Today I had a horrifying thought. Am I pretentious when it comes to music?
Admittedly, when it comes to classical music I'm more a fan of the darker stuff - deaf or nearly so Beethoven, Mozart at the end of his life when he was all dark, Jenkins for reasons I can't really understand - and when it comes to popular music, I'm the same. Metallica, Apocalyptica, Rammstein, Within Temptation, Iron Maiden, Kamelot, even the odd bit of Murderdolls.
Recently however, I've found that I'm liking more and more non metal. I quite like three of Adele's latest songs, I can listen to Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts on an endless loop, and there's one Florence + The Machine song which I love, I just don't know what it's called. Either way, this made me wonder. Am I truly a metalhead, or am I just fooling myself?
Am I just pandering to my pretensions that I'm more hardcore than that? Ought I give up and stop visiting Utopia (which is probably my favourite store after Dymocks Stationery - the cheapest place to get Calligraphy supplies)?
To test this theory, I went into JBHifi and purchased a CD. Lungs by Florence was $10. If I didn't like it, I could always just give it to my sister.
I stuck it in my computer and listened with trepidation.
As it turns out, I didn't like it. Cosmic Love was alright, but not really to my taste. All of the tracks sounded the same, with the same airy voice and electronic instrumentation. I'm not a pretentious ass. I genuinely dislike the majority of popular music. I don't know whether I should be pleased or disappointed. Who cares?
Either way, I'm off to cleanse my mind of all that ranga music by listening to some music which never fails to perk me up: Amour by Rammstein, Parliament of Fools by Skyclad, Sacra by Apocalyptica and what is probably my favourite piece of classical music: The Allegretto (mvt. 2) of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.
Because as it turns out, I really am hardcore like that.
Showing posts with label Metallica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metallica. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Freedom
Today I obtained leave from the hospital for a day. It was markedly enjoyable in comparison to incarceration.
I played Lacrosse, and then was able to access block-less internet.
Which is why I'm blogging.
The problem is, hospital is so ridiculously boring that there's nothing to blog about.
And thus a little experiment I've dreamed up:
METALLICA OR JOHN DONNE
I will write a line of either a Metallica song or a John Donne poem, and you all get to guess which it is. No typing it into google. That's boring. And unethical.
I played Lacrosse, and then was able to access block-less internet.
Which is why I'm blogging.
The problem is, hospital is so ridiculously boring that there's nothing to blog about.
And thus a little experiment I've dreamed up:
METALLICA OR JOHN DONNE
I will write a line of either a Metallica song or a John Donne poem, and you all get to guess which it is. No typing it into google. That's boring. And unethical.
- For whom the bell tolls.
- Trust I seek and I find in you.
- Dispute, and conquer.
- Corrupt worms.
- Justice is done.
- Let my heart be still.
- Fall on that man.
- So what now, where go I?
- Take my hand.
- He swallows us.
Have at it!!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Metallica
A few posts ago, I was rather put ut by the fact that scuttlebutt is that Metallica would be coming to Australia in august.
As it turns out, they're playing at Acer Arena on November 18, which is after the HSC.
I am excited beyond description. I'm doing a happy dance.
OH MY GOD, I'M GOING TO A METALLICA CONCERT.
As it turns out, they're playing at Acer Arena on November 18, which is after the HSC.
I am excited beyond description. I'm doing a happy dance.
OH MY GOD, I'M GOING TO A METALLICA CONCERT.
Incoherent Indies
I was watching Rage on ABC on Saturday morning, and I was reminded of one of my pet hates: incoherent apathetic indie bands with stupid names.
They mumble, they ‘sing’ in irritating breathy voices that demonstrate quite obviously that they have absolutely no diaphragm support whatsoever, and they have stupid band names.
What kind of an idiotic name is ‘Fire! Santa Rosa. Fire!’? seriously.
And what about ‘Fauns’.
