Soothing the Savage Breast
Posted by LC Aggie Sith on Friday, August 20, 2010 in Open Thread
Can I pick an awesome post title, or what? I was sitting here listening to Vivaldi’s La Quattro Stagioni, and it came to me. Kinda goes with the blog theme, in an artistic way. Anyway, I started thinking of all the music out there that has the power to make us feel calm, loved, and just downright groovy. What is your favorite song? Favorite type of music? Favorite band? And no, Light My Love Pump by Spinal Tap doesn’t count 
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. ~Ludwig van Beethoven
Loading ...
You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC.
favorite song? Depends on my mood…right now, it’s here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWIRjsmmfjk&feature=related
Have lots of “favorites”, no particular song stands alone at the top of the heap. Right now this is floating around for some reason (and it was always a favorite).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMxOMSy8hJo
I’ve really been into trance & related stuff the last few years. It’s my refuge from the political crap and world-wearying things.
Here’s a fantastic piece of chill out – Autumn Interlude by Amethystium:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6kDqmEsH4s&feature=related
All their stuff is good and I highly recommend picking up their albums.
Beethoven. Ninth Symphony. Berlin Philharmonic. Herbert von Karajan conducting. Deutsche-Grammophon recording.
The preeminent Romantic composer’s penultimate symphony, performed by the premier German symphony under its finest director, on the most exceptional quality record label.
Listen to this through headphones in the dark; you’ll have a religious experience. Guaranteed. While listening, remind yourself that Beethoven was totally deaf when he wrote this. Also, the “Freude” portion of the 4th movement (the “Ode to Joy”) can be read in subtext as “freiheit” – freedom – a sinister concept to the governments of the time.
For something completely different, listen to “The Gates of Delirium” from the “Relayer” album by YES. A 22 minute sonic assault inspired by Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” that makes you feel you are in the middle of a massive battle, the final thirty seconds – the resolution – is achingly exquisite, particularly when the final chord resolves. Only listen to the vinyl version, though. The moron who remastered it to CD fades the final chord out WAY too soon. Also highly recommended for headphones-in-the-dark listening.
Great thread idea. I could go on and on …
^You do know that everyone thinks of “A Clockwork Orange” when Beethoven shows up right Wiccapundit? ;-D
Its always good to listen to Ludwig Van before indulging in “a bit of the old ultra-violence.”
I can’t listen to “Singin’ In The Rain” anymore without thinking of that one scene in the movie.
You know that the 80′s band Heaven 17 got their name from that movie.
This is what I fire up, before climbing onto the fetching Mrs. P:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz3Cc7wlfkI
Damn your hide, WAMK!!!!
Aggie:
Tell me that song doesn’t get yer motor running on several different levels..
Dead Can Dance generally does a good job of calming me down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc-aEYPPe7w
Or surprisingly to me lately, Bob Marley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LanCLS_hIo4
If you’re going classical, it’s either the Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, or this one in C minor by Wolfgang.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDkCGQHfPlI
^Rock Me Amadeus!
For classical, two pieces that stand out for me are
Peer Gynt by Grieg
and
The Moldau by Smetana
Beautiful works of music.
Hmmm…speaking of the “savage breast”:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ot9gBLwZD_U/S1zWbtDx_2I/AAAAAAAATTY/NsRgabFY6Co/s320/Billy+Eric+-+…To+Soothe+The+Savage+Breast+(1999).jpg