h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good tune,TM. Love the lyrics. *smiles* Happy Groundhog Day.@

Nice one TM.

I think you have just given me th inspiration to write a choon for the two scousers that I work with. All about nicking car wheels etc, their joke not mine - I wouldn't want to type cast scousers - well, not much anyhowz. Harry Enfield has been there and done that far better than I.

Did you check out this one then ?

http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=12367&thread=37892

TM.

Try Dream Theatre. I believe their music is of this ilk, although I have yet to hear any. Any researchers out there that could recommend some of their work for a try out?

"Not about you" by DT is quite good, nice solowork. I'm not at home atm so I don't know the mane of the album but it's only a couple of years old.

TM.

Just dropped in to say hi TM. Hi TM.

alicat.

It seems I bump into you all over the place. I suppose that's the point of being here though!

Hi ya all..

TM.

Well TM, This seems to be going nowhere right now, so I'll have to think of a new thread......

Go on Bassman, make my day...

Just so you tell me where it is o.k. ?

TM.

I'm still waiting for a reply, or have the times of talented musicians died, or am I just too old?

Reply.....

Reply to what Obscure ?

TM.

Sorry we have a crossed connrction, I had been saying in another forum, about how there were no bands this day that have, for lack of a better word, concept albums, like Genesis and Yes, the days of long, singular tracks have gone, even in this day of 'retro' music, this has not been re-created, is it that its all been done, or are the new artists (hack, hack) are only in it for commercial reasons?

Well first of all I think that lyrics on the whole where much better, or at least 'deeper' between 1965 and 1985, than they have been in the last decade or so. And I mean in general of course, there are still plenty of good lyricists around. But you do need good lyrics to come up with a concept-album. After all, they are what defines a concept-album.

In my band I try to do it the other way around : first write lots of lyrics and then try to find the concept. This often works because one's subconsious usually sort of 'links' the songs.

It's basically the way that for instance Klaatu wrote 'Hope'. Side one originally consisted of separate songs, but when the composers heard them, they dedided to link them and write side 2 of the LP so that it would become a concept-album.


TM.

Of course in those days most of the lyrics were garbage too, we just forgot about them. Only the strong survive...

TM.

I understand what you are saying, I don't necessarily agree though. Yes many of the lyrics may not have made sense, especially Jon Anderson of Yes, the beginining of one of his verses normally has no relation to the end of the verse, and many times was him just making a sound of some sort. But the compositional element of each piece was harmonious, much can be made of just sounds, whether created by an instrument or a human voice. Most 'classical' pieces have no vocals at all, but the power that can be evoked is incredible. And the mental images (even without the help of various narcotics) can be stimulating.
One of my all time favourites is Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, and If I have the time to just sit back and listen get mental images of Ali Baba and Arabian nights.
To sum up; inteligible, or deep, lyrics are not everything, they can help, in making a piece of music enjoyable. I long ago gave up trying to read deep meaning into a song. Not to say that many are not poetically pleasant, while also sounding good (Cat Stevens springs to mind).
I'll get off my soap box now.

Obscure / TM.

I personally have always had difficulty writing lyrics, I think I just tried too hard to make them deep and meaningful. I suppose I always envisaged myself writing for a band like early Genesis or early Marillion. What chance would I have against wordsmiths such as them!!

Yes. And you have spoken English from the day you were born(sic).
Imagine what it must be like for a 'foreigner' to write lyrics...


Obscure : I was referring to bad lyrics, like everything by Boney Z...
And what about Smokey, Tina Charles, etcetera ? I'm very sorry, I think that's a disgrace to lyrics-writing.

TM.


Yesterday a warning came a smile upon your face
Caesar's Palace, Morning glory, Silly human race
On a sailing ship to nowhere leaving any place
If the summer changed to winter yours is no disgrace...