I for one usually have trouble following all the lyrics of a song the first few times it's heard (especially if it's not easily discernable, like some rock (or any kind of music for that matter, Aesop probably is the worst of his kind
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No, this comment was quite useful. You are closer to what I would have considered traditional. The sound is what you mostly care about, and the content is an added bonus.
I'm not super-good at listening to lyrics either. But if I think that it might be cool I acquire them as soon as I can (or generate annotated versions for myself, like with The Picard Song). Actually, I find part of the fun of listening to a new song is in trying to figure out what is going on lyrically. Afterward, something changes in my brain when I understand the words. The song sounds different - better - somehow.
You're right. This comment wasn't too helpful. Would you be interested in breaking down the reasons behind why you like all of these different kinds of music? Or are you certain that this endeavor of mine is pointless?
Value of Music Over Timestip001May 10 2005, 22:24:40 UTC
Jesse,
Now that is interesting. I have always been relatively stable in my preferences. For example, I was quite surprised when it turned out that I still really liked TaleSpin after all these years. My follow-up question would then be: going by your past experience, do you think that your preferences for content or form are more likely to remain the same over time?
It's sad though that seemingly everyone is so convinced that Episodes I and II were so much worse than IV, V, and VI. They really weren't. They were different in some ways because they had to be (the hero cycle isn't going to work the same way, for example) but they were of similiar quality. I wonder how many people will see the earlier prequels in a different light once the saga is completed.
-Nick
P.S. While you're here do you think you could respond to my unscientific poll?
I put some thought into this before it occurred to me how much of a weird musical identity crisis I'm having. I apparently really like a Kelly Clarkson song, which is a lotabit disturbing. And then I heard a track off of the Stars' new album at the Gap. (I took my little sister shopping.) I asked the guy if they were playing the radio or what and he said no they get a cd from Gap headquarters every month. I'm listening to the same stuff as someone at Gap HQ.
I'm so confused.
But, to try to answer your question, I'm pretty much with John. The music hooks me and lets the lyrics sink in, and the lyrics kind of modify the value of the song when they sink in. Something like that.
It's interesting that you frame the issue in terms of personal identity. When I'm listening to a song I'm not thinking "am I the kind of guy that likes this song?" If I liked a song, I wouldn't give it a second thought if someone at Gap HQ was listening to it as well.
Do you think that this concern with identity is common in musical choice? According to my mom, as a teenager my sister would only listen to music that no one else she knew was listening to. Once it became popular or cool she'd move on to something else. I always thought that she was kind of silly for doing that. But maybe she was responding to (rebelling against?) this identity aspect of music.
I do think that musical choice and personal identity are connected. I think people take a lot of their definition from the kind of music they identify with. Or maybe it's the other way around. Either way.
It sometimes surprises me how universally human music is. I mean, is there any other cultural thing that's really as universal as music? Do you know anyone who just doesn't like music?
Neither am I, but I have the feeling that you might be on to something. I would encourage you to straighten it out in your head and see if you do in fact get anywhere.
No, you are freakish.atrocity_May 11 2005, 17:51:37 UTC
People do want music that speaks to them, but I'd wager that the vast majority of people follow the framework set out by john, that of enjoying the musical aspects first, and the content adding on top of that. If you find no value whatsoever in instrumental music, of any kind (do you like classical?), then I would conclude that this attempt to explain our motivations to you would be fairly analogous to describing color to a blind man. So, I guess that is the first thing you need to figure out and these are the questions you need to be asking yourself: Do you value instrumental music? If not, why not? Does this mean you are broken? Can you be fixed?
Re: No, you are freakish.atrocity_May 11 2005, 21:50:26 UTC
I hope you know that while I do actually consider you freakish, for many reasons, its all in good fun. I won't hold your freakishness against you in other words. (most of this group, including me are freakish in a few ways) That said, what came before was not a personal attack in the guise of rational argumentation, rather it was rational argumentation but with the underlying current of good natured personal attack
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Comments 48
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No, this comment was quite useful. You are closer to what I would have considered traditional. The sound is what you mostly care about, and the content is an added bonus.
I'm not super-good at listening to lyrics either. But if I think that it might be cool I acquire them as soon as I can (or generate annotated versions for myself, like with The Picard Song). Actually, I find part of the fun of listening to a new song is in trying to figure out what is going on lyrically. Afterward, something changes in my brain when I understand the words. The song sounds different - better - somehow.
-Nick
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
You're right. This comment wasn't too helpful. Would you be interested in breaking down the reasons behind why you like all of these different kinds of music? Or are you certain that this endeavor of mine is pointless?
-Nick
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Now that is interesting. I have always been relatively stable in my preferences. For example, I was quite surprised when it turned out that I still really liked TaleSpin after all these years. My follow-up question would then be: going by your past experience, do you think that your preferences for content or form are more likely to remain the same over time?
-Nick
Reply
Reply
That link was quite great.
It's sad though that seemingly everyone is so convinced that Episodes I and II were so much worse than IV, V, and VI. They really weren't. They were different in some ways because they had to be (the hero cycle isn't going to work the same way, for example) but they were of similiar quality. I wonder how many people will see the earlier prequels in a different light once the saga is completed.
-Nick
P.S. While you're here do you think you could respond to my unscientific poll?
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Do you know people who did that?
-Nick
Reply
I'm so confused.
But, to try to answer your question, I'm pretty much with John. The music hooks me and lets the lyrics sink in, and the lyrics kind of modify the value of the song when they sink in. Something like that.
Reply
It's interesting that you frame the issue in terms of personal identity. When I'm listening to a song I'm not thinking "am I the kind of guy that likes this song?" If I liked a song, I wouldn't give it a second thought if someone at Gap HQ was listening to it as well.
Do you think that this concern with identity is common in musical choice? According to my mom, as a teenager my sister would only listen to music that no one else she knew was listening to. Once it became popular or cool she'd move on to something else. I always thought that she was kind of silly for doing that. But maybe she was responding to (rebelling against?) this identity aspect of music.
-Nick
Reply
It sometimes surprises me how universally human music is. I mean, is there any other cultural thing that's really as universal as music? Do you know anyone who just doesn't like music?
I'm not sure where I was going with that.
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Neither am I, but I have the feeling that you might be on to something. I would encourage you to straighten it out in your head and see if you do in fact get anywhere.
-Nick
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