youtube

[Tangrowth]

I listened again today, this time a version from the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra. It was again agreeable and pleasant, which often seems to be the extent of my reception of classical music. To me there always seems to be something missing at the core which limits its ceiling, though clarifying exactly what that is would be difficult. I struggle to draw any meaningful emotion from it; it rarely makes me feel anything. That's not to say it isn't there, because clearly for many other people the effect is quite the opposite. So it sounds good, I liked it well enough, and I cannot honestly provide it with any greater praise than that.

I noticed Rico had previously made a classical suggestion. Was interesting reading the various feedback,

Particularly the bit I italicised from Jay above, because this is pretty much how I feel about most music, but the highest hit rate of emotion for me is with classical. As speedchuck said, classical music is frequently raw genius at work, the likes of which it's rare to find in modern music which is frequently the product of some kind of hive mind that had a jam session. When I listen to classical music, I can usually understand and empathise with the emotion of the composer; or, where the composer is deliberately telling a story, the characters involved.

I mean; you're the greatest musician of your time and you're going deaf? Beethoven's 7th symphony, second movement. You can feel that sorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tchaikovsky's violin concerto was written shortly after his divorce; the divorce came because he was gay. What he managed to write in the aftermath of that was both tumultuous but also uplifting - I can hear, literally, his sorrow and relief upon the page.

Mendelssohn developed something of a love affair for Britain; he also managed to maintain an air of being casual and happy to the general observer, despite actually being a little cantankerous. You can hear the influence of being in Scotland clearly here, as well as a sort of British upper-classness to it all; It's a counterpoint to the Tchaikovsky. Where the Tchaikovsky is beset with genuine real emotion, Mendelssohn avoids it (but conjures his environment in place of it).

That's interesting. I feel the same way, but substitute classical with electronic or jazz usually. I'm just not much of a classical guy myself, not even entirely sure why.

[Tangrowth]

I should be caught up by the end of the week. I'm not sure what to throw in the hat next. I feel guilty that four out of my top five SAW albums so far are my own submissions.

Haha, you shouldn't; that's inevitable to a degree anyway, right?

[G-Man]

You know what might be funny? If we set aside one submission phase and had everyone submit an album that they think is bad and that everyone will probably agree is bad. I need to fill in the lower end of my list.

[speedchuck]

You know what might be funny? If we set aside one submission phase and had everyone submit an album that they think is bad and that everyone will probably agree is bad. I need to fill in the lower end of my list.

That would be fun. If we get 2 or 3 more motions for this, we can do it next time!

[Tangrowth]

You know what might be funny? If we set aside one submission phase and had everyone submit an album that they think is bad and that everyone will probably agree is bad. I need to fill in the lower end of my list.

I definitely have some albums that immediately come to mind. That could be an interesting change from the norm.

[Tangrowth]

Knowing how my tastes normally get received though, chances are you all will like those more than the albums I regularly submit.

[G-Man]

Help me understand Time's End. Is it the actual soundtrack to a video game? Is it original music that someone came up with to fit a video game? Or is it some kind of pet project that turned a simpler video game soundtrack into a full orchestral suite?

It's pretty music, I'll give you that, but I can't find a foothold on what I'm listening to.

[speedchuck]

Help me understand Time's End. Is it the actual soundtrack to a video game? Is it original music that someone came up with to fit a video game? Or is it some kind of pet project that turned a simpler video game soundtrack into a full orchestral suite?

It's pretty music, I'll give you that, but I can't find a foothold on what I'm listening to.

It is an orchestral project that takes many of its cues from the opening arc of a Zelda game. While it is now officially licensed by Nintendo, this project was made by an individual studio. It came out in December of 2012, on the day the world was supposed to end. While much of the arrangements echo Koji Kondo's tracks from the actual game, there are additions, transitions, and tweaks that were not there in the original simple/catchy video game loop. Theophany, the author, has taken all of the arrangements from other parts of the game and mixed his original renditions into something wonderful.

So it's basically the third thing you mentioned, though he adds a lot more into it than just the orchestration upgrade. By focusing on a specific arc in the game, the album promotes a feel of narrative and story, as well as being able to pull other tracks in to supplement that.

I'll admit, it probably hits harder if you've played the game. But I love it regardless.

[G-Man]

To this day, I have never owned a video game console, unless you count these bad boys...

Spoiler: show

So I'm probably going to just relate the music to what influences I think I hear.

[ColinIsCool]

I might have a hard time keeping up with this, but I'll throw a submission in and do my best to hear everybody else's starting with Sun-Ra.

