Random Music Thoughts

[Malenko]

2 hours ago, RPS said:

Fat Boy Slims You've Come Along Way Baby is groundbreaking and definitely a marker of modern electronic music. 

While I really like that album and I do believe it was influential to many, many bands who followed, I wouldn't say it was as groundbreaking as others although I'll definitely say it helped loads bringing Big Beat into the mainstream. Mostly because the year before you had Prodigy releasing Fat of the Land, Chemical brother's Dig Your Own Hole and the Crystal Method releasing Vegas, a masterpiece in the genre. Late 90s/early 00s were great for Big Beat/Breakbeat and You've come a long way baby is obviously a big part of that but I don't think it was as innovative as the others I mentioned.

[RPS]

1 hour ago, Malenko said:

While I really like that album and I do believe it was influential to many, many bands who followed, I wouldn't say it was as groundbreaking as others although I'll definitely say it helped loads bringing Big Beat into the mainstream. Mostly because the year before you had Prodigy releasing Fat of the Land, Chemical brother's Dig Your Own Hole and the Crystal Method releasing Vegas, a masterpiece in the genre. Late 90s/early 00s were great for Big Beat/Breakbeat and You've come a long way baby is obviously a big part of that but I don't think it was as innovative as the others I mentioned.

I think it is innovative for reasons that are not entirely obvious and potentially not all positive. I also acknowledge that other artists did some of the stuff.

• Firstly, what is the theme of the album? The theme of the album is very meta-  it is Fatboy Slim. On numerous portions of the album, he is calling himself by name and referencing the album and songs within. There was a time period in the 90s where dance music still attempted to have narratives or grander themes above and beyond the music. Baby is really just all about Fatboy Slim, which is very indicative of modern day house music. It is so self-involved, but not in a cheeky way like Fatboy Slim. 
• Secondly, I think whereas Chemical Brothers / Daft Punk / Prodigy were interested in making big beat music was influenced by other genres but still sounded like big beat music, Fatboy Slim's album feels like a grab bag of styles and sounds. There is not a consistent stylistic thread through the whole album. I definitely see a lot of the early 00s electronic music being influenced by this, in particular the dance punk and electroclash genres. 
• Thirdly, the samples. Sampling has always been prevalent in music, but Fatboy Slim does it in a way that is both very obvious and yet harmonious with the message. Fatboy Slim also is a lot more playful with the samples - both in terms of what he uses, but also how he manipulates them. Fatboy Slim takes way more inspiration from the Beastie Boys or DJ Shadow than say Frankie Knuckles. 

[Malenko]

2 hours ago, RPS said:

I think it is innovative for reasons that are not entirely obvious and potentially not all positive. I also acknowledge that other artists did some of the stuff.

• Firstly, what is the theme of the album? The theme of the album is very meta-  it is Fatboy Slim. On numerous portions of the album, he is calling himself by name and referencing the album and songs within. There was a time period in the 90s where dance music still attempted to have narratives or grander themes above and beyond the music. Baby is really just all about Fatboy Slim, which is very indicative of modern day house music. It is so self-involved, but not in a cheeky way like Fatboy Slim. 
• Secondly, I think whereas Chemical Brothers / Daft Punk / Prodigy were interested in making big beat music was influenced by other genres but still sounded like big beat music, Fatboy Slim's album feels like a grab bag of styles and sounds. There is not a consistent stylistic thread through the whole album. I definitely see a lot of the early 00s electronic music being influenced by this, in particular the dance punk and electroclash genres. 
• Thirdly, the samples. Sampling has always been prevalent in music, but Fatboy Slim does it in a way that is both very obvious and yet harmonious with the message. Fatboy Slim also is a lot more playful with the samples - both in terms of what he uses, but also how he manipulates them. Fatboy Slim takes way more inspiration from the Beastie Boys or DJ Shadow than say Frankie Knuckles. 

It feels you interpreted what I said as negative criticism. It really wasn't. I love Fatboy Slim and that album in particular. I just thought they weren't as innovative music wise when compared to the others I mentioned. I think at the very least prodigy are very versatile and were able to jump out of the rave scene into the mainstream (not as much as Fatboy slim whose pop hooks were undoubtedly catchier, I won't deny) and most importantly into the punk scene too. They're just different even though for the most part they use similar beats with different samples and arrangements. I also like the obvious influence of Crystal Method's slower songs on a lot of active trip hop bands, although the same can be said about the Chemical Brothers or Fatboy Slim, I suppose.

I can see Fatboy slim's influence on the dance punk genre, definitely. I wouldn't say as much about electroclash as they kind of existed simultaneously but I suppose these styles as every other are a mix of different influences and you can see this and that from previous generations on something new or even contemporary.

Anyway, this is definitely my go to style of electronic music. Even if I say I don't like something as much as something else I probably still like it a lot.

Btw, Daft Punk for me are different, that's why I didn't talk about them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RPS]

48 minutes ago, Malenko said:

It feels you interpreted what I said as negative criticism.

