I know to each his own but ... I love Howard Jones.
If each decade's rock, in general, is heavy on one particular aspect or another, I'd applaud the 50s for audacity. I love the 60s for pure music-crafting (I think they added heart, and a message, to rock). The 70s ... well, they, in part, were swinging (drifting?) away from the 60s so, they did excess well? Then I will argue that the 80s added heart, and a message, to excess.
(Live Aid. Erasure's politics. Everything Depeche Mode is saying without really saying it.)
And PIANOS. Viva the much-maligned synth! And enter what slays me: complexity (have you ever really LISTENED to Just Like a Dream? Over and over? And over?) Then, these layers, ranges (the guy from A-Ha), and melody.
Melody, melody, melody.
Dismiss it as "hooks," unbeliever. Then dismiss Tolkien as plot-heavy. What a beach read! Great plane-ride paperbacks!
OK. High, high praise. But Howard Jones' melodies (which I've just admitted my weakness for) are surprising and brilliant. I guess they really are gems set in ... aluminum alloy pop trinket lockets. Which I, being a girl, and not too much of a music snob, root through greedily.
Howard Jones, maybe I've elevated these songs to sacrity, but I would love to see you spend the next 20 years weaving each of them into 15-minute piano "symphonies." Things Can Only Get Better "amplified," expounded, expanded?? That is your assignment, so stop reading my blog and get started. :)
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Ah, sounds like you need to do THE LIST!
I had friends over the other night; we sat around all evening listening to music. Each of us had prepared a compilation of ten songs:
- Sunday morning song
- song/artist that you're ashamed to admit you like
- the apocalypse song
- dishwashing music
- driving on the M8 at night / long road trip
- study music
- song of personal change-like-ness (transformation)
- cold rainy scotland inside
- the song that most makes you cry / that's most likely to make you cry
- song to start a revolution to
- some about/from your home
- Sunday morning song -- Be Thou My Vision
- song/artist that you're ashamed to admit you like -- Madonna's Like a Prayer
- the apocalypse song -- Through the Fire and Flames, Dragonforce
- dishwashing music -- anything by Erasure
- driving on the M8 at night / long road trip -- mix of extremely familiar, extreme favorites
- study music -- Loreena McKennitt
- song of personal change-like-ness (transformation) -- Things Can Only Get Better, Howard Jones
- cold rainy scotland inside -- Loreena McKennitt or Cold Play. Or Iron and Wine
- the song that most makes you cry / that's most likely to make you cry -- Mad World by Gary Jules, or any Loreena McKennitt in a sentimental state of mind
- song to start a revolution to -- Through the Fire and Flames, Dragonforce
- some about/from your home,,,,,, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
So...will the Apocalypse come as a result of the revolution or vice versa?
um ... yes.
Hey, come visit my new blog. lifechristianacademy.blogspot.com Our lives are so different right now you may not find it that interesting to you. LOL! But I'd love to hear from you every so often! I just watched Lord of the Rings recently and thought of you. LOL! Those Ents are so cool!
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