It’s only a matter of time before they just start taking names out of science textbooks: I will in no way be surprised when there’s a band called ‘the Electrolytic Cells’ or perhaps ‘Xloem vessels’. And let’s not rule out ‘the Tickertapes’; ‘the Hubble Telescopes’; ‘the Stephen Hawkings’… I could go on.
And it’s as if they can’t even get enthusiastic about their own music. They just stand there, playing their instruments in an expressionless manner. They seem to think they’re too cool for their music, but they’ll deign to play it anyway, and we just have to deal with their boredom.
On a slightly unrelated note, scuttlebutt is that Metallica is coming to Australia in August. Tiff (the one who introduced me to the joys of Metallica) and I are really cut that it’s in the middle of trials.
Damn and blast.
They mumble, they ‘sing’ in irritating breathy voices that demonstrate quite obviously that they have absolutely no diaphragm support whatsoever, and they have stupid band names.
What kind of an idiotic name is ‘Fire! Santa Rosa. Fire!’? seriously.
And what about ‘Fauns’.
It’s only a matter of time before they just start taking names out of science textbooks: I will in no way be surprised when there’s a band called ‘the Electrolytic Cells’ or perhaps ‘Xloem vessels’. And let’s not rule out ‘the Tickertapes’; ‘the Hubble Telescopes’; ‘the Stephen Hawkings’… I could go on.
And it’s as if they can’t even get enthusiastic about their own music. They just stand there, playing their instruments in an expressionless manner. They seem to think they’re too cool for their music, but they’ll deign to play it anyway, and we just have to deal with their boredom.
On a slightly unrelated note, scuttlebutt is that Metallica is coming to Australia in August. Tiff (the one who introduced me to the joys of Metallica) and I are really cut that it’s in the middle of trials.
Damn and blast.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Vois sur ton Chemin
Vois sur ton chemin, gamins oubliés égarés.
Donne leur la main pour les mener vers d'autres lendemains.
Sens au coeur de la nuit l'onde d'espoir, ardeur de la vie, sentier de gloire.
Bonheurs enfantins trop vite oubliés effacés.
Une lumière dorée brille sans fin tout au bout du chemin.
Sens au coeur de la nuit l'onde d'espoir, ardeur de la vie, sentier de gloire.
That was Vois sur ton Chemin from Les Choristes. It is quite easily one of my favourite songs.
It also has the most beautiful lyrics. They translate as such:
See upon your path, childhood forgotten and lost.
Give them a hand to lead them to further tomorrows.
Feel in the heart of the night the wave of hope, the spirit of life, which marks the way to glory.
Childhood joys abandoned and forgotten too soon.
A golden light shines endlessly at the end of the path.
Feel in the heart of the night the wave of hope, the spirit of life, which marks the way to glory.
It's certainly a stark contrast to one of my other favourite songs: No Leaf Clover by Metallica.
The chorus goes:
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel was just a freight train coming your way.
They both deal with the concept of the light at the end of the tunnel, and they're both fantastic songs. One just manages to be so much more optmistic than the other.
Donne leur la main pour les mener vers d'autres lendemains.
Sens au coeur de la nuit l'onde d'espoir, ardeur de la vie, sentier de gloire.
Bonheurs enfantins trop vite oubliés effacés.
Une lumière dorée brille sans fin tout au bout du chemin.
Sens au coeur de la nuit l'onde d'espoir, ardeur de la vie, sentier de gloire.
That was Vois sur ton Chemin from Les Choristes. It is quite easily one of my favourite songs.
It also has the most beautiful lyrics. They translate as such:
See upon your path, childhood forgotten and lost.
Give them a hand to lead them to further tomorrows.
Feel in the heart of the night the wave of hope, the spirit of life, which marks the way to glory.
Childhood joys abandoned and forgotten too soon.
A golden light shines endlessly at the end of the path.
Feel in the heart of the night the wave of hope, the spirit of life, which marks the way to glory.
