DJ Destruco's Music Discussion

Since mentioning Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah was a major success, here's a thread where members can introduce music to each other and even discuss lyrics.

Sadly, we don't have the bandwidth (nor do we want the liability) of hosting mp3s on the site, but it seems that you all are quite capable of getting a hold of songs via iTunes, p2p, and trading over AOL IM.

I'll strive to find songs or clips on the internet.

Since Hallelujah was such a serious and deep song, sexual, spiritual, and ironic in its sweet hymn like melody juxtaposed against such powerful and controversial images, for the second song, I'd like to lighten it up.

There's a band in Denver called "The Fray" and I'm betting money that they're going to be huge.

To listen:
===================================
http://www.thefray.net/ ==> Media ==>

Click on one of the links below to listen to the The Fray's new "Over My Head (Cable Car)."
RealAudio | QuickTime | Windows Media: lo - hi



Or you can watch the video too.

Lyrics
===================================
The Fray
Over My Head (Cable Car)

I never knew
I never knew that everything was falling through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth
But that's how it's got to be
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind

Let's rearrange
I wish you were a stranger I could disengage
Say that we agree and then never change
Soften a bit until we all just get along
But that's disregard
Find another friend and you discard
As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind

And suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you and its effortless
Without a sound we lose sight of the ground
In the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind

=================================

What really grabs me in this song is the driving rhythm in the first stanza, emphasized with the rhyme. I'd call the style "Cake meets Coldplay"... the strong piano and an almost western twang in the singer's melodious voice.

The theme is abandonment.... the singer is surprised to see that all those around him are running away if for nothing more than not caring. But the singer too turns and runs lest he confront the reality of who is there for him. It's almost defeatist, "that's how it's got to be."

The refrain is almost out of the blue. He's over his head.... in what? and what's with the sports analogy about overtime, "you," and the girl? My best guess is that he's in love with a woman who is out of his league and she is so important that she's worked her way into every aspect of his life. Even in the big game, overtime, rid the mind of all distractions, there she is.

This develops in the next stanza. He wants to redefine their relationship or just forget about her, but he can't. Then he wants to smooth out the turmoil, to just agree and never change, to let down the guard and reach that "happily ever after" where you gloss over the bad and just get the happily. But that's only possible if you disregard the reality, disregard the disfunction.

Now we get to the meat, he was her friend and he wanted more and they went there, but she discarded him and he's bitter. He might have won the argument in the cable car, but he lost the war, access to her. That's the end... the relationship that was dangling over the gorge is now over and she's bringing down the car.... but he's not just a passive victim, he's ready to torch the car as it falls. Scorched earth policy?

It reminds me of the Buckley song in that the lyrics don't match the tone of the music... this of course is more pop rock and doesn't contain the deep symbolism, but man, what does?

I hope you enjoy, I'm going to try to catch The Fray in concert here soon and pick up their new CD.

===============================
Upcoming disussions (so you can find the mp3s):
===============================
Sister Hazel - Champaign High
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Dispatch - The General
Ottmar Liebert - Nouveau Flamenco - Barcelona Nights
Dave Brubeck - Take 5
Belle and Sebastian - Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying
Barenaked Ladies - If I had $1,000,000
Bela Fleck - Stomping Grounds
Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You
Tim Buckley - I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain
...

Please do dig deep and bring to our attention songs you think are worthy of some fun or some scholarship. This isn't a one man show.

The whole feel of the song makes me think it's a new realization. That moment that everything changes and leaves your head spinning. There are even places in the song where his voice sounds tired and full of sorrow. A mix of agony, desire and defeat.

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind

The chorus has "I'm fighting for you" written all over it. He's played a good game and fought above and beyond for what he believed in. He's still fighting and the game should have been over long ago and everyone knows it. She is the driving force that kept him playing and against the odds she was worth fighting for.

As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between...

