Forum NewsForumsHTF Chat Hardware ReviewsSoftware Reviews HTF Events
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum Forum Search: 
 
Web Search: 
 
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum



Reviewed (10/11/08)
Home Theater forum blazes ahead with reviews that are designed to help you make the right viewing choice! This week Ken McAlinden reviews Albert Lewin's MGM adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, a highly awaited release that gets notable recommendation. Todd Erwin gives us two reviews of the recent "Indie" releases, Harold, starring Spencer Breslin -and- Dororo, a live-action comic book adaptation directed by Akihko Shiota. TVShowsOnDVD this week include 30 Rock: Season 2, The Sarah Silverman Program Season Two Volume One, Lil' Bush: resident of the United States Season Two, and Mission Impossible: The Fifth Season. Finally, new Blu-ray reviews include Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Poltergeist.
 
TV and HDTV Programming (10/11/08)
Warm up your cool fall season with new premiers this week that include Little People Big World (PICTURED, 5th Season, 10/13, TLC); Samantha Who? (2nd Season, 10/13, ABC); My Own Worst Enemy (10/13, NBC); Eli Stone (2nd Season, 10/14, ABC); Time Warp (10/15, DISCVRY); Parking Wars (2nd Season, 10/15, A&E); David Alan Grier's Chocolate News (10/15, COMEDY CENTRAL); Crusoe (10/17, NBC) and Real Simple Real Life (10/17, TLC). Season Finales this week include The Cleaner (10/13 A&E); The Rachel Zoe Project (10/14, BRAVO); Project Runway (10/15, BRAVO) and Destination Truth (10/15 SCI-FI). You can discuss all your favorite programs with other HTF members in our TV & HDTV programming forum

 
Forum Jump

Forum Sponsors

Home Theater Forum > Entertainment and Media > Music
[ STORYTELLERS: Songs that tell stories ]

Post New Thread  Reply

 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 05:28 AM   #1 of 34
North
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Local Time: 02:37 AM
Local Date: 10-12-2008
Posts: 11

STORYTELLERS: Songs that tell stories


As I sit here and listen to the lyrical brilliance of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen, it occurs to me that I must be missing sooo many great songs that tell equally visual tales. The whole album itself is amazing, but very low-key so if you want to dance or feel good, forget about it; you got the wrong number. If you want to be transported into people's lives and struggles by a song however, run out and get this recording. Get "Nebraska" too while you're at it.

So: If anyone has any other good examples of songs (or whole albums) that tell stories, I'd love to hear them.

Here's a small sample of mine:

- Bruce Springsteen's: The Ghost Of Tom Joad, the whole album but particularly: Highway 29, Dry Lightning, & Straight Time.

- Gordon Lightfoot's: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

- Mark Knopfler's: Sailing to Philadelphia.

- Kenny Rogers: Coward of the County (I know, I know, a guilty pleasure )

N.
North is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 07:54 AM   #2 of 34
Henry Gale
Member
 
Location: The stars at night.....
Join Date: Jul 1999
Local Time: 09:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 5,721

I'm going to nominate Guy Clark.
Here's the first paragraph of the allmusic.com entry for him:
Guy Clark doesn't just write songs, he crafts them with the kind of hands-on care and respect that a master carpenter (a favorite image of his) would have when faced with a stack of rare hardwood. Clark works slowly and with strict attention to detail — his output has been sparce since he first signed to RCA in the early '70s — but he has produced an impressive collection of timeless gems, leaving very little waste behind. His albums have never met with much commercial success, but the emotional level of his work consistently transcends sales figures and musical genres. He remains the kind of songwriter whom young artists study and seasoned writers (and listeners) admire.

This just serves to remind me that I don't own enough of his CDs...but I have been able to see him live many times over the last 30 years. Another advantage of living near Waterloo, Texas.
Henry Gale is online now Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 12:27 PM   #3 of 34
ScottCHI
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Local Time: 07:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 1,246

as i read that, i was thinking guy clark, as well. definitely one of the best storytellers we have. seen him many times myself; always a potent performer.

and there's john prine, steve earle, townes van zandt, ramblin' jack elliott, etc. ............



"All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it."
ScottCHI is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 01:02 PM   #4 of 34
TomCW
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Local Time: 07:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 341

Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer - When I Go, Tanglewood Tree and Drum, Hat, Buddha albums. Dave was a fantastic storyteller!
Samples here.

John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters album, all John's albums are great, you can't go wrong with any of them.

Tom



I like to live in an altered state/ it makes me love all the things I hate.
TomCW is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 02:18 PM   #5 of 34
Jeff Ulmer
Member
 
Location: Othyrworld
Join Date: Aug 1998
Local Time: 07:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 8,683

Gordon Lightfoot was my first response to the subject, with albums worth of great stories. Dar Williams has some pretty interesting tales on her albums.


Jeff Ulmer is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
HTF Ads



Sponsored links



Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 03:34 PM   #6 of 34
Tom McDonald
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Local Time: 10:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 90

Harry Chapin probably the best story teller ever.



Tommc
Tom McDonald is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 06:23 PM   #7 of 34
Chet_F
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Local Time: 08:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 794

Shawn Mullins has some great storyyteller songs.



\"If you’re lucky, people like something you do early and something you do just before you drop dead. That’s as many pats on the back as you should expect.\" - Warren Zevon 1993, R.I.P.
Chet_F is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 08:18 PM   #8 of 34
TomCW
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Local Time: 07:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 341

Dar Williams, John Prine, Harry Chapin are really fine storytellers.
How's about:
Jonatha Brooke (West Point), Janis Ian (Welcome To Acousticville), Todd Snider (Gee, I don't know, pick one), Michelle Shocked (Come A Long Way), Joni Mitchell 'River, or about a thousand others). There are so many good storytellers, this thread could (should) go on forever!
My finger is gettin' tired.

Tom



I like to live in an altered state/ it makes me love all the things I hate.
TomCW is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-23-2005, 11:14 PM   #9 of 34
Will_B
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Local Time: 02:37 AM
Local Date: 10-12-2008
Posts: 3,335

Singer/songwriter (and sometimes very loud rocker) Stuart Davis manages to tell stories about people experiencing whatever flaws they have and sometimes overcoming them - and he makes it interesting and sometimes scary and sometimes sad or beautiful.

On the self titled album "Stuart Davis Stuart Davis" also known as "Shiney Naked" because Stuart is painted silver on the cover, there's some wild stories about wild characters, like this guy:

I've got a birth defect
My heart's inverted
It took all my karma
and reversed it
No matter what I do, people spill compassion
I sin and sin, and nothing happens

And his album "Bell" from last year was mostly about female characters.

It seems like anyone who has at least once done the folk style songs end up as superior storytelling rockers.

There's a portrait of a drunkard that has some of the best straightforward lines:

Last night someone drove these balls around
Last night someone swung these fists
I woke up in piss
I woke up in pain
with a lot of uniforms shouting out my name
Oh, no
No, no
Forgive me
I cursed with someone else's tongue
Forgive me
I pointed someone else's gun
Forgive me
I came with someone else's [edited]
Doppelganger, body donor
Doppelganger, body donor
Will_B is offline Quote this post in a PM Send Support Ticket
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
sendpm.gif
Home Theater Forum
Home Theater Forum
Old 01-24-2005, 09:45 AM   #10 of 34
JonZ
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
Local Time: 10:37 PM
Local Date: 10-11-2008
Posts: 8,759

Send a message via AIM to JonZ
The Flaming Lips older stuff.

Forget about "Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots".

Avoid them.



JonZ is offline Quote this post in a PM