Sorry. Should have read the list more thoroughly... 

Powerful stuff now from Jean Sibelius, a favourite composer of mine.

"In Pohjola there are thick, dark forests
that dream wild dreams, forever secret.
Tapio's eerie dwellings are there
and half-glimpsed spirits, and the voices of twilight."  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy0_zqEOp4A

Edit: I see this is its second airing in this thread. There's always that risk, of course...

New Order, Power, Corruption & Lies
I liked it - not the sound I was expecting from this album. I don't think the record ever rises above the opening cut, "Age of Consent", which is some blissful, jangly pop music. I LOVE "AGE OF CONSENT".

"Age of Consent" has become my favorite song by anyone.

Yes, excellent album. I discovered it about ten years ago. I love its mix of jangly stuff and drum machine-fuelled dance elements à la "Blue Monday". I must revisit it soon.

[Avid Al stops Bob Lamm: "Am I mammal?" (Bob spots L.A. diva)]

Al is the little mammal who somehow lived through extinction.

There's a palindrome in here somewhere----I can smell it.

How about:
Avid Al stops Bob Lamm: "Am I mammal?" (Bob spots L.A. diva)

The Ventures should be on a list like this.

I agree, but I'm biased - I'm from the Northwest.

To say nothing of The Sonics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGpActuZbGc

Kinda funny that you'd put that dinosaur picture on a Beach Boys forum. 

Dinosaurs dominated the earth for 135 million years. I'd call it a compliment...

[River]

Terry Reid, The River, probably for the first time since the first month after buying it (in its 2002 reissue form).

I gave River a listen too. It rings a distant bell, although I've no idea if I heard it at the time or later. The electric tracks are stunning, the solo acoustic side is less up my street. This great song, "Avenue", sounds so darn familiar----would someone else have sung it or is it conclusive proof that I've heard this album before?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDgLYlRGWH4   

Read and discuss, if you're so inclined. The ideas extend well beyond the serious music on which the writer focuses.

http://www.futuresymphony.org/why-musicians-need-philosophy/

Ye gods! I think I may need a drink----not so much because of Scruton's essay but because of the lengthy and impassioned comments that follow it.

Who in pop backs up their work with philosophy? Robert Fripp comes to mind, but for me his music always wins the day, even the most austere minimal stuff. And his writings are compelling----fun to read, in fact.

To be continued, no doubt...




   

 

Wow! That is some achievement, Mujan. I've been listening to/watching some of it during the afternoon. By sheer coincidence, I listened to the USA album only a couple of days ago for the first time in ages.

I think it's a magical combination. I'm not familiar with the original score----I'm not really a film buff. 

If some things sync up better than others, so be it. I'd be inclined to step back and enjoy it the way it is. Of course, at the end of the day that's your decision.

Whatever----major kudos!


 

Still reading this (I'm a slow reader). I hope to finish it soon.   

I think it's a good idea. Still, "+1" or "This." are excellent alternatives.

But it isn't the same. You still make a post with quoting your favorite post. Big difference.

It's the difference between one click on a "+1" button and one click on a "quote" button and typing a "+" and a "1" (or "This."). A tiny difference really, as I see it. But a major difference to the mods. 

Read and discuss, if you're so inclined. The ideas extend well beyond the serious music on which the writer focuses.

http://www.futuresymphony.org/why-musicians-need-philosophy/

I promise I shall read this tonight. :=)

What makes music sad is the minor key it's written in. 

I don't know about that. The Band's "It Makes No Difference" is heartbreaking----and it's in a major key. The Hollies' "Bus Stop" is upbeat (new love blossoming)----and that's in a minor key. Two out of many, no doubt.

The classic song that throws the whole major/happy--minor/sad bit out of the window is Elton John's "I'm Still Standing". The wound-licking verse is major and the triumphant chorus minor. Now that's weird----but it works!     

Just a couple of random thoughts on a fascinating subject...

Why do these polls always have such an obsessive definition of "American"? You know, there's two whole continents of America, not just the United States.

I don't see why The Band, or hell, even something like Los Lobos shouldn't be counted just because they're a few miles across a border.

As in "The Americas"----good point. At the risk of being pelted with offal, this is my revised list:

The Beach Boys
The Magic Band/Captain Beefheart
The Band
The Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa
The Velvet Underground   

'Tis done. 

All I Wanna do is fantastic in every way.

Agreed! To me, those initial chords are like opening a door into another world only to be found there. "Feel Flows" and "Can't Wait Too Long" are similarly unique----nothing like them anywhere. The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes For You" is another. I'm sure everyone can name a few.

Forever shaking my damn head at the aesthetic wimps that can't get behind Smiley Smile's groundbreaking minimal-art-dada-punk doowop that still sounds ahead of its time today. It is a more radical art statement than I believe Smile would have been, for all its sublime grandiosity.

Bigger ain't always necessarily better, ya know! That's a false dichotomy that was imposed by the breathtaking sweep of Pet Sounds.

To quote Frank Zappa: "You'll hurt your throat----stop it!"

As always, definitions make this kind of thing murky. What's rock 'n' roll, what's a band (versus a duo or something, as mentioned above), and how do you define great?

My personal picks without regard to either record sales or impact on the general public would probably be:

The Beach Boys
The Velvet Underground
Zappa/The Mothers of Invention
Buddy Holly/The Crickets
Big Star

I was tempted to include Dylan + the Band (though they're mostly Canadian...), but that whole "is it a real band, or an artist with backing musicians?" question came into play. Ditto for Prince and the Revolution. I thought about a lot of Motown groups, but had similar misgivings. For some more modern--but still long-standing--acts that don't deserve top ranking consideration at all but are creeping up my lists, I'd start keeping an eye on Wilco, the Mountain Goats, and of Montreal.

Hate that word rock. (Said that before.) Pop is broader. In my jaded opinion.

Captain, I do so agree about your first three but to them I'd like to add Captain Beefheart/Magic Band. Choosing a number five is tough----The Byrds? The Dead? Probably one of those two. Pity about The Band being four-fifths Canadian. 

The harmonies behind Al's singing on the Child is Father to the Man part of the song are the best I've heard in Beach Boys history. I think I read somewhere here or elsewhere that Marilyn Wilson was part of the harmony stack. Was the whole group (including Brian) a part of the stack as a whole?

I'd love to hear those harmonies isolated, as the Breakaway ones were done for a loop.

Couple of pages here that might help. Or check out "The Stephen Desper Thread" in our "Ask the Honored Guests" section----if anyone has any info on this, it's SWD.
 
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11964.0.html

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/could-any-beach-boys-fans-dissect-who-sings-what-at-the-end-of-surfs-up-for-me.462339/

Hey Adam, love whenever you post...

+1

There are a few special posters on this board I would describe as the Voice of Reason and Adam is one of them.  

Melt Away...had it been produced differently, say, in the style of Pet Sounds it would be much loved. Great chords & melody.

I'm told the mix was different, richer, back in '88. Still nowhere online, unfortunately... 

CinnaBeatle is new. I think it's only fair to explain what the situation is. Anyway, you've just done the same thing yourself.  

What PMs are for? You should've sent explanation there. And no, there is big difference - I didn't reply to "another member's posted question", which is CinnaBeatle. You & Emily did. The OP wants answer from Brian, obviously.

I'm enjoying this thread. It's a pleasant relief from all the heavy stuff. Well, perhaps Emily did send a PM.

Whatever the case, CinnaBeatle hasn't replied. Just as long as dogs and cats don't start living together.