Music From The Hive

[Mythocentric]

I love music! Sitting here listening to some of my favourite songs got me thinking about how much influence it’s had in my life, from ideas for artwork to the way of life I chose. Looking through my collection made me realise what eclectic listening tastes I have. From Chopin to Pink Floyd and most points in between. So I decided on this thread to see what the Hive listen to, the artists you love, favourite songs, and artists. In fact everything to do with the music in your life!


For example, as a young art student in London in the 1960’s I was a Mod following bands like the Small Faces and The Who, until I went on holiday with my then girlfriend to Great Yarmouth in 1968. One day we went to an outdoor skating rink on the seafront where they played a strange little song about purple fishes. Enquiries informed me that the song was Tales of Brave Ulysses by Cream. A visit to the local record shop produced their album Disraeli Gears and a small pink notice advertising a gig by an up-and-coming band called Pink Floyd at the Floral Hall in nearby Gorleston. That was my first rock gig and the start of a lifetime’s dedication to Floyd and many miles of travelling ending with their final gig at Earl’s Court. In short I became a total rock music fan!


So over to you. What are your favourite band/artist? Favourite song or songs? Most memorable musical memories? And tell us why.


Just to get started these are mine:

Favourite songs:

Coming Back to Life, Pink Floyd (David Gilmour at his best and some of the finest guitar work you’ll ever hear!)

River, Natalie Merchant

Hello, Evanescence (A song by Amy Lee for her sister who passed away at the age of 3 years)

Lifetime, Beth Hart


Favourite bands/artistes:

Pink Floyd, Keith Richards, Alanis Morissette, Incredible String Band, All About Eve, Sandy Denny, Eva Cassidy, Beth Hart + plus a multitude of others!


Favourite vocalists:

Sandy Denny, Eva Cassidy, Julianne Regan

 

[Alisa]

This is hard - soooo many!!

We have a lot of local musicians I love but no one would know them.
Just to name a few that people would know...
Billy Joel - any and everything he's done - we've been to 3 concerts of his -years ago and I think he's a genius.
Queen -Freddie Mercury's voice gives me chills
Beatles - 'nuff said.
Beach Boys
Heart
Eagles
Chicago
Sooooo many other musicians and songs from the 70s
Clay Aiken - amazing voice
Josh Grobin - ditto
The Judds - and ditto
James Taylor
Jim Croce

 

[Mythocentric]

I know what you mean Alisa.

The ones I mentioned came off the top of my head but with 900+ albums in my collection there's a lot I've missed. My favourites list alone has some 500 tracks.......and how could I have forgotten The Beatles!!!!!!

 

[Alisa]

Wow -900 albums!!!

 

[Mythocentric]

Hee Hee! Weeeell! I did say I like music! Problem is I like a load of different artists and genres and being a fusspot I tend to acquire complete collections of their output. Surprising how it builds up. I reckon about half of the collection are blues albums (my great love) from performers like Ruth Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon, John Lee Hooker, Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, Mamie Smith, Elmore James, Memphis Slim, Trixie Smith, Sonny Boy Williams, Ida Cox, Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Howlin’ Wolf, Sippie Wallace, Little Walter, Memphis Minnie, Bessie Smith, Lowell Fulson, Lil Green, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Clara Smith, T-Bone Walker, Ethel Waters, Victoria Spivey, Big Maybelle, J.B. Lenoir, B.B. King, etc. (How’s that lot for obscure?)

It helps that we visit Toronto (where granddaughter Lucy hails from) and Seattle on occasions for family and friends, both of which places have thriving live music venues and record stores. It’s not my fault if I happen to spot a few new albums which I just can’t resist (and occasionally result in my having to pay excess baggage!) Oh well!

PS: I forgot to add Natalie Merchant to my favourite vocalists - amazing voice!

 

[Mythocentric]

By the way, local bands count too so if you like them, name them and give them a plug. After all those people we've mentioned above were all local kids themselves once upon a time!

