OT Rant: Music / fans / Pop music

[IronFist]

I was talking to someone about music the other day and it ****ed me off. Basically, this girl told me that the deciding factor for whether or not she likes a song is the lyrics! I was like:

Is this stupid to anyone else? It's called music. It's about tones and harmonies and rhythms and time. In the purest sense of the word, it's not about words at all.

I'm still so dumbfounded by her comment that I can't even compose my thoughts enough to talk ****. To me, I really don't care too much about lyrics as long as the song is pleasing. Don't get me wrong, great lyrics will do nothing but enhance a song, and can take a great song and make it even better. But, music is still music. I am also a huge fan of instrumental music (especially classical and neo-classical or progressive metal or whatever you want to call it). So, I guess a person like the one I mentioned above wouldn't have any interest in instrumental music.

If you like lyrics, go read poetry. Don't listen to music.

Here are some examples to help prove my point:

If you took the words greatest lyrics, whatever you think they are, and put them over a ****ing stupid song like that ******* graduation song by Vitamin C, you would still have a worthless piece of crap song.

But, if you take a rad song like "Everytime I Die" by Children of Bodom, even if you can understand the lyrics it's still an amazing song, isn't it? Exactly.

I think that people who like pop music don't really like music. ****, let's look at it for a second. I would say that 90% of all "pop" music, regardless of genre, is made up of 4 chords that are repeated over and over. Sometimes it sounds so bad I think they pulled the chords out of a hat and assembled them together in random order. This is true especially of "alternative" and dance music. Every once in a while, someone will come up with something a bit more complex, like how Green Day stole the chord progression from Pachelbell's Cannon in D to make "Basket Case," but like I said, about 90% of the time the rule I stated applies.

Now, it's ok to like pop music when an artist accidently stumbles accross something that sounds remotely decent, but I think that anything good sounding is a result of luck and not of knowledge of music theory or anything like that.

I was only going to rant about that one girl's opinion, but I got a bit off topic here.

I also recently found out that I hate R&B. For the most part, musically, it's ****. "But the lyrics are sooo good." Guess what, this is MUSIC, not poetry.

IronFist

[joedoe]

Well, horses for courses. The great masters still wrote opera.

[Serpent]

Bad lyrics can really fuk up a good song.

Think about it.

[Xebsball]

You are correct dude, what matters the most in music is music itself.
BTW how did we develop such refined taste for music related issues?

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Xebsball
BTW how did we develop such refined taste for music related issues?

Well, it's partially because, like you, I am awesome.

And, partially cuz I've studied and listened to music for a long time.

Cheers!

IronFist

[Serpent]

Anyone that likes Children Of Bodom is awesome.

[Serpent]

Yes, I am awesome too.

[Oso]

thanks for the new training music

so far I've listened to:

Chokehold

Hatebreed

and

Every Time I die.


I'm reminded of older Metallica. good sh it !


oh, I like Greenday a lot, and I have all of their older albums from before 'dookie' and listen to them more so than the later stuff.


'hey there, looking at me.
tell me what do you see?
that you quickly turn away'

so, I guess I like lyrics too

[SevenStar]

The quote ras kass (an excellent lyricist) in one the sketches from one of his CDs:

"music? you think that's what makes ras kass now? I'm a lyricist - I don't give a fuk about a beat"

beats are good - they attract you to the song, but it's the lyrics that bring out the song. Perfect example - oochie wally by Nas. good beat, screwed up lyrics. consequently, that song is on the arse end of a lot of jokes. Besides, it's good lyrics that will make you go "daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn" when you hear them.


"you ain't got enough calcium to have a bone to pick with me /
like a gracie, I'll choke a ***** out wit his own gi"

"Passion...Desire the fire that inspires. I don't state facts. I state buildings, like empires."

"If words could kill, I'd sentence you to death."

"Maybe you should grab a telescope to see my views like astronomy. It ain't all about economy, so the fact that all these wack mcs is making G's don't bother me. Honestly, my number one policy is quality, never sell my soul is my philosophy. High velocity, lyrics like Nostradamus making prophecies, I told you cats a long time ago there ain't no stopping me."

"Yo, the Canibus is an animal with a mechanical mandible
Comin to damage you, spittin understandable slang at you
I be the all seeing lyrical, hammerhead shark peripheral
With 360 degree visual"

[SevenStar]

"Homicide's illegal and death is the penalty
What justifies the homicide, when he dies?
In his own iniquity it's the
Master of the Mantis Rapture comin at cha
We have an APB on an MC Killer
Looks like the work of a Master
Evidence indicates that's it's stature
Merciless like a terrorist hard to capture
The flow, changes like a chameleon
Plays like a fiddle, and stabs you like a dagger
This technique attacks the immune system
Disguised like a lie paralyzin the victim
You scream, as it enters your bloodstream
Erupts your brain from the pain these thoughts contain
Movin on a ***** with the speed of a centipede
and injure - ANY MOTHERF*CKIN CONTENDER"




"My techniques foul enough to shoot the flagrant technical
I be comin off the head rougher then ribbed tip recepticles
Expect the exceptional syllables to be the next man's umbilical cord
Catch distortion, ras cancels kids like abortions
Sendin ***** to hip hop hell, ock
Eternal ****ation through writers block"


"Connect the dots murder by design
Sh!t on your intellect and fertilize your mind"



Get it? the lyrics have a great impact on the song, regardless of the music itself.

[SevenStar]

"My style is sex and violence, vocabulary and science, and an uneasy alliance Let's toast the bread like a plugged up appliance (I'll drink to that!) Remy on the rocks, the real estated eventually, son Reverse (deverdi pras to pras verdi?) like, Century 21 I want the mansion and the yacht And all the sh!t them rich wack rappers got"



"you couldn't beat me to death if i let you jump first"

[SevenStar]

"you're right about my voodoo kid, I'm in a different class
you'll respect that voodoo too, when I put that pin up in your ass"

that one is mine. it's from a battle I had with someone.

[Oso]

Michael Frante/Spearhead/Disposable Heroes of Hiphopracy is a good example of good music and great lyrics. A bit political at times but...


hmmm imo, other good music/lyric combinations are Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Marvin Gaye, Dave Matthews...

but that's just stuff I've listened to in the last week.

[Repulsive Monkey]

I'd go along with your girlfriend, for a distance in that I could never own or listen to music with crap lyrics. Just like a song which might not sound that great could have an excellent message in it and the lyrics can carry or bury a song in that sense. Music in that sense is used for the attraction, but the lyrics are the undrlying message.

[txwingchun]

It's the music for me also.