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On Bands and sounds.. a thought experiment.

jmotivator

jmotivator

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I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
 
Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin' with her


Naw, they're not my favorite ... but they're the ones I immediately thought of when asked for a band with a "sound" which comes unbidden to mind.
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...

Godflesh would be the band, and when I think of them, I hear the guitar that starts at about the 19 second mark of this video and carries on throughout the song(probably 2 riffs, but I am musically illiterate, so take that for what it is worth). Oddly, this is not my favorite song of theirs, but what I think of as their sound kinda thing.

 
My contribution... two bands, and oddly, I'm not sure I can even attribute the riff to being part of my favorite songs...

Peter Gabriel - Gabriel belting out "I hold the Line" in the song San Jacinto ... This is a case where the riff is not even from a favorite song, but holds a deeper meaning for me as a Gabriel fan that maybe I can't express. Maybe it's just my feeling of holding the line on good music against the flood of 80s pop-crap.



Pink Floyd - The opening guitar riff from "Have a Cigar" ... when I first heard this song I admired it only on its musicality. But the full meaning of the song would hit me later. The underlying meaning of the song seems perfectly Pink Floyd, and the riff was not just bitchin' but added a nice angry vibe to the song that was an attack on the music industry. I think this song, and my love for it, is the reason why I uniformly hate all other rock songs about how hard it is to be a rock star (the Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" is the worst of that genre). All of those songs are cop outs or just cowardly attacks on the fans,or non-fans, or touring .... where as "Have a Cigar" attacked the music industry directly.

 
Last edited:
Amelia said:
Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin' with her


Naw, they're not my favorite ... but they're the ones I immediately thought of when asked for a band with a "sound" which comes unbidden to mind.
Click to expand...

Hah! That is interesting, because the Beach Boys are not my favorite either, but when I read your refrain my brain played "OoooH OOH OOOH! Merry Christmas Saint Nick!" before the words "Beach Boys" even came to mind.
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...


AC/DC's Who Made Who is eternal.
 
My favorite all time band is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. When i think of their sound I think of their early big Wall of Sound that was reminiscent of Phil Spector at the height of his powers. Layer upon layer of sound that no teen garage band could ever hope to duplicate. They are so versatile and produced so many hits, that they cannot be limited to just one riff - although the opening chords of BORN TO RUN certainly could be cited.
 
I was thinking similar yesterday, but about smell.

For me, testing a few times just now, no "music" goes through my head when I think of different bands. I do naturally, immediately start to think about songs they performed that I'm familiar with (the music), but apparently it comes distinctly after, and I can shut it down for the most part. For me it's definitely a separate "operation". Random music does go through my head, often early in the morning, but that's not quite what you're talking about. The worst is when it's some song I hate, randomly gets inserted in my head early morning, and it's with me half the day.

The phenomenon I'm most infatuated with regarding music, is how good music can pair with events/circumstances in such a way that it can add a significant level of experience beyond the mundane.
Kind of the "soundtrack of our lives" sort of thing, where various songs from your past bring back entire feelings/situations with a clarity that plan old non-musical memory struggles with.
My first real girlfriend...a number of songs bring all that back sharply.
The first music in some of the fist PC games. Actually one was literally the first PC game to have a proper "soundtrack"...it stuck with me forever and brings back a magical time.
 
haymarket said:
My favorite all time band is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. When i think of their sound I think of their early big Wall of Sound that was reminiscent of Phil Spector at the height of his powers. Layer upon layer of sound that no teen garage band could ever hope to duplicate. They are so versatile and produced so many hits, that they cannot be limited to just one riff - although the opening chords of BORN TO RUN certainly could be cited.
Click to expand...

Amelia said it better than I did when she the riff "came unbidden to mind". That is what I am wondering about, not a contemplated mental exercise to deduce the signature riff, but what your subconscious delivers, if it delivers at all. Maybe some people who are much deeper into music move straight from the verbal cue to the analytical.

So does the opening to "Born to Run" come unbidden to mind when you hear the name "Bruce Springsteen"?
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...

I don't often listen to music just to listen to music, and when I do, I'm just as likely to listen to a theme from a game or movie as I am a song from a band. Even out of the bands that I like, I'm ussually not familiar with most of the band's work. In other words, I'm probably not typical of most people.

