Music Survey: GO!
I was listening to [music] today, and I thought “This is my definitive piece of music. If someone understands this, he or she will be most of the way to understanding me.” And then I wondered if this were hopeless affect and, regardless of the answer to that, whether other people felt the same way about a given song/track/piece/whatever. People always ask for definitive book, but I haven’t seen or heard this posed. So: any submissions? After a useful number are submitted, I’ll reveal mine. “Show me yours”, in other words.
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39 Responses to “Music Survey: GO!”
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February 10th, 2010 at 12h45
“Show me yours”, in other words.
You sly old dog; you haven’t used that line on me in years!
To answer your question, it’s without a doubt We Close Our Eyes by Oingo Boingo.
He told me not to worry. He told me just to take my time.
February 11th, 2010 at 20h00
I think assembling a bundle of mp3s and a playlist when there are (yes, an unlikely) 12 submissions — a “get to know mcgees.org personalities” CD — would be really cool.
February 11th, 2010 at 21h41
[...] I had been so focused on the blog’s tenth birthday that I forgot this one. So the aforementioned “Definitive Songs” project I will issue as a CD, in a limited edition, to the contributors of the first 80 minutes of tracks, [...]
February 12th, 2010 at 11h18
Damn. I planned on getting back to this post and…well, post, but I completely forgot about it, and the subject. I’ve asked myself what my song would be and I have many favorites, where I think “holy shit! get out of my head! how can YOU write something that fucking mirrors how I feel/what I’m experiencing?” but I really, really need to put more thought into this. I’ll get back to this when I’ve thought about it. And if I don’t, feel free to remind me, my memory is terrible..
February 12th, 2010 at 19h03
AHHHHHH CAPTCHA. GODDAMNIT.
The closest I can come: I want all of my writing to feel like “Marching Theme” from Neutral Milk Hotel’s On Avery Island. Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C, goddamnit.
February 23rd, 2010 at 21h15
From dear friend Chris Rowell on Facebook:
“One God”, Beautiful South.
February 23rd, 2010 at 21h47
I don’t think I can settle on one song. The best I could come up with in 5 minutes’ time is a hybrid of the following:
It’s All Too Much – The Beatles
Calico Skies – Paul McCartney
Shower The People- James Taylor
Break Your Heart- Natalie Merchant
Sometimes it’s the lyrics. Sometimes it’s the music. Sometimes it’s something I can’t quite identify (maybe how it makes me feel?). Those songs are a decent glimpse of me. Do you think they fit the Amal that you know, Josh? I’m not sure which ones you’ve heard.
If I absolutely HAD to pick one, it would be an incomplete interpretation of me, but “It’s All Too Much” would be my choice.
February 23rd, 2010 at 21h53
I’ve probably heard three of the four, but I’ll have to listen to all four again with special attention, as they are important to a dear friend.
I’m entering the Beatles’ song as your selection.
February 23rd, 2010 at 21h59
Please don’t force yourself to listen to cheesy music because of me.
February 23rd, 2010 at 23h02
Okay, want to really know about your uncle. Here are three keys.
(1) All Along the Watchtower, (2) Tangled up in Blue, and (3) Break on Through to the Other Side.
Figure this out and you’ll know more than your father and other uncle.
February 23rd, 2010 at 23h06
I will find and listen to all with rapt attention (I know one by heart). Thank you.
If you were forced to choose one for the CD, which would it be?
February 24th, 2010 at 00h28
OK, without Uncle Dan‘s contribution, we’re at 16 minutes. Figuring four minutes for him, we’re a quarter of the way there. Keep them coming!
February 24th, 2010 at 00h40
Scratch that, we’re at 22 minutes, plust Uncle Dan‘s. So that’s almost a third of the way to an 80MB disc.
February 24th, 2010 at 15h51
I’m a little late to the party, but mine would have to be R.E.M.’s “Nightswimming.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx9br5ISRpo
February 24th, 2010 at 15h57
You’re just in time to the party. And I love that song — to like a song that reminds me so much of both Matt Powell and my ex-wife says a lot for its quality.
February 24th, 2010 at 16h38
Thanks for the reminder.
I listened to a bunch of songs, hoping to find “the one,” and um, I didn’t. But I did narrow it down to five songs, which I consider an accomplishment, since the starting playlist had 70+ songs. I guess I’ll get back to this post tomorrow, after I listen to those five songs over and over…and over. This is so hard.. :/
February 24th, 2010 at 23h37
The songs that I really thing define me have a running theme. If I had to choose one, it’s got to be “Everyone’s free to wear sunscreen.” Maybe that’s more of a speech, but whenever I hear it, I find myself in a much better frame of mind.
