Life-Changing Bands (or Songs)

scarcherpilot said:
Jimmy Buffett. Changes in Latitude or frankly any of his songs. I am a huge Parrot head. My kids first concert i took them to was to see Jimmy. Tailgating at those concerts beats all others i am convinced, where else can you dress up in the craziest garb, drink, chill and feel an immediate connection with every other fan there.

Zac Brown would be a close second..Knee Deep or Toes or Chicken Fried.
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Tailgating at a Grateful Dead concert tops Jimmy Buffett (I love JB, by the way).
 
judypilot said:
I don't even know where to start. I'd have to say the Beatles because I was just the right age when they hit--13. One of the defining moments in my life was the Beatles concert I went to at the Cow Palace near San Francisco; I was so mad at all my friends for screaming.

Later, it would have to be the Grateful Dead.

Too many songs to name. Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth"; Simon & Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"; Rolling Stone's "Honky Tonk Women"'; and on and on. The piece of music that has probably has the single biggest effect on my life, though, is Handel's "Messiah".
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Given some of the backgrounds of many pilots, I'm actually surprised that there aren't more references to Classical works. Messiah is a great piece by any measure, especially at over 2 hours. Would be wonderful to hear that live in a Cathedral or similar environment to match the reverence of the music.
 
I love Mozart's Requiem. Only heard it live once. Have played Handel's Messiah a number of times but it has been a while. Grieg's piano concerto, when played right, is a spiritual experience for me, especially while playing in the cello section.
 
The piece of music that has probably has the single biggest effect on my life, though, is Handel's "Messiah".
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Yeah, I love that electric guitar solo. :D

Seriously, many years ago I was able to be part of a 500+ voice choir singing The Messiah. Being in the midst of 100 or so other basses doing the hallelujah chorus was mind-numbing. Wow.
 
If you’re a fan of Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and want something life changing, google “Robert Fripp Sunday Lunch” and watch a few videos.

Go on. I dare you.
 
Granted I'm probably a little younger than the rest here, I'm surprised no one listens to any newer rock.

Disturbed's Cover of "The Sound of Silence". Even Paul Simon loved it!


Five Finger Death Punch's cover of "Gone Away". Really took this song to another level.

 
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nauga said:
And I'll make you a deal. If nobody posts Disturbed's bombastic cover of "The Sound of Silence" I won't post The Dickies' version. ;)
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midwestpa24 said:
Disturbed's Cover of "The Sound of Silence". Even Paul Simon loved it!
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You can't say I didn't warn you :cool:


Nauga,
who doesn't really like either one ;)
 
midwestpa24 said:
Granted I'm probably a little younger than the rest here, I'm surprised no one listens to any newer rock.

Disturbed's Cover of "The Sound of Silence". Even Paul Simon loved it!


Five Finger Death Punch's cover of "Gone Away". Really too this song to another level.

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I loved S&G back in the day, but frankly I think Disturbed’s version of Sound of Silence is much better than the original. And I like that they covered it without butchering it.
 
nauga said:
You can't say I didn't warn you :cool:


Nauga,
who doesn't really like either one ;)
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Believe it or not I scanned through all 6 pages before deciding to post, and missed yours. Oh well, I have no regrets!
 
Half Fast said:
I loved S&G back in the day, but frankly I think Disturbed’s version of Sound of Silence is much better than the original. And I like that they covered it without butchering it.
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Eh, Disturbed's version was too "theatrical" for me I guess. Not a bad cover, just seemed like it was made intentionally dramatic in the way he sang it. I think 5 finger's cover of Gone Away was decent, but the music video was the more engaging part of it. I'll take S&G's harmonies and Offspring's faster tempo on the originals.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I think 5 finger's cover of Gone Away was decent, but the music video was the more engaging part of it. I'll take S&G's harmonies and Offspring's faster tempo on the originals.
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I was afraid that was going to be an Offspring cover :(

I tend to like Offspring's covers better than Offspring covers, although I do like the Didjits too and NoFX's "Whoa on the Whoas" is hilarious. :D


Nauga,
and his hornet piñata
 
Heard this song and decided not to fly--might have saved my life, you understand.

 
This ancient nintendo song popped into my head today, for no reason I can explain. Worth sharing perhaps. Dates from 1991! :D

 
schmookeeg said:
This ancient nintendo song popped into my head today, for no reason I can explain. Worth sharing perhaps.
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'Nintendocore' is a thing, and some of it's not too bad. Nothing comes to mind at the moment, but I know I've heard some I liked...somewhere.

Nauga,
unbound by convention
 
This thread has been quiet, but my office and hangar have not.

A one-line reply on POA chat yesterday got me thinking about EIEIO, yet another jangle pop band but not as whiny as most.

