YTSEJAM Digest 1954
Today's Topics:
1) Trans-Siberian Orchestra
by dantemm@erinet.com (Dan Temmesfeld)
2) Rush, Al Bal, Cogybear, WFS, Echolyn
by Steve Borzilleri <magellan@u.washington.edu>
3) Racism
by "LRW" <sir@micron.net>
4) comments/g3 dallas/echolyn/more comments
by fba25110@centum.utulsa.edu (bruce)
5) quick thoughts and album recommendations
by "Andrew Miller" <subtlerage@andorra-c.it.earthlink.net>
6) G3 Review
by Ryan Webb <ryanwebb@earthlink.net>
7) Re: YTSEJAM digest 1952
by DYNAMOJOE@aol.com
8) Re: YTSEJAM digest 1953
by Stan <sstys@earthlink.net>
9) Re: DT mix CD...
by Anton Max <madmax@andrew.cmu.edu>
10) time sigs, SHMEGMA, and Mojo's last words
by John McCabe <caber1@cris.com>
11) Re: YTSEJAM digest 1948
by Jon Byrne <rael@access.mountain.net>
12) Re: Metallica cover.
by Scott <skooc@earthlink.net>
13) pop quiz
by Mike Estok <estok@teleport.com>
14) SDV/gazpacho
by RipZero <ripzero@dreamt.org>
15) Re: comments/g3 dallas/echolyn/more comments
by Anton Max <madmax@andrew.cmu.edu>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 20:49:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: dantemm@erinet.com (Dan Temmesfeld)
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Message-ID: <v01520d02ae917bfa52df@[207.90.116.57]>
Where can I get this?!?!
I've checked with people at Best Buy and various local shops, but no luck.
Where did you get it, if you have it?
Later,
Dan
---+ +---
Dan Temmesfeld - dantemm@erinet.com / s1133627@cedarville.edu
"Home of the Galactic Cowboys Page"
http://www.cedarville.edu/student/s1133627/gcowboys.htm
---+ +---
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 17:55:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Borzilleri <magellan@u.washington.edu>
To: Dream Thespians <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Rush, Al Bal, Cogybear, WFS, Echolyn
Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.95.961021174357.71323F-100000@homer31.u.washington.edu>
> From: rterry@inforamp.net (Rick Terry)
> Subject: Rush/DT, Worms, The shreddable electable
>
> Those are all things that not only make me think, they strike an
> emotional chord as well. I think you would find it difficult to find one
> person on this list who hasn't had at least one Rush track as a
> meaningful back drop to their life.
I agree. The first song I ever heard by Rush was "Tom Sawyer," and to this
day I still don't like them.
What's up Mr. Balkiewicz? You still half-naked?
What's up, Mr. Coghlan? You still mentioning political favorites on a
non-political mailing list?
Anyone still hunting for a decent transcription of "Wait For Sleep," for
goodness' sake, get through to WildKoba. He da man. ;)
Queensryche + DT + Rush + King's X = I Dream In InfraRed Sector A Fortune
In Lies In The Sand.
Someone mentioned that they had a copy of Echolyn's "As The World" that
they were attempting to get rid of. I, too, have this disc. I disapprove
of the auditory material contained within. I would like to exchange it for
$10 of American currency. Anyone interested?
Bafu Vai
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 18:53:33 -0600
From: "LRW" <sir@micron.net>
To: <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Racism
Message-ID: <m0vFV7U-000TYGC@mis01.micron.net>
I don't believe it! I figured the ytsejam with all its coolness would be
the last place something like this would come up. I personally am a white
male, so it wouldn't be hard to make fun of others. However, I used to
live in southern texas where all my friends were hispanic, and now live
where there are 3 black people in the whole 1600 person school, and I am
friends with all of them.
There is absolutely no need for any racism in the world. I realize that
there will always be racism in the world, But I'll be gee-willikered if I'm
gonna let it go on without saying anything. I don't understand what is so
bad about other races. Asian people are really smart, Black people are
really fast. Obviously those examples are stereotypical, but I'm trying to
point out the good.
China has better test scores than the USA, and did any body catch the
Olympics? How many white people were in any of the sprints? Male or
Female?
