Most of you have probably already seen this, but I just saw this today. Watch it full screen when you play it, it’s too cool. This is during a performance by the Black Eyed Peas on Oprah’s show while she was in Chicago.
Defining the Purpose of Music
Because it’s been so long since my last post, I decided that my next post needed to be epically proportional to my greatest post yet. Which post that is actually depends on your definition of music. But instead of trying to figure that out, I’m going to start my series of What is Music in today’s world. It will not be a catalog of my favorite music and arguments for why it is the best. It will not be a list of quotes from famous musicians and poets. It won’t even be a rip off of Pink Floyd song lyrics. I will do my best to encapsulate the emotion of today’s music and blend that into definitions of why we listen to music so greatly, and in so many different fashions. I’ve put together a playlist of songs that help me write and I’m not the slightest bit tired, yet. So put on your “open mind” cap and relate to your favorite tunes, because, in my opinion, I’m defining music.
What better way to define music than from good old Wikipedia,
“Music is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture.”
Sounds good, figuratively. But I didn’t ask for a definition of the science of music. Honestly, when you listen to the radio, do you listen straight for the dynamics of the song? Do you find the texture of sound to be the utmost reason to press your ear to the speaker? Of course not! Your reason is for the final factor that all the key words in the definition of music can result in. Emotion.
Now you’re probably saying, what kind of blog post is this? Why do I have to read about something that I already know about? Will I potentially waste time by using this post to test my vocabulary? Why am I asking inconsequential questions to a computer screen that will inevitably turn my thoughts into an answer? Touché.
For those of you who are musicians. And I’m not talking about the teenager who picked up a guitar a year ago in hopes to play at their high school talent show. I’m talking about the true musician. The one who took time to learn their scales. Who has listened to the best of the best for hours on end because the sound takes your mind to new heights. The person who is actually moved by the music. One of the music teachers I had while going through school once told me that if you are unable to feel any kind of emotion from the music you’re playing, you might as well walk out the door right now and find something else that you can feel emotion from. That message was actually voiced to the entire band, but remembering from the silence in the room, either it hit heart to most or opened eyes for the others.
But naturally, if music is defined as emotion, then what is emotion? Why not Wikipedia it?
“An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior.”
Yet again, we get a science definition for what can only be explained on a personal level. Trying to dissect these definitions is an infinite process, but I don’t think that I need to go any further than from emotion. Can you honestly read that definition and feel any emotion? Maybe pain, because of the attempt to unravel the possibilities from the use of nouns. But really, what could be a better way of describing emotion other than a combination of words that omitted the possibility of describing the word of itself. Wait a minute…yeah, that makes sense. I have an idea, how about using music to define emotion. But wasn’t I just saying that I wanted to use emotion to define music?
Of course, the fact that the World isn’t connected by a single sound that brings everyone to peace and happiness means that emotion and music cannot be equally connected. But how far can that statement be true? How about relating that to a personal level? And if that’s the case, does your personality affect both the style of music you listen to and the emotion that follows? As you can see, I have enough questions to start writing a book. However, these questions are not for me, nor for you personally. They’re more of a stepping stone to branch out your thought process for what you listen to now and why you should or should not continue down the same path. That is, if you’re willing.
Join me for the next few posts, which will hit on many of the questions just asked. Across most music styles, personality traits and the occasional example band. After all, I’m only trying to derive the purpose of this blog and ask, What is Music?
-BC
That Was Just Your Life: Metallica Review
Every once in a blue moon, Metallica makes its way to the Twin Cities. That’s the closest they, and most large acts, get to the La Crosse area. All worth the 2.5 hour drive for a couple hours of the best show in town. Tuesday night, of all nights for a concert, Metallica made its way to the Target Center in Minneapolis. The first time I saw Metallica was at the Metrodome for the Summer Sanitarium Concert Tour in 2003. However, the concert setting at the Metrodome was the traditional stadium concert set up (one large stage at one end of the stadium). But on this tour, there was a center stage, which allowed for one amazing show.