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle / 1973 / pop/rock, singer/songwriter, jazz rock / 7 tracks / Spotify and YouTube

I'll speak a few words on it now. Bruce Springsteen's music and his live concerts specifically are probably the closest thing I have to a religion. A lot of people have this image of him as blue jeans, fast cars and waving flags, but this is a decade before all that, when he's just a beach bum in New Jersey chasing a dream and making crazy songs about street romances and greaser gang intrigue. It's a great album for the summer and, despite his stardom, I find it's not a record that people tend to hear unless they do a dig of his discography. Hope you like it.

I'll submit:

M Plus 7 - Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out / 2000 / Indie Rock/Dream Pop / 13 tracks / 77:15 / Available on Youtube and Spotify

I just listened to this the other day, I really liked it, "Our Way to Fall" especially.

[Golden]

I listened again today, this time a version from the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra. It was again agreeable and pleasant, which often seems to be the extent of my reception of classical music. To me there always seems to be something missing at the core which limits its ceiling, though clarifying exactly what that is would be difficult. I struggle to draw any meaningful emotion from it; it rarely makes me feel anything. That's not to say it isn't there, because clearly for many other people the effect is quite the opposite. So it sounds good, I liked it well enough, and I cannot honestly provide it with any greater praise than that.

I noticed Rico had previously made a classical suggestion. Was interesting reading the various feedback,

Particularly the bit I italicised from Jay above, because this is pretty much how I feel about most music, but the highest hit rate of emotion for me is with classical. As speedchuck said, classical music is frequently raw genius at work, the likes of which it's rare to find in modern music which is frequently the product of some kind of hive mind that had a jam session. When I listen to classical music, I can usually understand and empathise with the emotion of the composer; or, where the composer is deliberately telling a story, the characters involved.

I mean; you're the greatest musician of your time and you're going deaf? Beethoven's 7th symphony, second movement. You can feel that sorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tchaikovsky's violin concerto was written shortly after his divorce; the divorce came because he was gay. What he managed to write in the aftermath of that was both tumultuous but also uplifting - I can hear, literally, his sorrow and relief upon the page.

Mendelssohn developed something of a love affair for Britain; he also managed to maintain an air of being casual and happy to the general observer, despite actually being a little cantankerous. You can hear the influence of being in Scotland clearly here, as well as a sort of British upper-classness to it all; It's a counterpoint to the Tchaikovsky. Where the Tchaikovsky is beset with genuine real emotion, Mendelssohn avoids it (but conjures his environment in place of it).

That's interesting. I feel the same way, but substitute classical with electronic or jazz usually. I'm just not much of a classical guy myself, not even entirely sure why.

For me Jazz is classical music, really. I mean, what's the difference between Beethoven and Gershwin? What's the difference between Gershwin and Miles Davis?

[G-Man]

I can see MP’s point to a degree. Jazz and its roots of ragtime and blues are the closest thing America has to a classical genre of its own. It’s skillful but unique (or at least was at the time) to America. It was looked down upon by the old-rich elites but grew in popularity and cultural standing. If not for rock and roll, jazz might be more commonplace now but it was completely overshadowed and drowned out by the amplified guitar-driven sounds of the 50s. I think it had actually been surpassed by big band in the 40s first though.

[G-Man]

Lanquidity was pretty easy to digest. I've been going through Miles Davis' discography again, so my mind is open to jazz right now. Oddly enough, I feel like the first and last tracks are the weakest. Maybe there's room for the closer to grow on me (what with the Doors-esque keyboard), so we'll see.

I need a few more runs through Time's End.

For now though...







*looks around the office*



*sees that he's the only one in the building*



Time sort out a few final track scores for Carly Rae Jepsen.

[speedchuck]

Huh. I was kind of average on Lanquidity until the final track started. It's very, very good. The hook of the track is more standout than previous tracks, and I really like it.

[Tangrowth]

Lanquidity is easily the most accessible Sun Ra album, but it’s also one of his best and not quite typical jazz fusion. Definitely a neat album to play in the evening especially.

And the final track is my favorite too but the whole album is solid. Grew on me a lot over time too.

[nutella]

k I've decided on a submission: The Books - Thought for Food / 2002 / aleatoric/folktronica/sound collage / 12 tracks / 38:31 / available on spotify, youtube and bandcamp

[Tangrowth]

k I've decided on a submission: The Books - Thought for Food / aleatoric/folktronica/sound collage / 12 tracks / 38:31 / available on spotify, youtube and bandcamp

Cool album.

[nutella]

I knew you'd be into it.

what do you think as far as genre tags though idk what to call it lol

[Tangrowth]

I knew you'd be into it.

what do you think as far as genre tags though idk what to call it lol

I think you pretty much covered it. I'd call it folktronica.

[nutella]

ok cool, I didn't feel like that term alone covered the heavy sample-y nature of it

[Tangrowth]

ok cool, I didn't feel like that term alone covered the heavy sample-y nature of it

That's understandable; there's definitely sound collage and/or plunderphonics heavily in there too.

