Hmmm...pensive...

I just had a bit of an epiphany.  

Wouldn't it be really sad if in a hundred years' time people won't listen to some of the amazing songs around at the moment? Complete masterpieces will pass into oblivion - to the graveyard of lost music if you may. 

Some songs have been around for centuries. Greensleeves, for example, is a well-known ditty around half a millennia old. However this song was passed down lovingly from generation to generation, liked a treasured possession or an ancient tale elaborated and changed through every telling. Unlike today in which most forms of media seem to be discarded once they've reached a certain age.

Why is this? Do we simply lack the creative talent to make something truly inspiring and therefore are incapable of adding anything new to our magnificent repertoire of masterpieces? Or are we simply too fickle to appreciate someone's hard work and effort for more than a mere moment? Whatever the case our current contemporary music, literature and art won't last for long unless we're careful.

I think in some cases it's unreasonable to say that we lack creative talent, especially when I see inspiring artwork like this everyday.

Street Art in Bristol

I'm not much of a connoisseur in the field of art so maybe this isn't good enough to become a masterpiece?

But then I don't understand why some pieces like this hang in the Tate?

Please forgive me if this is meant to have some deep, significant meaning, as I'm sure it may but I find work like this so uninspiring. Of course this is just personal opinion but I can understand why art like this gets forgotten especially when comparing it to some of the greats that spring to mind; Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. 

And what about classic literature, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen? Who do we have to compare it to? The most popular books of the 21st century appear to be Harry Potter and dare I say it...Twilight? Will these become classics in a hundred years' time? Will they be analysed for their poetry and philosophical meaning in a couple of centuries? I doubt it. However just because they're popular now doesn't mean they are or will become a masterpiece. It is often the hidden treasures which are unearthed years after their creation which become inspirational. Perhaps there is a potential classic piece of literature being written right now or a piece of art that is worth a fiver at present and a couple of million quid in centuries time. It seems that this is often the case. 

So what inspired me to start writing about this topic? 

Well...okay...maybe this is a bit of a let down for some but it was Foal's song, Spanish Sahara. Maybe it isn't a masterpiece or maybe it is; that's for the future to decide. However whilst I was listening to it during a very wistful mood, I thought; "It's a shame that perhaps future generations won't know about a song which personally holds a lot of meaning and emotion".

By the way; the introduction is beautiful but very quiet, so turn up the volume!

Dear anyone still reading, hi. I just would like to say that I have touched on a vast subject here and I suppose there are lots of stances to take, so if you have any opinions let me know. (And please let me know of any recommendations for classic/contemporary music, art, literature or even film which you think are inspiring and brilliant.)

Sometimes I get a good feeling, other times I'm not too sure.

You might be familiar with these lyrics if you're a radio listener or at least a TV watcher.

"Ooooooh, oh, sometimes I get a good feeling, yeah, I get a feeling that I never never never never had before, no no, I get a good feeling, yeah" 

At present, I think this song appears in at least two adverts on the television and the lyrics feature in two songs in the current UK chart. This is surprising as the original is 50 years old.

I was familiar with Avicii's song 'Levels', which I think is my favourite club tune at the moment, this samples parts of the original and is at number 5 in the chart. Today, I looked at the UK chart update to find Flo Rida's even more uninspiring version at number one.

At first, I was confused. I thought I'd been mistaken. Why were there two very similar songs in the chart? Were they the same song? No.

At least Avicii's contains a little bit of creativity with the lyrics being used to add a climatic element to his song. I think it is not unreasonable for artists to sample other people's riffs and lyrics, if they are willing to recognise the original. However Flo Rida's song is just a copy, it continually repeats the lyrics with him rapping over the top, it's not particularly artistic and it's not ground-breaking. But most chart music isn't, I suppose.

I will honestly admit though, I didn't know that Avicii had taken samples from Etta James' beautiful song, "Something's Got a Hold On Me", until I did my research. (I like to know the inspiration/source behind a musician's work.)

I don't know whether to be happy that a song around half a century old is inspiring artists today and thus our very fickle modern music consumers. Or sad, that in today's pop industry, the current number one is basically a copy of a sample of the original.



The original - or so I hope.



The club one.



The boring chart one.

Jango.com

So I wanted to listen to some music online the other day and I discovered Jango.com. I listened to the Hot Alternative Playlist, which I have linked in the title. The website is brilliant, if you're stuck without music and you're near a computer I would recommend it. I'm no expert about the pros and cons of streaming websites but it suited my taste in music well.

Anyway whilst listening to their playlist I noted down four amazing songs that my iPod is seriously embarrassed to not have already:

1. The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun



This song is not only a classic and inspirational tune, but who can't resist it's charms? As it puts a smile on your face, even on a gloomy day.

2. Massive Attack - Teardrop



This song is stunning. It invokes in me a sense of peace as well as greatness, like something spectacular is about to happen. I feel that this means something special to me and yet I am unable to put my finger on what it is. It may not make sense but it's like this song holds some sort of lost memory.

3. Muse - Feeling Good



The soothing climatic intro grows into that rocky guitar riff which we all adore. It has Bellamy singing into a speaker phone which nobody could make sound so brilliant. Before slowing the tempo with Mat's soprano wails fading out into silence. Leaving us all feeling good.

4. Gary Jules - Mad World



This simplistic song is beautiful and undeniably stirs emotions in all of us. Sometimes all you need is a piano and a voice to bring tears to your eyes.

Wolf themed music...

I'm really into my music. Okay. Now that really is quite an underwhelming claim as I think everyone is really into their music....But I really am into my music.

Although my problem is that I'm quite the music snob. I'll listen to the radio but I don't really enjoy it - unless it's hours when Radio One isn't playing crappy pop music. My problem is, I'm bored easily, pop music to me sounds the same; manufactured & synthetic. Now I won't have a rant about today's music industry because that's been done. It never ends well. Someone usually ends up storming out of the room.

So instead why don't I link you to some of my current favourites.
Firstly however, here is a very special site that I love. It posts different and brilliant music of all genres that can be downloaded for free. http://rcrdlbl.com/

• The Big Bad Wolf - Duck Sauce (I don't know why I love this but it's incredibly catchy and addictive)
  
• Me And Mr. Wolf - The Real Tuesday Weld (I couldn't find it on youtube, so here's RCRDLBL again, another very catchy song, I described it earlier in one of my tweets as the gypsy-jazz-gremlin-dance-jazz-hands song)
• I'm starting to feel a wolf theme so just for the fun of it: Yulia - Wolf Parade

Okay so that was random. Maybe I'll post some more un-wolf-related songs that I like tomorrow.