13 posts tagged “music”

I was driving to work yesterday, listening to a contemporary Christian CD by the vastly popular Hillsong, because even though I do not subscribe to religious beliefs, I do love some of the contemporary music. But as I was listening to the lyrics, talking about the cross and being devoted to Jesus, I began to wonder why the New Age, or the spiritualist movement, doesn't have their own music, something I could listen to and not only enjoy the music but also the lyrics. And it dawned on me that there is such music. One of my favorite groups of all time has always been Enigma. Ever since I first listened to Sadeness,

Another Enigma favorite was Return to Innocence.

I have always loved those lyrics and have posted them on various of my blogs, myspace, facebook,etc . There can not be any more beautiful lyrics anywhere in popular music. How positive, how life affirming, how true, how spiritual. Just be yourself, don't fake, and don't care what people say, just follow your own way.

I have always tried myself to live up to that ideal. I have always prided myself on just being myself, no matter what.   had a girlfriend one time, while I was in the Navy, who told me that the thing she liked about me the most was that I am just myself and that I don't pretend to be anyone other than who I am. I took that as one of the best compliments I have ever received. It's a better compliment than if she had told me how good looking I was, or how funny I was, or how charming. I am all of those things, ha ha, j/k, but the most important thing is to just be yourself.

Another favorite Enigma song is Dream of the Dolphin.

In every color there's the light.
In every stone sleeps a crystal.
Remember the Shaman, when he used to say:
"Man is the dream of the dolphin".

One more Enigma Song, Cross of Changes

That is something that I truly believe yet Christianity preaches the opposite. In order to be a Christian and go to heaven you have to believe a certain way, their way, as if belief was a choice anyway, as if a person could will themselves to believe something in which they don't. How much truer and freer the statement, "whether you believe or you don't, whether you even understand or you don't, there is a universal truth and justice, and you have access to that universal truth as much as anyone, that universal love belongs to all of us, not just a select few.

I want to make this kind of music, spiritual, life affirming, beautiful music of the soul, meditation a part of my regular blog experience. To be a part of my theme, so that when I find beautiful music, I will post it for all to hear and enjoy.

Everyone needs a focus, for their lives, for their blogs, etc. In the past on my blogs I have just written about anything and everything that comes to mind, in a kind of stream of consciousness. But William Faulkner and James Joyce I am not. I think I need more focus.

So my focus from now on is going to be spiritual and religious matters, which include great music. Most of what I have been writing about on Vox has been about my growing awareness of spirituality and breaking away from the religion of my youth, so nothing too much should change. Yet, with a renewed focus, I should be more prolific.

We shall see.

Nathan Asher and the Infantry

While perusing one of our best local independent and progressive newspapers, the Independent Weekly, here in the triangle area of NC, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, I found this terrific local band, who sadly is calling it quits after 5 years. I wish I would have discovered them earlier, but alas, I only moved up here to this mecca of Progressiveness and great music about a month ago. I have noticed over the years that some of the greatest music out there is either local music or independent music or both. This band is no exception. Their name was Nathan Asher and the Infantry and the only song I can find at the moment is titled Turn Up the Faders.

It can be found at Trianglerock.com. Listen to what a beautiful song this is. And mesmerizing!! I love this damn song! And I just wish I could have heard them play it live.

Two of my favorite lyrics from the song read as follows:

"So we take the A-Train into the city,
Sticky seats shake at the station,
Women's footsteps drag,
From the cave of the tunnel dragon,
Into the open high-rises, buildings,
Street urchins come to siege us,
Corner preachers carry Jesus,
Like he carried the cross, toss leaflets.
All this misdirected lust,
All these, all these, all these people,
As dusk turns into evening,
We just get funneled to the clubs. "

And

"I'm in the backroom, drunk,
The stars cut chunks out of the darkness.
It's a portrait of the young artist,
As another target market,
Playing dumb in the club,
Using liquor as a tourniquet,
Let's succumb to our desires,
We'll become just like our fathers,
Bang into each other
Until the lights smother us
And we go under. "

Wow!!!!!!!!! That's all I have to say!! Any band who references James Joyce, I can't recall any other band to do so, has to be cool!! This was not only music it was sheer poetry!! Beautiful stuff!!