Anyone who thinks they are better than someone else because of the color of
their skin is very narrow-minded, even if they do listen to DT ;)
Sorry for the tangent, but this topic is disgusting.
Craig Wuthrich
P.S. Michael C. racist? Yikes. The big "H" word comes to mind.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 18:17:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: fba25110@centum.utulsa.edu (bruce)
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: comments/g3 dallas/echolyn/more comments
Message-ID: <199610220117.SAA22334@pawn.ax.com>
hi y'all... just came in from dallas this morning from the g3 concert.
Everyone rocked and seeing Steve Vai live was like a dream come true for
me... got major spine shivers during "for the love of god". Satch rocked but
I was suprised he didn't just walk off the front of the stage with those
dark sunglasses he had on. Campitelli was much more grovin' than Mover was
last time. I saw a guy with a Ytsejam shirt on but he looked kinda scummy so
I steered clear :) actually I had to keep track of a few people so I didn't
have much freedom. Me and my friend both supported the cause with our spiffy
black DT shirts. Saw several dt shirts floating about..(good job guys).
but.... I came home read a few jams and found that a few people here have
takin' to slagging my absolute favorite band of the moment ECHOLYN. I can't
force people to like them, and they are in fact a little cheesy at times.
but to me as an aspiring songwriter they represent such a high level of
songwriting mastership.. even dare to say...better than dt. damn straight...
we're talking some tasty and sophisticated songs on either "as the world" or
my personal fav "suffocating the bloom".. very experimental..very
emotional...very thinking.
about time sigs... I don't find it odd that people use odd time but odd that
people don't write in odd time. 4/4 is cool and all but a time sig is a
slave to the melody and the feel of the song. i chalk up the influence of
4/4 to lazy drummers... myself included and the overwhelming abundance of
ho-hum music.
I found someone here made a comment like that the emphasis in prog is the
chord and note selections and the emphasis of pop music was the
sounds/texture of the song. I find this to be true to a good degree.
Sometimes I wish prog/rock bands would explore song texturing more and use
their musical expertise to create songs that are emotive without becoming
wankfests.... enter dream theater, they manage to remain focused on the
songs to a high enough degreee that they can create moods in their songs.
Some pop artists I admire very much not because they are such great
instumentalists but because they experiment with sounds. i admit I listen to
bands like Smashing Pumpkins and NIN just for this reason.
(insert flame here)
ok... if anybody here is a dt cocksucker wannabe like MOJOMAN says then you
should go find a support group or something. sure dt's great and a
centerpeice for discussion on this group but they're just a band...I don't
think that way about the people here and maybe MOJOMAN has had some personal
crisis and is upset at the world now....who knows?.. i disagree.
later my friends -bruce
----b-r-u-c-e-f-o-r-s-t--------------------------------------
I built a wall around my garden
When people started telling me what to grow
It's cold and callous and throws a heavy shadow
Over the fields I choose to call my own
----(In Every Garden)-------------(echolyn)-------------------
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 20:25:26 +0000
From: "Andrew Miller" <subtlerage@andorra-c.it.earthlink.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: quick thoughts and album recommendations
Message-ID: <199610220117.SAA29925@armenia.it.earthlink.net>
On 21 Oct 96 at 16:18, ytsejam@ax.com spewed forth the following
words:
> I mean, we're arguing about ethnic JOKES here. They're just jokes,
> people. They get told about every group or classification there is.
> They're not going to go away. They also do little more than ruffle
> feathers. If a person cannot laugh at themselves, then they're the one
> with the problem... not the jokester.
you've obviously never been on the recieving end of one of the jokes.
one of my closest friends happens to be black. i know from endless
hours of conversation what it must be like to recieve racist treatment.
she's described being in a bar and having a country song saying
something to the effect of "let's hang all the niggers" played on the
jukebox. the guys that played the song thought it was a joke. she
obviously did not.
look, what is important here, and what EVERYBODY should realize, is
that if it offends someone, don't say it. obviously we've mixed
ethnicities on the jam. i can't even believe anyone would say that
the person on the recieving end of a joke such as this is the
problem. sure man, i realize that sometimes it's just a joke, that
you don't really mean serious personal offense by it, but that
doesn't matter; what matters is the person who's hearing it or
reading it.
on to other things...
