Because every now and then I need to take a break from
writing about car accidents, fires and editing the lame detective book I wrote;
I’m putting together a quick five part list of music I think is good.
Coltrane seemed to pushing ahead with every note he played;
and never to a greater extent to this album that was recorded in December of
1964 and released in 1965. I have been listening to this 33 minute recording on
loop for several weeks now and each time I'm blown always by the expansive
emotion of you can feel coming from his saxophone. Part of it comes from the voice of the record even
though only three words are chanted halfway through the first track, "Acknowledgement."
During the second and third tracks, “Resolution” and “Pursuance”
respectfully, Coltrane’s saxophone wails outside of the
standard scale of where the song should go, before going back into the grove where
it then catapults the song forward.
My fiancé called me today while I was listening to it and I
described part 2 on the record as being tossed around in the sea during a
storm. That’s a good thing in my view—I like being on in a small boat in high
winds.
An underrated aspect “A Love Supreme,” I’ve noticed missing
from other articles about it is the interplay between the piano player and the
drummer. There are moments towards the end that sound more intricate—and for
lack of a better word—more hardcore, than anything ever played by a speed metal
band.
I spend a lot of time driving north of Detroit and the rap
stations in the city have been playing this song non-stop for the last two
weeks. Slim Shady proves that he can still rap more skillfully than other
rappers out there (well at least more skillfully than 2 Chains or whoever the
else is popular right now.) Now that I’m on the eastside of the state I hope to
go to a good rap concert sometime soon, although I know I won’t be able to
afford tickets to his shows in Detroit at Comerica Park.
On a side note, it’s nice to hear Eminem rap without having
to put up with a highly computerized hook featuring a pretty girl every freaking 30
seconds during the chorus.
I planned on hating this record. Everything I’ve heard about
Coleman is that he’s too out there; even Miles Davis once said he thought
Coleman was insane. However even though the horns don’t seem where “they should
be” this record works. I listened to it for the first time Tuesday as I was
trying to jog for the first time in a while.
The drum beat changes quickly when you don’t expect it to, even in
the records first track “Lonely Woman,” but that’s what keeps the music
exciting. The tone of the instruments is also different. While the band doesn’t
remain in a groove for long, when it’s there— it makes the moment count.
If I ever played first base for the Detroit Tigers, I know
what my walk up music would be. The original 1954 main theme (track 2) is the
most instantly recognizable sound in the movies, but the dread of “Godzilla
Comes Ashore” is a strange mix of classical music, jazz and classic monster
movie sound.
I’d love that sound playing on a pitcher’s mind as I made my
way to the plate. It would be much better than some players. (I’m looking at
you Ben Zobrist.)
The rest of the album isn’t bad if you’re listening to
headphones, but I wouldn’t recommend bumping the songs while driving around in
a car this summer. Well except for “Mothra’s Song,” this is basically a pop
song that is supposed to be sung by two magical Japanese fairies that are 6
inches tall. And this song rocks in any situation.
Fun fact Godzilla’s roar was originally made by rubbing a
leather glove down the strings of a bass.
The biggest song on this was “Rosa Parks,” but if you listen
to the whole record you find that the hit single flows effortlessly with the rest
of the album. Standout tracks are “Synthesizer” featuring George Clinton and “Da
Art of Storytelling,” parts one and two.
I’m not a huge fan of rap, but this record shows where the
style can go if rappers really wants to tell a story. The music itself is
great, but the images Andre 3000 and Big Boi give the listener could be audio
books or poems by themselves.
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