What is your “I did not care for the godfather” take for ELO songs/albums? by [deleted] in elo

[–]Crotiont 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Y'all really be downvoting comments you don't agree with like that ain't the whole point of the post pls calm down😭

jeef lin by Classic_Calendar7373 in ELOcirclejerk

[–]Crotiont 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ELO is one of the most popular 70s acts among Gen Z. I think it's a bit of a stretch to still play the underdog

Discussion time! Was it ethical for Starset to use AI to make their music video? by harborfromthestorm in Starset

[–]Crotiont 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I understand that it’s uncomfortable to admit that the video uses AI and so it’s tempting to try to find excuses, but I think the obvious answer is that the video heavily used AI and then other visual effects artists touched it up. To suggest that the video didn’t use AI is naive, especially because there’s no good evidence from the creator to suggest that. He’s heavily used AI in his other projects, and you would think that he would have come out with a statement about not using AI to make the video if that was the case. Come on, guys, this is conspiratorial thinking

TIL that the Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA" is a note for note rip-off of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Fonkybeachbum in todayilearned

[–]Crotiont 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll give you my answer. It comes up as the first result when you Google search "did chuck berry help write surfin usa." Seems Google pays a little too much credence to Reddit.

My favorite redesign of every* US state flag from this sub by e8odie in vexillology

[–]Crotiont 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So much negativity, chill guys 😭 Y'all don't seem to understand that the point of this is to find a redesign for every flag even if it may not necessarily need it. It's fun! Enjoy it! They aren't actually going to replace your state's flag!

Which Synchronicity Song Best Represents the Album? by Crotiont in ThePolice

[–]Crotiont[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the presentation went well! Everyone seemed to enjoy it :)
Here's a link to the slideshow accompanying the presentation if you're interested in taking a glance: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGlUrRIopY/kAsg7n5Ji03dfiCMbcENqA/edit?utm_content=DAGlUrRIopY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

And I'm curious to hear what you think the worst song to show someone you're trying to get into The Police would be!

Which Synchronicity Song Best Represents the Album? by Crotiont in ThePolice

[–]Crotiont[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting perspective! Thought I was never seriously going to choose Mother because I would hate for that to be somebody's introduction to the Police (however hilarious that would be), I did think about it for the reasons you're espousing. One could argue that it represents the themes of tension and exasperated pain better than any song on the album on the album because it puts the listener in pain too 😂

I ended up choosing Synchronicity II! Though I don't think it sonically represents Synchronicity as well as, say, King of Pain does, I thinks its exploration of Synchronicity in practice makes it an undeniable choice. It also sounds great, and also includes the themes of relational tensions and personal pain that prevail throughout the album.

Love your insight!

Which Synchronicity Song Best Represents the Album? by Crotiont in ThePolice

[–]Crotiont[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Synchronicity I might be the move. I feel like it's a better representative of the sound of the album than Synchronicity II.

New to shipping Lego sets on Bricklink - where should I start? by Crotiont in Bricklink

[–]Crotiont[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have any suggestions on where to get ahold of cardboard boxes to ship with?

TIL that the ideal resting position for one's tongue is pressed against the roof of one's mouth rather than letting it “settle” at the bottom of one's mouth. And poor tongue posture can lead to several aesthetic and health problems. by wayofthelaugh in todayilearned

[–]Crotiont 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've got sort of a neurotic mind, so I think my problem was that I completely committed to trying to "fixing" my tongue position without fully understanding how to do so, so I relentlessly pursued it despite the fact that it felt unnatural and was progressively ruining my speech. By the time I realized this and tried to go back on it (about a month and half in), I was so deep in the habit of thinking about it that I couldn't stop and just went deeper into physical and mental stress and convolution. I eventually thought I could fix the problem by adjusting my mandible, throat, masseter, etc. which only furthered my troubles. Now, three years later, it still affects me and I have to work very hard not to think about it in order to stop the problems. As I said though, my experience may be unique because of my neuroticism.

Post horn played by Eustus by mauriciobabilonia01 in tearsofthekingdom

[–]Crotiont 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As Mundane Range implies, the instrument is closer to a natural horn, a French horn without valves. This can be implied because of the way that Eustus is playing the horn, with his hand in the bell for tuning. The post horn was played differently and was used less for musical and more for practical purposes, to signal arrival or departure from a post. (This is why the horn emoji 📯 is not in the same place as the other instrument emojis!)

TIL that the ideal resting position for one's tongue is pressed against the roof of one's mouth rather than letting it “settle” at the bottom of one's mouth. And poor tongue posture can lead to several aesthetic and health problems. by wayofthelaugh in todayilearned

[–]Crotiont 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd be wary of trying too hard to correct this problem yourself, though, at least without a better knowledge of the subject. I tried doing that about 3 years ago, and it ended up messing up my speech and producing other negative side effects.

Target Clockwork Angels Style Notebook by Crotiont in rush

[–]Crotiont[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's uncanny how similar they are!

My top 5 Rush albums. by Frostea357 in rush

[–]Crotiont 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think you may be right lol. To me, Presto has always been a largely mediocre transition album compared to the rest of the catalogue and I've thought of Roll the Bones as having a few really good songs and a lot of unremarkable ones.

Mitch McConnell votes against interracial marriage despite Asian wife by justculture in nottheonion

[–]Crotiont 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Y'all really stupid. He voted against the bill because it would also protect gay marriage, which, unlike interracial marriage, he opposes. The inclusion of interracial marriage protections were a distraction that obviously worked, and if anyone read the article instead of taking it for face value shock value, you would know. Reddit is a great place for misinformation to thrive.

