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Index » Regional/Local » USA/Canada » Is it wrong to not want to listen to music I don't understand? Page: 1, 2  Next
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Proclivities

Proclivities Avatar

Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 22, 2024 - 7:07am

 kurtster wrote:
Having the usual plague of random thoughts, I came up a couple examples of how the music can be much more important than the lyrics no matter how deep or profound.

Dylan.

Hendrix' treatment of All Along The Watchtower and Harrison's treatment of If Not For You (which I'm playing right now and gave me this thought)

The music itself changes the songs completely from Dylan's original versions.  They are no longer just another Dylan song and now stand up all by themselves (as timeless singles) based upon the new supporting music.

Just wanted to put this down while I was thinking it.

Yeah, that's a good point.  There are some recording artists who may have good lyrics, but I just can't listen to them.  One annoying (to me) genre is the "acoustic pop" genre - a style personified by people like Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz among others.  You may not be familiar with them but if you check out a video or two from them, you'll know what I mean - saccharine, solo-acoustic-guitar ditties, seemingly written to eventually be used in TV commercials.
kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 20, 2024 - 4:56pm

 Proclivities wrote:

Yeah.  I got SirD's point though.  If a song has a good melody, nice instrumentation, good hooks, etc. but has dubious or corny lyrics, I could still listen to the song for its positive aspects.  But if a song  is too dull or poorly played, I would be less prone to listen to it, even if it did have very good lyrics. Ultimately, and historically, it's the actual music which is the appeal, not the poetry - but lyrics are often more than just adornments to me.
Having the usual plague of random thoughts, I came up a couple examples of how the music can be much more important than the lyrics no matter how deep or profound.

Dylan.

Hendrix' treatment of All Along The Watchtower and Harrison's treatment of If Not For You (which I'm playing right now and gave me this thought)

The music itself changes the songs completely from Dylan's original versions.  They are no longer just another Dylan song and now stand up all by themselves (as timeless singles) based upon the new supporting music.

Just wanted to put this down while I was thinking it.
GeneP59

GeneP59 Avatar

Location: On the edge of tomorrow looking back at
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 9, 2024 - 3:03pm

If you don’t eat your meat, how can you have any pudding? How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat? AGAIN!

If you don’t listen to music you don’t understand, how can you understand music you can’t understand.    
oldviolin

oldviolin Avatar

Location: esse quam videri
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 9, 2024 - 11:42am

pathways aren't necessarily right or wrong but they are connections and that is more than nothing
haresfur

haresfur Avatar

Location: The Golden Triangle
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 4, 2024 - 6:29pm

There are whole music genres built on lyrics you don't understand

Proclivities

Proclivities Avatar

Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 2, 2024 - 8:07am

 KurtfromLaQuinta wrote:

This song is an example of what I'm talking about...


I've always thought she was a good lyricist, though sometimes the meanings of her songs are "mysterious".  She's written a lot of sweet melodies too.
KurtfromLaQuinta

KurtfromLaQuinta Avatar

Location: Really deep in the heart of South California
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 2, 2024 - 6:19am

This song is an example of what I'm talking about...


Proclivities

Proclivities Avatar

Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 2, 2024 - 4:59am

 steeler wrote:

I would agree. Good lyrics enhance a song. They make me ponder.

Lyrics matter. If not, all music would be instrumentals.


Yeah.  I got SirD's point though.  If a song has a good melody, nice instrumentation, good hooks, etc. but has dubious or corny lyrics, I could still listen to the song for its positive aspects.  But if a song  is too dull or poorly played, I would be less prone to listen to it, even if it did have very good lyrics. Ultimately, and historically, it's the actual music which is the appeal, not the poetry - but lyrics are often more than just adornments to me.
Steely_D

Steely_D Avatar

Location: Biscayne Bay
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 1, 2024 - 9:40pm

 kurtster wrote:
Chest Fever is one of my favorite songs, period.  The organ is the song there. 


Heh. You might find something interesting in my latest mix.
Garth is god.
kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 1, 2024 - 7:38pm

 Proclivities wrote:
 kurtster wrote:

This is the way it works for me, too.