Spock's Beard - just got this cd in the mail today. WOW. i bought
it based on D-Mans recommendation (thanks dude) and Portnoy was also
quoted as liking this band. i can see why. i hear elements of 70's
Yes, Genesis, Styx, Beatles, etc. they have thought provoking lyrics
combined with wonderful arrangements. there's 4 songs on the disc;
like 6, 12, 15, and 23 minutes each in length. they're not
progressive metal... in fact, they sound more along the lines of
echolyn and yes. the singer is fantastic, and all the band members
play multiple instruments and/or sing. definitely one of my best cd
purchases of the year, next to Braindance. (see below)
Braindance - i've mentioned these guys before, but hey, since their's
newbies lurking, what the heck. they describe themselves as "new age
progressive gothic metal fusion". pretty good description. the
singer has an astounding range, and a very dark haunting voice. not
growling vocals, just dark sounding. the guitarist/bassist/drummer
are all incredible. killer chops. the keyboardist is more of an
atmospheric player. the heavy use of synths and samples make for a
really cool ambient feel. this band incorporates metal, jazz,
acoustic textures, and, well, damn near everything i can think of
into a killer sound that is all their own. btw, the production is
incredible considering this band is unsigned.
i ordered both of these cds from The Laser's Edge (lasercd@aol.com).
in both cases i sent a money order and recieved the cd 7-10 working
days later.
some other mentions... the new Michael Hedges cd rocks my nads. if
you're into acoustic guitar with new age flavorings, check him out.
the new Tool made me cringe, finally picked up John Coltrane's Giant
Steps. WOW. ahem. what a humbling experience. Altura, to me,
sounds like a good band, but i'm sorry, they sound like complete DT
rip offs in places on their disc "Insights". i mean, some of their
instrumental breaks are almost carbon copies, and there's one passage
of a song (can't remember which one off hand) which is just too close
to metropolis. basically, they sound like a band that wants to play
like DT, but simply doesn't have the chops to do it. Lemur Voice is
pretty cool; it's hard to understand the singer, but overall the
band is solid. definitely worth the $$$.
well, enough rambling for now.
Andrew
Andrew Miller - Keyboardist/Vocalist - SubtleRage
http://members.gnn.com/subtlerage - subtlerage@earthlink.net
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 18:25:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ryan Webb <ryanwebb@earthlink.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: G3 Review
Message-ID: <199610220125.SAA29630@iceland.it.earthlink.net>
Ok! here it is, just like I warned you :)
Tonight's headline:
STU HAMM STEALS THE SHOW!
more about that later in the broadcast....
I, like most others, had very high expectaitions of this show...well,
lemme tell you....I was totally blown away, by all of the performers..
And first, a bit about the venue
It was at the Dallas Music Complex...all tickets were General Admission...
We got there early, and after a bit of pushing and shoving, I got up to
about 5 feet from the stage!! it was awesome!! This place was pretty
small...probably held quite a bit less than 5,000 people. and it was HOT!
Damn, I almost fainted, there was a girl that passed out during Eric
Johnsons set....I saw a couple people with DT shirts on, but they were a bit
off in the distance, so I didn't work my way through the crowd to
them....OK, now on to the music...
First up was Adrian Legg...
Man, this guy was was cool! I'd never seen anyone play like this...
he was mostly playing folk-type music, and would constantly turn his
tuning pegs to reach the notes he wanted (probably has some technical term,
but I'm not a guitarist...I wouldn't know).. All I can say is WOW...it was
great..
very unexpected.....
Next up was Steve Vai...
Need I say more? it was Steve Vai! he opened with "There's a Fire In The
House", which I totally expected him to do...but nonethe less, it ROCKED!!!
Vai is very much the performer, very flashy...he came complete with a
court-jester for a rythm guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist. He also did the
obligitory slinging the guitar around his shoulders, and playing with his
tounge...Perhaps the highlight of Vai's performance was when he played his
part from Crossroads!!! it was so cool! I just was totally not expecting
that...
Steve Vai has a very large ego, but he wears it very well....Great set, even
though it was only 50 minutes...
Eric Johnson came on next...
