I had discovered a new opera a few years back that I can't believe I played over and over for six weeks straight without changing the disk once. I believe this means the composer was a genius, who else but Mozart can do this, and the opera was Abduction from the Seraglio. Have any goners found themselves in the same situation.
You are referring to Stationary Traveler I assume?
YEs, it is a true jewel.
In hindsight, at least, in the 70's, Camel quietly helped set the bar for progressive rock.
This finely executed and relatively accessible concept album from 1984 is one of the few by any prog rock band from the 70's I can think of that managed to adapt to the sounds of the times and still retain the highest level of artistry achieved during glory days but in a completely different way.
The ability to accomplish that is a huge feather in the cap of Andrew Latimer, Camel's prolific and virtually unknown lead guitarist, and by this time sole original member and braintrust of the act called "Camel".
There was tremendous talent brought in from other prog/AOR acts playing in the version of the band that performs on "Stationary Traveler" and in the live performance video of the album, the "Pressure Points" DVD, and you can hear it.
BTW the version of ST I have is the more recent CD re-issue , which may be remastered as well (sound is very good) and includes the very fine and proggy instrumental "Pressure Points" at the end. I live in the states and had to go to a vendor in Europe on Ebay in order to pick up a copy at reasonable cost a couple years back.
Also, the desire to get the best sound out of this particular CD has been a major factor in the various audio system upgrades I have done over the last two years or so. It is sounding quite glorious these days!
A Bose radio allows this to be my wake up music "Applachian Spring Suite" original version for thirteen instruments Keith Clark and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Have had it as a wake up call for decades and have yet to tire of it, or turn it off to go back to sleep.
Dlr, Thanks for that, perhaps the elite SAS should be now be known as ASS? as in, they are tailing it, and when they catch it, they will surely kick it. Back off to the listening ACCD or BU04 now.
I listen to my iPod at work. This is when I get to hear part of my music collection I don't normally play a lot. If I like something I can listen to it over and over while I'm working. No I do not sit and listen to the same thing at home...there is simply no time.
One other factor is the paitience level of the listener. A second might be the amount of dispoasable time, perhaps.
I simply can not sit for hours on end listening to the same exact album or track... regardless the content... regardless the attachment I have to it.
The only way I'll allow such events are as 'background' filler, or like when breaking in gear.
In my case, it's not the music, it's me. I can listen and do listen to things over and over again.... just not consequetively... over and over ad infinitum.
I have and therre is, simply too much good music to hear that I'd consume hours on end with the exact same content. If it were so, and or a routine thing, I believe professional help is in order... were it myself.
As for the operas, recent operas I was stuck on are Turnadot and aftet that one I switched to Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Speaking of a complex opera. Try this one. One of my favorite.
Easy, several... Over the years, Ella, (anything ballady, as I liked her in that genre rather than the 'scat' singing, perhaps a blaspheme, but my feelings). Of late...my 'gaydar' must be going off, because I think I have a 'mancrush' on Michael Buble. He is, quite simply the best male vocalist of the last, and maybe several generations, (my humble offering at least). He can sing, he can phrase, he is in pitch relentlessly, (though the latest digital equipment makes that a given). Over the years, Cannonball and Nancy Wilson, circa, 1962, and also her coming out album. Charlie Parker, for the complete mastery of the Alto Saxaphone, which I (tried) played. He was "THE MAN" Chuck Mangione circa 1980 or so, when he was doing Children of Sanchez, and others. (Around the time of the olympics in Canada, for which he performed the 'Theme'? Harry Chapin's ballads of the '70's. Billy Joel in the 70's and 80's. George Strait of any era. Joanie Sommers then and now, regardless. (OK this is puerbty driven, so caveat emptor). The Beachboys. Beatles before 1969... Renasseance (spelling?) Sherazade (spelling again) was a terrific album...and these are a few that I loved. Anyone?????