1) If you held a gun to my head, I would have to say AC/DC. Some of the stuff my parents listened/listen to rubbed off.

2) Not at all, which is strange considering that most of their songs are pretty similar. When I think of my favorite song from that band, 'Thunderstruck' starts playing in my head, but not just a single riff. The first thing I think of is ussually going to be the very beginning.
 
jmotivator said:
Amelia said it better than I did when she the riff "came unbidden to mind". That is what I am wondering about, not a contemplated mental exercise to deduce the signature riff, but what your subconscious delivers, if it delivers at all. Maybe some people who are much deeper into music move straight from the verbal cue to the analytical.

So does the opening to "Born to Run" come unbidden to mind when you hear the name "Bruce Springsteen"?
Click to expand...

absolutely!
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...

Speaking of Peter Gabriel, "Your Own Special Way" is one of those songs that can transport you.
It's like watching pairs ice dancing.
 
Mach said:
I was thinking similar yesterday, but about smell.

For me, testing a few times just now, no "music" goes through my head when I think of different bands. I do naturally, immediately start to think about songs they performed that I'm familiar with (the music), but apparently it comes distinctly after, and I can shut it down for the most part. For me it's definitely a separate "operation". Random music does go through my head, often early in the morning, but that's not quite what you're talking about. The worst is when it's some song I hate, randomly gets inserted in my head early morning, and it's with me half the day.

The phenomenon I'm most infatuated with regarding music, is how good music can pair with events/circumstances in such a way that it can add a significant level of experience beyond the mundane.
Kind of the "soundtrack of our lives" sort of thing, where various songs from your past bring back entire feelings/situations with a clarity that plan old non-musical memory struggles with.
My first real girlfriend...a number of songs bring all that back sharply.
The first music in some of the fist PC games. Actually one was literally the first PC game to have a proper "soundtrack"...it stuck with me forever and brings back a magical time.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Thank you for the thought into this. Also, smell happens to have the most direct pathway to memory, so we remember smells better than any other sensory cue.

Also, on that note, I have another story that binds my post and yours together.

I am from a large Catholic family, and my parents decided that we were just too big to rally for church as a group every Sunday, so we did it is shifts. My father, as an FBI agent, was used to being up and on the road, freshly showered, clean shaven and in an impeccable a three piece suit by 5am every day, so he always took the AM shift for the 6:30am mass.

.. don't worry, I'm going somewhere with this...

My mom would then take anyone who didn't go to 6:30am mass to the 9:30am mass. I was usually in the 9:30am group. My father would have the job of cooking brunch for the family while the late crew was out at church so that it was ready at 11:00am when we came through the door. His standard was scrambled eggs and bacon in proportions enough to feed 7 hungry sons.

While he cooked he would put on music, and my dad's music was big band. So when I walked through the door every Sunday after mass I would immediately smell the cooked bacon, and hear the big band playing.

To this day I can't hear big band music without smelling bacon, or smell bacon without hearing Tommy Dorsey.
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...

Im not one of them, but most people identify with the singer or lyrics. At least that is how it is in popular music (not guitar bands).

When I was young my favorite band was Rush. As far as your questions go: the opening or main riff to Working Man.

These days I do not really have one particular band (or even genre) that I like. But your observation does have a lot of merit. from metal to classical music, I know I am mostly only relistening to music that has some type of memorable sound progression. But that is probably due to the fact that I am a musician myself.
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...

1) Too many to choose. If I had to pick one, maybe Staley-era Alice in Chains

2) Not really. I get images: Album covers, live shows, maybe video clips. I usually have to think about it a second before I hear riffs. Then once that happens, it's in my head all day.

Thanks a lot. Now I'm never going to get Man in the Box out of my head.
 
jmotivator said:
My contribution... two bands, and oddly, I'm not sure I can even attribute the riff to being part of my favorite songs...

Peter Gabriel - Gabriel belting out "I hold the Line" in the song San Jacinto ... This is a case where the riff is not even from a favorite song, but holds a deeper meaning for me as a Gabriel fan that maybe I can't express. Maybe it's just my feeling of holding the line on good music against the flood of 80s pop-crap.