It's certainly a stark contrast to one of my other favourite songs: No Leaf Clover by Metallica.
The chorus goes:
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel was just a freight train coming your way.
They both deal with the concept of the light at the end of the tunnel, and they're both fantastic songs. One just manages to be so much more optmistic than the other.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Music
I'm a bit of a classical music nerd. I started piano and singing when I was five, cello when I was eight, and tuba when I was twelve. I headbang when I listen to Verdi.
As a result, people are often surprised when they find out that my favourite type of music is heavy metal.
It's really not that surprising - classical music and heavy metal are incredibly similar. In fact they need not even be different things - for example 'Hall Of The Mountain King' by Edvard Grieg, performed by Apocalyptica (four cello players who started off classical, and then diversified into metal).
Listen to 'Dies Irae' by Verdi, and then listen to 'Disposable Heroes' by Metallica. They're practically identical. Stylistically, classical music and metal are practically the same thing. They involve complex instrumental solos underscored with a supporting mix of instruments. Think of a metal band as a chamber orchestra on steroids.
In an orchestra, the viola is the equivalent of a bass guitar. Most of the time they started off as violin (or guitar) players (depending on which side of the metaphor you're following) getting all the - to quote Frank Zappa for a moment - 'bitchen solos', and then as the result of internal politics they get demoted to where they just stand (or sit) there playing sustained notes from here unto oblivion.
Admittedly, every so often, someone bucks the trend - Bach's 'Ciaccona', or '(Anaesthesia) Pulling Teeth' by Metallica - but generally, they're the butt of everyone else's jokes.
The double basses are just like the synthesiser player: they're perpetually frustrated because they're not a violin/guitar player. Their part is alright, but it's never amazingly enjoyable. Or challenging. Or interesting.
Brass players could are quite similar to the lead singer - they leave a lot of spit in the area around them. I'm in a brass band, and the moment rehearsal finishes, you walk with your eyes on the ground so as to avoid the massive pools of spit left by people's instruments. I the same way, lead singers spag. It's a fact of life. Sitting in the orchestra pit of anything is particularly unpleasant if you're a tuba like myself and you're near the back of the pit - right in the middle of the 'wet zone'.
Percussionists (with the exception of mallet and timpani) are just like drummers - half the time they can't read music. The Muppets really got it right when they made Animal the drummer.
Of course, the marvellous thing about metal bands, is there's minimal ponciness in their music. Ponciness is something I thoroughly dislike in music. Debussy was good at ponce. Admittedly late Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Rossini, Handel etc. managed to compose some reasonably hardcore music, but the (in my opinion) good stuff is far outweighed by fluttery little flute cantatas and violin concertos.
There's also minimal postmodernism in metal. Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly like the concept of postmodernism in historiographical study, but I really dislike it in the arts. Listen to Elliot Gyger's 'I Am Not Yet Born' (on the Shall We Dream CD of the Sydney Childrens Choir - I'm pretty sure they're the only ones to ever record it); To Look Yet Not Find by Brett Dean; anything by Paul Stanhope or Joe Twist. Postmodernist music is unpleasant. It's unpleasant to sing (especially I Am Not Yet Born. Singing compound fourths is not fun.) and it's unpleasant to listen to. It's just not nice.
Finally, metal has the advantage of sounding astoundingly meaningful when written out. For the majority of last year, the folder in which I stored my school books had the lyrics from 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' by Metallica and 'On Suuri Sun Rantas Autius' by Matti Hyökki (a good performance of it is by the Tapiola Choir from Espoo, Finland. If you can't find that one, Gondwana Voices sang it in a collaboration with the Tapiola Choir on the New Light, New Hope album). People would read the Metallica and be amazed at how deep it was, did I write it myself etc. I would then rather enjoy their expressions when I told them it was Metallica. Metal, written out, sounds fantastic. I even enjoy the pleasantly ironic juxtaposition of the music with the lyrics - you wouldn't think they could attach a guitar riff to what is in essence rather good poetry, but they manage.