The point being made is that some music is so well composed that it doesn't tire the listener. Obviously there is no need to stop at one song and never listen to any other compositions. Here is an example, the opera La Boheme, for those who are familiar with it they understand when I say the opening prelude is so complex that it is hard to hum to oneself. It's quick and snappy yet gentle at the same time. Back in the old days when the populace was deprived of education, operas were composed in a way to excite the audioence and grab their attention. The opening prelude had a big bang it was written that way to let everyone know it was time to shut up stop gossiping and pay attention because the opera was starting. Today we don;t need that, we have dimmers in the opera houses and people have a better education. Opera goers are not bored and show up at the met because there is nothing else going on, they show up for other reasons, because opera is exciting, full of emotions, but most of all it is beautiful, the stage sets, the costumes, the stories, but mainly the music. If you ever attended an opera you will know that there is silence throughout the whole performance with a house that seats around 4,000. Opera isn't for everyone, but it does say something about one's ability to appreciate music. The epitome of opera is Wagner's compositions, I still haven't explored his work, but when the met stages his pieces the house gets packed with the most serious opera lovers, I say that because his music is some of the best(not my opinion but commonly understood in the opera world) but it is also the longest. Anyone willing to sit through 6 hours of opera is nuts, or is he/she? Some like rock, others the blues, and jazz and classical and opera too. I discovered opera 22 years ago, it made one of the biggest impressions on me, now I hear into the compositions of all genres of music better for some reason. I highly recommend giving all styles of music an opportunity to move you, and don't laugh at others taste because some day you may get there and realize that there are many ways to express art, and art it is the most beautiful art in the world, we still connect to the prenatal sounds of our mothers, this forms a connection, some times I hear an instrument or vocalist that sounds so endearing I wonder why others don't hear the same. We are all different and need to explore what works for us, the beauty of it is there are so many to choose from. Happy New Years everyone, all the best!!
For at least a year I would fall asleep to Brian Eno-Neroli. It would play on loop all night and as I would fall in and out of sleep I would hear it. Does that count?
Same song or album, non stop listening for eight hours?
EX. “I Want To Hold Your Hand”?
Someone has obviously missed the surgeon generalÂ’s warning label afixed to every Beatles CD which says;
WARNING: Continuous playback of this disc can result in combustion of the disc material. Extensive uninterrupted listening to the Beatles music may also result in loss of your audiophile credentials. Also, the extensive timeliness and costs for re-associative therapy pursuant to recovery from such instances can not be either foreseen, nor guaranteed. You may disregard this message if this album is “Rubber Soul” “Revolver” “The White Album” or “Abbey Road”. Happy listening.
On your "eight hours of the same cd": I was in England about fifteen years ago and there was a case in the papers where a woman was suing her neighbor in an appartment building. She had been loudly playing Whitney Houstan's I Will Always Love You over and over again all day long for a month or so until her neighbor burst into her appartment and threw her cd player out a fifth story window. The judge dismissed the case on grounds that she had incited her neighbors actions herself by torturing her neighbors with "that absurdly annoying song".
Just out of curiousity has anyone gone the lenght with the music they recommended. Let's say 8 hours of the same cd or song whatever was submitted in. I say this because on paper some music sounds good, but if you were to hear let's say the song "I wanna hold your hand" for eight hours I think it would eventually wear on the listener,no. Personally I think it is easier to do with classical than with other styles, I'm sure i'm going to hear retaliation for that one,JMHO.
Paul Kelly, "Post" and "May, 1992" The Clash, "London Calling" Neil Young, "On the Beach" and "Ragged Glory" Chris Isaak, "Baja Sessions" Rolling Stones, "It's Only Rock and Roll" The Faces, "Five Men walk up to the Bar" Joni Mitchell, "Hits" and "Misses" Beat Farmers' "Tales of the New West"
Billy Cobham "Warning" for reference of instruments and Jennifer Warnes "Famous Blue Raincoat" for vocals and instruments. I have refered to these often over the years.