Me and the rest of the ’society’ got to the concert just before the 2nd opening band, Lamb of God, came on. I’ve heard some Lamb of God in the past, but nothing that made me a huge fan. They played a pretty good set, and there were some fans there that were really into them, so they must have put on a good show. My seat was on the lower level of the Target Center and on one of the sides. I was 5 rows up from the edge on the side where the bands walked to and from the stage. In other words, I paid pretty good coin to get that seat. I also had decent fans sitting around me, which if you’ve ever been to a concert with a rowdy fan sitting around you, it kind of ruins your concert experience. Lamb of God played for about 45 minutes, or maybe longer, I didn’t check my watch.
Set change was much different for this Metallica concert than the first one I went to. For the first one, each band playing had their own concert backdrop and props, so it would take an hour to tear down and set up. This time, they just had to pull the sheet off the drumset and wait for Metallica to take the stage.
A little after 9:00, the lights when dark and sounds of “Ecstasy Of Gold” were in the air. With all the concerts I’ve been to, nothing gets my blood pumping more than that song. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s from the score of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Metallica’s been opening with it since they started. James, 
Kirk, Lars and Robert all ran out to the stage and hit that first note. At that point, the 25,000+ in attendance wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than with Metallica.
The set list was a mix of new and old, but I’m more of an oldie fan when it comes to Metallica. Check out what they played….
1. “That Was Just Your Life” off Death Magnetic - New
2. “The End of the Line” off Death Magnetic - New
3. “Ride The Lightning” off Ride The Lighting - Old
4. “Holier Than Thou” off the Black Album - Old
5. “One” off …And Justice for All - Old
6. “Broken, Beat And Scarred” off Death Magnetic -New
7. “Cyanide” off Death Magnetic -New
8. “Sad But True” off the Black Album - Old
9. “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” off Master of Puppets - Old
10. “All Nightmare Long” off Death Magnetic - New
11. “The Day That Never Comes” off Death Magnetic - New
12. “Master of Puppets” off Master of Puppets - Old
13. “Fight Fire With Fire” off Ride The Lightning - Old
14. “Nothing Else Matters” off the Black Album - Old
15. “Enter Sandman” off the Black Album - Old
I was surprised they played six songs from their latest album. The first time I saw them, they tried to played a couple songs off each album to spread it around. I guess the reviews and popularity for Death Magnetic were so good that they had to play most of the album on tour. The entire first song of the concert was played mostly in the dark. Not so the crowd couldn’t see the band, but because there was an intense laser show going on. The entire concert had an amazing lights display. With spotlights on James, Kirk and Robert, they all roamed around the center stage making sure that they took in cheers from ever fan in the arena. At times, there was also a spotlight on Lars, their drummer, which then displayed a huge shadow of Lars on sides of the Target Center. Click here to see a picture of it.
I was impressed with the sound system at the Center. When I saw them at the Metrodome, I remember not being able to hear Kirk’s guitar solos very well because the sound all blended together. But on Tuesday night, Kirk’s solos were clear as the albums. I’ve only seen them twice now, so I still get floored when I hear Kirk live. And at that point, nothing gets better than to see Kirk raise his hands and nod to the crowd.
My favorite song from the concert at this point was “Master of Puppets.” They play it at every show and everyone knows the song. But hearing it live, with 25,000+ other fans….oh man! The crowd cheers with adrenaline and sings at the top of their lungs. At that point, I reali
zed I was losing my voice. I always sing at shows, but I had to sing loud at this one. The second half of the show also introduced a new flash to the entertainment, pyrotechnics. They had huge flares of fire on the stage, along with colored flames in the center of the stage. You know you’re close when you can feel heat from the flames.