I think the "cable car" references that higher than life new love feeling. You put yourself on cloud nine and the rest of the world is beyond the haze. "As the canyon comes between" could mean friends, outsiders or even the fact that she never dedicated herself to the blinding of the rest of the world.


Without a sound we lose sight of the ground
In the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves

"Without a sound we lose sight of the ground", "Never thought that you wanted to bring it down". He never saw it coming. The end of the game snuck up on him while he was blinded to the warning signs. He's caught completely suprised to see she wasn't fighting the same as he.
"I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves". There are others involved that complicate the matter. He refuses to give in or break things off unless the decision comes souly by the two of them. No influence.

Anyway, that's my view.

LadyHope

des, cue up:

http://www.highfalootinmusic.com/

I'm not even into bluegrass but I think these guys will be big too. First CD, local central PA, all bluecollar, but man this is like a desert island disk for me. Last cut best (not on their web) Vira Vira a traditional Brazilian folk song.

I was thrilled to be turned onto this track as I am always looking for new music that doesn't sound like a "bubble gummy, bumper sticker band." The Fray succeeds on many levels, with a bruce hornsby meets cake meets poignant u-2 -lyrics combination that immediately implores me to play the cd loudly in my car.

Thematically, this song begs for movement. From the beginning, where the drums set the meter like a stopwatch, like the turning of wheels, of a cable car beginning its' descent, and the singer belts, "to turn and run" - appropriately reinforcing the spinning of the wheels, there is a journey. I feel the car start, turn, and with the introduction of a grinding guitar riff that rivals old pearl jam, I am immediately in first person, riding. The guitar chords are tracks, the winding tracks with the occasional intermittent 'blackness' one feels on a train, passing through bridges, landmarks, etc. The piano is the narrator, melodious, pressed, disheveled, yet harmonious. The protagonist winning the cable car argument , "yes, you're right, it's not you, it's me, all me, I'm sorry, you're perfect, I'm the bad one" - as she breaks his heart. Argument won, love lost. The song picks up speed, propelling the cable car, appropriately slowest in beat during the climactic "and suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you and its effortless....."

the lonnnnnnnng, deliberate, 'effortless' encourages me to exit the car, regroup, and step into my vehicle, continuing to ride, but alone and slightly stronger. i envision the narrator awakening and healing a bit, here, with the girl still firmly on "our mind", yet riding alone and rapidly..this is also a clever device, the 'inclusion' of listeners into the song with the 'she's on your mind', as opposed to 'my', encouraging personalization of the track. The song ends appropriately and perfectly with the drums continuing the ticking clock found in the intro, life goes on...

The use of internal and off-rhyme throughout this song is particularly juicy and appealing to me: 'turn and run', 'rearrange with stranger', 'soften with along', 'friend and argument', 'hanging with rearrange', etc...
which keeps the song fresh and enticing after many rotations and is a lyrical triumph imo, particularly when compared to the radio gaga of today.


bronte

I've recently discovered an old progressive rock band from the early 70s called Nektar. Particularly a tune called "Remember the Future (Part 1). It's one of those 20 minute whole album side songs.

At first listen, you think they suck. But it's one of those songs that when you hear it the next time, you think, this isn't bad. And it gets even better after that.

Anyone ever hear of them?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimbowilly

I've recently discovered an old progressive rock band from the early 70s called Nektar. Particularly a tune called "Remember the Future (Part 1). It's one of those 20 minute whole album side songs.

At first listen, you think they suck. But it's one of those songs that when you hear it the next time, you think, this isn't bad. And it gets even better after that.

Anyone ever hear of them?

---

i'll check em out, thx, jimb...


best,


bronte

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lucynymph

The piano is the narrator, melodious, pressed, disheveled, yet harmonious.

---

OOh, I totally agree, this song was just on the radio while I was driving around so I cranked it up and noticed more than ever how the piano really drives this song (interesting for pop-rock, the electric guitar taking a back seat).