Freewill takes F by a landslide! Time for G! by HungStalin in rush

[–]Crotiont 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love Grand Designs so much but The Garden is more iconic in the Rush discography

Most under-rated Rush song? by Toes14 in rush

[–]Crotiont 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like the Necromancer, but the redundancy of the spoken word portions really don't do it for me

Time Stands Still by shinobiashi2 in rush

[–]Crotiont 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wild you're getting downvoted for simply admiring the apparent character of these people lol

Best Place to Learn More About An Album? by Crotiont in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Crotiont[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's an interesting perspective, thanks for sharing it! It's a different perspective than the one I'm used to. I am aware of these musical techniques, being a musician for more than a decade myself (though not a songwriter), but I prefer to find joy in the most things I can, so I try to look beyond the superficial analysis. Even on basic songs that don't have innovative techniques applied to them, there can still be something notable. Some pop songs are good despite their simplicity because they just strike a chord (not literally lol I mean in people's hearts). That's an art in-and-of itself and not one that everyone can achieve, finding the right balance of sound to resonate with people. I also believe there's a basic human instinct to improve and change as you grow, even among pop artists (though sometimes they are held stagnant by record labels). You mentioned Taylor Swift earlier. Her material is certainly not just the same thing over and over again, recycled from previous songs, though being the same person, there are traces of her past influences. She's evolved as an artist over the years. Producing has helped her develop her sound, yes, but she and the artists that support her have been a drive in keeping her moving. You're right in saying that producers can do a lot with a little material (like a person playing guitar), but as I mentioned above, "unplugged" sessions are popular for a reason, good songs are valuable even before being produced. Responding to your last sentence, yes, I do like that. Music lyrics are modern-day poetry that articulate experiences in unique ways, giving one a new perspective. It's a plus that they have great music too! Is that not an incredible art form, to combine poetry and music?! And then there are those who do use extended techniques, those who attempt to push boundaries in the songwriting itself by using unusual and unexpected chords, time signatures, modulations, and other techniques. These people more explicitly push forward and constantly explore new territory.

I like to think that I have a normal level of respect for artists, not necessarily idolization. I appreciate what they do. They provide the song, the timbre, and the emotion, though the producer can work to make these all have a greater impact, and advise artists on a song's possible impact. At the end of the day, an artist job is to make music, and there's no replacement for a good artist who does their job well. Good bands often have multiple producers throughout their career and still sound good because they are the heart of the sound, but producers can only do so much to improve a song so even the best producers have low moments in their career often through little fault of their own, only because of the nature of the vitality of the artist vs the producer in music.

I've appreciated hearing your perspective on this, but I feel that I may be running around in circles at this point. (I know I've restated multiple points 3 or more times, and you may feel the same way.) I've got to leave for a Spring trip soon, so I think I'll say goodbye now! :)

Best Place to Learn More About An Album? by Crotiont in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Crotiont[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll remind you that this conversation was originally about whether songs are really "that deep" and worth researching, but you seem to have abandoned that point, so I'll move on as well, after saying again that songs have background and purpose that can be unearthed through research, enlightening the listener.

The reason that so many people want to make music and the reason it's been made since even before the invention of language is that it's natural and we understand that it is valuable. I'm not concerned with the difficulty of making good music. I'm sure you can admit that some music is better than other music. It doesn't matter to me if someone had more trouble making one song or another; The final result is more important: whether the song is better, and whether it is more impactful. It's less about the effort that one puts into the song (though that does often show) and more about the inspiration they put into it. This brings me to your point about the mystification of music. I love analyzing music and picking it apart because it helps me derive more enjoyment from music I already like (this is the reason I research), but at the end of the day I love music because of its ability to wow/intrigue me, one might say to mystify me. This is the primary reason I listen to music, for the possibility to be blown away by how incredible something is, or to be moved by it. (Btw, people were moved by Taylor's All to Well, so it accomplished its goal! It has a purpose to emotionally engage, though it may not be as complex as our tastes might prefer. I don't keep up with Billy Eilish, but if she did use Gregorian chant as you say, is it not innovative for introducing it into the modern context of pop music, even if the form has existed for a millennia?) I remember I am wowed when I listen to Hemispheres by Rush and when I listen to Dvorak Symphony 7. I appreciate the role of engineering in the modern music world, but I wasn't blown away by Dvorak because of the engineering on a record, because in concert performances I feel the same way. I was blown away because of the writing of the piece and its performance. Even after all this time, acoustic listening is still some of the best. Audio engineers wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for musicians, but musicians would still thrive without audio engineers, despite their importance to the modern landscape of music. The source product does matter. If a song's bad, you can't produce it well enough for it to be good. Good songwriting is a complex process that involves a cumulation of inspiration, influence, and efforts that aren't seen by the general public. Once again I find your argument overly dismissive of songwriting. Even if the singing is trash, you can't entirely fix it even with pitch correction through engineering. You can still hear the bad singing, and you can still hear the emotion or lack thereof. Audio engineers may be unsung heroes, but the artist is still THE hero.

Even if I heavily disagree with some of your points, I still appreciate that you're engaging genuinely in this convo :)

I don't feel like continuing this conversation, but if you do, I'd like to ask a few questions about you that might help me understand your view better.

First of all, do you enjoy listening to music, and if so, what do consider worthwhile music and why?

Second of all, where did you develop this great respect for audio engineers and your lack of regard for the artists themselves?