Jan. 24th, 2002 07:35 am
A dependence on Filk? Sure, why not?
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johnstonmrI'm increasingly listening to Filk music, mostly Lackey's stuff, but other stuff as well. And I think I know why.
My life is, more and more, bounded by mundane crap. Work is hardly intellectually stimulating, and most of my schoolwork this semester is drudgery I have to do to move on, not stuff I want to study. Add to this my growing dislike of popular music, and my boredom with most of the music of my youth (You can only listen to "Music for the Masses", "Black Celebration", or "Decade" so many times before you want to melt it into slag), and you get one bored puppy.
NPR is nice, but sometimes I want music, not a bunch of guys from New England telling me the same stories each day (the 6pm news is almost identical to the next day's 6am news).
So, Filk. It's about the stuff I love, SF and Fantasy; it's imaginative (remember, I'm not talking about the old-style, "Banned From Argo", parody stupid shite), especially the pieces based not on a story, but telling their own, and it's (at least, the stuff I listen to) well-written, well-played, and well-performed. Heather Alexander's voice can best be described as liquid honey. Cynthia McQuillen's voice is similar to that of the lead singer in a pop group I love from the early 90's, "October Project". Leslie Fish has a voice that could grate cheese, but her instrumentals and her writing make up for it. Lackey can't sing to save her soul, but she knows this and now hires others to do the singing. Her stuff and the recent "Masterharper of Pern" release are among my favorites because they're not just about the books, they're the music from the books -- the same stuff the characters sing in the stories.
The Pern release is particularly nice. The album is structured as it would be were it a live performance at a Gather -- the teaching tunes first, for the littles, then the dancing and the stronger ballads once the little have all been sent to bed. It's easy to imagine sitting back at Fort, or Ista, or Ruatha, or the Hold of Weyr of your choice, listening to the music of the Gather.
And that keeps me sane.
My life is, more and more, bounded by mundane crap. Work is hardly intellectually stimulating, and most of my schoolwork this semester is drudgery I have to do to move on, not stuff I want to study. Add to this my growing dislike of popular music, and my boredom with most of the music of my youth (You can only listen to "Music for the Masses", "Black Celebration", or "Decade" so many times before you want to melt it into slag), and you get one bored puppy.
NPR is nice, but sometimes I want music, not a bunch of guys from New England telling me the same stories each day (the 6pm news is almost identical to the next day's 6am news).
So, Filk. It's about the stuff I love, SF and Fantasy; it's imaginative (remember, I'm not talking about the old-style, "Banned From Argo", parody stupid shite), especially the pieces based not on a story, but telling their own, and it's (at least, the stuff I listen to) well-written, well-played, and well-performed. Heather Alexander's voice can best be described as liquid honey. Cynthia McQuillen's voice is similar to that of the lead singer in a pop group I love from the early 90's, "October Project". Leslie Fish has a voice that could grate cheese, but her instrumentals and her writing make up for it. Lackey can't sing to save her soul, but she knows this and now hires others to do the singing. Her stuff and the recent "Masterharper of Pern" release are among my favorites because they're not just about the books, they're the music from the books -- the same stuff the characters sing in the stories.
The Pern release is particularly nice. The album is structured as it would be were it a live performance at a Gather -- the teaching tunes first, for the littles, then the dancing and the stronger ballads once the little have all been sent to bed. It's easy to imagine sitting back at Fort, or Ista, or Ruatha, or the Hold of Weyr of your choice, listening to the music of the Gather.
And that keeps me sane.
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Geesh
I know parts of 'Banned from Argo'.
I used to roady (sp?) for Heather in the Phoenix days, own much of her work and will be seeing her in concert very soon.
I've sat and had conversations with Cynthia.
Leslie Fish is the author of my favorite filk song ('Black Powder & Alcohol') and was the only reason I ever gave filk a thought.
I have actually been in a filk circle.
I used to go to Wednesdays at Momma Colleens. (No idea if you know about her and her family, big filkers and wonderful people)
I got very happy and bubbly upon hearing the Kinsey Scale filk.
I guess I'm a bigger filker than I thought, though please don't let me sing, my voice is worse then Fish and Lackey combined I'm sure.
I had never really thought about all these things together before... Thanks for bringing home my geekness.
Re: Geesh
Like poor Leslie, I'm trying to forget "Banned from Argo". Did you know she hates that damned thing despite being the author?
Cynthia's ... well. I've never met her, but some of her songs leave me confused as to whether she's pagan or not, gay-friendly or not. Is weird. And it's hinted she's gay, but not ever said. Do you know?
I now have "Black Powder & Alcohol" running through my head.
I've never been in any Filk circle.
I don't know Momma Colleen from my left thumb. Except I'm reasonably sure she isn't my left thumb.
I have never heard the Kinsey filk.
I don't sing either, it's really bad for the listener. I CAN do a few pieces that call for a deep, sonorous voice, but that's about it. Don't get me wrong, Fish can sing, it's just that burr in her voice is odd. And Lackey, well, with training she'd be ok. She's just too wavery.
Re: Geesh