Here is what the little blurb at the Independent Weekly had to say about them:

NATHAN ASHER & THE INFANTRY

From: Raleigh
Since: 2004
Claim to fame: Writing songs for self-improvement; playing them big

"Nathan Asher & the Infantry gathered a singer-songwriter with a defiant spirit, his best friend (a keyboard whiz since middle school), a blues harmonica player and the core of a since-forgotten Raleigh rock band named Nova Cancy. Tonight, they'll close out a five-year career with a show at the BERKELEY CAFÉ, which they'll record for future release. The small stage of the Berkeley is an admittedly awkward exit for an act whose intentions and sound always seemed so big: They commandeered a stretch of Hillsborough Street windows for an advertisement and played several Manhattan showcases for record labels. The Infantry's Springsteen-based presence worked best with the big lights and speakers of the Lincoln Theatre, but—after only deciding to end the band three weeks ago—they'll take this exit on Martin Street. 10 p.m."

They also have a myspace page which can be reached through the Trianglerock.com page I referenced above. Or you can reach it directly at Nathan Asher

Enjoy!!! And tell me if you agree what terrific music this is!!

This song is absolutely beautiful. It's everything that I have ever always wanted in a song!! It is my soul mate!!
I first heard this on Jay Leno last nite. I am providing both the actual video and the clip from the Jay Leno performance. Love this song!!

I got the idea for this series from fellow Voxer Jessica. Her blog is at sevenmotions. I think it is an absolutely wonderful idea to discuss the bands that have changed our lives. I think everyone can point to certain bands that have changed their lives, unless they are not really that much into music, except casually. For me, music equals life. I couldn't live without music, couldn't imagine a life without music.

This series will not be in any particular order, chronological or otherwise. The only order will be the bands that pop into my mind when I think about the question of which bands have changed my life.

Metallica

And the first band, without a doubt is Metallica. May sound slightly corny, Metallica isn't really known for their musicality, but it's true. If one really listens to their music though, one will find them to be extremely well polished and knowledgeable musicians.  I first started listening to Metallica back in 1991 when the Black album was released. Enter Sandman was all over the radio and MTV and I just fell in love with it. I loved the heavy crunchy guitars and the anger that was displayed lyrically and in their persona's. It was because of Metallica, and more specifically, bass player Jason Newsted that I developed my lifelong love of bass guitar. I even bought a few bass guitars myself and taught myself to play, mostly Metallica licks, but also Nirvana and others that I will discuss in future posts to this series.

Metallica early years lineup

The original band line up back in the early 80's included Dave Mustaine of Megadeth,  instead of Kirk Hammet and Cliff Burton on bass instead of Jason Newsted. It was Cliff Burton who wrote a lot of the lyrics, along with Lars Ulrich, in the early days and it was from him,  that the following quote comes from, which is one of my favorite quotes of all times. It comes from the song To Live is To Die from the album And Justice For All. It is the sole lyric in the entire song, it is a spoken lyric, the rest of the song being instrumental bliss.

When a Man Lies He Murders
Some Part of the World
These Are the Pale Deaths Which
Men Miscall Their Lives
All this I Cannot Bear
to Witness Any Longer
Cannot the Kingdom of Salvation
Take Me Home

I absolutely love that quote.I have since tried my best to locate the source of that quote, thinking it must be from literature somewhere, all to no avail. It must have been written by Cliff himself, the man, the genius.

In 1986, Cliff was killed when their tour bus crashed and he ended up underneath it. Shortly thereafter, Jason stepped in and proved more than capable of filling Cliff's shoes.