 

[Miss B]

WOW, I actually recognized quite a few of those names in your "Blues" collection.

I'm going to have to sit and think about who would go on my list, as I'm as eclectic in my choice of music, as I am in the genres of books I like to read.

 

[Mythocentric]

Go for it Miss B. I know it can be almost impossible to put your finger on just why an artist makes you sit up and pay attention and occasionally brings a tear to your eye (like Hello by Amy Lee). For myself it's a combination of voice (like the superlative Alison Krauss) and lyrics which knocks me flat! Looking forward to seeing your list!

 

[Rae134]

My music tastes are very eclectic too. I like just about anything except Death Metal and Rap (not too keen on Jazz either) Mostly I like Rock/Hard Rock and the older Country (I do like some of the new stuff), and I like 60's, 70's and 80's music the most but I listen to alot of eras.

I'm pretty crap at knowing bands names, I tend to like a song because I like it not who sung it, but in saying that here's a list of bands/singers I like more than just a few songs:
Meatloaf (I like most of his songs, especially if it was written by Jim Stienman)
ACDC
Elvis
Queen (especially the "Its a kind of magic" album, it was my fave growing up and I wore it out )
Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac
The Who
Creedence Clearwater Revival/John Fogerty
Evanescence
Pink (not her very early stuff)
Bonnie Tyler
Suzie Quatro
Dolly Parton
Kenny Rogers
Marty Robins
HIM
Eagles
Jon English
Lee Kernaghan
Phil Collins
Roy Orbison

 

[Mythocentric]

Great minds think alike there Rae! As far as I'm concerned I'll be a rocker 'till Hell freezes over. AC/DC are up there with the Gods, as are Creedance Clearwater Revival, Queen and The Who. Stevie Nicks should be sainted. I have all her solo albums plus Fleetwood Mac (at that stage a band she improved beyond bounds). Evanescence I've just found recently. In fact I'm wrecking my lugholes right now with their Fallen album. I love Amy Lee's voice! I like most types of music but, like you, I detest Death Metal and Rap (plus Hip-Hop and derivatives). Not much I can add about the Big O, just pure class! Have you heard much of Alison Krauss? I'm not up much on traditional country but her Country/Bluegrass work is brilliant!

 

[Rae134]

When Evanescence came out (well, mainstream anyway) with their song "Bring me to life" of course I liked it but I didn't know any of their other songs/music and we got tickets to see them in concert (I think we won them) and I though that Amy Lee's voice wouldn't be as good live (you know with all the editing they do nowdays) and I was correct it wasn't - it was even BETTER live! I couldn't believe it, so yes, I think her voice is amazing

I had to look up Alison Krauss (I listened to "When you say nothing at all" since I knew that one already), if I couldn't see who was singing I would have said it was Dolly. I had to check out a couple of more songs and she doesn't quite sound like Dolly in them but she does have a pretty voice.

Basically I love songs that tell a story.

 

[Rae134]

Thank you for pointing Alison out Myth! I just found this one, I love haunting celtic sounding songs

 

[Pendraia]

Queen -Freddie Mercury's era
Beatles -
Beach Boys -always bring back memories of a school camp dance.
Fleetwood Mac
ACDC
Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac
Bonnie Tyler
Eagles
Crowded House
Split Enz
John Farnham(later stuff)
BeeGees (early stuff like Words)
Corrs
Carly Simon
Barbra Streisand
Tina Arena (as an adult not her stuff as a kid)
Stevie Wrights - Evie Trilogy

Little River Band
So many can't include them all...
Love celtic music I like the Alison video that Rae posted...

Sorry, forgot to say love Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the wall' and also Sweets 'Fox on the Run'

One other that I missed...absolutely adore the Monkees!

 

[Rae134]

Ahhhh, I love Evie

 

[Pendraia]

Me too...I'm sitting here listening to it. Just reached the third part!