Which brings to mind one final pair of songs which are remarkably similar: On Suuri Sun Rantas Autius and Low Man's Lyric by Metallica. Listen to them. You'll see.
As a result, people are often surprised when they find out that my favourite type of music is heavy metal.
It's really not that surprising - classical music and heavy metal are incredibly similar. In fact they need not even be different things - for example 'Hall Of The Mountain King' by Edvard Grieg, performed by Apocalyptica (four cello players who started off classical, and then diversified into metal).
Listen to 'Dies Irae' by Verdi, and then listen to 'Disposable Heroes' by Metallica. They're practically identical. Stylistically, classical music and metal are practically the same thing. They involve complex instrumental solos underscored with a supporting mix of instruments. Think of a metal band as a chamber orchestra on steroids.
In an orchestra, the viola is the equivalent of a bass guitar. Most of the time they started off as violin (or guitar) players (depending on which side of the metaphor you're following) getting all the - to quote Frank Zappa for a moment - 'bitchen solos', and then as the result of internal politics they get demoted to where they just stand (or sit) there playing sustained notes from here unto oblivion.
Admittedly, every so often, someone bucks the trend - Bach's 'Ciaccona', or '(Anaesthesia) Pulling Teeth' by Metallica - but generally, they're the butt of everyone else's jokes.
The double basses are just like the synthesiser player: they're perpetually frustrated because they're not a violin/guitar player. Their part is alright, but it's never amazingly enjoyable. Or challenging. Or interesting.
Brass players could are quite similar to the lead singer - they leave a lot of spit in the area around them. I'm in a brass band, and the moment rehearsal finishes, you walk with your eyes on the ground so as to avoid the massive pools of spit left by people's instruments. I the same way, lead singers spag. It's a fact of life. Sitting in the orchestra pit of anything is particularly unpleasant if you're a tuba like myself and you're near the back of the pit - right in the middle of the 'wet zone'.
Percussionists (with the exception of mallet and timpani) are just like drummers - half the time they can't read music. The Muppets really got it right when they made Animal the drummer.
Of course, the marvellous thing about metal bands, is there's minimal ponciness in their music. Ponciness is something I thoroughly dislike in music. Debussy was good at ponce. Admittedly late Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Rossini, Handel etc. managed to compose some reasonably hardcore music, but the (in my opinion) good stuff is far outweighed by fluttery little flute cantatas and violin concertos.
There's also minimal postmodernism in metal. Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly like the concept of postmodernism in historiographical study, but I really dislike it in the arts. Listen to Elliot Gyger's 'I Am Not Yet Born' (on the Shall We Dream CD of the Sydney Childrens Choir - I'm pretty sure they're the only ones to ever record it); To Look Yet Not Find by Brett Dean; anything by Paul Stanhope or Joe Twist. Postmodernist music is unpleasant. It's unpleasant to sing (especially I Am Not Yet Born. Singing compound fourths is not fun.) and it's unpleasant to listen to. It's just not nice.
Finally, metal has the advantage of sounding astoundingly meaningful when written out. For the majority of last year, the folder in which I stored my school books had the lyrics from 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' by Metallica and 'On Suuri Sun Rantas Autius' by Matti Hyökki (a good performance of it is by the Tapiola Choir from Espoo, Finland. If you can't find that one, Gondwana Voices sang it in a collaboration with the Tapiola Choir on the New Light, New Hope album). People would read the Metallica and be amazed at how deep it was, did I write it myself etc. I would then rather enjoy their expressions when I told them it was Metallica. Metal, written out, sounds fantastic. I even enjoy the pleasantly ironic juxtaposition of the music with the lyrics - you wouldn't think they could attach a guitar riff to what is in essence rather good poetry, but they manage.
Which brings to mind one final pair of songs which are remarkably similar: On Suuri Sun Rantas Autius and Low Man's Lyric by Metallica. Listen to them. You'll see.
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