bradm Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Today's question is: What albums do you have that you'd characterize as "intense". I'm talking about music that is so emotionally overwhelming and staggering that you're only able to listen to them rarely, if ever. For example, my list includes: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band / Trout Mask ReplicaSun Ra / Space Is The Placelate-period John Coltrane (e.g., "Stellar Regions", "Ascension" [or any of the "Major Works"])Surrender To The AirI'm only able to listen to #1 about once every two years. The Sun Ra tends to boggle my mind (I'm also looking for any other Sun Ra recommendations people may have), and late-period Coltrane, I find, is an acquired taste. On my first listen to "Stellar Regions", my reaction was, "Well, I'm not sure this is a good record, but I think it's worth trying again.*" I've come back to it (and the others), and have grown to like them, but can only listen to them occasionally. Aloha, Brad * If any of you have read Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany, the editor (Fred Pohl) introduced it at a sales convention by saying, "I'm not sure this is a good book, but I am sure it's a great book." Records like "Ascension" bring out that kind of feeling in me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Interesting question. Here's a few off the top of my head: A Love Supreme & My Favourite Things ( for the title track alone ) - John Coltrane The Complete Recordings - Robert Johnson ( truly frightening stuff ) Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart Tonight's The Night - Neil Young & Crazy Horse Band Of Gypsies ( original single CD release ) - Jimi Hendrix The Clash - The Clash The Chess Box- Muddy Waters Ask The Ages - Sonny Sharock ( Late-great avant-garde guitarist. This is his greatest album, with collaborations from sax legend Pharoah Sanders and Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones ) I have more, but it's early. I think Pink Floyd has several releases that could be considered intense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I am not sure if this counts or not, but I would have to say The Wall. I can have The Wall playing any time, but actively "listening" to it for me is emotially draining. Does that make sense? In general, I think there is a real difference between having music on, and actively listening to it. Phred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Gruvsten Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Eric Dolphy - most of it is crazy stuff... John Moran - Manson Family Opera - truly terrifying and wacked out John Zorn - Naked City - this was my first Zorn CD and I still find it the hardest to listen to...alternating between pleasant jazz like passages and insanity, with no transitions between the two sometimes... Praxis/Zillatron - Buckethead/Brain's former collaboration outfit with Bill Laswell-also featured Bootsy Collins and Nicky Scopelitis these guys go from Death Metal to Dub to Jazz without batting an eye My Bloody Valentine - Loveless - an entire soundscape of guitars, pulsing, bubbling...unbelievably complex, beautiful...and a real sonic mind fucker... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I'm foolish for not mentioning: Maggot Brain - Funkadelic Live At The Fillmore - The Allman Brothers Band Out To Lunch - Eric Dolphy Newport '63 - John Coltrane The Complete Paris Concerts - John Coltrane ( with Eric Dolphy ) Live At Bourbon Street - Lenny Breau ( with Dave Young ) Live On Maxwell Street - Robert Nighthawk ( Scary Chicago blues. Intense slide with dark and violent lyrics ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snelly Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I'd have to say Frank Zappa - We're Only in it for the Money/Lumpy Gravy is up there for me. No others come to mind right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I find it hard to draw the line between intense and nostalgic. Both draw very similar emotions from me. Here are some albums, off the top of my head, that send me somewhere else: Boards of Canada's "The Music Has The Right To Children" is an epic album as far as I'm concerned. I try to listen to it maybe once every two months. Nirvana will always hold a special place in my CD collection because they woke up the musical fire within. I listen to Nevermind maybe once per quarter. I rarely consider something too intense to watch, but Radiohead's "Meeting People Is Easy" DVD is REALLY intense and rather bleak. The "Exit Music" finale is possibly the bleakest thing I have ever heard/seen (in a good way). Blue Grassy High's "Oven Cake"- Too much for any single person without superpowers to handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Brian Eno - "On Land" Miles Davis - "Bitches Brew" and "Live Evil" Phish 10-31-98 Wolfman's Brother>Piper (one of my favorite Phish jams ever) John Lennon - "Plastic Ono Band" John Coltrane - "A Love Supreme" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemonkey Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 - the first solo frusciante album -mr bungle. (first one and california) -miles- bitches brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 ....speaking of "intense music" - in our search for acts for Jambands Thursdays at Dekcuf, we came across these guys: "Butterflies & Zebras", http://www.onmusic.com/nands/ They are an experimental guitar duo from Ottawa, who "paint in sound"...a lot of what we could call "space"..(I think) They're actually gonna be playing at Dekcuf next Thursday the 13th...with others... check 'em out, pretty interesting stuff...and definetely "intense"..!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I forgot about Mr. Bungle! Good call GM. Now THAT is some intense fucked-up music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolarGarlic Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 not an album, but to me, The Claypools Bucket of Bernie Brains is something fierce... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Musicface Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Yo! The first two minutes of Tales From Topicgraphic Oceans by Yes - this album gets a bad rap as one of prog rock's most over-indulgent, but the first bit of "The Revealing Science Of God - Dance Of The Dawn" kills me everytime. They definitely don't mantain that intensity for the whole album, which is a shame. I'm with Phred on The Wall. Personally I find certain early Floyd even more intense - "Echoes" from Meddle would be my top pick in that category - but listening to The Wall from start to finish is something you definitely have to get into the right headspace for. Also, I've also found certain Todd Rundgren tunes to be particularly emotional for some reason - "Want Of A Nail" is probably the best example. That album (Nearly Human) is at points very 80s electronic sounding, but there are some terrific and intense songs on it for sure. Peace, - Mr. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted February 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Snelly: I'd have to say Frank Zappa - We're Only in it for the Money/Lumpy Gravy is up there for me. Thanks for reminding me of Zappa. "Civilization Phaze III" (part of the whole WOIIFTM / Lumpy Gravy thing) is also on my list. Aloha, Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Gruvsten Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 The first 2 Praxis albums are pretty well the Buckets of bernie brain thingie that went on at Bonnaroo only with Bootsy Collins and Bill Laswell-it had Bernie Worrell, Buckethead, Brain, Nicky Skopelitis...maybe another, can't remember. The albums are Mutatis Mutandi and Sacrifist- the latter has alot more industrial and death metal tidbits on it...the first has more funk breakdowns. The live one that's good is Warszawa; but this one doesn't have Bootsy or Bernie-it's got 3 DJ's instead... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Thanks Brad. Not to mention Zappa's great and intense Guitar album. I already own your above mentioned Zappa selections, along with 30-plus other great releases from that mad genius. People can say what they want about Zappa's music, both positive and negative, but one thing that can't be denied is: IT'S NOT BORING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted February 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 SUNPYG has got to be one of the all-time best albums to program by: there's no lyrics, no (or minimal) chord changes, no repeated recognizable melody, just waves of (seemingly) random pink melodic noise, which allows the intellectual part of my brain (which can get occupied with the musical things listed above) to get on with programming while occupying the rest of my brain with the wonderful sound. Of course, after listening to it so many times, I now know where specific bits of melody occur... It's still my #2 album to play (guitar) along with (#1 being "Blow By Blow" by Jeff Beck). Aloha, Brad, Still Awaiting "Trance-Fusion" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwa. Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Rescue Mission - backbacon Whenever i listen to that album my brain is scattered for about 2-3 days. Crazy stuff. Ask him and i'm sure you can get a copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 I'd be amiss not to mention hardcore Swedish punk band The Refused 's seminal release: The Shape Of Punk To Come ( 1998 ). It's fuckin' intense and suprisingly musical. They were too good to last very long. Incidently for anyone who may know what I'm talking about, the lead singer of The Refused is now in the great political punk band: The International Noise Conspiracy . And yes, they are intense too. They've played Ottawa twice in the past 2 years. Check 'em out when you see my post for the next Ottawa show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Not Bob Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 Van Der Graaf Generator - Vital Live (aptly described in one review as "monumentally harsh" and emotionally wrenching) Kate Bush - The Dreaming (the first and most profound album to literally change my life) Joy Division - Heart And Sould (a cheat, their collected works in a boxed set, but it's all very intense) Marillion - Brave (I'm man enough to admit this CD makes me cry) The Jayhawks - The Sound Of Lies (pure heartbreak in sonic form) Frank Zappa - Uncle Meat ( a real skull splitter, it used to drive my ex-gf nuts) King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black (their bleakest album, my personal favorite, and a moment of heart stopping improvised beauty in "Trio") Miles Davis - Agharta (as Homer Simpson once said, "Death would be a stone groove!" ... dark, dense, maddening and intensely funky) Hawkwind - Space Ritual (a CD that could literally blow your head apart) Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (a supremely vicious album, the soundtrack to some of my darkest moments) Rob Not Bob NP : The Beatles - Anthology Video Volume 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieDon'tSurf Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 bonnie raitt/john prine - angel from montgomery (most beautiful song i've ever heard, next to reign in blood) van morrison The Wall in Berlin - comfortably numb (kicks any gilmour/waters rendition out the window) supertramp - even in the quietest moments (very nostalgic for me... i'm assuming it is not "intense" for any other reason than this) hayden dresser - he takes a lot out of me in any album, mostly "everything i long for" dave bromberg - a jerry jeff walker inspired version of mr. bojangles...simply heart-wrenching... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted February 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by rainmakerrtv: Miles Davis - Agharta (as Homer Simpson once said, "Death would be a stone groove!" ... dark, dense, maddening and intensely funky) Oh, yeah, the Miles Davis "scorched earth" music: "Dark Magus", "Agharta", and "Pangea". Heavy, intense, cataclysmic. Aloha, Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Not Bob Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by bradm: quote:Originally posted by rainmakerrtv: Miles Davis - Agharta (as Homer Simpson once said, "Death would be a stone groove!" ... dark, dense, maddening and intensely funky) Oh, yeah, the Miles Davis "scorched earth" music: "Dark Magus", "Agharta", and "Pangea". Heavy, intense, cataclysmic. Aloha, BradI love how "Prelude" from Agharta and "Tatu" from Dark Magus are built from the exact same riff, but are interpreted utterly differently. Rob Not Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black (don't come down off shrooms without it) This Chet Baker album I taped that I don't know the name of... (just him on horn, a guitar player and a bass player) Ustad Alah Rocka Kon (or something like that with the cover picture of him with lightening shooting out of his hands as he rocks out his tablas)((Ravi Shankar's old tab player) Meat Beat Manifesto - Satyrecon (spelling?) has some cool intense moments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Wish Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 To swing to the other side of the "intense" debate, how about some lyrically intense creations: CSNY- Deja Vu Bruce Springsteen- Greetings from Asbury Park Both of these albums can floor me if I listen too intently. As for sonically intense, yet joyous, metal, bouncy, and uniquely Canadian: The Rheostatics- Blue Hysteria Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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