[TerriblySorry]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF I gotta echo redshifter here: WWHHHAAAAAAA??

Well, that was then...but they have grown on me. I've got several of their albums (he said defensively).

 

[huy_ha]

Either element can save a song. Lyrics save Elvis Costello from his own singing, the beat saves Public Enemy from Flavor Flav's lyrics, and the music saves us all from Ringo. I can't say I favor one over the other, but I notice awful lyrics before I notice an awful tune.

 

[gaineso]

Erroll Garner, one of if not the greatest jazz pianist wrote "Misty" as a piano jazz trio melody, and it's fabulous the way he played it. Then someone wrote words to the tune and Johnny Mathis sang it. It became known in the 60's as "Music to Get Laid By".

Both were important.

"The Second Barbra Streisand Album", recorded while she was still a young early 20's, has such raw emotional singing from one of the great voices of all time, that the lyrics are obviously dominant.

Then there was Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk". Straight instrumental.

How do you determine which is more important with Clapton or Zeppelin, or Hendrix or Airplane.

Then there's Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Mozart, Bach, Strauss, and on and on. Obviously the melody.

I'm not familiar with a lot of the more recent groups mentioned, but I would have to imagine it's the same. It's going to depend more on the individual piece, the intent of the artist, the quality of the recording etc.

As I say in my sig, Just enjoy the music.

BTW, I'm trying to listen with a more open mind and ear to some of the newer stuff, especially after being figuratively handed my a** over some comments. Still don't like it, but looking for the artistry in it. Some does have some obvious, serious artistry. WFCF plays a lot of less known groups as well as more commercially known material. I listen for about 1/2 hour a day, and it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it used to. I'm learning and opening this old hippy mind again.

 

[Voyager]

I usually listen to the lyrics and the other parts of the music with equal emphasis, but if I am not familiar with the song, I will listen more to the instrumental portions. Also, if I hear a musical piece that feels really powerful, I tend to listen to the instruments more. If, on the other hand, I hear lyrics that have a special meaning I sometimes focus on them more than the instruments. All of this taken into consideration, I listen to both about equally.

 

[Xevion]

Quote:

As long as I like the melody, the lyrics could literally be nothing but "blah blah BLAAAAH blah blah", and I'd be happy. Good lyrics are icing on the cake.

This is exactly how I feel about them 99% of the time. Sometimes there is an exception (Pink Floyd is the only one I can think of, Nirvana literally sounds like blah blah blah to me for the most part, and I just find most of their lyrics dumb, although I like Kobain's voice. My favorite song by them is probably Lounge Games and I have no clue what it is about).

I don't pay attention to lyrics at all in most music. I hear the person singing as another insturment, whether put to good use (Therion, Apocalyptica (Path is awesome! But I haven't a clue what the lyrics are/mean despite the lyrics being clear), or just sound completely silly and dumb lyrically - Rhapsody, Luca Turilli, Sonata Arctica fit into this group. I also love vocals in other languages, particularly German (Lacrimosa, Rammstein, Beethoven's 9th, Oomph, Run Lola Run soundtrack to name a few in German). I just find German a much more musical language.

If I hate a vocalist, it won't ruin the group for me, but it really hurts it. I hate Geddy Lee's voice and hence don't own any Rush CDs, although their music is great. I hate the singer from Sigh, but the music is great so I will continue to listen to it.

 

[KR...]

Apocalyptica has lyrics?

Not the version that I heard, it had no singing at all, Just 4 cellos.

 

[Xevion]

KR - On the version of Cult I have, Sandra Nasic sings on Path in the place of the Cello lead. Absolutely incredible, although the lyrics are probably dumb, but I wouldn't notice for another 10 listens.

 

[roll-man]

90% of the music in my collection is instrumental, so that should give you some idea. In terms of content, I have to say I don't pay much attention to the "words" that are being sung...for that we have books.

 

[BenG]

There are few singers who are actually great musicians & many more instrumentalists who are.

 

[nick danger]

Ya really gotta drag me to listen to a lyric. I don't even know if I want to talk anymore and you guys want to know if I listen to words? There have been tunes in the past that I listened to, memorized and sang. Now there is way too much crap being sung
and as Jeff Beck says.....
no wait.....
he doesn't either.....
but on his last album his duet with a bird was amazing!

 

[eastsidemetalhd]

probably music more than lyrics. i do most of my listening while commuting, so not much chance of reading along with the lyric sheets.

then again, i listen to death metal, where you can't really hear the lyrics to begin with.

 

[leon]

Welp, so most of us have enough brain matter to take in both at the same time, including myself

Both are important. My interest dwindles over materials in a language I have no knowledge of. And no matter how nice the music is, I can't possibly ignore certain kinds of lyrics. Here's the example I usually use, and I'm sure you'll recognize it:

Oh baby I've got a dependency, always strung out for another taste of your honey~

What has happened during the past year, though, is that the attraction of lyrics per se is growing increasingly weak for me.

For a long time, my mom's had this kind of criteria: if you're just listening to the song without paying attention, a lot of vocals will cease to sound attractive. Probably too breathy or animalistic and what not. This year I suddenly saw sense in that, and had a shift in my tastes, more or less. It's basically being more specific about the kind of vocals I love hearing.

What this turns me into, I don't know. Doubly die-hard for Shawn Colvin? Probably

 

[Vertigo-1]

Quote:

the more abstract and strange the lyrics the more i pay attention. i like to try to figure out what the heck they're singing about, like it's a mystery to be solved.

I gotta say this is when I start paying attention to the lyrics too...which is why I was obsessed with Aqua for the longest time.

Of course if you're a classical listener, this poll doesn't apply much to you...

And who voted for the last one?!? And what are you doing here even!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by Vertigo-1 And who voted for the last one?!? And what are you doing here even! [/B]

Maybe they use headphones to listen to spoken word and comedy...