sort've a new philosophy

basile865 · Post by **basile865** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:02 pm

I love everybody's posts they all have great mentalities in them. Another guy who I've always loved and thought was fearless in his creations was Jeff Buckley. Not much of a lead guitarist but his music soars to me man. Great stuff.

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:52 am

+1, great posts guy's. I think everyone here has great insight on this subject,which is a GREAT subject by the way. I go through phases of thinking just like y'all. Sometimes Im like, "Damn, EVERYTHING seems to have been done", and then other times I'm like, "Well, there isnt any new EMOTIONS,or feelings, so music has a sort of set rules".

I personally have a hard time listening to music that is what I call 'mathmatical' or worked out contrived music. (alot of prog stuff) This kind of music has no soul or 'life' to it.

So yeah, at this point, us guy's here on this thread can distinguish what is good and communicable to us, no matter of the 'historic' similarities of the different styles.

Freedom · Post by **Freedom** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:44 am

Tone Slinger wrote:I personally have a hard time listening to music that is what I call 'mathmatical' or worked out contrived music. (alot of prog stuff) This kind of music has no soul or 'life' to it.

I know what you mean by that but here is what i believe...

IMHO there is no soulless music or musician, good or bad music and so forth...

There is music that fits my psychosynthesis (personality, needs, attitude, cosmotheory etc ets) and music that doesnt...

Lets forget about music gernes for a moment, i don't like labels anyway and i love fusions of different music gernes because they can be very unique and personal (depending on the musicians)...thats yet another reason i can't stop listening to Hendrix, his music may be blues-based but darn that guy was so free he kept expanding his music like the big-bang, in all musical directions at the same time...

Anyway a good friend of mine gave me 10-12 songs of the Dream Theatre to listen...i soon found out that i didn't like them...do they suck? nope...is their music soulles? imho nope...its just that its not for me, my idiosyncrasy/personality and so forth...nothing more, nothing less...

On the other hand i really like Mahavishnu orchestra stuff, Area and Demetrio Stratos stuff etc etc their music its just closer to me...is it great music? i don't know, who can judge this?...is it full of soul? again, i don't know, who can judge this?...its just closer to me so i can really feel their music and maybe i can "understand" what they tried to say...it is like we both speak a language that i can understand and you are saying things that touch my soul...

So lets forget all about gernes and techical abilities...if we go to an utopic world where every musician plays his instrument only to express himself, it means that this musician exposes his inner world for a moment so you can see his naked soul...THEN (at this utopic world, far away from the music industries and the "you've got to play what other like to get the money"-things etc etc) you - the listener - "judge" if his soul is for you, if you have something in common and most important, if you can feel him and understand him so he and you would feel less lonely...

Cant expain it any better but if somebody says to me "i like your music" or "i don't like your music" it means nothing to me really...now if somebody says "your music touches my soul" then i am on stars because that means that somebody else understood/felt what i "said" so i feel less lonely, you know...its great thing not to feel like nobody really understands you right?

(obviously most of you guys do, so thanks soulmates...

)

basile865 · Post by **basile865** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:53 pm

man that was beautifully put. Never thought of it like that but I love it.

basile865 · Post by **basile865** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:50 pm

Its pretty funny. I was fighting with my girlfriend saying I'm so sick of the south. Theres no music happening, no scene, no talent. Nothing but rap and country bullshit. I get so fed up sometimes dreaming to be a musician full time and my life's reality says otherwise. Like I'll have to get some boring job doing something thats not me. I just finished my marketing degree last week.

I felt like damnit thats it! I'm going up north to chicago or new york and I'm going to meet buddy guy or somebody somehow and get in on the scene and make it happen because I know I'm good enough and I'm driven enough and I'm ready to go! theres no other way for my life this is it!

Then After that whole episode we're watching TV later on and theres this documentary with a whole bunch of 80's rock bands. Its filled with dudes with huge hair saying, I'm going to make it no matter what. I'll die if I dont make it because it's the only way I want to live is being a musician/rock star. They looked like such idiots and their music was so over the top rediculous to me. At the same time, I saw myself like 20 minutes earlier saying the exact same thing. Its pretty scary. I feel pretty much the same, that I need to be a musician for a living or I'd rather just die. They were referring to robert plant and hendrix and all these rock "gods" who they wanted to be just like. It was such a turn off I feel like cutting off all my hair and I dont know. Haha.

