The Great HTF Music Challenge (1 Viewer)

[Bryan^H]

Newcleus - Jam On It
Their biggest hit.
I don't even remember if "Jam on It" was in "Beat Street", as the last time I saw the movie was when I went to see it with my brother when it came out in 1984? That was so long ago. But it sure makes for a cool music video if not.
Side note: I saw Rae Dawn Chong at a comic convention a few years ago, and she was wearing something similar to what she had on in the video (black leather mini skirt, and black satin type low cut top) I have to say I don't have problem getting autographs, but I saw her smile, and I actually got butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't believe she is still so beautiful and she aged very well. Needless to say I chickened out.

 

[TravisR]

First off, Hip Hop itself is not so much a musical genre but more a culture. It originated from the disenfranchised youth of late 1970's and 1980's New York City, USA. As such it is one of only a couple of great American art forms, the other being Jazz.

When you look at New York City in the 1970s, it was an astonishing place. In the mid-70s, rap, punk rock, salsa, and, to a lesser extent, disco all took off from there in such an incredibly small window of time. Not to mention that NYC continued to be an epicenter for art, comic books, fashion, nightlife, and even "the golden age of porno" had some of its beginnings there. I'm not really trying to romanticize the time because the city was also a nightmare and always getting even worse back then but some of what came out of New York in that decade was an artistic highpoint of the 20th century.

 

[John Dirk]

Newcleus - Jam On It
Their biggest hit.
I don't even remember if "Jam on It" was in "Beat Street", as the last time I saw the movie was when I went to see it with my brother when it came out in 1984? That was so long ago. But it sure makes for a cool music video if not.
Side note: I saw Rae Dawn Chong at a comic convention a few years ago, and she was wearing something similar to what she had on in the video (black leather mini skirt, and black satin type low cut top) I have to say I don't have problem getting autographs, but I saw her smile, and I actually got butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't believe she is still so beautiful and she aged very well. Needless to say I chickened out.

Great jam. One of my favorites and also very advanced for it's day in terms of drum programming and synth.

 

[BobO'Link]

Even with the expanded selections and, somewhat, variety in the rhythm tracks that have been posted over the past couple of days, I'm with John Rice. Hip Hop/Rap/Dance all sound pretty much the same to me within its genre. 10 seconds and I'm ready to move on.

In all fairness, many sub-genres, to me, have that same issue. Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, most Country, Punk, Disco, Rockabilly, and more suffer from a sameness between songs that prevent me from embracing more than a small handful, at best, for any kind of regular listening. Yet, I love the Blues and, while I can listen to it for hours, it, too, has an innate similarity between songs that makes many sound pretty much the same.

 

[John Dirk]

Even with the expanded selections and, somewhat, variety in the rhythm tracks that have been posted over the past couple of days, I'm with John Rice. Hip Hop/Rap/Dance all sound pretty much the same to me within its genre. 10 seconds and I'm ready to move on.

In all fairness, many sub-genres, to me, have that same issue. Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, most Country, Punk, Disco, Rockabilly, and more suffer from a sameness between songs that prevent me from embracing more than a small handful, at best, for any kind of regular listening. Yet, I love the Blues and, while I can listen to it for hours, it, too, has an innate similarity between songs that makes many sound pretty much the same.

This is understandable if you're not into wordplay. For me, I love the thought and energy that go into the lyrics of a good Rap song. A talented writer can make you feel as if you're actually experiencing the scenarios they depict. Similarly, I love the rhythmic and nuanced, powerful feel of a good Break track such as Jam On It. I heard that one live back in the day and it was amazing.

I used to find the classic Rock genre perplexing until I learned to listen for the intricacy of a good guitar riff or drum solo instead of concentrating on Jon Bon Jovi's [merely as an example] lack of vocal chops. What I've come to see is, for me, each genre has something to offer if you give it a decent chance. I've even enjoyed a few of the Prog Rock selections as they do tend to be well produced and powerfully presented.

 

[BobO'Link]

Here are a few of my favorites from the Great American Songbook.

