Tool and Other Things

So I hope these videos are good quality. I am uploading them on a computer that has no sound.(from work)

Tool is an interesting band.  They use mathematics in their music. There are people who have figured it out. I read about it and math is above me quite a bit, especially the kind they talk about. I do know that one of the songs is set in time to the Fibonacci Sequence.  It has been a very busy week at work, and I have not had the time to properly blog.  I thought I'd share these video's while I talk about something that came to me while I was making rounds between four buildings.

    I thought about how people "have" songs.  Not only their favorites, but ones they attribute to things, occasions and people in their lives. I touched on this in a prior blog, about how when you are young/teenager and you have "your songs," "love songs."  If you are too  young for the "adult" messages in some of the songs, does it  devalue your emotions?  Yes, kids are hormonal at a certain age, when they start ascribing love songs to their particular "relationships, but it is okay to devalue their feelings based on things they don't yet understand? After all, these relationships rarely last, unless you are one of those distinct couples that meet in childhood and manage to marry later in life.
   The thing that is interesting to me now, as an older person(almost 55), that I can still feel the emotions of some of those songs I ascribed to a person at times in my history. If I do not feel those feelings, I feel the negativity that might have been ascribed to the person/relationship.  But only when I remember that.  I have a poor memory, thankfully, and I can and do enjoy songs that might have sucked had I not matured.
   So, the other thing I find interesting is: what if you are going to get married and your new partner likes songs and wants them in the wedding music, but some of the songs were some you liked with someone else?  Is it petty to say, "oh no, can't use those!"  In my particular case, I can rise above it and include them.  Why tinkle on their parade if they love you and that song means that to them applied to you?  Accept the compliment, sentiment and carry on, I would say.
   I listen to the radio on the way to work, and I can not fathom how some songs these days are even applicable to a genuine, caring relationship.  I usually find, that if I want something like that, I have to switch to the "easy listening" channel, which in my city, usually plays OLD songs. They are usually instrumental, and what most the are in the know, would call elevator music. I like elevator music, so it works for me.  The other place I run across meaningful music, is country channels.
   I recently heard a song, about a divine relationship, about there was a deep love, connection, and affection between two individuals. Well at the end of the song, you realize it was from the perspective a DOG.  It is actually a very beautiful song, and if anyone loves their fur children as much as most people love their offspring, it is a quite moving song.  I don't know what it's called, but I love it.
   Music is such a wonderful thing.  There is seemingly a song out there for everything.  The Cranberries had a song criticizing a specific event in Irish/British history that revolves around Ireland wanting their independence from England.  Think IRA and clashes, bombs, tanks and what not.  There are songs about Martin Luther King Jr., Vincent Van Gogh, the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens.
    Judas Priest has a song called Diamond and Rust, that critics made fun of because it was about a relationship Linda Ronstadt had with some politician back in the day.  I guess the critics felt that Judas Priest should have done their "research" before recording the song.  But the thing is, music means something different to everyone. I actually find it quite beautiful, and am glad Judas Priest recorded it.  Maybe I enjoy it more, because I am quite visual in a lot of my assessments of things. I can see my mind's eye video in my head to the song. So to me it's just a song, that my mind can apply visuals to for extra enjoyment.
     I once heard a song, by some rap group that I can not recall that had lyrics about a guy that came to another person's house and actually urinated on the person's couch.  To me those are comical lyrics. But to some people there might be a story that someone either urinated in a closet, sink, tub or some other random place because they were so intoxicated, or those that vomit on the rug, in the vehicle in a safe ride home, or elsewhere.  So it made sense, and was kind of like "ooooh maaaan" visuals for myself.
    I work in an assisted living facility and to respect their privacy I will not go into details about them, but it is interesting the music they like.  One plays Christmas music in the summer, another plays old country, another has on the current music you find on the radio, and one really enjoys Nickelback.  Nickelback, the band everyone makes fun of, even themselves.  They take the joking in stride and continue to produce music, at least I think they do. I only like one song by them. I don't care for the singer's voice except in the one song, "How You Remind Me."  The lyrics work a bit in my life, but for the most part it is the beat, hook and his voice is less irritating to me in that song.
   I would say that I like music that has some kind of depth.  Music that delves into things beyond daily relationships, new cars, the big bucks, and things you can twerk to with relish.  I can not handle the "corporate estimation of what music is," and I literally can not understand how it sells so much.  I think on the one hand, if one hears it enough, you are in the targeted age range, and have the bucks, you will support those artists. I listened to a song by INXS called "What You Need," so much one day that by the drive home I actually liked the song.  I was in a heavy metal stage at the time, and the first 5 times I heard the song, I wanted to rip my hair out, and by the time we had driven 300 miles, it had grown on me. I had already liked INXS before in passing due to MTV, but by the time I liked the aforementioned song, it opened me up to more of their work. I was saddened when I had heard Michael Hutchence (?) had died.
    Speaking of being emotionally moved by a singer's death. My Mother felt like she had lost a family member when Roy Orbison died. I actually felt sad for her as she mourned his passing.  He had done some music in the group, The Traveling Willbury's and she really enjoyed that he was making music again.  Many people felt that way about the passing of Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Layne Staley of Alice In Chains(myself included here, great voice), but the two that really bothered me, no three! that really bothered me were Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix.  Jimi Hendrix and his superb guitar playing, Jim Morrison( later in my life, because I was 5 when he died, but listened to him with my Daddy), because of his stage presence, and "Pearl" as she was called because of her passion, and that great raspy voice that always gave/gives me goosebumps when I listen to her. Jimi Hendrix also caused goosebumps.
   There are levels of enjoyment I suppose. You have your goosebumps music, your this song is so sad it makes me teary eyed music,  the rage and indignation against the establishment music(System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, Megadeth) then you have the mystical and sublime music of Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, and some others.  You also have the music of a singer member that makes a whole band successful. Think Stevie Nicks with Fleetwood Mac.  She wrote the song Dreams, and it made them huge.  Axl Rose liked to take full responsibility for Guns and Roses success, but they all contributed. Slash wrote a very telling song about the turmoil of racism in a song called "Civil War." I bought that particular album for that song, and the rest of them grew on me.
    I would love to hear what songs move people and why.  How some people can like the radio played songs, and discount the rest of the music, or in my case, hate the radio played music, and like the rest of the music.  I  used to dislike jazz.  There are so many layers to jazz, if you really listen. There is groove, smooth vibes, funkiness and superb instrument players like Winton Marsalis.  Thinking along the jazz lines, it brings to my mind, Steely Dan.  The people of their highest fame time period, really can appreciate them, but I don't think kids of today would understand them, or appreciate them.
     I have been collecting songs on Spotify, so far I am up to 1,700+ of songs I like. I am trying to recall them as I go. I have a lot of "elevator" music, and songs from my childhood up to now.  I also have other genre's I appreciate that is outside of the 1,700+ plus songs, like Russian Choral music. I like it for the richness of their voices.  I also appreciate Benedictine, Franciscan Chant, again because of the richness and soothing voices.  I can appreciate bluegrass, the blues, country, reggae, funk, Motown, death/black metal, speed metal, grunge, ballet/opera, some techno(Kraftwerk, Prodigy), rap(Snoop Dogg), country, classical, oldies from the 40's on, symphonic/orchestral music, and the list can go on quite a bit, if I sat here and thought of them all.
   I would like to hear your favorites and why if you read this. I think it would be interesting, not just to me, but to others that read this blog.

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