I had been looking forward to EJ the most out of all the performers...and I
was definatly not dissapointed...the only gripe I had about his set was with
the damn sound engineers...they kept fucking up!!! really pissed me off, and
EJ looked to be getting ticked as well....but anyway, his set was awesome!!
He played a few songs of his new album, including Venus Isle, and Camels
Night Out.. He also played a new song that he and his band have been
working on...it was really good, kinda groovy :) And then, we got a
glimpse of what heaven must be like....he played the most incredible solo,
and led it into Cliffs Of Dover...oh man, I'm surprised I didn't wet myself
right then and there...hehe :)
Needless to say...WOW!!!!! I could have left then, and been plenty happy....
The last solo performer was Joe Satriani
This was perhaps my favorite performance of the three.....Joe really knew
how to play the audience...He is bald now, and it really fits him very well...
He had Stu Hamm playing bass for him, which I will get to in a bit :) Joe
played a few songs from Surfing, Extremist, and a couple others. I was very
impressed with Always with You, Always With Me...this guy can really play!!
He played Satch Boogie, and the crowd went wild...An all around great
musician...
Stu Hamm played a 15 minute solo....this was by far the best performance of
the night. I was totally blown away...he really showed up the 3 guitarists,
and I'm not just saying that cuz I'm a bass player...I was with 5
guitarists, and they all said it before I did!! We all thought that Stu
just stole the show!! His solo included the Charlie Brown theme, and the
Country Music piece from "Radio Free Albumuth" It was rockin!!!! I
couldn't belive my eyes and ears....Everyone in the audience had to pick
their chins up off of the floor when he was done.. :)
At the very end of the show, all of the guitarists came back on stage. They
also had a special guest guitarist: Andy Timmons....I almost fainted when he
came on stage, I had just ordered one of his CD's a couple weeks before
(which hasn't come yet). This just put the icing on the cake... They
jammed out to a few songs, and for the last piece, they played Red
House...this part I will remember for the rest of my life...3 of the best
guitarists in the world, jamming on stage at the same time.....I could have
died and gone to heaven..
Oh well, this is getting long, and I'm sure nobody has even read this far.
Till Next time!
Ryan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 21:47:59 -0400
From: DYNAMOJOE@aol.com
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: YTSEJAM digest 1952
Message-ID: <961021214119_130753960@emout13.mail.aol.com>
Hey Jammers,
Just a quick post-- saw Mikey P. at a clinic he gave here in South
Florida about a month or so ago -- played along with Raise The Knife (no
vocals) and Just Let Me Breathe (Vocals) and I have to say the new stuff
seriously freakin' rocks. The new disc is going to be something. Mike was
nice enough to sign some CD sleeves and take a picture with me which was very
cool. Had my purple Trey Allen Ytsejam shirt on which Mike got a kick out of
-- said he hadn't seen one of those yet.
Anyone have any idea about south florida G-3 dates or RUSH dates? I'm
dying to get some idea when Rush will be rolling into town.
On another note as far as new music thanks to the Jam goes, my list o' new
cds consists of great stuff by Ivanhoe, Threshold, Lemur Voice, Altura,
Shadow Gallery, and Enchant. Enchant is definately one of my favs.... their
drummer really cooks. Heard they had a new one out but can't really find it.
Anyone have info on how I can track down Superior or Leviathan? I also
grabbed Echolyn and Magellan's "Impending Ascension" but can't really get
into them as much. If someone wants the Magellan cd, it's yours for $12
including shipping. Just email me personally and let me know.
Think that's about it. Looking to get my hands on a few of Pat Griffen's
new shirts. Everyone take care and let's pull for that double cd set in '97!
Dave
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:09:00 +0000
From: Stan <sstys@earthlink.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: YTSEJAM digest 1953
Message-ID: <326BF47C.214C@earthlink.net>
everyone!! well, if you thought it was bad that
someone got the Lemur Voice CD for 6 bucks...just wait till
you hear this....
I was at a used book store in Mesquite Texas on Saturday.....just
browsing around....and whattya know, they have a little section with
a few CD's in it....so I check it out...most of it was total crap..
then, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Lemur Voice!!