Bing Crosby singing Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's "I'll Be Seeing You":



Ella Fitzgerald singing Rogers and Hart's "Isn't It Romantic":



Nat King Cole singing Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown's "You're the Cream in My Coffee":



Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer singing Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (No... it's *not* a "Christmas song" though many see it that way):



Harve Presnell singing Lerner and Loewe's "They Call the Wind Maria":

 

[John Dirk]

Bing Crosby singing Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's "I'll Be Seeing You":
This is nice but I much prefer the Billie Holiday version.


Ella Fitzgerald singing Rogers and Hart's "Isn't It Romantic":
Not my favorite style but Ella is in that category of those who can do no wrong, so i love it anyway.


Nat King Cole singing Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown's "You're the Cream in My Coffee":
Again, I like the era more than this particular song. The songs and the times seemed seemed delightfully simple compared to today.

Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer singing Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (No... it's *not* a "Christmas song" though many see it that way):
This is one of my all-time favorite tunes of any era or genre. Of course, for me it will forever be associated with Dean Martin as his rendition was just pure gold.

Harve Presnell singing Lerner and Loewe's "They Call the Wind Maria":
OK, you got me as I've never heard this one. I could tell it was written for a musical so now I'll have to check out Paint Your Wagon as well.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm guilty of the same thing with other genres, but I think when people say all dance pop sounds the same, they cannot get past the thump of the bass drum.

I could post a dozen tracks produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. They all have that 4/4 Linn drum beat that some would say sounds the same, but to me they have very different melodies. The beat is just a framework.

 

[John Dirk]

I'm guilty of the same thing with other genres, but I think when people say all dance pop sounds the same, they cannot get past the thump of the bass drum.

I could post a dozen tracks produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. They all have that 4/4 Linn drum beat that some would say sounds the same, but to me they have very different melodies. The beat is just a framework.

I understand this to a degree but in truth, practically all forms of popular music are repetitive to some extent. It's called song structure and is a fundamental part of the musical process. It's why most songs last about 3 to 4 minutes and have choruses, hooks, etc.

 

[BobO'Link]

Bing Crosby singing Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's "I'll Be Seeing You":
This is nice but I much prefer the Billie Holiday version.


Ella Fitzgerald singing Rogers and Hart's "Isn't It Romantic":
Not my favorite style but Ella is in that category of those who can do no wrong, so i love it anyway.


Nat King Cole singing Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown's "You're the Cream in My Coffee":
Again, I like the era more than this particular song. The songs and the times seemed seemed delightfully simple compared to today.

Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer singing Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (No... it's *not* a "Christmas song" though many see it that way):
This is one of my all-time favorite tunes of any era or genre. Of course, for me it will forever be associated with Dean Martin as his rendition was just pure gold.

Harve Presnell singing Lerner and Loewe's "They Call the Wind Maria":
OK, you got me as I've never heard this one. I could tell it was written for a musical so now I'll have to check out Paint Your Wagon as well.

I struggled a bit over Bing vs Billie and Whiting/Mercer vs Martin and just went for the versions I heard first and remember best. When it comes down to it I could listen to either of those with either of the artists and be quite happy.

I'm quite pleased I delivered another new one for you! Paint Your Wagon is one of a small group of musicals I watch on a semi-regular basis (most are one-and-done types for me). While they're not the best (OK... not even all that good), Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood actually sing in this one.

 

[jcroy]

I'm guilty of the same thing with other genres, but I think when people say all dance pop sounds the same, they cannot get past the thump of the bass drum.

I could post a dozen tracks produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. They all have that 4/4 Linn drum beat that some would say sounds the same, but to me they have very different melodies. The beat is just a framework.

This also happens on other musical niches.

For example in the case of country music, some non-country fans can't get past the singer's accent/drawl (whether native or faked).

In another case of extreme forms of punk rock or heavy metal, many non-fans can't get past how fast the drumbeat tempo is. For example, such as a band like "Slayer" where almost every song is played really really fast.

 

[Bryan^H]

Here are a few of my favorites from the Great American Songbook.

