a meme! sure, i'll play

[sophiaserpentia]

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload/link) 5 songs you love that begin with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

R* gives me an R!

Tears for Fears, "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" - Many of TFF's songs deal with recovery from child abuse, and this one specifically relates to Roland Orzabal's strained relationship with his abusive father.

Jethro Tull, "Roots to Branches" - simply a gorgeous song.

Massive Attack, "Rush Minute"

Beck, "Round the Bend" - I have to be careful about when I let myself listen to this song. It's on the album Sea Change, which I listened to a lot in 2003, during the split with my ex, my last year in New Orleans. If I'm not careful, it will make me quite maudlin.

Killing Joke, "The Raven King" - Jaz Coleman says of this song, "It's not a song about Paul Raven [the band's bassist who died in 2007], it's about Raven's anger and things he felt passionately about. ... Raven was a street guy. He believed in a confederation of like-minded individuals, so we tried to be as true to his ideas as we could. The last thing Raven said to me when he left Prague was "carpe nocturno", which is the last line. It touched me when I sang it and heard it back, and I was lost for words.

Comments

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

I find it interesting in our relationship that we have such different music tastes (with the exception of Dead Can Dance, of course.)

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

The interesting thing is, I can't figure out what makes your taste in music "click." Every time I think I've found a song I think you'll like, you don't. I don't even try to guess anymore whether or not you're going to like a song. Though I think I've started to understand what makes you hate a given song -- loud screechy sounds or certain kinds of off-beats.

Yeah, DCD is the one significant overlap and it's why we tend to listen to them a lot when we're together.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

*feels suddenly awkward and difficult*

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Aww *hugs* I didn't mean it like that. It doesn't annoy me or anything, it's just... something my mathematical mind reacts to like it's a complicated puzzle I need to figure out.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

I am actually curious too. If you can figure it out tell m,e. it must be something - I kind of know, but it isn't something I have words for. there probably is some way to determine it musically or in words but I don't have them.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Currently my research in this area focuses on the shape and sound of song beats. So far as I can tell (given the caveats above) your preferences seem to have nothing to do with lyrical content and relatively little to do with melody or chord progression.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

*considers* Possibly.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Here is my rambling no-officially-authorized-words-for-it reason why I love songs such as, say, "The Ubiquitous Dr. Lovegrove. I *do* partly love the lyrics as they seem meaningful to me, but no more meaningful than many songs, I suppose. The deep drumbeats in it I do really like. You know that bass drum line? And some of the other odd little instrumental sounds that come up that aren't common in most pop music. I like that turned-inside out sort of sound like a sitar or a digeridoo too, and that's in that song. It's very much in the background but its there. You hear it most clearly right at the beginning. Its almost like crickets.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

The instrument that makes a droning sound is called a tambura:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambura

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Anyway, what led me to my current thoughts was actually the conversations we've had with A. about the way he describes reacting to music.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

It would not surprise me at all if it is related to the synaesthesia in some way. in fact it would be hard for me to conceive of how it could *not* be related.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's kind of interesting because the usual pattern is, "I like music from this band and bands that sound like them," "I like music in this genre," "I like music with complex jazzy chords and intelligent lyrics," "I like loud music/soft music/slow music/dance music," etc. So that was the approach I initially tried in trying to guess what you would like or wouldn't like. I was unable to discern a pattern of that sort in your preferences.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Well... I'm crazy.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Sweetie, you're allowed to like or dislike whatever music you want. It only affects me insofar as, sometimes I'll hear a song and wonder if you'll like it. I've tended to be wrong. *shrug*

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Note: YOU'RE MARRIED TO AN ENGINEER. They may have support groups for this.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

I love it. Where are your support groups?

[liminalia.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'd like to play, please.

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Yopu get.. an M!

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Oh nm this isnt my journal lol

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Your letter is... K!

[liminalia.livejournal.com]

Sherr, gimme an easy one, why doncha. :P

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

kali_ma is sometimes authorized to stand in for me. Since you got two letters, and the one I gave may be difficult, I suppose you can pick which one you want.

[liminalia.livejournal.com]

I'll try the K and if I can't find enough I'll move on to M.

[decafdyke.livejournal.com]

I'll take a letter, please.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Your letter is... O!