No, not at all. I just felt as though I did not adequately explain what I was thinking in my head. I love the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, and Daft Punk, but I think a lot of what makes those bands really interesting and exceptional are not really all that prevalent in electronic music in today. Certainly non-musical elements of Daft Punk - the importance of visuals, the allure of anonymity, the cult of personality, the dynamics of the live show- are really central to electronic music in 2022. That sample-heavy, carefree, focus on yourself as the narrative, life is a party (almost frat-boy) attitude in Fatboy Slim music certainly is what I would describe mainstream electronic music in 2022. 

[Hobo]

This reminds me that I only learned a few months ago that before he was Fatboy Slim, Norman Cook was in The Housemartins.

I find it hard to square up the fact that at one time members of The Beautiful South and Fatboy Slim were in the same band.

[RPS]

On 05/05/2022 at 18:42, Malenko said:

Btw, Daft Punk for me are different, that's why I didn't talk about them.

Listening to Homework and man oh man were they operating on another level. 

[Colly]

On 06/05/2022 at 14:56, Hobo said:

This reminds me that I only learned a few months ago that before he was Fatboy Slim, Norman Cook was in The Housemartins.

I find it hard to square up the fact that at one time members of The Beautiful South and Fatboy Slim were in the same band.

His career is all over the place, absolutely prolific. I often wonder how many people have even heard Brimful of Asha other than his remix. 

[RPS]

54 minutes ago, Colly said:

His career is all over the place, absolutely prolific. I often wonder how many people have even heard Brimful of Asha other than his remix. 

I literally listened to it today. 

[Colly]

Yeah but you're cool, I'm talking about the public.

[METALMAN]

23 minutes ago, Colly said:

Yeah but you're cool, I'm talking about the public.

Liberal metropolitan elite looking down on the rest of us yet again

[Colly]

I like the fact you correctly avoided the word elite. 

[METALMAN]

I forgot that bit! fixed it now.

[VerbalPuke]

Couple songs I'm really digging lately that I'd like to share.

This is the Carolina Chocolate Drops, they are absolutely brilliant. Its good folky like fiddle music i guess, but what way better. Rhythm is beautiful, wonderful vocals, great fiddle!!, and just a cool vibe. Seriously, check this out, I'll give you your money back if you don't like this.

Shit, I said couple songs.

This is such a catchy tune. Listening to this also, just fucking trust me ok?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9_P5iSG_APE

[METALMAN]

The lead singer of Carolina Chocolate Drops put out a solo album recently that was really good. Worth checking if you haven’t already.

[VerbalPuke]

On 12/05/2022 at 03:31, METALMAN said:

The lead singer of Carolina Chocolate Drops put out a solo album recently that was really good. Worth checking if you haven’t already.

I will check it out. I've been meaning to also see what the guitar players solo work is like (Don Flemons).

[Hobo]

I found myself reading an interview with Martha Wainwright the other day and it featured a particularly grim moment between her and her dad Loudon Wainwright III


 

 

 

[GhostMachine]

So Loudon is an asshole?

[Hobo]

On 21/05/2022 at 01:27, GhostMachine said:

So Loudon is an asshole?

Martha did write a song about him called "Bloody Motherfucking Asshole".

Loudon Wainright III is probably the first person who'll tell you he was generally a shitty father and husband. Although things seem to be in a better place. Lots of Loudon's own discography is about his own terrible relationship with his dad and I think with age, a lot of therapy and his own kids having children - things have smoothed out and he seems to be in a good place with his kids these days.

Now they  go on tours and sing songs together where they make jokes and have fun about it.

 

[GhostMachine]

Ah. Well, have to admit that I'm more familiar with Rufus' music than his father or sister's. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever heard anything by Martha other than the song Wolves that she did with Rufus.

Edited May 24, 2022 by GhostMachine

[Hobo]

59 minutes ago, GhostMachine said:

Ah. Well, have to admit that I'm more familiar with Rufus' music than his father or sister's. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever heard anything by Martha other than the song Wolves that she did with Rufus.

I am a rather big Loudon Wainwright fan. I like some of Martha's stuff (I have her first two albums and am quite fond some of the songs) but I never really got into her stuff. Could never get into Rufus Wainwright though. 

Loudon Wainwright's work is really a mix of funny and heartbreaking. It's also super confessional (which is a thing they all really do, those Wainwrights). His best works are probably his albums written after the death of his father (History) and later the death of his mother (The Last Man On Earth). He's also quite self aware regarding his habit of writing confessional songs about his life. In the song "Father/Daughter Dialogue" he writes a duet where Martha chastizes him for how he dramtatizes reality in his songs.

Later he would write this reflecting on what being an absentee father means when your kids have grown up.

And a much more recent one where he reads what I assume is a quote from one his father's columns from Life Magazine and duets with Rufus for what I believe was the first time on an album. He'd performed duets with Martha and tours fairly regularly with his other musican daughter Lucy.
 

This has been Hbob blathers on about Loudon Wainwright III in the randon music thread.