I figured you guys might need a lighter read after that last blog post.
Since I ride the bus, and have no desire to overhear conversations, musings or rabid delusions, I wear a pair of earbuds plugged into a trusty MP3 player. I have roughly 225 songs on the device divided into multiple genres: Gospel (mostly for mornings), Rock (classic, progressive and alternative), Jazz (fusion and modern) and R&B. What I listen to on the way home is mostly affected by whatever mood I happen to be in from the events of the day. I used to listen to a lot of Jazz on the way home. Jazz helps mellow me out after particularly rough days.
Lately, I've been listening to rock music. At first I was well into my alternative list, then all of a sudden my attention turned to Jethro Tull. Specifically the track "Locomotive Breath". I could be attracted to the train motifs throughout the song. I could be attracted to the tale of a man and his impending doom. Actually, I am drawn to the impressive flute solo smack in the middle of the unlikeliest of places, a progressive rock song.
I like the flute. It's light, beautiful notes can be compared to the sound of a bird singing. I used to not mind listening to my older sister practice the flute when she was in her high school band. She wasn't a bad player, and the stuff she played (band versions of popular music) sounded pretty good to my untrained ears. I thought that the band or the orchestra were the only places for the flute until I got more into music. That's when I realized a well placed flute in a song where you least expect can add a nice kick to anywhere it happens to be.
Other than Jethro Tull, here are a couple more of my favorite flute solos in unusual places:
"Chase Me" - Con Funk Shun: I'll take my funk with a side of flute solo. And you can dance to it! Con Funk Shun is a reminder of a time when Funk ruled the dance floor, and it was normal to see an entire band on stage, including several woodwind and brass instruments.
Since I ride the bus, and have no desire to overhear conversations, musings or rabid delusions, I wear a pair of earbuds plugged into a trusty MP3 player. I have roughly 225 songs on the device divided into multiple genres: Gospel (mostly for mornings), Rock (classic, progressive and alternative), Jazz (fusion and modern) and R&B. What I listen to on the way home is mostly affected by whatever mood I happen to be in from the events of the day. I used to listen to a lot of Jazz on the way home. Jazz helps mellow me out after particularly rough days.
Lately, I've been listening to rock music. At first I was well into my alternative list, then all of a sudden my attention turned to Jethro Tull. Specifically the track "Locomotive Breath". I could be attracted to the train motifs throughout the song. I could be attracted to the tale of a man and his impending doom. Actually, I am drawn to the impressive flute solo smack in the middle of the unlikeliest of places, a progressive rock song.
I like the flute. It's light, beautiful notes can be compared to the sound of a bird singing. I used to not mind listening to my older sister practice the flute when she was in her high school band. She wasn't a bad player, and the stuff she played (band versions of popular music) sounded pretty good to my untrained ears. I thought that the band or the orchestra were the only places for the flute until I got more into music. That's when I realized a well placed flute in a song where you least expect can add a nice kick to anywhere it happens to be.
Other than Jethro Tull, here are a couple more of my favorite flute solos in unusual places:
"Chase Me" - Con Funk Shun: I'll take my funk with a side of flute solo. And you can dance to it! Con Funk Shun is a reminder of a time when Funk ruled the dance floor, and it was normal to see an entire band on stage, including several woodwind and brass instruments.
"Funky Reggae" - Stone City Band: Amid the joyous inquiry "What Kind of Music Do You Like?", this is a jazz/funk fusion song from the band most famous for backing singer Rick James, who himself started out as a backing musician for James Brown. In other words, the man knew how to put together an incredible band that can insert a beautiful flute addition in such a way that it fits perfectly into a song about the universality of a love of music.
I love a well placed musical solo, especially if it's an instrument you don't expect to hear in that place. Think the xylophone solo that begins the Oingo Boingo track "Grey Matter". Solos featuring unexpected sounds wake up your ears and force them to actually listen to the music, instead of the music fading into background noise, as it usually does. Really listening to the music helps to develop more of an appreciation for the creativity and artistry that went into the creation of it. Especially when you start to wonder how on Earth they managed to work THAT solo into THIS song.
That's when you know that you are really into the music. Which is the BEST way to listen.
That's when you know that you are really into the music. Which is the BEST way to listen.
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