Metallica finished with “Enter Sandman.” But when does Metallica ever finish with just one set? The crowd cheers with the house lights on until they go dark once more. They came back on stage playing the intro to “The Frayed Ends Of Sanity” off …And Justice For All, which is a simple rhythm. But without saying a word, the entire crowd starts chanting the notes. T’was a moment to remember. James came back on and acknowledged what the crowd was doing. He said, “That tells me you still have energy left.” He goes on to say that they try to play a cover song at each show and that tonight was, “…the Misfits!” They broke into “Die, Die My Darling” and rolled that into “Motorbreath” off Kill ‘Em All. James spoke one more time, encouraging the crowd to sing as load as they could to the final song, “Seek & Destroy.” During the final song of all their concerts, they drop these huge beach balls, that are all black, from the rafters of the stadium or arena. Apparently these are hot commodities, so when they fall, people try to get their hands on them. Of course they’re huge, so it’s hard to catch them with people trying to 
hit them around. In one of the pictures my friend took, you can see a bunch of the balls on stage that James, Kirk and Robert were kicking back into the crowd. It was pretty funny to watch, especially seeing Kirk play the solo to “Seek & Destroy,” all while being trapped in a corner of beach balls.
After the concert, they stayed on stage to acknowledge the crowd and throw out picks and drum sticks. They all gave a final message to the crowd and headed off stage. After that, you spend the next few hours trying to comprehend what you just saw. Of course, it’s tough to head back to work on such short rest, not to mention the ringing in your ears, but that’s truly the fun of these concerts. They give you stories to tell, and memories to reminisce. What could you want more from a concert? Metallica always puts on a great show and Tuesday night in Minneapolis was nothing short of phenomenal. They couldn’t have put it better than the first song they played, “That Was Just Your Life.” So it was, my friend. So it was.
-BC
Acoustic Always Seems Better
For reasons unknown to me, any kind of music that is re-recorded or played with acoustic instruments always seems better to me. Maybe for the fact that the music can be more calm and smooth, or just easier to listen to. Whatever the reason, I enjoy acoustic music. On a side note, but somewhat on topic, I also like any kind of music that is re-recorded with an orchestra. Close to acoustic, I guess.
With some of my earlier posts like, Myles Kennedy, Hallelujah and Kenny Wayne and the Family, I spoke about some songs re-done acoustically, or in those cases, played live acoustically. No need for over-powering speakers and flashy stage lights, just music. But for that same reason, when recording acoustically, each instrument can enhance the flavor of their original concepts. The vocal lines can add more dynamics and pitch changes since the instruments underneath are played more loosely then originally intended. Then the instruments underneath can add lines to the middle of phrases, where before were filled with effects. But in the end, that’s what make acoustic songs good. They’re just like the originals, but the sounds and feel of the songs are new.
This is way I can’t wait for the newest release from Within Temptation. If you don’t know anything about them, you can read my introduction post called The Temptation Within. Their new album, called An Acoustic Night At The Theatre, which will be released on November 2nd, is a collaboration of songs played live acoustically from their latest tour. Basically a greatest hits album done live, the 12-song album also adds a new song to their catalog.
As for other bands who regularly release re-recorded acoustic versions of their original songs, there is always a highlight to re-ignite the once popular songs. But instead of trying to bring those songs, poorly phrased, back from the dead, I think it just solidifies songs as the greatest hits from that band. It’s a way to honor those fan favorites and immortalize them. So if you know of any songs that were re-recorded acoustically, let me know and I’ll check them out. But I’ll leave you with the newest song from Within Temptation (featuring Chris Jones), and their acoustic version of “Utopia.”
Top Blogs in La Crosse
I am pleased to announce that Music-Live-Reviews has been ranked in the top 10 of forums and blogs from the La Crosse area! In fact, it was #4 on the list and the #2 blog!
Why you should follow: The Music-Live-Reviews blog is more than music reviews and upcoming concerts. There are also posts about musicians you have never heard of and thought provoking music theories. It promises to expand your music library, and it delivers.
The list was created by Coulee Creative who is a website and graphic design company in the area. They have created many cool websites, including a good amount from this area.
Also in the top 10 list was WKBT’s Jeff Guin who writes for the Coulee Region Art Blog. He ranked as #5 on the top 10 list and as the #3 blog.
For the complete top 10 list, click here.