And who can forget

Cold Chisel Khe Sanh
Men at Work
Dragon - Are you old enough?
Australian Crawl

And one that I remember from Uni 'Mother Goose Band' I still remember sitting watching them in Story Hall at RMIT and all the fumes rising from below...I was in the balcony.

They were really out there...

 

[Rae134]

I so forgot to put Cold Chisel/Jimmy Barnes in my list.

I have never heard of the Mother Goose Band, I'm wondering if that's where the Wiggles got their inspiration from

 

[Mythocentric]

My goodness! What an amazing lot you are! There’s so much good stuff turning up here and it’s gratifying to see that Rock is to the fore!


Rae

Got to agree with you about Amy Lee’s voice. Another one who springs to mind is Julianne Regan of All About Eve. Superb on disc but live she seems to cut right through to your soul at times. Amazing!

Alison is one of the best. Stand out albums for me are Paper Airplane and So Long So Wrong which leads with the haunting It Doesn’t Matter which features some of the finest acoustic guitar playing you’ll ever hear! Also well worth the effort is Raising Sand, the album she did with Robert Plant.

I like that track with The Chieftains. I’m a lifelong student and aficionado of Celtic mythology and music, especially the Irish Cycles, and I must confess I have downed more than a few pints of Guinness in Irish pubs listening to it and the rich source of stories they still have there! If that’s your style it’s well worth having a listen to Enya, both with her band Clannad and solo. She’s probably the best proponent of Celtic music around with a beautiful voice and a lovely blend of ancient and modern styles. These two, If I Could Be Where You Are and May It Be are both from The Lord of the Rings:

Pendraia,

Excellent list and love that track by Stevie Wright, a new artiste for me. In fact while I was listening to it I popped into Amazon and bought the album which should be here tomorrow and mp3 (downloading now). Headphones to the lugholes later!

The Mother Goose Band are another new one. Top video and it’s a joy to see bands keeping up the fine traditions of folk like Frank Zappa (Valley Girl with his daughter Moon, whose part was completely ad-libbed, is one of my all-time favourite tracks) and The Bonzo Dog Do Dah Band with their classic album Keynsham getting regular plays.

Keep the faith!

 

[Rae134]

This one is one of my fave modern Celtic type tunes (It is based off of a 1906 English poem):

My friend and I made up a belly dance routine to her song Marco Polo and performed it for our small group of friends at one of our bbq's (don't know what the neighbours thought, but it was approx 15 years ago )

 

[Pendraia]

My brother is a Loreena McKennit fan. I love that poem I remember being introduced to it by my grade 4 teacher...that is so long ago now.

@Mythocentric , I love Stevie Wright...he's an oldie but a goodie. He was also a member of the Easybeats, but Evie is just one my favourites.

 

[Mythocentric]

I’m pretty impressed with Stevie Wright. Now that I’ve listened to his ‘Hard Road’ album he brings to mind Tom Petty in some ways. Interesting to hear he came from the Easybeats. It’s a little known fact (he intones in his adenoidal geek voice) how many MOR artists went on to form heavier rock bands. I suppose the most famous example was Chris Curtis who left The Searchers (Liverpool’s ‘second band’ after the Beatles) to form Deep Purple, the revered ancestors of all things Heavy Rock.


Another vote for The Highwayman here. I remember that poem from a book my parents bought me when I was a tiddler. Full of inspirational stuff like that (The Wreck of the Hesperus, etc) and stories of King Arthur and similar stuff. Loreena McKennit has done a very impressive job of putting it to music and I suspect I shall be looking into her other output pretty soon.

Actually that suggests another theme for the thread of poetry put to music just to get the brain cells working. Loreena’s Highwayman of course from the poem by Alfred Noyes.

Two others I can think of off the top of me noggin:

Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen based on the theme in The God Forsakes Antony by Constantine Cavafy

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joni Mitchell based on the poem The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats


Both of which are great personal favourites of mine. Boogie on!