Congress to save 50 Classic Recordings

[Guest JT179]

Ok so apparently the Library of Congress selects 50 recordings every April that they want to save for future generations. They announced those recordings today, and some VERY interesting stuff made the list.

"Gypsy Love Song" by Eugene Cowles (1898)

"Ain't Misbehavin' " by Fats Waller (1929)

"In the Mood" by Glenn Miller (1939)

"Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams Sr. (1949)

"Earth Angel" by The Penguins (1955)

"Giant Steps" by John Coltrane (1959)

"The Girl from Ipanema" by Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim) and Astrud Gilberto (1963)

"Live at the Apollo" by James Brown (1965)

"Live at the Fillmore East" by The Allman Brothers Band (1971)

"Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys (1971)

"Star Wars" Soundtrack by John Williams (1977)

"Fear of a Black Planet" by Public Enemy (1989)

"Nevermind" by Nirvana (1991)

Classical recordings include Sergei Rachmaninoff playing his Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1929; a 1939 Boston Symphony performance of Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"; and a 1958 performance of Handel's "Messiah" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

I LOVE THE ALLMAN BROTHERS! That's so cool for me.

[Evil Chase K]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

[thatshortguy]

I have no gripes with any of those selections, as they all represent key times in both the musical and cultural climate of the United States.

[Your Mom]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

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Oh get off your fucking high horse

[MalaCloudy Black]

Public Enemy?! Awesome. Just awesome.

[Laice07]

Thats a nice list.

"Earth Angel" by The Penguins (1955)

"Star Wars" Soundtrack by John Williams (1977)

"Fear of a Black Planet" by Public Enemy (1989)

"Nevermind" by Nirvana (1991)

[FunkAsPuck]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

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[fineintent]

Public Fucking Enemy.

Nice one, who'd have thunk it that extremely contraversial and political rap would make the list, I'm impressed. Also the James Brown is a major plus.

[JStarr]

I'm surprised it took this long for them to select Pet Sounds. Figured that would be right up there with Sgt. Pepper, which I'm assuming the LoC has already archived.

Love the love for Coltrane and James, but if they're going to archive some Public Enemy, they should have started with "It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back."

[GoGo Yubari]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

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Oh, look, SkinMySenses is being a nitwit again. Shock of the hour.

I'm fairly surprised by Public Enemy being included, but it's a good kind of surprise.

[Guest Weden]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

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Oh get off your fucking high horse

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[Cactus Drags]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

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Oh get off your fucking high horse

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[britneyspearsisgod]

Yay. Now future generations can be infected by horrible guitar playing, and horrible music, and the so-so lyrics of Kurt Cobain.

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[Ananas]

In The Mood was an awesome record. Good to see Coltrane and Getz on works being preserved too.

[Liam]

Hey, I could jump on the "SkinMySense is a twat" bandwagon, but I'll just say that I'm glad Nevermind is one of them, especially due to its cultural significance.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Your failiure to jump on the bandwagon, quite frankly, sickens me to my core.

[Lord Nibbler]

This years list, with descriptions here.

Full list (150 songs over the three years), with descriptions here

41. “The Girl from Ipanema,” Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim,

Astrud Gilberto (1963)

This instantly recognizable performance popularized the melodic, samba-based, Brazilian bossa nova sound in the United States. Guitarist and song composer Antonio Carlos Jobim teamed with saxophonist Stan Getz and Jobim's wife, vocalist Astrud Gilberto, to create this sensuous recording, featured on the best-selling LP “Getz/Gilberto.”

42. “Live at the Apollo,” James Brown (1965)

James Brown's best-selling “Live at the Apollo” remains significant for presenting his incandescent performances of “I’ll Go Crazy,” “Think” and “Night Train” with an airtight backup band. At the time of its release, none of Brown’s studio albums had done justice to his dynamic performance style. With this album a wider audience became familiar with his unique style.

43. “Pet Sounds,” The Beach Boys (1966)

Departing from the Beach Boys surf-music roots, “Pet Sounds” was an emotive and carefully planned recording that attempted to present an album as a unified work and not merely a collection of singles. The album is notable for Brian Wilson’s high lead vocals and the harmonizing support from the other band members. Equally compelling are the melodies and the arrangements, the latter featuring, among other instruments, horns, strings, theremin, accordion and a glockenspiel. It has become the most complete statement of Wilson’s musical and lyrical aesthetic. Paul McCartney has remarked on several occasions that it is his favorite album.

46. “The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East” (1971)

This classic live performance of Southern blues rock contains a powerfully emotional rendition of “Tied to the Whipping Post” sung by Gregg Allman. That song became a touring standard for the band, while the album received wide acclaim for its lengthy improvisational jams featuring the distinctive dual lead guitars of Duane Allman and Dickie Betts.

47. “Star Wars” (soundtrack), John Williams (1977)

This soundtrack score has been credited with reviving symphonic film scores in Hollywood motion pictures. The recording was a best-seller, its themes well remembered and often quoted. When the blockbuster motion picture was released in 1977, home video did not exist. It was the soundtrack recording that enabled audiences to evoke images from the film in their living rooms.

49. “Fear of a Black Planet,” Public Enemy (1989)

“Fear of a Black Planet” brought hip-hop respect from critics, millions of new fans and passionate debate over its political content. The album signaled the coupling of a strongly political message with hip-hop music. Its hit single, “Fight the Power,” was the theme for Spike Lee’s powerful film “Do the Right Thing.” Public Enemy forged a new sound for hip-hop that included funk rhythms, samples from James Brown and Eric Clapton, and found sounds.

50. “Nevermind,” Nirvana (1991)

This surprising chart-buster from a grunge band from Aberdeen, Wash., brought to the public’s attention a new, heavily distorted sound that would catch on and prove an enduring influence in rock. Characterized by raw vocals, driving rhythms and surprising shifts in dynamics, the record resonated with America’s youth and climbed to No. 1 on the “Billboard” charts, selling more than 10 million copies.

Edited April 11, 2005 by Jimmy the Exploder

[Liam]

Your failiure to jump on the bandwagon, quite frankly, sickens me to my core.

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Sickens me as well, as I'm one of the bigger Nirvana fans on this board, or so it seems.

Oh well, I thought 3 or so people telling him that was good enough.

[britneyspearsisgod]

It's never good enough. Repeat it until he dies! UNTIL HE DIES!!!

One day, I hope they add a Britney Spears song into one of these things. Just for kicks.

[Guest Wrestling_Man]

I think what would be cool is what recordings they have saved in the past, would be great to look up.