I took it out, and looked at the priced $2.99!!
a bargain hunter in my own taste, im the guy who found it for 6 bucks,
aint it great what you can find for next to nothing
stan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:05:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: Anton Max <madmax@andrew.cmu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Re: DT mix CD...
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95L.961021215659.14729B-100000@unix21.andrew.cmu.edu>
On Mon, 21 Oct 1996, Carlos Alfaro wrote:
> Well .. ok..since at the end ... "i sit down with my son..blah blah..many
> years have come and gone..lived my life but now must move on.." ..well hes
> saying that even if he (the dude) dies.. his spirit will live on.. it has a
> LOT to do with that part of the lyrics..
>
Well, yes it has a lot to do with that part of the lyrics, but there's no
basis for it. The earlier lines "I was blinded by a paradise, utopia high
in the sky, a dream that only drowned me deep in sorrow, wondering why"
doesn't suggest much hope for any sort of afterlife...and there's nothing
to indicate that the speaker's opinion on that matter changes as his life
goes on. Okay, so he has a son (who pops in out of nowhere for the last
verse) and in some sense I suppose you could say his spirit will live on
through his son...but that's an idea that's given very little weight in
the rest of the song. We don't see, for instance, anyone else living on
through the speaker, do we? so why should we expect him to live on through
his son?
gimme the "Don't go!" I don't *want* you to die! version anyday...
-max
Anton Max
MadMax+@cmu.edu
http://thunderdome.pc.cs.cmu.edu/aepithex.html
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:18:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: John McCabe <caber1@cris.com>
To: mere ad threat<ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: time sigs, SHMEGMA, and Mojo's last words
Message-ID: <199610220218.WAA13618@cliff.cris.com>
Matthew Sirios wrote:
>can someone on this list lay down for me in concrete terms what he
>big deal is with time changes? everyone keeps raving about how wonderful
>various bands are because the keep making time changes... does that ability
>alone really add so much to music? what's the deal? does classical music
>utilize time changes? (say Mozart or Beethoven, as "classical" is kind of
>broad) how about jazz? (say Miles Davis)
> i'm asking honestly here, and yes, i do understand what a time
>change is in the first place. i'm just a little curious as to why they are
>regarded so highly on this list.
Okay I guess I'm not the best person to answer this question because I
usually don't judge a band on if they use time sig changes(but I do
sometimes, hey I'm into DT!!). Okay a lot of people here like technically
good bands. And this is a way to judge if a certain band is up to par with
bands like DT who use time sig changes(propertly). Also, it shows that the
bands put some time into the music. Which is cool! :) Oh wait almost
forgot, if you're listening to other styles of music(classical, jaz, etc.)
they use time sig changes too but it depends on the composer, or musican
playing that happens to be playing.
ProgRockBoy wrote, and I quote:
>BUT! if the wood is not glossy (ebony, rosewood, or most basses) then be
>cool and just use some elbow grease, and a guitar pick to scrape the
>shmegma off, as any substance on the bare wood will damage it over time...
WHOA! I've never had any shmegma on my bass but since we've been talking
about "cock rock" around here lately, I guess it could happen ;-)
And in memory of the great Mojoman I post this(yes I know he can't read this):
>** I didn't join the rush list....
so...
>(I think Im getting a little stupid here....)
I'm putting this in my sig file!!!
>I do not suck dick
he is just covering up :)
>At least a handful
>of you with a portion of a brian left will realize that I mean the present
>members and kev Mo...) ^^^^^
heheh, need I say more. ;-)
> Regardless, I will not go quitely because I feel that at
>least some can benefit from this post.
Hmm, could someone explain to me how I can benefit from being called a cock
sucker?
And now a moment in silence.
/me leaves silently
John caber1@cris.com
"I think Im[sic] getting a little stupid here...."
~Mojoman's moto
Coming soon==> http://www.concentric.com/~caber1
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:31:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jon Byrne <rael@access.mountain.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: YTSEJAM digest 1948
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19961021223532.273f21be@access.mountain.net>
At 05:20 AM 10/21/96 -0700, somebody wrote:
>I think that music in itself can
>reveal MUCH emotion. Look at opera : often, it's in a foreign language that
>most people don't understand (like Italian or French or German, etc) but
>still, just the intensity of the music can be *very* emotionally stirring to
>some people. Same with music from the "Three B's"... Have you listened to
>Mozart's Requiem and not felt at least *something*?
