microtonal Britney Spears / Beefheart / Waits

> From: jdstarrett <jstarret@carbon.cudenver.edu>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 3:50 PM
> Subject: [tuning] Re: microtonal Britney Spears
>
>
> --- In tuning@y..., "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
> > Question: where is the dividing line between using sounds that
> > end up outside 12-tET as a "sound effect" and/or ear candy, and
> > when you can actually say "This is microtonal music"?
> >
> > Zia is microtonal pop/rock/whatever; Britney Spears?... I don't
> >think so.
>
> On the other hand, Ken Rubenstein's and Don Van Vleit's musics are
> based around 12tet with radical pitch inflections and I am tempted to
> call them microtonal, certainly more so than a meantone Scarlatti...
> Tough question.
>
> John Starrett

My head has been really heavily into periodicity-block graphing
lately and I kind of avoided answering Jon's question. I'd really
have to think more about it, because I'm pretty open-minded
about music.

But I definitely lean in the same direction as John about Vleit
AKA Captain Beefheart. I would certainly call his music microtonal
-- intentionally so. I hear a *lot* of Howlin' Wolf in most
of Vliet's vocals.

Another fairly "big" personality skirting on the frige of pop
who's *very* microtonal these days is Tom Waits. A former roomate
had a large collection of Waits CDs, and for a couple of years
I heard a lot of his work. I discern a steadily increasing
influence of Partch on Waits, in the microtonality, the
unusual instrument sounds, and the weird inflections in the
rhythm.

I know I've written about both of these guys before... try
searching the archive.

-monz

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

Joe,

--- In tuning@y..., "monz" <joemonz@y...> wrote:
> Another fairly "big" personality skirting on the frige of pop

You mean like a refrigerator magnet? :)

> who's *very* microtonal these days is Tom Waits. A former roomate
> had a large collection of Waits CDs, and for a couple of years
> I heard a lot of his work. I discern a steadily increasing
> influence of Partch on Waits, in the microtonality, the
> unusual instrument sounds, and the weird inflections in the
> rhythm.

And this should come as no surprise. Why? Because one of Wait's
closest friends growing up was Francis Thumm, Chromelodeon player in
the Harry Partch Ensemble, San Diego, 1971-1987.

Francis had not only introduced Waits to Partch's music, but Tom came
to a number of our performances, and Francis acted as co-producer (or
some such title) on some of the turning point recordings of Waits,
particularly "Rain Dogs".

Not to mention: have you *seen* a Waits concert? Every little thing
about a corporeal experience Partch could have wanted (or anyone
else, for that matter). If he sneaks in 'microtones', fine; frankly,
it is what and how he is communicating that matters to me. String
bending, squawking in a megaphone - if that's microtonal, fine. I
just like the stuff...

Cheers,
Jon