How Does It Feel?

The Topic: When listening to music, usually there is a section where one of the musicians takes a solo: how does that make you feel after hearing it ?

Charlie Tee's thoughts:
Joel wanted to know the thoughts behind the feelings when one listens to certain portions in music (I think specifically the solos in the songs).
I would have to say that for me that is a sort of hard to answer because it depends on what's going on around me at the time that I first hear it; for example, I'm an enormous fan of saxophonist David Sanborn, and in the 80's he had a live album entitled "Straight to the Heart," and there is a song on there called "Smile," which was originally done on another of his albums. Anyway, there is a section toward the middle of the song where David and guitarist Hiram Bullock trade lines, in other words Hiram would play a line, then David would match the line and so on. It starts off sort of slowly but then it builds into this great wall of sound with each player trying to outdo the last one, and in the end David does this absolutely unbelievable finger run up and down the saxophone, and it moves me to tears still to this day...why ? because I know David personally and I know that his left arm is atrophied (from being born with Polio), but he never let that stop his music, and to me it's awe inspiring, he didn't let disability disable him.

Jen's thoughts:
I'm not a musician, by any account, but I will give my 2 cents on this topic, for what it's worth. (Besides...doesn't being a music lover count for something????HAHA)

There are several songs that come to mind when I think about a specific part of a song that excites me......One song is Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight". I don't know what the part of the song would be called exactly, but the part where there is a drum solo (I guess)...It is somewhat unexpected in the song and it just ROCKS! My dad loves this song, too, which adds to the reason why I love it, too. He always plays the "drums" on the steering wheel when we listen to this song in the car. Another song is "Steamroller" with James Taylor. I guess I thought this song was cool because of the musicians' talent throughout the song, especially at the end. And this song sounds like no other James Taylor song. It is one that gets me pumped up and excited. (I know, I know....Phil Collins and James Taylor get me pumped up....Man, I'm a hard core rocker, aren't I????)

Sherry's thoughts:
Music affects me in odd ways. yes, i am like most. many times, when i hear an old song memories come rushing back at me, sometimes with a force that shakes me. my memories tho are almost little film clips, little snatches of the past. when i hear the song, SHOTGUN, I'm back at a little diner that used to be on the blvd. of the allies and wood st. across from point park college, now university. I can SEE my hand putting a quarter in the jukebox to play that song. i can taste the toasted english muffin i just finished, see the steam rise from the cup of tea i left on the table.if I hear SOMEONE by the contrails(not sure that's spelled right) I'm in the backseat of a certain car, hummm! yeah, I am. I can see as if I'm observing, odd that.this summer, i was with some friends sitting outside by their pool and a friend of mine(he and i are the same age, 1 month apart) started out of nowwhere to sing the song PLASTIC JESUS ( no offense, i do believe Jesus has a keen sense of humor )now, i hadn't heard that song in years and years. i had completely forgotten it's existence(or so i thought) but i joined right in, sang the words as if i was reading them off of a paper in my hand. go figure?his wife looked at me and told me that she thought her husband had made up that song just try to make her believe that it was an actual song! nope, it's a song! i searched around a bit on the internet, low and behold. there it was. so i posted the link on my blog! the really strange thing is, i rarely sing out loud, don't know WHY i just joined in singing that song, but it made me think of the blue plastic madonna my parents had on the dashboard of their rambler when i was a kid. i could see her clearly. hadn't had that memory at all before that day by the pool, but there i was, a grade school kid with penny loafers and scabby knees sitting in the car going to the store with my mom, looking at the suction cupped little virgin.so, yes, music affects me in a very real, very potent way, not always, but sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing, but i push the bad down and change the radio station!

Michael's thoughts:
One song that truly moves me is the love theme from St. Elmos Fire. Every time I hear that song my heart flutters. I think it takes me back to high school and doesn't necessary invoke feelings of "love", but of excitement about new things and growing up and discovery. That movie is so complex and sad and I can remember watching it when I was 14 and thinking those people were so cool and that their lives were so glamorous and sad all at the same time. Now looking back they were all so young and just learning how to find themselves. I saw them as mature and all grown up, but they were just kids. I also get all pumped up about the Phil Collins drum solo and Jen and I have been in the car together and skillfully played the dash board drums in unison. I also really like several heavy metal instrumentals like Van Halen, ZZ Top, Metallica, Linkin Park, and Disturbed. I am moved by many types of music. I also have to say that INXS has great saxaphone solos. I could go on and on...

Joel's thoughts:
It's always been a hard one for me- for anyone really, to single outthe groove on a song is being just that much greater than the others,but it can be made easier by talking about this ethereal factor called'groove'. I'm actually going to begin by giving my 2 cents on theopinions of the others.I've never been much of a fan of David Sanborn, but he seems to be avery varied player. I'll be honest and say that I've really only heardhim play 'smooth jazz' - a bane!Jen, I don't know the Phil Collins, but James Taylor should pumpanyone! Steamroller is just ridiculously groovy because its a reallynice, stylish blues. If we stick on James Taylor, I like 'Don't let mebe lonely'. Its just so... intense? Its a really structured song. Itsvery simple, but it climaxes in a damn big way, even if its only inreality a chilled out sax solo by Mr Session himself, Michael Brecker.Michael's mentioned I also don't seem to know. Now me, first justSONGS that really move me... the MASH theme. I always forget what itscalled... but Paul Desmond's playing on that is mindblowinglybeautiful, and haunting. Its music that you can listen and just sitthinking about life. I think thats a pretty unusual quality. I alsolike Rodriguez'z concierto de aranguez (sp?), in particular Miles'sversion and the Chet Baker Paul Desmond. Its just so lyrical a pieceof music, without lyrics, and I think its quite sad that music seemsto be only accepted as moving if the lyrics are poetry. Sometimeslyrics can be ingenious or hilarious, and sometimes they can beimmature, but for me, when I write lyrics, I just want them to soundgood. I couldn't give a (insert something here) about whether theymake sense or not if they sound great!Sounding great should be a priority. Three other songs to brieflymention that I think are really really groovy.Nine Inch Nails - Hurt ... Just listen to it. When I saw NIN live, itwas, and still is the best concert I have ever been to. I know itsonly 18 years of me, but still... Thats an example of the lyrics beingsheer poetic genious, and sounding good. Its a use of sounds andlayers, and the music isn't just angst. It is, in its truest form, agreat work of art...Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb ... I needn't really say much about that?And one of my favourites, Marvin Gaye, Whats goin on... the scat nearthe end, when the key is going up and down. Its a beautifully phrasedlyrical solo pouring out of his heart threw his mouth, direct insteadof into a horn or any other instrument. Its really beyondcomprehension to me. Its such a simple solo... but I certainlycouldn't improvise a solo like that over anything. I'm sure it mayhave been tweaked or memorized.. but in the first place... its justbeautiful... blah.