The Music Thread

I went to a local play Friday evening called Beautiful, it was about Carole King's early career.

It was very good. I recognized so many of the songs. Never really realized how many hits she wrote.
 
UNCatTech said:
I went to a local play Friday evening called Beautiful, it was about Carole King's early career.

It was very good. I recognized so many of the songs. Never really realized how many hits she wrote.
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I’ve been doing a deep dive on the Laurel Canyon scene. Loads of videos and documentaries on that time and place. Of course I’m old, and I lived those years, and I bought those records (both LP’s and 45’s).

Carole King was of that period and her music was formed there and then… the mid to late 60’s and early 70’s in that part of California.

It still amazes me all of the bands, musicians and songwriters - all of whom made me who I am today - were together in one place at the same time. They all fed off each other. Collaborating, jamming together, writing, partying, loving, living, 1960’s flower power, free love, smoking dope, snorting coke, trying to write a song.

The list of bands and players is too long to type out. And if they didn’t actually live there in the Canyon, they visited there often. Even bands who didn’t reside there, came there - including those from across the ocean: Beatles, Stones, etc.

Carole King may be one who can be held up as the “Standard” of that era, of that time and place. The music is indeed timeless and will never be matched… certainly not today… since the music industry as we knew it is dead, and will never come back. More on that later…

If you don’t have the album Tapestry, get it. And don’t “download” it or add her to your Spotify or Pandora… no. Go find the LP or at least purchase the CD, or ask your mom or dad or your grandmother… they will have a copy.
 
Centerpiece said:
I’ve been doing a deep dive on the Laurel Canyon scene. Loads of videos and documentaries on that time and place. Of course I’m old, and I lived those years, and I bought those records (both LP’s and 45’s).

Carole King was of that period and her music was formed there and then… the mid to late 60’s and early 70’s in that part of California.

It still amazes me all of the bands, musicians and songwriters - all of whom made me who I am today - were together in one place at the same time. They all fed off each other. Collaborating, jamming together, writing, partying, loving, living, 1960’s flower power, free love, smoking dope, snorting coke, trying to write a song.

The list of bands and players is too long to type out. And if they didn’t actually live there in the Canyon, they visited there often. Even bands who didn’t reside there, came there - including those from across the ocean: Beatles, Stones, etc.

Carole King may be one who can be held up as the “Standard” of that era, of that time and place. The music is indeed timeless and will never be matched… certainly not today… since the music industry as we knew it is dead, and will never come back. More on that later…

If you don’t have the album Tapestry, get it. And don’t “download” it or add her to your Spotify or Pandora… no. Go find the LP or at least purchase the CD, or ask your mom or dad or your grandmother… they will have a copy.
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I have that LP and now have the CD. At the time Tapestry was the best selling album ever by a female artist.

btw, I think we may be twin brothers from a different mother;)

It's hard to pick a favorite off Tapestry but I will go with the finale :

 
I'll grant their talent but I found it unnecessary to own anything by Carole King, Joni Mitchell or James Taylor. I don't know why but some very good artists just never clicked for me. Radiohead is one, for example.
 
When I saw this my mind was blown. Best song (besides Van) in the concert. So literate and jazzy, and her intonations.



That led me to her album Hejira and I finally got what all the Joni talk was about. I love the 80s sheen and Pat Metheny. Her lyrics and her vocal rhythms.

 
And now for something completely different. These guys are humorously aggressive. I think they're in Raleigh in November, I plan on being in the building.


This is the kind of energy I'd like to experience once.
 
finesse said:
I'll grant their talent but I found it unnecessary to own anything by Carole King, Joni Mitchell or James Taylor. I don't know why but some very good artists just never clicked for me. Radiohead is one, for example.
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I find that intriguing🤔

Joni Mitchell tugs at my heart, hope, and longing and her Blue CD is one I would pick to have if stranded on a desert island.
I had the pleasure to see her perform in HIS aka Cameron many years ago.

btw in her song " California" she refers to meeting a redneck on a Grecian isle... he was a UNC alum from Hillsborough:)

and I am not dissing the fact that you do not find King, Mitchell, or Taylor compelling... I'm merely intrigued
 
heelinhell said:
I find that intriguing🤔

Joni Mitchell tugs at my heart, hope, and longing and her Blue CD is one I would pick to have if stranded on a desert island.
I had the pleasure to see her perform in HIS aka Cameron many years ago.

btw in her song " California" she refers to meeting a redneck on a Grecian isle... he was a UNC alum from Hillsborough:)

and I am not dissing the fact that you do not find King, Mitchell, or Taylor compelling... I'm merely intrigued
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I don't know why, either. Well, I do about Taylor. I was a freshman when that song came out. You couldn't go anywhere in Chapel Hill without hearing it morning, noon and night. I was completely traumatized and still can't give him a fair hearing.

