The Songwriter Forum - songwriting reviews, tips and chat
Songwriter Forum => The Bar => Topic started by: adamfarr on April 02, 2018, 09:29:33 AM
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I like music. Lots of different types. I listen to lots of things and try to be curious and open minded. I am also nearer to 100 than zero.
So how come there are still hit songs that I've never heard before with the capacity to totally blow me away? Yesterday I heard "Ode to Billie Joe" for the first time. Yes, there's that "mystery line" that it seems everyone still wonders about. But the entire thing is a delicate beautifully described work of art.
It may be that I have had a blind spot around country music (though is this really country music?). Possibly it was hiding in plain sight...
Anyone got any other revelations to share?!
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Yes that's a great song. I'm not massively knowledgeable about country music or what is generally labelled country though I like anything from 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky' by Bill Monroe to 'Lost Highway' by Hank Williams and 'Return of The Grievous Angel' by Gram Parsons and I would say this probably rates as one of the best of the genre (for me).
Revelations...none at the moment.
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Being in my 20s this happens to me ALL THE TIME. So many amazing pop tunes. Recently discovered Wonderful Life by Black and couldn't believe I'd never heard it before.
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For me it was 'Wichita Lineman', a couple of years ago. Another country-ish epiphany moment.
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Fascinating...
I listened to "Ode to Billie Joe" just now...don't remember hearing it before...I felt a little foolish having no clue what it was about beyond the detachment of the folks to the kid killing himself...and thought I'd almost certainly have failed to pay attention to it because the overall feel didn't engage me enough...so then I looked into the story more closely and eventually figured it makes little difference what else it might have been about. It was enough to make the kid jump. The comments section on one of the posts was a real rabbit-hole. Everything from flowers to foetus...yikes. My completely unqualified pick of the ideas I read...his draft papers.
Is anyone familiar with this story?
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/overtoun-bridge
That'd make a canny song too...
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Which version were you listening to Adam?
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Assume you. are referring to the Bobby Gentry version. Just listened. A very enjoyable listen.
My equivalent discovery (from same era) is Nina Simone. Young Gifted and Black. The vocal delivery, melody and story blew me away.
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Assume you. are referring to the Bobby Gentry version. Just listened. A very enjoyable listen.
My equivalent discovery (from same era) is Nina Simone. Young Gifted and Black. The vocal delivery, melody and story blew me away.
Oh weird. I was literally just looking at a portrait I had drawn of Nina Simone right before I came to this thread. I love her.
There's a movie about the One to Billy Joe from probably the '80s, which I always think about when I hear the song. It answers all the questions. 😬
The person I just recently discovered but should've known about long ago was Lee Hazelwood. Right up my street. Don't know how I missed him. I guess he was a bit before my time, but he's pretty timeless.
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Yes, Bobbie Gentry. And ftom my detailed research (of one podcast) the film was a bit left field and she didn’t actually confirm that what was shown was what she intended...
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Yes, Bobbie Gentry. And ftom my detailed research (of one podcast) the film was a bit left field and she didn’t actually confirm that what was shown was what she intended...
Oh, I'm not surprised. I'm sure she cringed when she saw it. Haha.