An excellent point, and one that doesn't need to be restricted to
choral/vocal classical music, either. Seeing as it's nearly Halloween, a
good example of instrumental music evoking emotions is Berlioz's "Symphonie
Fantastique". It's based on a crush Berlioz had on an opera singer, and it
goes from his infatuation trough an opium-induced dream where he ends up
killing her and is hung and goes to hell. There is a theme, representing
his love, that is woven throughout and goes from hautingly beautiful to just
downright evil.
Check it out. Really spooky, kids. :)
Jonathan Byrne, 1L
West Virginia University College of Law
rael@access.mountain.net
http://access.mountain.net/~rael/jdbhome2.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Features distorted in the flickering light
Faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves like demons possessed."
-Neil Peart, "Witch Hunt: Part III of 'Fear'", Rush
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 19:35:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scott <skooc@earthlink.net>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: Re: Metallica cover.
Message-ID: <199610220235.TAA03549@iberia.it.earthlink.net>
Damage, inc is on the Ronnie Scott's bootleg. It features Barney Greenway on
Microphone Fellatio.
At 05:24 PM 10/21/96 -0700, you wrote:
>I thought DT covered "Battery" rather than "Damage, Inc." Either
>way, I'm sure it's great.
>
>Glenn
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:37:55 -0400
From: Mike Estok <estok@teleport.com>
To: ytsejam@ax.com
Subject: pop quiz
Message-ID: <199610220236.TAA23610@greta.teleport.com>
I got a little trivia question:
What do the songs "Space Dye Vest" and "Gazpacho" (By Marillion)
have in common?
This is pretty obscure, but I can say this: they are the ONLY songs
by the respective bands that do/use this. Maybe this is easy, but I thought
this similarity was striking.
First person to get the answer right.....well...that's the surprise.
Michelob
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 21:46:09 -0500
From: RipZero <ripzero@dreamt.org>
To: Heavy Metal Computer Nerds <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: SDV/gazpacho
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19961022024609.006eacd0@mail.inlink.com>
> What do the songs "Space Dye Vest" and "Gazpacho" (By Marillion)
>have in common?
do they both relate to the same flick?
just a shot in the dark, but oh well :)
~Rip
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 22:49:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Anton Max <madmax@andrew.cmu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <ytsejam@ax.com>
Subject: Re: comments/g3 dallas/echolyn/more comments
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95L.961021221952.14729C-100000@unix21.andrew.cmu.edu>
> about time sigs... I don't find it odd that people use odd time but odd that
> people don't write in odd time. 4/4 is cool and all but a time sig is a
> slave to the melody and the feel of the song. i chalk up the influence of
> 4/4 to lazy drummers... myself included and the overwhelming abundance of
> ho-hum music.
I think there's more too it than that. 4/4 is easy to dance to, for one
thing (though back in MY day people danced in 6/8, and wrote ballets that
changed time sigs every measure for the last few minutes and people danced
to that and we LIKED it but that was back when dancing was an art form too
grumble grumble), but seriously, I think there's something innately
attractive about 4/4. It's very simple and primal, easy to lock into
for an emotional payoff. It's fun to drive to, and it doesn't mess with
you. Prog listeners like to be messed with a lot. We like puzzles and
tricks and stuff that we can take time to figure out when we're bored.
We want new and interesting things that we can discover in music so we
like listening to it as much the 800th time as the first. Well, sometimes
you don't want that. Sometimes you want something that just speaks
straight to you, without challenging you. This is the kind of music that
becomes popular in an era where people have better things to do than
listen to music. Prog bands ask a lot of their listeners. Most people
don't have that much to give. Too busy with their jobs and classes and
TV shows and such.
4/4 is the rock time sig. 1 2 1 2. Back and forth. Like a boat.
okay, so 1914 wasn't really MY day...
People have already explained the attractiveness of odd time sigs,
so I won't bother.
-max
Anton Max
MadMax+@cmu.edu
http://thunderdome.pc.cs.cmu.edu/aepithex.html
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End of YTSEJAM Digest 1954
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