Bing Crosby singing Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's "I'll Be Seeing You":



Ella Fitzgerald singing Rogers and Hart's "Isn't It Romantic":



Nat King Cole singing Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown's "You're the Cream in My Coffee":



Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer singing Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (No... it's *not* a "Christmas song" though many see it that way):



Harve Presnell singing Lerner and Loewe's "They Call the Wind Maria":

Bing Crosby - I'll be seeing you
Nice enough song, with good music. Bing Crisby has a great voice.

Ella Fitzgerald - Isn't it Romantic
very good song by Ella Fitzgerald. She has such a soothing voice, and the music is just as pleasing to compliment the vocal style. Easily my favorite of this group.

Nat King Cole - You're the cream in my coffee
Nothing wrong with this track, great vocals, It just isn't my cup of tea.

Margaret Whiting, and Johnny Mercer - Baby it's cold outside
Nice seasonal song that is pleasant. I never turn it off when I hear it on the radio.

Harve Presnell - They call the wind Maria
I don't know much about Harve Presnell other than he was fantastic as the no nonsense old man (Wade Gustafson) in Fargo. Wow does he ever have a great singing voice. I really enjoyed this.

 

[Bryan^H]

Apologies if these were posted already. I've been slacking in this thread.

Pretenders - Brass in Pocket


Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang

 

[BobO'Link]

Apologies if these were posted already. I've been slacking in this thread.

Pretenders - Brass in Pocket


Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang

I *think* they have (I may have posted them but am too lazy this morning to look it up)... No matter...

These are 2 of my favorite tracks from the Pretenders. I can listen to either on repeat for a half dozen times or so...

 

[TravisR]

In the same vein, here's The Pretenders' Mystery Achievement

 

[BobO'Link]

Pretenders, "Mystery Achievement" - While I like Hynde's voice and vocals and there's some good guitar work in the solo section the rest just bores me as it's mostly the same 2 measure bottom/beat repeated for over 5 minutes.

 

[JohnRice]

So here is a retrospective of my favorite overall genre, Hip Hop. Before I go further it should be noted, I do not claim to be an expert on the subject and would welcome any comments [positive or negative] that correct or supplement anything I say. I would also greatly welcome similar retrospectives of other genres I am not very familiar with.

First off, Hip Hop itself is not so much a musical genre but more a culture. It originated from the disenfranchised youth of late 1970's and 1980's New York City, USA. As such it is one of only a couple of great American art forms, the other being Jazz. The culture generally consisted of break dancing, graffiti art and, yes, music. Break dancing was seen as a non-violent way to let off steam and resolve territorial battles. Neighborhood "crews" assembled in public locations and danced their problems away. Instead of resorting to violence, the assembled crowds were entertained and ultimately decided who "won" the battle that night. It was a positive transition. As the crews proliferated they began to claim their neighborhoods as "territories." Graffiti art [commonly called tagging] was a way to mark your territory and express pride in your crew.

Hip Hop music today consists of two closely related sub-genres, Break [dance] Beats and Rap. Break beats were a natural occurrence to fuel the dance competitions. Rap came later as the outdoor contests would usually include Masters of Ceremony [MC's] who served as hype men and announcers. Over time this role grew into it's own autonomous existence and there are many sub-genres of Rap itself today. Along with the music and MC's came the Disc Jockey's or DJ's. Initially this role was usually combined with that of the MC but it eventually separated into a very technical and amazing life of it's own.

Here are some examples of the various stages of Hip Hop evolution.

Break Dancing - (A very young Ice T serves as MC)


Graffiti Art
I do not condone the defacement of public property but you can't deny the passion and talent at work.


Rap (Vintage)
Spoonie Gee - Spoonin' Rap


Rap (Contemporary)
Roots Crew - The Next Movement


Gangsta Rap
Of the many Rap sub-genres I felt the need to feature this one. It originated on the West coast in the same way as New York Rap, as a means of self-expression for disenfranchised youth, mostly in response to inequity and over Policing. I'll kill two birds with one stone here and feature a song by my favorite Rap artist Todd Shaw whose stage name is Too Short. Even though he is not your traditional Gangsta Rap artist, this particular track has always resonated with me as I experienced similar treatment in my youth on the streets of Northern California.