The Lillingtons (again), from Death by Television. This album is what the Ramones were trying to sound like but couldn't quite pull it off :cool:

And closing again with Dead to Me, still one of my favorite bands. Every time they play within 100 miles from me I get sent out of town. Every. Time. Hopefully now that live music is a thing again and I'm not traveling as much I'll finally get a chance. OTOH, I also had Foo Fighters tickets for a show this May. :(

Nauga,
at the gate
 
nauga said:
And closing again with Dead to Me, still one of my favorite bands. Every time they play within 100 miles from me I get sent out of town. Every. Time. Hopefully now that live music is a thing again and I'm not traveling as much I'll finally get a chance. OTOH, I also had Foo Fighters tickets for a show this May. :(

Nauga,
at the gate
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I haven't heard of Dead to Me, I like their sound. My wife and I saw Foo Fighters a few years ago in Tulsa with The Struts opening for them. Both were great concerts. I still maintain that the Foo Fighters are the best modern (post-2000s) rock band in existence. Taylor was an electric drummer on stage, just a huge personality during the show. The whole thing with Taylor was unreal.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I still maintain that the Foo Fighters are the best modern (post-2000s) rock band in existence. Taylor was an electric drummer on stage, just a huge personality during the show. The whole thing with Taylor was unreal.
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I will admit I don't care all that much for their music, but I got the tickets for someone who does, and I love live music even if it's a band or even a style I don't like all that much.

Nauga,
who is not a visual act
 
Whooeee it was a good summer for live music. I finally got moving and caught a bunch of bands I've wanted to see for quite a while:

July: The Toasters, (Dante's Inferno, Portland OR)

Aug: Man...or Astro-Man? (Richmond Music Hall, Richmond VA)

Oct: Agent Orange, (Red Flag, St Louis)

And several others I've left out for brevity. ;)
Next month's highlights will hopefully include Off with Their Heads, Teenage Bottlerocket, and The Queers. I'll be sure to keep POA posted. :D

Nauga,
who buys earplugs in bulk
 
SoonerAviator said:
Would love to hear from you all on bands/artists/songs that have changed the way you listen to music or have touched you (appropriately or inappropriately) in a profound way.
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What a great thread, and as usual I’m late to the party. Thanks to SoonerAviator for the thread and to everyone who posted. Reading through the posts provides some interesting insights, and a few surprises.

In his poem Ulanova At Forty-Six At Last Dances Before A Camera Giselle, Frank Bidart wrote,

Ulanova came to Pomona California in
1957 as light projected on a screen
to make me early in college see what art is.​

For me, such an epiphany occurred in 1970, when my parents presented 9-year-old me with my first recording of serious music: Beethoven, Symphony nr. 5 (Bernstein/NY). The LP included a short exposition by Bernstein which, along with many devoted listenings to that great masterpiece, forever changed my understanding of, and relationship with, music. That was the only classical music LP that I actually wore out.

In 1986 I attended a performance by the English band New Model Army. From the first note I felt as though I were the only person in the audience and Ian Sullivan, Stuart Morrow, and Rob Heaton had committed their entire lives to creating that one, singular moment for me and me alone. Never before, and never since, have I had an experience to rival that set. In their own words: "This group is everything that we ever wanted and the songs are all that we felt, loved, and believed in..."

The late 1970s North Texas State (now University of North Texas) One O’clock Lab bands. Some of the greatest large jazz ensembles of the era, they opened my ears to the compositional sophistication and diversity of the genre, and to the sheer acoustic power of a really good big band.

Nick Cave. Enough said.

But most of all, the bands that truly changed my life were those that I played in. Unforgettable, all of them, the music and the people. I’m sure many of you feel the same way.

RW
 
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SoonerAviator said:
I haven't heard of Dead to Me, I like their sound. My wife and I saw Foo Fighters a few years ago in Tulsa with The Struts opening for them. Both were great concerts. I still maintain that the Foo Fighters are the best modern (post-2000s) rock band in existence. Taylor was an electric drummer on stage, just a huge personality during the show. The whole thing with Taylor was unreal.
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This is one of my favorite songs to have seen live. The 7 hour Taylor tribute concert is a testament to what he meant to a lot of people.


And this was just cool to see his son absolutely nail it.
 
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pmanton said:
I'm an old fart. I was a young marine in the 50's running around with a beautiful young lady when I got orders to go overseas.

With the song "Dear John" running through my head I didn't commit. I heard too many tales of the dreaded dear John letter.

Off I went to the land of loose women and cheap booze. I lost contact with that young woman.

Over the years when I was in my cups, I would lament how I used to run around with a girl who looked like the actress Susan Hayward.

47 years later, I have retired from the military and industry. I cannot bear daytime television. I decided to get in my plane and head off into the wild blue yonder .
I joined Classmates.com to see if there was anyone I used to know that I could visit.

My first contact was from that very same lady. Her opening statement was "I've been looking for you for over 30 years."

That was 17 years ago. Life is good.

Damn that song Dear John.
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You know, reading POA has made me laugh, frown, and shake my head in confusion. This is the first post that has made the screen go all blurry.
 
Roger Wilco said:
What a great thread, and as usual I’m late to the party. Thanks to SoonerAviator for the thread and to everyone who posted. Reading through the posts provides some interesting insights, and a few surprises . . .
RW
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I love when this thread gets revived every few months. Getting to listen to music from different eras and artists that would never show up in my typical playlists is fun and usually leads down a different rabbit trail. It also adds a bit more color to the online persona that we each have, and I feel that one's musical taste usually says a lot about a person.
 