Its just a bad feeling when you see people who you think are idiots but are driven just as much as you and want it just as bad. Now these were people from the 80's hair metal bands but they felt the same way I do.

Even if I dont make it I'll still be a musician my whole life. Im addicted to the pusuit of good tone and great music that is enlightening, the stuff that gives you goosebumps and makes you feel like everything in the world is ok. Its really like a drug. Anybody that wants to shed some light on me please do. Im a 22 year old kid who just got out of college, doesnt want a business job and I'm addicted to wanting to be a great artist!

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:00 pm

Great post Freedom. I agree with you mostly, but hey, one has to make a decisive decision about what IS groove, or funk or soul. I can 100 % conclude that some styles/musicians are not very grooving. I love DeMeola's first solo album, but, a funkster he is not. I just feel like if you can make someones body feel good, then your there. Some people relate to music in a totally unrhythmic,unearthy way. I've noticed people with vision impediments or very antisocial people, have little rhythm. They listen for things, as opposed to 'feeling' whats going on. Progressive music really interests certain types in particular.

Rob, man you gotta clear up ALOT of time to be a 'performing musician'. I'll go a far as to say that holding anything beyond a part time job would be impossible. I can remember wanting the same thing, and it's tuff. Alot of people will be dissapointed probably if you neglect your degree. This adds to the pressure and anxiety of wanting to succeed as a musician. What I did was to move in togather with my bandmates and share 'responsibilities'. The problem is FINDING other musicians who will sacrifice and/or have your musical abilities.

I was in a couple of 'Hair Metal' bands from '88 - '92. One cool thing about that scene (besides the girls

),was that it was a CURRENT at that moment popular style. The guitar player's got lots of solo space and were purposely trying to play more melodic, diatonic type solo's. I refused to wear fucking make up, but some of the guy's did. I liked the tempo's, distortion and the excitement of some of the solo ideas that were available to me.

I look at pictures and think back though with mixed feelings. We looked stupid, but that was the image of the times. I can still hear a very broad range of styles within what was considered 'Hair Metal' though. Kingdom Come were very bluesy, and Guns And Roses had a great vibe. I decided at around 26 that I wanted a family more than the musicians life. A woman may at first seem like she likes the whole musician life at first,but give her a little time, and she will see it as a threat and start throwing ultimatums at ya. Most musicians that make it BIG have failed relationships and not so good relationships with thier children. Music is all encomposing and, to a degree, a very selfish direction to pursue. It can have +'s, but also -'s.

basile865 · Post by **basile865** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:20 pm

Theres no doubt that there were a lot of amazing guitarists that come from the era - it was just these guys with teased hair and makeup, hard liquor and drugs and girls girls girls. "I'm gonna be huge and so famous" It was just a turn off watching them, its not who I am at all. But we both acted the same in being obsessed with being able to do it full time successfully.

I've always respected derek trucks so much because theyre not image oriented, hugely talented, not into drugs, married with kids. It just seems it can be done. And besides if everyone said the road is too hard to go down then what would the world be without the great music it has? Life would suck! Its just something I've wanted/needed to do ever since I was a really little kid. I started because my dad used to play and everytime I heard him strike a chord I used to get so excited. I was hooked ever since.

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:17 pm

I know what your saying. I always liked music for the way it 'sounded' and made me feel. I was into Kiss at age 5 in '76. I got my first guitar at 6. I've seen styles and images come and go , but , in my life, the love of communicating 'musically' has never changed.

Freedom · Post by **Freedom** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:21 pm

Tone Slinger wrote:I've seen styles and images come and go , but , in my life, the love of communicating 'musically' has never changed.

Amen brother!!!

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 6:09 pm

FREEDOM wrote

"another reason i can't stop listening to Hendrix, his music may be blues-based but darn that guy was so free he kept expanding his music like the big-bang, in all musical directions at the same time... "

This exactly explains how I feel about Hendrix too. Very well put.