From the opposite view, when listening to Carmen McRae's album "I Am Music", the song on side two, "Who gave you permission" stops me in my tracks and only the sound of silence can be a follow up. Have not heard another song with anything like its impact
Rodrigo y Gabriela, playing "Stairway to heaven" is, well heavenly. Acoustic metal at its best. Hear the whole album and the effect is addictive, boistrous, and very involving. "Tamacun" is also one I can listen to over and over. Don't call it flamenco, and Gabriela explains why....Get the album/DVD and look up PPA and you will also understand her thoughts on the music industry.
I know this is ancillary to the thread, but I have learned that if you get a song stuck in your head and think you'll go crazy if you don't get rid of it, all you need to do is start singing "Bang a Gong"...
I listen to mainly classical and jazz. I've learned that it is best with music that I could 'play over and over' to not do so, once I understand the piece or the performance. Familarity can breed boredom, even with the greatest music. I now rarely listen to any recording more than a couple of times a year. There is so much good stuff to hear, you really don't have to.
But it sure was tempting with Eva Cassidy's rendition of Over the Rainbow, and Charlie Haden's CD 'Beyond the Missouri Sky'. I especially savor Cassidy's recordings and rarely play them - they are such a treat when I do! :-)
Coltrane - Blue Trane, Monk - monk's Music, and the original version of Take the 'A' train, which in addition to being a jazz classic is also an almost perfect three minute pop tune (which of course it was too).
Tvad - That is a great track. Its too bad the rest of the ablum doesn't live up to it. In fact I think that record might set the standard for albums with one great song surrounded with inane unlistenable fill. But that is one really great song.
Pedrillo, you appear to have a musical version of OCD!
Fields of the Nephilim- Forever Remain, Radiohead-Creep Rage Against the Machine-Bomb Track Deep Purple-Burn Danielle Dax-16 Candles U2-Bad Carter USM-Only living boy in New Cross Eurthymics-When Tomorrow Comes Floyd- Young Lust Spook & The Guay- Cyaan Stop AC/DC-Thunderstruck Rachel Stamp- Hey hey Michael Sex Pistols- Friggin in the Riggin Slade-My Baby Left Me & Thanks for the memory. River City People-What's wrong with dreaming. Bela Fleck-Hoedown Led Zep- II, Physical Graffitti & Presence CCR- Someday Never Comes Jayne County-Eddie & Sheena Rick Wakeman-Six Wives Metallica-Whiskey In the Jar Motorhead- God save the Queen Sider-nee Viscous- My Way New Model Army-Great Expectations Dire Straits- Sultans of Swing (back in the day) Status Quo-Mystery Song. Primus-Wynona's Big brown bear
Larry Carlton "Saphire Blue" & "Deep into it" Illinois Jacquette - Jacquette's Got it Fourplay - Heartfelt Spyro Gyra - In Modern Times Keb mo - The Door Gladys Knight - Before Me Milt Jackson - Burnin' In The Woodhouse Johnny Lang - Lie To Me Dan Penn - Do right Man Eva Cassidy - Time After Time
..and anything I just bought if it's any good at all.
Soundtrack from "Amadeus" -disk 2. Mozart: Violin Concertos 1, 2 & 5 (Julia Fischer). Paul Simon: Graceland. Peter Gabriel: So. Led Zeppelin: All (did they EVER make a bad song?)
The version I am referring to is by Bohm I believe, it is a dvd therefore I got to hear the whole opera without needing to pop in other cd's, typically opera on cd is a multi-set while dvd is most of the time a one-disk set. I just kept hitting the play button every time it ended, on dvd players repeat doesn't work with movies/operas. There must be someting on youtube, but you can also google it. It is a happy opera and it's easy to get carried away with it. I have around 7 versions of it that's how much I liked it. Each version is by a different conductor. If I find it on the net I'll post it here.
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