[G-Man]

I'm feeling cheeky this go around...


Chumbawamba - Tubthumper / 1997 / anarcho-punk/dance-pop / 12 tracks / 58:49 / available on YouTube and Spotify

[G-Man]

After checking the submission history, it looks to me like the order for the next round is as follows:


Golden: Itzhak Perlman - Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn Violin Concertos / 2003 / Classical / 7 tracks / 75:55 / Available via Golden's reconstructed playlist (click spoiler tag)

Sprityo: Young the Giant - Home of the Strange / 2016 / indie rock / 11 tracks / 39:50 / Available on YouTube and Spotify

ColinIsCool: Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle / 1973 / pop/rock, singer/songwriter, jazz rock / 7 tracks / Spotify and YouTube

Nutella: The Books - Thought for Food / 2002 / aleatoric/folktronica/sound collage / 12 tracks / 38:31 / available on spotify, youtube and bandcamp

G-Man: Chumbawamba - Tubthumper / 1997 / anarcho-punk/dance-pop / 12 tracks / 58:49 / available on YouTube and Spotify

JaggedJimmyJay: There Will Be Fireworks - The Dark, Dark Bright - 2013 / Indie rock / 12 tracks / 48:26 / YouTube and Spotify

Speedchuck: Alan Parson's Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination / 1976 / Progressive Rock / 11 tracks (on youtube) / 42:38 / available on Youtube

M Plus 7: M Plus 7 - Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out / 2000 / Indie Rock/Dream Pop / 13 tracks / 77:15 / Available on Youtube and Spotify


I think Sprityo wrote down the name of a song, not an album, so I included him based on the album the song is from. We can tuck any other submissions into the mix if they come in.

[speedchuck]

Thanks G-Man

[nutella]

sweet, looking forward to the new submissions!

reviews update: As I think I said earlier I gave Emotion a 3.5 but seriously considered a 4. One thing that held it back a little bit was that it suffers from its length and lost some of my attention by the time I got to the last 5 tracks or so, but still good. I also gave Time's End (and its sequel which I listened to an equal amount) a high 3.5 -- quite beautiful, enjoyed the bits I recognized and I found it nice as background music for working. Haven't gotten around to Sun Ra yet.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

I gave Lanquidity a go today and didn't get much out of it. Albums of this general construction tend to struggle to hold my attention -- I just don't think it's an approach to music that resonates with me. Even when I dedicate total attention, it tends to end this way.

[G-Man]

I still have to circle back around for Time's End. Here's the rest.

Van Lear Rose

Spoiler: show

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. There's a beauty and purity in the combination of Lynn's songwriting and the music performed by Jack White and his rag-tag bunch of studio musicians. It's raw, real, and rough around the edges. The real triumph I think is Lynn's ability to tell a story through song. I'm not one to focus on lyrics a whole lot but these songs are plucked from events, people, and emotions that Loretta Lynn felt and experienced throughout her life. "Miss Being Misses" is a simple but devastating song. Not every track is spectacular but they all have a little sparkle that catches me in the right spot. Maybe I embrace this album because I grew up just shy of the sticks and there's a little bit of hick in me somewhere. The album's creation is an underdog story that makes me smile. I don't know what else to say but that I love it.

Rating: 4.38 out of 5 (A)



Emotion

Spoiler: show

I'm not much of a pop person but I can appreciate enough of it to get by. My initial takeaway is that this album is a little too hung up on 80s pop sounds. For me, the opening track is the best of the bunch. It's got a little contemporary sexy in with its 80s sax and 90s drum machine. A few other tracks scored well but there were other tracks that just sounded like nothing more than competent pop music. Jepsen's voice suits the genre and most of these songs but I feel like her voice isn't distinctive. I don't think hearing her voice will bring her name to my mind. She's not a generic pop voice (I don't think I heard any Auto-Tune) but I don't think she stands out from the crowd.

Rating: 3.33 out of 5 (B)



Lanquidity

Spoiler: show

It's competent jazz. I still feel like the opening and closing tracks are the weakest but that may be due to my musical tastes and biases. I tend to gravitate toward a hook or groove. The bass lines on tracks 2, 3, and 4 were enough to pull me in a little deeper. Overall, it's chill music good for the background or for some hazy drinking and head-bopping. As I expose myself to more old-school jazz, perhaps this kind of fusion stuff will grow higher in standing. Until then, it's nice.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (B)

[Golden]

G-Man submitted tubthumping

[dunya]

I need to contribute more before I make any new suggestions. Sorry guys. I will try to keep up and catch up.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

I just realized I never got to Van Lear Rose. I'll need to remedy that soon.