I don't know about "life changing", but Pink Floyd's Free Four definitely resonated with me in my late teens. Not typical Floyd at all and somewhat obscure (pun intended).

 
Dana said:
I don't know about "life changing", but Pink Floyd's Free Four definitely resonated with me in my late teens. Not typical Floyd at all and somewhat obscure (pun intended).

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Haven't heard that song, which isn't saying much as my Pink Floyd knowledge consists only of The Wall, Dark Side, and Wish You Were Here. Almost had a Jethro Tull kind of quality to it.
 
SoonerAviator said:
...It also adds a bit more color to the online persona that we each have, and I feel that one's musical taste usually says a lot about a person. ...changed the way you listen to music or have touched you (appropriately or inappropriately) in a profound way.
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At parties and get-togethers, I notice a lot of people checking out the titles of books and recordings on the bookshelves and I sometimes find myself doing likewise. I'd never look in someone's medicine cabinet, but a glimpse at what they read and listen to seems, to me, to give a much more intimate insight into who they are. Or, if it's just for show, who they want us to think that they are (noting the degree of wear and tear on each volume is informative). Now that so many of us are reading via Kindle and other electronic platforms and streaming our music, I guess it's either Twitter or the medicine cabinet (ugh).

It was the title you chose for the thread, "Life-Changing Bands (or songs)" that attracted my attention. "Life changing" inspired a thoughtful, introspective deep-dive into my lifelong relationship with music. I thought about it, off and on, for several days before posting. There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of bands and songs that are somehow meaningful and memorable, but the conclusion reached in post #233 is that it was playing music, more than listening to music, that has truly been life-changing.

Thanks again, brother.

RW

Note: Edited to reflect the final draft, after having accidentally posted the first draft.
 
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Dana said:
I don't know about "life changing", but Pink Floyd's Free Four definitely resonated with me in my late teens. Not typical Floyd at all and somewhat obscure (pun intended).

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It's been a long time since I heard that one, thanks.

Here's another one of theirs:

 
Dana said:
I don't know about "life changing", but Pink Floyd's Free Four definitely resonated with me in my late teens. Not typical Floyd at all and somewhat obscure (pun intended).

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It might just be me, but I had never heard that specific Floyd song -- but there's a real striking resemblance to the Babycakes Disney Princess song from China, IL :D

 
Theres a lot of unique Floyd out there especially the early stuff when Syd ruled the roost.
 
Saw these guys last night and they absolutely killed it.

They opened for The Queers, who were also good but not particularly memorable. They didn't play "Goodbye California," which is unfortunate, but I like Toys That Kill's version better anyway :D

Nauga,
who asked, "Why the big pause?"
 
Who would have ever thought Rush, Doors and Santana all in one screen shot:

 
Neil Peart is God's favorite drummer. Arguably the best there ever was. RIP

Any red blooded sports car fanatic would have to rate 'Red Barchetta' as one of their favorite songs:

 
Oldies night.

I've been searching for an obscure 80's jangle pop song for my wife for about 30 years, and finally found it tonight. On vinyl, no less. The song isn't important, but it did take me through several songs of that era that were formative for me (for lack of better words). There are stories behind the personal meanings, but that's not important right now either :D

Echo and the Bunnymen was brought out in post 166 with a cover of one of their better-known songs. This is the song that introduced me to them and is still my second favorite (behind Killing Moon).

@Half Fast mentioned Robert Fripp already, but you can't really talk about Fripp without mentioning Brian Eno. I'm eternally grateful to the person that introduced me to this song and many, many other influential songs.

Maybe a little more close to home than is comfortable these days but I have to give XTC a mention:
Note the name of the channel. o_O The alternatives we all the remastered version which doesn't have the same feeling for me.

Another show later this week, I promise my next post will be slightly more commercial :p

Nauga,
whose world is biscuit-shaped
 
@nauga

Thanks for the XTC reminder. I almost bought that album when it came out, but I didn’t have enough cash (back in my poor college days) and what cash I had at the time went to food, or beer. Probably beer, but I had that album in my hands and couldn’t afford it.
 
@nauga
I do have all of the early Echo and the Bunnymen albums on vinyl, which sound great. Funny story about them - it was only on my third attempt that I got to actually see them live. The first time Ian McCullouch was feeling sick and angrily walked off stage after two verses of the first song, the second time I had to travel for work last-minute. Getting to see them in first-person was a work in progress that took years to resolve.

Even though the genre's popularity does predate me by a few years, I do love many of their contemporaries (The Cure, Joy Division, etc) and my favorite band is probably the Smiths. Here's one of their best and is quite representative of their heart wrenching credentials:
I was six when they broke up, but I've been able to see three of the four original members individually :D

One degree of separation is between them and Jeff Buckley, who covered that Smiths song on an album released posthumously. But I'm often drawn to this performance on the BBC from his first album which illustrates the greatness that was taken from us far too soon:
 
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