To me the lyrics are equally as important as the music - at least in most rock, pop, or folk music.  What makes artists like Tom Waits, John Prine, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, and others so great, is primarily their lyrics.  A lot of the music in the songs from those artists is often rudimentary, simply-structured songs - composed as vessels for their profound lyrics.  Even other artists, like the Stones or Kinks made released songs which were musically wonderful, but also greatly improved by having deeper lyrics than most other pop/rock artists had released.
Jazz music can be different - mainly because much of it is instrumental, or had kind of perfunctory lyrics - often added by lyricists, sometimes long after the song had been written.  Bossa nova and samba music is often beautiful and complex, and usually has lyrics, but I don't speak Brazilian Portuguese, so the lyrics just carry the melody for me.
Maybe being a musician and a songwriter forms my opinion - maybe not...
 
Sadly I never learned to play any instruments.  I play the radio is what I say when asked the question.

It is kinda the way I always approached music or how it approached me.  It now more applies to brand new to me music.  RP is pretty much the only place I have heard new music since landing here some 20 years ago. There isn't much released since 2010 that I can think of that makes me want to buy it. The music has to draw me in first before I start considering the rest.  I am a sucker for a good hook and a chorus to match.  Lyrics like SirD mentioned are the frosting on the cake for me, too.  I was as much into folk rock in the 60's as garage band music and psychedelia.  I appreciated Dylan, Simon, Ochs and Mitchell's lyrics out of the gate.  And through repetition via airplay the music and lyrics were indelibly burned into my brain.  What turned my head when I first heard The Doors was Krieger's delicious slidy guitar licks.  Totally mind altering, never heard any playing like that before, The Byrds then Hendrix and Clapton's noodling with Cream with his very psychedelic licks in Dance The Night Away.  Traffic was also in that mix.  Winwood is a very underrated guitar player and plays a mean keyboard.  And early Dave Mason.  Then Walsh and The James Gang followed by the Allman Bros. Well played E tuned (as I have come to learn) slide guitars is my weakness. Even though I first heard Floyd in 1968 they did not really become a primary listening band until Umma Gumma, then Meddle and Animals came along. Gilmour's growth fed me well.  The Kink's have their own special place.  Their music and Davies lyrics are totally sublime and poignant at the same time.  He articulated the Post WW II angst much better than Waters or even Townshend did.  Arthur is going to be put on the turntable again soon.  Honourable mention to Steve Miller and The Band.  Chest Fever is one of my favorite songs, period.  The organ is the song there. Can't leave out Bruce either for music and lyrics that are equally as important.

Going back and listening to my vinyl again has allowed me to identify these sounds that actually affect my physical senses.  There are certain riffs and progressions that trigger a sensation in my head similar to being pleasantly stoned, even though I am not.  Truly ear candy.  Was it always like that ?  Hell if I know, cuz I was likely too stoned already at the time and the music only fed those feelings more.  

My highlites of the 90's for brand new music were Garbage and Alice In Chain out of all of it.  It was their hooky new sound that got my attention, the vocals were unique and the lyrics followed.  Nothing this century has really tripped my trigger that I can think of to mention in this post without thinking too hard.

Lastly, as I go through my vinyl with this new cart, I'm finding just how many more lyrics I misheard or just plain never heard before like there's a bathroom on the right ...  So much of my listening was done while driving.  Bit of a very pleasant eye opener.

Listening to The Road To Hell as I write this reminds me that my favorite combination of instruments is organ and slide guitar.  It all started way back when with Krieger and Manzarek.  Does my collection reveal or confirm what I wrote ?  Take a look,  there is only about a third of what I have listed there.  Though it does not include my CD collection which is around a 1,000 plus. They are all long ago ripped and boxed.

It's been decided, Arthur goes next.

Cheers !
steeler

steeler Avatar

Location: Perched on the precipice of the cauldron of truth


Posted: Sep 1, 2024 - 7:19pm

 Proclivities wrote:

To me the lyrics are equally as important as the music - at least in most rock, pop, or folk music.  What makes artists like Tom Waits, John Prine, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, and others so great, is primarily their lyrics.  A lot of the music in the songs from those artists is often rudimentary, simply-structured songs - composed as vessels for their profound lyrics.  Even other artists, like the Stones or Kinks made released songs which were musically wonderful, but also greatly improved by having deeper lyrics than most other pop/rock artists had released.
Jazz music can be different - mainly because much of it is instrumental, or had kind of perfunctory lyrics - often added by lyricists, sometimes long after the song had been written.  Bossa nova and samba music is often beautiful and complex, and usually has lyrics, but I don't speak Brazilian Portuguese, so the lyrics just carry the melody for me.
Maybe being a musician and a songwriter forms my opinion - maybe not...