February 25th, 2010 at 04h23
Still undecided, but these are the finalists:
Unwritten Law – Harmonic
Unwritten Law – Shallow (from Oz Factor – there’s like 3 or 4 versions floating around :S)
Nine Inch Nails – Wish
Pearl Jam – Can’t Keep
Bright Eyes – Train Under Water
Johnny Cash – Sunday Morning Coming Down (live/alternate version)
I hate the fact that they’re all either angry or sad/melancholic.
February 26th, 2010 at 14h16
Whenever I hear “Pillar of Davidson”, it reminds me of you. That’s a song I associate with you.
I needed a some strong music today in the lab so I’ve got “Live” on shuffle to keep me motivated and guess what song is playing? I have not listened to Live for ages. Good stuff.
Hope you’re having a good day.
March 3rd, 2010 at 22h19
Karina? Uncle Dan? Can we narrow down to a single selection, so I can put the disc together?
March 3rd, 2010 at 22h27
Amal, just listened to Pillar of Davidson again. So great. Fascinated by the association with me. As something I listened to, or because it lyrically reminds you of me?
Copy-and-pasted from the web:
March 3rd, 2010 at 22h29
There is, by the way, a line from the lyrics already as a rotating quote on the site.
There are actually three Ed Kowalczyk lines rotating:
“I talk of freedom. You talk of the flag.”
“The crucifix ain’t no baseball bat. Tell me, what kind of god is that?”
“Warm bodies, I sense, are not machines that can only make money“
March 3rd, 2010 at 23h05
You played the song for us at the end of the evening during one of our visits to you apartment in T.O.. I liked the song, but listened to it differently after that.
There are some interesting theories out there concerning what the song is about. I think you can look at the biblical/religious choice of words and it’s also a reference to the factories in their home town.
I realized to my surprise last week that I don’t have a proper copy of Secret Samhadi (sp?). I ordered a used copy right away. It’s no “Throwing Copper”, but there’s some good stuff on there and some songs on Throwing Copper were played so much that I can’t enjoy them like I used to.
March 4th, 2010 at 04h48
Sorry, I have a pothead’s memory… Unwritten Law – Harmonic
March 4th, 2010 at 19h15
Okay, dear nephew if you really, really have to narrow it down to one song I’ll pick Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue.” But I’m gratified to see that others also need more than one song. Oh yes, and for a fuller understanding add the poem “In Search of the Wandering Anges.” (Hope I spelled that right.)
March 4th, 2010 at 23h29
Thank you everyone. You’ve made an old 31-year-old very happy. Tabulation:
Bob Mike: Oingo Boingo, We Close Our Eyes [3:38]
Dave: Neutral Milk Hotel, Marching Theme [2:58]
Jenni Buchanan: R.E.M., Nightswimming [4:18]
Chris Powell: Quindon Tarver, Everyone’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) [5:09]
Chris Rowell: Beautiful South, One God [4:12]
Amal: The Beatles, It’s All Too Much [6:25]
Karina: Unwritten Law, Harmonic [3:43]
Uncle Dan: Bob Dylan, Tangled Up In Blue [5:40]
That’s 36:03. I can live with that.
Mine? Frederic Chopin, Nocturne in C sharp minor, Opus 27 No. 1 [5:42]
That piece is what it feels like to be me, distributed evenly over any given week/month/year.
This yields a grand total of 41:45.
Thanks everyone. I’ve purchased the tracks I don’t own from Amazon, and I’ll start the task of sequencing them. If someone wants to help with that, thank you.
The CD will, of course, be illegal –something that honestly hadn’t occurred to me when I first brought it up — unless everyone wants to pay Amazon $9 or whatever. But I’ll be working on it.
March 5th, 2010 at 00h42
OK, extending the submission window. I’ve contacted a few people by email who are close friends or have contributed valuable comments in the past. So if you’re one of those, please consider posting. We have about half an hour left that we could fill.
Also — I bet it’s possible to build an MP3 playlist in an Amazon store that people could order with a single click — in case someone’s conscience is bothered by the pirating (mine might be if I were submitting.) I bet I could even retain the order I/we select for the disc. I’ll investigate the Amazon thing, but please still post if you haven’t.
March 5th, 2010 at 09h22
Wow, this is hard. But since you’re accepting from “old people” (and you don’t get much older than Dan) I’ll give it a try. (Who knew he was a Dylan and Doors fan. Maybe all those “Ds” remind him of his High School report card. Hey Dan! If they drug tested in the early 60s would they have kicked you out of the military?)
