What are some good songs to listen to while you're feeling depressed?
Incredibly good question Jerald..Two ways to view the question..are you at the introspective end of a run of depression..?Or are you at the “devastating public flogging” end of a run of depression?“Being Depressed” is a funny thing…many take the idea of depressing personal moments as primarily of a romantic question..and a more “daily” depression being more benign and frankly, of a nature that could be construed as “less consequential” in society..LOL.So I’m thinking I’m going to not worry about the “romantic/platonic” question and simply say..The clip below is something I have listened to many times over the past twenty three years..because I’m wallowing and I know I am going to continue to be depressed for hours to come..”introspective”. ..The usual funk/disco sorta’ thing to get myself out of a depressed state is something I will leave for another time.The tune is called “Damage”..it’s about a tragic break-up I suppose..however,the tune has never been that sort of tune for me..it’s just a sad tune that I love ..and indeed I listen to it at these times as I mentioned earlier..the tune is written by the vocalist, David Sylvian.Some may remember his (if you will) New Wave group from the late 70’s/early 80’s..they were called “Japan”.Sylvian is one of the greatest songwriters I have ever heard..and here he is joined by the incomparable Robert Fripp-the mastermind of (arguably) the greatest prog band of all time, King Crimson..along with the great Trey Gunn on Chapman Stick..This song could indeed be called depressed in nature..but brilliant?Absolutely.Incidentally, I also love listening to “The Days Of Wine & Roses” ..an old standard that originated in Hollywood..Many jazz musicians have performed it over the years....and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony..especially the second movement..and if you can hear it conducted by Karajan that’s gonna’ be a plus.Best to you..
Who are some non-rock musicians that had the biggest influence on Bob Dylan?
By far Dylan's biggest influence was folk legend Woody Guthrie.Dylan initially wanted to be a rock musician; he idolized Little Richard and was also a big Elvis Presley fan. It was while enrolled at the University of Minnesota that he discovered folk music and was captivated, especially by Guthrie, of whom Dylan later said, “The songs themselves had the infinite sweep of humanity in them… (he) was the true voice of the American spirit”.When Dylan moved to New York City in 1961, he found out that Guthrie was institutionalized at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in New Jersey. (Guthrie suffered from Huntington's disease, a genetic neurological condition that affected his behavior and would take his life at age 55.)Dylan visited Guthrie in the hospital, and the two developed a friendship. However, as Guthrie's condition worsened, the visits came to an end.The first song Dylan ever wrote was ���Song to Woody”, a tribute to his idol (and one of my favorite Dylan songs). Prior to writing the song, Dylan had never seen himself as a songwriter; he felt he had to pay tribute to his mentor. So you might say that without Woody Guthrie, there would be no Bob Dylan.
Which rappers have the best complex rhyme schemes?
An interesting question.If you stare down the history of rhymes in music and relate it to the evolution of rap, a beautiful pattern unfolds.What I will do here is list some very intriguing rhymes. What you should understand is that complex rhymes are not exclusive (mostly) to rap artists. Why?Well, because an artist who chooses some very dense rhymes in one song would go easy on some others for better storytelling.Anyhow, some very noteworthy mentions are :Notorious BIG - HypnotiseIt is often said to be the “smoothest rap” song ever. See how he alternates between long and short sentences and also notice the frequency of his rhymes.His laid back delivery makes it all the more gripping. He isn't regarded as the one of the best rappers for nothing.Mos Def - RedefinitionHe hits every note within the bar with a rhyme. This feat is almost impossible to maintain. Take a look.The man hardly ever cursed and he often probed some very sensitive issues with his rhymes.Eminem - Lose yourselfArguably, one of the best rap songs of all time. Look at this complex rhyme scheme.HOLY FUCK ! He also tells a very compelling and touching stories along with these rhymes.What is very interesting is that as he enunciates he often changes the pronunciation to rhyme and that is the clever ingenuity. Let me explain.Consider your words “ whole ” and “ knows ” from the verse. Now ask anyone to enunciate and ask if they rhyme. It doesn't, does it ? And now listen to the song. And listen carefully how he drawls the syllable “ ho” in “whole” and the same way stretches “ no” in “knows”. You see how it rhymes ?Eminem in pretty much the same way rhymes “orange” with “syringe” by twisting the pronunciation. Who says orange doesn't rhyme with anything ? The song did not win the Oscar for no reason.MF DOOM - Meat GrinderEver heard of someone rhyming complete sentences together ? Here we goI really can go on and on about him but I leave it upto you to discover this artist.The lyrics dances, the music enhances and the chance is he might be the one whose rhymes are the densest. ( Just off the top off my head :) )Happy reading.