I also had to notice the continued "game" theme in the song. When he's speaking of the woman and says "Find another friend and you discard," I take that as a reference to a card game like Gin Rummy or Go Fish, etc.. Where you collect a certain number of cards and you can only have so many, so it's a constant strategy of trading up... draw one, discard. The singer feels like one of these cards, he was in the friend pile, but she drew again and chose to discard him.

The refrain and the "eight seconds left in over time" strikes me now as him in this game for her. He feels like it's down to the wire, win or lose, overtime and no time left.... but her heart is not a game, and there is no impartial referee.... she gets to pick the winner, score is irrelevant.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jimbowilly

I've recently discovered an old progressive rock band from the early 70s called Nektar. Particularly a tune called "Remember the Future. Anyone ever hear of them?

---

The advantage of having gone to college in the early 70's is that I got to collect great music. Yes, I have two Nektar albums and Remember the Future is my favorite. I never thought they sucked. Try their more accessible second album, Magic is a Child.

For those who want to have some oldies fun, try:

- Marillion: Script for a Jester's Tears (similar to old Genesis)
- Renaissance: Scheherazade and other stories (lots of eastern and classical influence)
- Return to Forever: Romantic Warrior (Chick Corea / organ, keyboards; Al DiMeola / guitar; Stanley Clarke / bass)
and finally,
- The Strawbs, who are still around and kicking, and my favorite album of theirs, Hero and Heroine http://www.strawbpage.ndirect.co.uk/

Have fun!!
wilhouse

Romantic Warrior is a fantastic album. Real cool art on the cover, if I remember correctly.

While it seems 70s music is best known for the disco era, there was a lot of really great music that came out of that decade. Be Bop Deluxe for example hardly gets any airplay.

I love this song - thought I'd offer it up since you guys are hanging out in the past. Even my kids get that the prison is really the monotony of the day to day routine. (They know every word - not a small feat!) The Last Waltz version is my fave - you can almost hear the pavement lines of the freeway in the tune. It is good travelling music, especially if you're figuratively moving on as well... Enjoy.



No regrets Coyote
We just come from such different sets of circumstance
I'm up all night in the studios
And you're up early on your ranch
You'll be brushing out a brood mare's tail
While the sun is ascending
And I'll just be getting home with my reel to reel...
There's no comprehending
Just how close to the bone and the skin and the eyes
And the lips you can get
And still feel so alone
And still feel related
Like stations in some relay
You're not a hit and run driver, no, no
Racing away
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway
We saw a farmhouse burning down
In the middle of nowhere
In the middle of the night
And we rolled right past that tragedy
Till we turned into some road house lights
Where a local band was playing
Locals were up kicking and shaking on the floor
And the next thing I know
That Coyote's at my door
He pins me in a corner and he won't take No!
He drags me out on the dance floor
And we're dancing close and slow
Now he's got a woman at home
He's got another woman down the hall
He seems to want me anyway
Why'd you have to be so broken
And lead me on that way
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines of the freeway
I looked a Coyote right in the face
On the road to Baljennie near my old home town
He went running thru the whisker wheat
Chasing some prize down
And a hawk was playing with him
Coyote was jumping straight up and making passes
He had those same eyes - just like yours
Under your dark glasses
Privately probing the public rooms
And peeking thru keyholes in numbered doors
Where the players lick their wounds
And take their temporary lovers
And their pills and powders to get them thru this passion play
No regrets, Coyote
I just get off up aways
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway
Coyote's in the coffee shop
He's staring a hole in his scrambled eggs
He picks up my scent on his fingers
While he's watching the waitresses' legs
He's too far from the Bay of Fundy
>From Appaloosas and Eagles and tides
And the air conditioned cubicles
And the carbon ribbon rides
Are spelling it out so clear
Either he's going to have to stand and fight
Or take off out of here
I tried to run away myself
To run away and wrestle with my ego
And with this flame
You put here in this Eskimo
In this hitcher
In this prisoner
Of the fine white lines
Of the white lines on the free, free way