Too Short - I Want To Be Free



Thanks for reading. As stated at the start of this post, comments and additional retrospectives are not only welcomed, they are encouraged.

I keep going around in circles trying to decide what to say in this response. I realized some time back that John Dirk and I simply listen to music for largely different reasons. By that, I mean that what we want to achieve from it seems to be completely different. He finds my favorite music stunningly boring, which I completely understand, and I definitely find his more or less the same. I think that's interesting.

Looking back, I realize that one of my major motivations for listening to music is that it can calm my anxiety, which can be overwhelming at times. Oddly, the type of very slowly developing, long-form music I often prefer is very soothing to me, even though it makes a lot of others uptight, waiting for something to happen. That brings me to my love of the Prog Metal, Classical, and generally any form of music with unusual time signatures, obscure, seemingly rambling themes, and generally stuff which bores a lot of others to tears.

So, for my "retrospective" I'll just post some of the music that first drew me in to anything beyond the standard A-A-B-A, "Blues" song structure. Sorry, these are long. Because by their very definition, they are long-form music. This is all popular music. Some of it was extremely successful, commercially, believe it or not.

I remember the first time I heard Song for America by Kansas. It was like a revelation.

Kansas - Song for America




Of course, there is Elton John's classic...

Elton John - Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding




If I listened to ELO's Concerto for a Rainy Day once, I listened to it a thousand times. Side three of the original LP.

Electric Light Orchestra - Concerto for a Rainy Day




I'll finish with Supertramp's Brother Where You Bound? It's really a medley with Ever Open Door, but I didn't find them combined, so I'll include that by itself.

Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound? and Ever Open Door.

 

[jcroy]

My criteria for musical choices varies considerably, depending on the setting/circumstances.

For example when I'm driving an automobile, I never listen to music I am familiar with nor any "talk radio". I usually tune to an ota radio station playing something like r&b/hip-hop, post-y2k dance music, modern country, etc ... where I have no emotional attachment and no familiarity (nor any "nostalgia"). It is basically non-distracting "background noise" while I am driving.

In contrast, an ota radio station playing rock music, classical music, jazz, political talk, etc .... is almost always very distracting to me when I'm driving.

 

[jcroy]

As a recent example, I picked up a LaToya Jackson cd "My Special Love" after hearing some of the songs online. (It was her 1981 album). I've been playing it in the background when I'm at home, which has largely been "background noise" for me without any emotional/nostalgic attachment. So far it is not "distracting" to me.

In contrast, I won't play something like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album in the background when I'm at home. and working on tasks which required extensive concentration. Jackson's Thriller was one of my favorite albums from back in the day, which has a lot of emotional/nostalgia meaning for me. The times I do listen to Michael Jackson's Thriller album, it is when I am willing to sit down relaxed and devoting all my attention to listening to it in the living room.

 

[jcroy]

Even within the same artist/band, there are some albums I won't listen to when I'm concentrating on a task.

For example, the Rick James album "Street Songs" I will only listen to when I'm at home and willing to devote my attention to listening to from start to finish. Othewise it is a very distracting to listen to, where it has a lot of emotional/nostalgic meaning for me.

In contrast, I can listen to Rick James' other albums as "background noise" without being distracting at all. Recently I was listening to his album "Throwin Down" in the background at home. (I never had this album back in the day, and never listened to it much).


The same can be said about a band like Iron Maiden for me. The first six or so maiden albums were ones I listened to over and over again when I was younger. So it has a lot of emotional/nostalgic meaning for me.

When I'm at home and don't want to be distracted too much by background music, I'll play one of Maiden's later albums such as Brave New World (2000), Dance of Death (2003), etc ... These albums and later ones have a very "familiar sound" to me, but I don't recognize most of the songs and they have very little to zero emotional/nostalgic meaning for me.