Pink Floyd - The opening guitar riff from "Have a Cigar" ... when I first heard this song I admired it only on its musicality. But the full meaning of the song would hit me later. The underlying meaning of the song seems perfectly Pink Floyd, and the riff was not just bitchin' but added a nice angry vibe to the song that was an attack on the music industry. I think this song, and my love for it, is the reason why I uniformly hate all other rock songs about how hard it is to be a rock star (the Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" is the worst of that genre). All of those songs are cop outs or just cowardly attacks on the fans,or non-fans, or touring .... where as "Have a Cigar" attacked the music industry directly.

Click to expand...



Yes and "wish you were here" is one more of many.

Rodger Waters is a ****ing genius!!!

The greatful dead is a other.

Far to much music to pick just one, but when your at a show and they are just fiddling around you will hear several different songs and they just tease you as you try to guess what they re going to go into.

No two songs are the same no two shows are the same...
 
jmotivator said:
To this day I can't hear big band music without smelling bacon, or smell bacon without hearing Tommy Dorsey.
Click to expand...
Interesting! I'll now be on the lookout for whether or not I notice any similar links...out of curiosity. I haven't paid attention to that directly (at least that I recall!).

Sounds like a great memory. If I make scrambled eggs today, I blame you.
 
GDViking said:
Yes and "wish you were here" is one more of many.

Rodger Waters is a ****ing genius!!!

The greatful dead is a other.

Far to much music to pick just one, but when your at a show and they are just fiddling around you will hear several different songs and they just tease you as you try to guess what they re going to go into.

No two songs are the same no two shows are the same...
Click to expand...

"no two songs are the same" is the rule for which Nickleback is the exception. :lamo
 
lwf said:
1) Too many to choose. If I had to pick one, maybe Staley-era Alice in Chainsd.
Click to expand...

Well, seeing Alice Chains did trigger "Aaaahhhh", from "Them Bones" pretty quickly. My day will be scrambled eggs and Alice in Chains now...
 
jmotivator said:
I had an what I considered an interesting line of thought as I got ready for work today and figured I would share it.

As the thread suggests, it is about bands and their "sound". It got to thinking about how many of the great bands go through so many different sounds through their existence, some attributed to change in musicians, some changes in the singer, and some just plain growth and experimentation. I started to wonder whether these great bands are great because of that, or if they are great because their span of sound casts a wider net for fans.

So, from this I had a question: When you think of a favorite band, does your band play a riff from a song in your head like it does with me? I don't get that with most bands, even bands I really like.. but a few bands that I really love immediately play a riff in my head. My thought is that if that is the case with you then that riff is "the sound" of the band that pulled you in.

So...

1) What is your favorite band?

2) When think of the band, do you here a particular riff?

3) If so, what is it?
Click to expand...

Great topic. Though there is no shortage of excellent music being created nowadays, it is generally no longer riff-centric. Though I'm an old proto-metal OG (and having been a semi-professional musician in my own right), I still discover new bands and artists regularly. Some of my favorite modern artists are Solstafir, Clutch, Pain of Salvation, Long Distance Calling, Dirge, Jakob, Fields of Locust, Ghost Brigade, Pelican, Russian Circles, The Night Flight Orchestra, among others. But if you want to discuss riffs - recognizable riffs - the godfather of riffs would be Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. Every single classic Sabbath tune was built on one of his riffs.


OM
 
Mach said:
Interesting! I'll now be on the lookout for whether or not I notice any similar links...out of curiosity. I haven't paid attention to that directly (at least that I recall!).

Sounds like a great memory. If I make scrambled eggs today, I blame you.
Click to expand...

Hey, if you make scramble eggs, then throw on some Tommy Dorsey.




Of course, today most youngsters will hear big band music and be filled with images of super mutants, power armor and plasma rifles. ;)
 
jmotivator said:
Hey, if you make scramble eggs, then throw on some Tommy Dorsey.




Of course, today most youngsters will hear big band music and be filled with images of super mutants, power armor and plasma rifles. ;)
Click to expand...


I guess talking about classical pieces that create mental images would be off topic, huh.
 
bubbabgone said:
I guess talking about classical pieces that create mental images would be off topic, huh.
Click to expand...

Not really, I've introduce smells into the discussion of music, so maybe this is a synesthesia thread masquerading as a music thread. :2razz:
 
Oh, also, another song that triggers the Sunday brunch bacon memory is Duke Ellington's "Take the A-Train".

 
Pink Floyd

“One of These Days”
 
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