You know I’ve got an eclectic taste in music. I’ve gone to concerts from Helen Reddy to Metallica.
For definitive how do I ignore the Beatles? (I watched when they were first on Ed Sullivan) Or almost anything from CCR? (the real one not the crappy make believe thing these days without John.) “Light my Fire” by the Doors? Stones? Eagles?
Close fight for definitive song…
Number 2-Steppenwolve’s “Born to be Wild”
Number 1…….
Three Dog Night-”Joy to the World” (Not influenced by the fact that I’m going to their concert in a few weeks.)
March 5th, 2010 at 12h38
People who are older than Uncle Dan: the members of Three Dog Night.
March 5th, 2010 at 12h43
Clever, Dave.
Dad: was it a Three Dog concert about getting front seats for free? Paul Simon? The one in San Diego? Would you tell that story?
March 5th, 2010 at 13h06
It was Paul Simon on he tour for his “Graceland” album…the music he did from South Africa.
Jeff Maxey and his extended family were going to the concert and you all were gone for something. I told Jeff I would go with him and find a scalper.
Jeff and I got to the San Diego Sports Arena, Jeff went one way, I went the other and Jeff beat me to a guy with tickets by a few steps pointing out that he had them.
I asked to look at the ticket and he handed it to me as a cop walked around the corner. The guy asked the cop if he could sell me the ticket (scalping is illegal there) and the cop said, “No, but I saw you GIVE it to him.”
The guy looked at me and said, “Enjoy the show…” So I got in for free.
My ticket was in the nose bleed section, Jeff was MUCH closer to the front to the side of the stage. I told Jeff to put his ticket and top of mine and I would find a seat close to him He thought I was crazy. We got to his seats and there was an empty seat right behind them…so I even sat close to them.
All free….
March 6th, 2010 at 20h44
I am way late in commenting here, but here I am. I thought about this for a while and my first thought is the same song that keeps coming back to me. It must be the one. This little question has forced me to admit to how sappy I am. Sigh. The song is Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) by George Harrison.
March 8th, 2010 at 15h04
In with plenty of time, Rob.
Joy to the World: 3:15
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth): 3:35
Total, with the previous: 47:35
Still space!
March 15th, 2010 at 18h34
Blast. WordPress login required? Must have to do with my personal website address. Whatever.
OK, to come up with a true definitive choice requires ignoring current kicks – out the door with Nick Drake / Grandpa Jones / Algerian Raï music / etc. I suppose I’ll go with “Filthy Habits” by Frank Zappa, his only eBow experiment paired with his then-current interest in feedback. And as soon as I click “Submit Comment”, I’ll regret not choosing “Sat In Your Lap” by Kate Bush or “The Last Seven Minutes” by Magma or “Devil Take The Hindmost” by Allan Holdsworth or or or or …
March 16th, 2010 at 13h54
I’m horribly late.
Weezer – “Perfect Situation”. I think I’m still mentally a teenager.
March 16th, 2010 at 14h38
Jordon: Thank you.
Ryan: I can’t find “Filthy Habits” anywhere. I find something called “Filthy Thoughts”. Sorry, I don’t know Zappa at all.
March 16th, 2010 at 14h42
Jordon‘s Weezer track, at 4:14, takes the total up to 51:49 — plus whatever the Zappa length is. This is quickly becoming cool.
March 17th, 2010 at 01h11
I know about Zappa, but I know nothing about buying MP3s online. Because I don’t. Yes, I’m a fetishist for consumer product, I like to hold the album in my hands (I’m a stamp collector, so no wonder there).
“Filthy Habits” was first released on the “Sleep Dirt” album. Go to http://www.grooveshark.com and search for “Filthy Habits” to at least hear the wonderment. And then put “Sat In Your Lap” by Kate Bush on the disc instead. At least that one has lyrics, perhaps the choice would be less inscrutable.
Except amazon.com doesn’t have “Sat In Your Lap” available as an MP3 download either. Rotten buggers, that one was actually a hit in the UK. But gads and forsooth, “The Last Seven Minutes” by Magma (from the album “Attahk”) is available. What a group, led by a maniacal Frenchman singing opera from hell in an invented language, with most songs about the end of the world (the last 7 minutes of the world, in this case). Yay for ultra-inscrutable!
March 25th, 2010 at 15h13
[...] everyone was so so so awesome with the last music survey, I thought I’d press my luck. Two survey [...]