Any band that takes their entire melody and vocal arrangements and replicates them in song after song deserves nothing but ridicule.

Thanks Håvar!

In reply to this comment by Haldaug:
Feynman with a theme melody! Could it get any better? No: *quality

Feynman with a theme melody! Could it get any better? No: *quality

You know what I love about Gilbert?

He's so low key. And his voice is so melodious. I could listen to a voice like that all day long. And his humor is so, so, so...what's the word? Erudite?

Dare I say it?

Funny fellow. Wonderful neighbor. So...selfless....

To me it's more the vocal melody than the music itself, it's almost exactly the same. Being a singer myself I pick up on that stuff. But the guitar parts seems to have the same cord progression too. Just not as close as the vocal melody.

*1sttube *blues & roots

"Self-taught and having no knowledge of conventional guitar tunings (e.g. standard 'EADGBE' tuning or any established open tunings), Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach to left-handed guitar playing involved keeping the guitar in standard tuning but holding it upside down. This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature, alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking"."

It's definitely not their best work, but I only discovered it last night after some heavy smoking and a few drinks. It has sentimental value to me.

Apparently RHCP wrote the song after conducting a private concert with some other heavyweights (Metallica and a few others) up in Resolute Bay, Nunavut back in 1992. A few people I knew bought tickets and attended.

Some of the lyrics are very poignant - "Desperate and it shows". My home is rife with poverty, alcoholism, etc. At this point I'm rambling so I'll stop. I understand where you're coming from on the screen shot.

In reply to this comment by choggie:
Dunno man, I have never been able to justify a song with a screen shot-SO much music I'd love to publish that has no video content-OK...Her's an unsolicited review of the song-Non-sequitur cliche, simple, unappealing melody, whiny delivery. RHCP's have done much better-they lost their steam after Californication-Time for the boys to retire to their life of tours, live shows, and playing the hits over and over to less-than-packed crowds of 30-somethings.....The Foghat syndrome.
In reply to this comment by Throbbin:
http://videosift.com/video/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Eskimo

Dunno man, I have never been able to justify a song with a screen shot-SO much music I'd love to publish that has no video content-OK...Her's an unsolicited review of the song-Non-sequitur cliche, simple, unappealing melody, whiny delivery. RHCP's have done much better-they lost their steam after Californication-Time for the boys to retire to their life of tours, live shows, and playing the hits over and over to less-than-packed crowds of 30-somethings.....The Foghat syndrome.
In reply to this comment by Throbbin:
http://videosift.com/video/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Eskimo

The Dies Irae is a very old and famous melody, dating back to the days of Gregorian Chant, some 8 centuries ago. It was the part of the Roman Catholic Mass dealing with death and judgment day. The melody is still used commonly as thematic material in *darker pieces of music. It's most famous setting was in a orchestral piece called Symphonie Fantasique by Hector Berlioz.

I can't believe I am doing this. Here are the lyrics:

tlhIngan Hol yIghoj DabommeH!

nom maja'chuqchu'meH tlhIngan Hol jay'!
nom maja'chuqchu'meH tlhIngan Hol jay'!

QI'lopDaq, qaq wornagh!
toQDujDaq, not maSagh!
QI'lopDaq, QI'lopDaq,
QI'lopDaq, QI'lopDaq,
QI'lopDaq, QI'lopDaq,
QI'lopDaq, ...

tlhIngan SuvwI' qan jIHbe', 'ach SuvDI' vay' ghIH
vaj bom vIchennISmoH jIH 'e' vIHarbejtaH.
maja'chuqchu'meH tlhIngan Hol wIlo'taH!
taH pagh taHbe' neH jatlhtaH
'a DaH maSuvmeH malop net Sov
'ej Daq wISovbe', chaq not maQaplaH...?
bIlujlaHbe'chugh, vaj bIQaplaHbe'!
'a maQapmeH matay'nIS nuja'taH be'.
wIDabe'lu'ba'; DIDataHbe'chugh maSuv.
jagh DISuvDI' cha baH je net Sov.
tlhIngan SuvwI' quv maHbej
'a mapuvlaHbe', reH maSuvtaH
'ej nIteb Suvbe' be' nuja' be' le'.
nuja' be' le'be': veQ ja' be' le'.
yIn nI'qu' ghajbe'bej HoDma' lI'be',
tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' qan tu'lu'be'mo'.
SuvwI'pu', Hoch tlhInganpu',
peqImqu', verenganpu', DaH mabomchu'!
peDoy'Qo', QongtaHbogh SuvwI' vItoy'Qo'.
bom mu' vIqaw vIneHbej: taHjaj wo'!

DaH maSuv, chaq tugh maHegh,
'a batlh maHeghmeH
jagh DISuvchu'taH 'ej yo' qIjDaq
tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' qan tu'lu'be'

tlhIngan SuvwI' qan jIHbe'bej.
maquvnIS, maSuvnIS, 'ej DaH maSuvqa'bej
peqImtaH: Do'Ha' jaghla' wuv ngeHbej,
qa'vamDaq qama HoH neHchugh tlhIngan, nura': baH!
parmaqqaywI', parmaqqay qaywI''e' SenwI' rIlwI' je
pe'vIl mu'qaDmey bach gheb rIlwI'
muSeyqu'moH rIlwI' SuSDeq.
'ej DarSeqDaj DaSamnIS ra' tlhIngan Hubbeq
Suvrup pu' beqma': tlhIngan Hubbeq SuvwI'!
'a DaH So'wI' chu'be'chu'mo' taHqeq So'be' So'wI'.
'a Do'Ha'! (melody)
SSS! Dap bom mu' vIqaw vIneHqu'bogh vIqelbe'law'taH vIja'lu'pu'.
DaH malop maH neHbej qeylIS.
'a wa'leS chaq maHegh, 'ej DaH malop 'e' DIS.
nuHbey DISay'moH, 'ej leSpoH neH wIpoQ.
reH SeymoH QeH. tera'ngan DItaymoH.
QamchoH, majeghbe'bej.
maSuv'eghbe'chugh Hem tlhIngan Segh DevwI'.
tugh maHeghbej, 'a Dabej DawI'.
Dubej - Dabej - 'Iv bej DevwI'?

