That was truly beautiful music and loved by so many. As far as I am concerned rap while it has a rhythm of sorts is not really music, but just a performance. I say that while I confess I have never really listened to any rap, but I certainly listened to rhythm an blues.
Of course, God speaking through the music was the subtext of the play and film Amadeus. Antonio Salieri, one of the premier composers of his day, could not understand how God could choose the callow and crude Mozart as the vehicle for His voice.
Now historically there's no evidence of bad blood between the two, but it makes a compelling story. In other words, it's fiction. But the story does make the voice of God, as expressed through Mozart's music, an unseen third character.
Your point about who or what is behind the bleak violent nihilism of black music is a good one. And it goes beyond the music, as well you know. American blacks have been cynically sold a nasty self destructive mythos of defeat, failure, and negation. Why it is not recognized and such and rejected by more is beyond me... but it is instead celebrated and held up as an authentic expression of triumph when in truth it is the opposite. Satanic is not a bad way to describe it, regardless whatever one's faith (or lack of) may be. Evil is at work, and this is only one aspect of it.
The first 45 rpm record we had was the Temptations’ Cloud Nine on Gordy Records, a purple & gold label. Coincidentally, we lived in a 2-bed trailer in Flint, MI. “Childhood part of my life wasn’t pretty”. Divorced mom w/us 3 kids. I easily related.
Sly & The Family Stone’s A Family Affair takes right into another family’s life. Just incredible music & feel. Sly HATED the song & refused to release it. Eventually, it shot to number One! To this day I remember where I was 1st hearing songs like those. Thank for mentioning Bad Luck. The Blue Notes, the Superfly soundtrack is also city blues rich with a culture that seems to have fallen even further.
I think it’s that many have forsaken what brung us; The Blues
Juliette, you've uncovered a very DEEP well. I was at a gig last night and read your initial post between sets. We were a struggling family in Flint in early-late 60's, MI. All the music we heard came from 45's and The BIG 8, CKLW. Out of one can, we heard 96 Tears, Ike & Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Stones, west coast, east coast, and Stax & Volt and Muscle Shoals, Burt Bacharach, the contemporary adult musical Brazilian styles. So many regions like restaurants, and the eatin' was good! The Creator was a part of all of that along with the Blues and a Classic Literature based lyrics.
It's almost entirely vanished. Replaced by product which occasionally kicks out a good song. What set this change off? GrandMaster Flash's; The Message was a possible starting point. Even those lyrics are more Curtis Mayfield than Easy E. Scant years later NWA type rappers hit it big. This also coincided with the ongoing decline in public education nationally, a shifting of the industrial base, glamorized cocaine use, divorce, the perpetual kicking the hornet's nest of race relations and increasing gov't interference...in everything. None of it good. Virtue discarded, and Vice celebrated. Vice works in comedy, because we laugh at our foibles but even Chris Rock's; "How to not get your ass Kicked by the Police" video brings 2-parent family logic home for everyone.
That was truly beautiful music and loved by so many. As far as I am concerned rap while it has a rhythm of sorts is not really music, but just a performance. I say that while I confess I have never really listened to any rap, but I certainly listened to rhythm an blues.
Of course, God speaking through the music was the subtext of the play and film Amadeus. Antonio Salieri, one of the premier composers of his day, could not understand how God could choose the callow and crude Mozart as the vehicle for His voice.
Now historically there's no evidence of bad blood between the two, but it makes a compelling story. In other words, it's fiction. But the story does make the voice of God, as expressed through Mozart's music, an unseen third character.
Your point about who or what is behind the bleak violent nihilism of black music is a good one. And it goes beyond the music, as well you know. American blacks have been cynically sold a nasty self destructive mythos of defeat, failure, and negation. Why it is not recognized and such and rejected by more is beyond me... but it is instead celebrated and held up as an authentic expression of triumph when in truth it is the opposite. Satanic is not a bad way to describe it, regardless whatever one's faith (or lack of) may be. Evil is at work, and this is only one aspect of it.
The first 45 rpm record we had was the Temptations’ Cloud Nine on Gordy Records, a purple & gold label. Coincidentally, we lived in a 2-bed trailer in Flint, MI. “Childhood part of my life wasn’t pretty”. Divorced mom w/us 3 kids. I easily related.
Sly & The Family Stone’s A Family Affair takes right into another family’s life. Just incredible music & feel. Sly HATED the song & refused to release it. Eventually, it shot to number One! To this day I remember where I was 1st hearing songs like those. Thank for mentioning Bad Luck. The Blue Notes, the Superfly soundtrack is also city blues rich with a culture that seems to have fallen even further.
I think it’s that many have forsaken what brung us; The Blues
I think Cloud Nine was my first 45 too! Of course, I had no idea what they were talking about until later.
I love Sly and the Family Stone also.
Juliette, you've uncovered a very DEEP well. I was at a gig last night and read your initial post between sets. We were a struggling family in Flint in early-late 60's, MI. All the music we heard came from 45's and The BIG 8, CKLW. Out of one can, we heard 96 Tears, Ike & Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Stones, west coast, east coast, and Stax & Volt and Muscle Shoals, Burt Bacharach, the contemporary adult musical Brazilian styles. So many regions like restaurants, and the eatin' was good! The Creator was a part of all of that along with the Blues and a Classic Literature based lyrics.
It's almost entirely vanished. Replaced by product which occasionally kicks out a good song. What set this change off? GrandMaster Flash's; The Message was a possible starting point. Even those lyrics are more Curtis Mayfield than Easy E. Scant years later NWA type rappers hit it big. This also coincided with the ongoing decline in public education nationally, a shifting of the industrial base, glamorized cocaine use, divorce, the perpetual kicking the hornet's nest of race relations and increasing gov't interference...in everything. None of it good. Virtue discarded, and Vice celebrated. Vice works in comedy, because we laugh at our foibles but even Chris Rock's; "How to not get your ass Kicked by the Police" video brings 2-parent family logic home for everyone.
Amen, Sister Juliette ...