I would agree. Good lyrics enhance a song. They make me ponder.

Lyrics matter. If not, all music would be instrumentals.

Proclivities

Proclivities Avatar

Location: Paris of the Piedmont
Gender: Male


Posted: Sep 1, 2024 - 10:32am

 kurtster wrote:

This is the way it works for me, too.

To me the lyrics are equally as important as the music - at least in most rock, pop, or folk music.  What makes artists like Tom Waits, John Prine, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, and others so great, is primarily their lyrics.  A lot of the music in the songs from those artists is often rudimentary, simply-structured songs - composed as vessels for their profound lyrics.  Even other artists, like the Stones or Kinks made released songs which were musically wonderful, but also greatly improved by having deeper lyrics than most other pop/rock artists had released.
Jazz music can be different - mainly because much of it is instrumental, or had kind of perfunctory lyrics - often added by lyricists, sometimes long after the song had been written.  Bossa nova and samba music is often beautiful and complex, and usually has lyrics, but I don't speak Brazilian Portuguese, so the lyrics just carry the melody for me.
Maybe being a musician and a songwriter forms my opinion - maybe not...
kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Aug 31, 2024 - 3:13pm

 KurtfromLaQuinta wrote:
 sirdroseph wrote:
 
As far as this topic, meh lyrics are overrated. If I like the music, don't care about the lyrics and if I hate the music, good lyrics will not save it. Well written lyrics are nothing but the cherry on the top of a good song or buried in bad music I don't want to listen to anyway.

I'm with this guy.
 
This is the way it works for me, too.
Steely_D

Steely_D Avatar

Location: Biscayne Bay
Gender: Male


Posted: Aug 31, 2024 - 10:50am

Some of the records I grew to love were quite annoying on first take. Relayer is a prime example. And then there's this piece of genius...
(Hint: crank it UP and sit back)


miamizsun

miamizsun Avatar

Location: (3283.1 Miles SE of RP)
Gender: Male


Posted: Aug 31, 2024 - 8:13am

 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:

I'm with this guy some of the time. 


ha! just listen until you understand
my neighbor's poodle is deaf in one ear
but he listens to this


NoEnzLefttoSplit

NoEnzLefttoSplit Avatar

Gender: Male


Posted: Apr 28, 2021 - 1:31pm

 KurtfromLaQuinta wrote:
 sirdroseph wrote:
 
As far as this topic, meh lyrics are overrated. If I like the music, don't care about the lyrics and if I hate the music, good lyrics will not save it. Well written lyrics are nothing but the cherry on the top of a good song or buried in bad music I don't want to listen to anyway.

I'm with this guy.
 
I'm with this guy some of the time. 
KurtfromLaQuinta

KurtfromLaQuinta Avatar

Location: Really deep in the heart of South California
Gender: Male


Posted: Apr 28, 2021 - 12:56pm

 sirdroseph wrote:
 
As far as this topic, meh lyrics are overrated. If I like the music, don't care about the lyrics and if I hate the music, good lyrics will not save it.

Well written lyrics are nothing but the cherry on the top of a good song or buried in bad music I don't want to listen to anyway.

I'm with this guy.


oldviolin

oldviolin Avatar

Location: esse quam videri
Gender: Male


Posted: Apr 21, 2021 - 5:12pm

 Manbird wrote: 
I don't have favorites but if I did this would be a few of them...
Manbird

Manbird Avatar

Location: La Villa Toscana
Gender: Male


Posted: Apr 19, 2021 - 8:52pm


sirdroseph

sirdroseph Avatar

Location: Not here, I tell you wat
Gender: Male


Posted: Jun 15, 2017 - 11:19am

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Count your blessings. I remember when Enya was sort of cool to listen to, and when she got popular, she wrote more songs in English. Oh, god, those lyrics are horrible. Are the Irish lyrics that bad? I'll have to assume they are. 

 





Yes, I would assume so. lol

As far as this topic, meh lyrics are overrated. If I like the music, don't care about the lyrics and if I hate the music, good lyrics will not save it.

Well written lyrics are nothing but the cherry on the top of a good song or buried in bad music I don't want to listen to anyway.
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