[refrain]

'a DaH Qu' DataghDI' 'aqtu' mellota' je chaH tIqawchu'taH!
'Iw HIq bIr 'Iq neHbe' Hur'Iq.
nuja': tujnIS 'Iw HIq!
latlh HIvje'Daq 'Iw HIq bIr yIqang jay'.
'ej pIpyuS pach DaSop DaneHchugh
vaj pIpyuS puS DaghornIS 'e' DaSovnIS.
'a maSopnIS, malopmeH raHta' wISop neH.
Qopba'taH qagh, 'a reH nIv qaghna' yIntaHchugh.
qompoghna' yIjab!
ghIlab ghew tISuqQo'. belmoH ro'qegh'Iwchab
ghIlab ghewmey wIbuSQo'.
wa' Dol nIvDaq malopDI' maH maQapba'.
naDev QI'lopDaq maloptaHvIS reH machuS.
tlhInganpu' chuS law' Hoch chuS puS.
Su'lop luSopchugh not lubuS
QI'lop wIlopchugh reH machuS
tlhIngan quv DatIchqu' DaneHchugh vaj Seng yIghuH,
'ej bommeH 'ej lopmeH bogh tlhInganpu'.
tu'HomI'raHna' vIlIng:
voDleH neH neH neH neH'a' parbIng?
Dap bom yIbom be'Hom!
Dap bom mu' vIqaw vIneHqu'bogh vIbom
'ej bom mu' vIbomtaHbogh DaH bolIjbe':
tlhIngan SuvwI'pu' qan tu'lu'be'!

[refrain]

>> ^RhesusMonk:
Someday I'm going to write a long treatise here about why this song and this story have very little to do with god's grace and being connected through JC. This is about awe and gratitude. Christians believe there is some force that is doling out goodwill and that we are unwitting and undeserving of this goodwill, unless we respond in a Christian way.

I read a great quote recently: "Christian is a wonderful noun, but a terrible adjective." I have to agree. I think the feeling you're describing, the feeling hinted at by Phipps, is transcendental. As Newton emerged from his cabin that day, and heard the dirge rising up from the hold, something in his brain clicked. No doubt, "Unknown" was sold into bondage exactly on schedule, and so the song did not save him in a meaningful way, but unbeknownst to him, that song did have an effect. Newton began to reconsider his role in things, and left the slave trade. He was a vocal proponent of abolition in England. It would be many, many years before he would put pen to paper and write out Amazing Grace (he experienced his conversion moment in 1748, and composed AG between 1760 and 1770) but nevertheless, the wordless song never truly left him. He chose to share its melody with those who'd never set foot on a slave ship, and found that, somehow, the effect was sustained.

Now everything I've just mentioned can be looked at in a non-Christian context, and it would remain true. It should be said, though, that the presence of Christianity and its memes made it easier for Newton to become aware of just how far he'd strayed in his life. Given the number of unrepentant slave captains who called themselves Christians, it does not necessarily follow that Newton's salvation was due to his turn to Christianity, but it certainly helped. And it also helped all the slaves who would have found passage in the hold of his ship, but did not, thanks to his conversion. Again, Christianity didn't do it, but it was a 'hook' upon which Newton could hang this unsettling feeling in his belly.

Kurt Vonnegut notes much the same in a speech he gave at Clowes Hall in 2007. He starts by pointing out that, while Marx said that 'religion was the opium of the lower classes', he should have been taken literally. Opiates were a wonderful class of drug that numbed the pain, and who knew pain better than the working classes? He continues, "The most spiritually splendid phenomenon of my lifetime is how African-American citizens have maintained their dignity and self-respect, despite their having been treated by white Americans, both in and out of government, and simply because of their skin color, as though they were contemptible and loathsome, and even diseased. Their churches have surely helped them to do that. So there's Karl Marx again. There's Jesus again."

I guess the question is, could John Newton have composed Amazing Grace without believing in the Magic Man Who Lives in the Sky? Maybe. Probably. But it certainly helped.

Happy to be of service, thanks bud


In reply to this comment by Captain_Caveman:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Hidden-Cameras-Boys-of-Melody

Is far too great to be pushed aside so easily. This is one of the videos that made me want to contribute and be a part of your community ( ive had it stuck in my head for a long time now ).

So here's to awesome sifts that many may miss.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Hidden-Cameras-Boys-of-Melody

Is far too great to be pushed aside so easily. This is one of the videos that made me want to contribute and be a part of your community ( ive had it stuck in my head for a long time now ).

So here's to awesome sifts that many may miss.

Minus the bottle smashed finale, I live in a environment similar to this. Lil things like http://www.videosift.com/video/Hidden-Cameras-Boys-of-Melody

this make people manageable, I think its sad that the link had to wait so long to get sifted.

Bah and humbug, as dag said, it's just a bunch of rifts cobbled together. It's not a 'medley', there's no melody. There's no segue between each.

A whole ol' pile of meh from me.