My standard way to judge music is if I can't read a book while it's playing, I need to own it. If any of those made that music, which they might have, I didn't hear it. Since I don't actually know music, I have to settle for what I like.
 
finesse said:
I don't know why, either. Well, I do about Taylor. I was a freshman when that song came out. You couldn't go anywhere in Chapel Hill without hearing it morning, noon and night. I was completely traumatized and still can't give him a fair hearing.

My standard way to judge music is if I can't read a book while it's playing, I need to own it. If any of those made that music, which they might have, I didn't hear it. Since I don't actually know music, I have to settle for what I like.
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That song was on Taylor's eponymous debut album so I'm guessing you were a freshman in 1969 ? I was a freshman in 1970

you have to admit this is a great refrain :cool:

In my mind, I'm gone to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine?
Now can't you just feel the moonshine?
And ain't it just like a friend of mine to hit me from behind?
Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind

But I agree go with you like. There is music that a lot of folks love which I think sucks😤
 
Car Seat Headrest's new album is out (The Scholars). It's great...a 71 minute rock opera filled with proggy sections and subsections and opaque references and fictional characters that come in and out of the narrative. Sonically, the album feels like it exists somewhere in the late 70s. The penultimate track is a 19 minute behemoth. It's worth a few listens.

 
Carole King's greatest song is One Fine Day. The best song on Tapestry is It's Too Late. A Natural Woman is great - but are you really listening to the Tapestry version of that song?
 
nashcounty said:
Happy 5/4 day.

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Oh man u be hitting on my intro to Jazz

Had the pleasure to see Dave Brubeck perform and see Ahmad Jamal perform

My dad owned three jazz albums

Time Out
Ahmad Jamal Live at the Pershing
Les McCann and Eddie Harris

Time Out - Take Five
Ahmad Jamal- Poinciana

I saw what you did with the 5/4 Take Five time :cool:

but what got my heart started was McCann& Harris - Compared To What

Best 8 minutes you will spend today :p

 
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A couple of really interesting stories behind both those songs… Take 5 and Ohio. Of course the inspiration behind Neil’s Ohio was obvious, but it was interesting to hear Graham Nash recount the story of how quickly the song was written, recorded and released in a manner which knocked their other hit off the charts (Teach Your Children). Teach was just then making its way up the charts as a top hit when Neil wrote this song in less than an hour. Crosby insisted the group record OHIO ASAP. The rest is history.

Take 5 is a Paul Desmond tune (not written by Brubeck)
At a rehearsal one day Joe Morello was just messing around beating out a different rhythm in 5/4 time signature. Dave asked him what that was and Morello just said nothing… just jamming around.

Brubeck found the groove interesting and asked his band mates to go home and try to come up with a song idea in that 5/4 groove.
Next rehearsal, nobody had any ideas except for Desmond. And Paul said he didn’t have anything finished… just 2 separate song ideas. He played the first, claiming not to have a B part to it. He then played his second song idea, also claiming to not have a 2nd part fleshed out for it either. Brubeck is said to have exclaimed: “Just put those two song ideas together in one composition” … presto, you have your 2 parts for one song and that’s how Take 5 was born. A groove started by drummer Joe Morello and a homework assignment given by band leader Brubeck. And Desmond writing two “1/2” songs mashing ‘em together to make one.
 
Centerpiece said:
A couple of really interesting stories behind both those songs… Take 5 and Ohio. Of course the inspiration behind Neil’s Ohio was obvious, but it was interesting to hear Graham Nash recount the story of how quickly the song was written, recorded and released in a manner which knocked their other hit off the charts (Teach Your Children). Teach was just then making its way up the charts as a top hit when Neil wrote this song in less than an hour. Crosby insisted the group record OHIO ASAP. The rest is history.

Take 5 is a Paul Desmond tune (not written by Brubeck)
At a rehearsal one day Joe Morello was just messing around beating out a different rhythm in 5/4 time signature. Dave asked him what that was and Morello just said nothing… just jamming around.

Brubeck found the groove interesting and asked his band mates to go home and try to come up with a song idea in that 5/4 groove.
Next rehearsal, nobody had any ideas except for Desmond. And Paul said he didn’t have anything finished… just 2 separate song ideas. He played the first, claiming not to have a B part to it. He then played his second song idea, also claiming to not have a 2nd part fleshed out for it either. Brubeck is said to have exclaimed: “Just put those two song ideas together in one composition” … presto, you have your 2 parts for one song and that’s how Take 5 was born. A groove started by drummer Joe Morello and a homework assignment given by band leader Brubeck. And Desmond writing two “1/2” songs mashing ‘em together to make one.
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This post is why I spend my time here🤗

Thank you for the back story on how an iconic jazz piece came to be !
 
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