Cassiopaean Sandbox > Music
Esoteric tunes
Guest:
I can recommend a tremendous album by a band called Red Snapper entitled "Making Bones". Basically they are a jazz collective with electronica and ska influences, but if you can check out the opening track, "The Sleepless", which abounds with esoteric references to Osiris, Isis, Jesus, John the baptist etc.
The most important factor though is the sheer quality of their playing, which I can testify to after seeing them in a festival in 2003. I don't think they've got a record deal at the present time (typical!), but I'm sure we haven't heard the last of them.
A little more art of this quality would do us all the world of good, so does anyone out there have any other recommendations of esoteric tunes (lyrically)??
MaskedAvatar:
For something plain funny, listen to "Voyage of Gurdjieff" (The Fourth Way) by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion.
In general 60s garage psych bands did esoterica better than "we" do it today.
Mr. Premise:
Sun Ra, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Pharaoh Sanders, John Coltrane, The Incredible String Band.
Guest:
Excellent! I have "A Love Supreme", which had quite an effect upon me immediately, and a fair smattering of Miles Davis records. Sun Ra sounds intruiging...but metal bands tend to bludgeon me a little, but I may be pleasantly surprised! Folk bands..I am familiar with "The Fakir" by Davy Graham, so TISB may be worth a listen.
Any ideas why modern bands struggle to convey the esoterica so successfully?
More to the point, the cultural shift away from the spiritual is probably a determining factor.
Cheers guys!!
Mr. Premise:
Actually Sun Ra is an old-style 40s jazz swing band. But a swing band whose leader claims to have come from outer space! Here is Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra on him:
--- Quote ---Sun Ra (May 22, 1914 - May 30, 1993) was an innovative jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, who came to be known as much for his "cosmic philosophy" as for his musical compositions and performances.
Born Herman Poole Blount, in Birmingham, Alabama, he was nicknamed Sonny from his youth. He later abandoned his birth name and took on the name and persona of Sun Ra (Ra being the name of the ancient Egyptian god of the Sun). He led The Arkestra, an ensemble with an ever-changing lineup, which also used a variety of names: "The Solar Myth Arkestra," the "Blue Universe Arkestra," "The Jet Set Omniverse Arkestra," and many other permutations.
Claiming that he was of the "Angel Race" and not from Earth, but rather from Saturn, Ra developed a complicated persona of "cosmic" philosophies and lyrical poetry that preached "awareness" and peace above all. Some regarded him as a kook in this regard, but most recognized his immense musical talents.
He eschewed racism (having been a victim of it many times experienced during his touring and booking schedule with the Arkestra) and insisted his musicians avoid drug abuse, though he rarely came out and directly spoke about any controversial subjects.
There is some disagreement as to Sun Ra's date of birth. Sun Ra himself stated that he "arrived on earth" at any number of ancient dates. The date listed above appeared on Sun Ra's passport, but others place his birth anywhere from 1910 to 1918, with most sources supporting a birth year of 1914 or 1915. Incidentally, Sun Ra reported that his astrological sign was Gemini, which coincides with the above mentioned birthday.
--- End quote ---
Never heard of Davy Graham but just looked him up. Sounds fascinating. Thanks.
--- Quote from: Skystalker ---Excellent! I have "A Love Supreme", which had quite an effect upon me immediately, and a fair smattering of Miles Davis records. Sun Ra sounds intruiging...but metal bands tend to bludgeon me a little, but I may be pleasantly surprised! Folk bands..I am familiar with "The Fakir" by Davy Graham, so TISB may be worth a listen.
Any ideas why modern bands struggle to convey the esoterica so successfully?
More to the point, the cultural shift away from the spiritual is probably a determining factor.
Cheers guys!!
--- End quote ---
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version