Jason Newsted

I thought Jason Newsted the greatest bass player there ever was. My musical knowledge at that point being rather limited, I was only 19. I thought Jason the coolest bass player there ever was. I just loved his long flocks of hair and the way it was shaved underneath and the way he would twirl it around and around when playing a particularly heavy song. I was in the process of growing my hair that long, before I ended up joining the Navy in 1993.

Anyway, all silliness aside, Metallica truly did change my life. How? Their lyrics. For the first time in my young life, I was hearing another person, articulate what I had been feeling myself for quite some time. It was a validation for me, that I was not alone. In particular, I'm referring to their anti-war, anti-religion lyrics.

Songs on this album, such as Holier Than Thou, Nothing Else Matters, The God that Failed, My Friend of Misery, and The Struggle Within, really spoke to me and I remember thinking to myself, "I'm right after all, I knew it. I knew religion was bullshit and I'm not going to hell for thinking so. Some lyrics:

The God That Failed

Pride you took
pride you feel
pride that you felt when you'd kneel

not the word
not the love
not what you thought from above

it feeds
it grows
it clouds all that you will know
deceit
deceive
decide just what you believe

I see faith in your eyes
never your hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
broken is the promise, betrayal
the healing hand held back by the deepened nail

follow the god that failed

find your peace
find your say
find the smooth road in your way

trust you gave
a child to save
left you cold and him in grave

it feeds
it grows
it clouds all that you will know
deceit
deceive
decide just what you believe

I see faith in your eyes
never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
broken is the promise, betrayal
the healing hand held back by the deepened nail

follow the god that failed

My Friend of Misery (possibly my favorite Metallica song of all time. One of the best bass lines of all time as well. I learned to play this bass line and it is one of my favorites to play. It is just so mesmerizing)

You just stood there screaming
fearing no one was listening to you
they say the empty can rattles the most
the sound of your voice must soothe you
hearing only what you want to hear
and knowing only what you've heard
you you're smothered in tragedy
you're out to save the world

misery
you insist that the weight of the world
should be on your shoulders
misery
there's much more to life than what you see
my friend of misery

you still stood there screaming
no one caring about these words you tell
my friend before your voice is gone
one man's fun is another's hell
these times are sent to try men's souls
but something's wrong with all you see
you you'll take it on all yourself
remember, misery loves company

misery
you insist that the weight of the world
should be on your shoulders
misery
there's much more to life than what you see
my friend of misery

you just stood there creaming
my friend of misery

And finally, Nothing Else Matters. My theme song at the time, my version of sticking my middle finger up to all those who would want to tell me what to think and how to live

So close no matter how far

couldn't be much more from the heart
forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

trust I seek and I find in you
every day for us something new
open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

so close no matter how far
couldn't be much more from the heart
forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

never opened myself this way
life is ours, we live it our way
all these words I don't just say

trust I seek and I find in you
every day for us something new
open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they say
never cared for games they play
never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
and I know

so close no matter how far
couldn't be much more from the heart
forever trusting who we are
no nothing else matters

 
After discovering Metallica through the Black Album, I just could get enough. It became my mission to obtain every album they ever made, which took awhile on my meager earnings as a bag boy at a local grocery store.

I could name many other songs from their other albums that spoke to me and changed my life, but I won't. I think you get the point.

I will just leave you with one little funny anecdote that will show just how much I really loved Metallica. My mom and I used to argue a lot in those days about religion, she begging me to go to church, with me refusing. I was raised in church and had since rebelled. I no longer wanted anything to do with church, did not want to set foot in one, felt that I would be a hypocrite if I did so. There were many loud arguments about this between my Mom and I. At one point I told my Mom that Metallica was my church. And I meant it.

Killswitch Engage - My Curse

Band: Killswitch Engage

Song: My Curse

This song has it all. Sometimes a dude just wants to rock out. This song shows that a song doesn't have to be slow or mellow in order to be melodic. It also demonstrates the heavy/soft dynamic, with the softer part displaying melody. This song just kicks ass!!! And the video is cool as hell too. I love this band!!