First off, a big happy birthday to our other resident author, J-MACHine! ^^ This article is dedicated to you!
Its gonna be Halloween in a few weeks, so I wondered what would be on a Halloween playlist for the C&C crew. I took a small sample and ran analysis of why they might be there (in addition to why THEY think they should have it on their own iPod/mp3 player). So let's take a look.
Alestor
Gloomy Sunday by Rezso Seress and Laszlo Javor (Billie Holiday Version)
What he has to say about it:
"What else can be said for the 'Hungarian Suicide Song' that you can't find on Wiki?Whether you believe the stories of systematic banning in various countries or not doesn't change the original sound of it. I've always been a fan of Holiday's version, but I suppose that just ends up dating me. The original Hungarian poem is lovely to listen to, not that I assume everyone who has heard one of the original versions will know Hunargian."
Hotel California by The Eagles
What he had to say about it:
"I realize its not exactly 'halloween' material, but I always did have a fondness for listening to Hotel California in the autumn. Again, there are a number of stories concerning the song, all urban legends that are ultimately untrue. Yet I rather like the untruth in the stories. I can relate to sensationalism."
Life by Akira Yamaoka
What he had to say about it:
"I do so like guitars. There's a dusking feeling I glean from it; shop windows aglow with golden orange light, leaving bars of shadows on your table. I wouldn't know what to tell you about the title nor the artist, but I do know it makes for good music for evening drinking."
Analysis: Alestor's musical tastes are the hardest to pin down, mostly because the man's over 1,500 years old, and his tastes would probably span that. However, with the exception of Life, his choices reflect older tastes (classic rock, classic jazz). Additionally, they are songs with melancholic themes (in style or content). One is about loss, another is ambiguously about addiction, while the third relates to a game about identity. All are themes of Alestor's character, and probably the most telling of his own teammates. Songs such as these are songs that have a melancholic or depressing style or theme, reflecting more about Alestor's inner state of mind than his outer persona would like to show.
Leo
Supernature by Cerrone
What he had to say about it:
"I'm more of a rock sorta guy, but my mom always loved disco, so I tend to like that kinda beat. Supernature has some great lyrics, and more than that a lesson on messin' with Mother Nature. How else would you explain all those zombies running around?"
Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo
What he had to say about it:
"Love Oingo Boingo. Good use of horns and guitar."
Zombie Jamboree by Rockapella
What he had to say about it:
"When I was younger, I used to watch a tv show called Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The main theme was done by these acapella guys. They used to do commercials too, for coffee or Coke. They always sounded really cool."
Dragula by Rob Zombie
What he had to say about it:
"I motherfucking love motherfucking Rob Zombie."
Analysis: Supernature, whether its conscious or not, reflects a sort of cautionary tale in the dangers of "messin' with Mother Nature" Zombies are in fact, to Leo, a scientific or medical failing of the human race, and that sins against nature are what cause horrors such as these. Most of his selections involve the undead, if not all of them (excepting Dragula, but gets the pass for the artist name). That some of these songs speak of death as a matter-of-fact is reflective of Leo's views on the supernatural (in its inevitability) and that one must deal with it as it comes. Zombie Jamboree also reflects a touch of whimsy, much like he approaches his zombie cases; work is work but have fun (notwithstanding that Rockapella is a choice reflecting a childhood memory, much like Supernature's style does).
Henri
This is Halloween (Nightmare Before Christmas), Panic! at the Disco Version
What he had to say abut it:
"Its one of my fav movies. I love the animation and I really liked its simple story. I picked the Panic! at the Disco version because while sometimes I think live, they're a hot mess, the lead vocalist does lend a really good tone to the song. Its kinda like a hipper Grim Grinning Ghosts that you can dance to."
Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniel's Band
What he had to say about it:
"I learned violin pretty young, and I of course started with the hard stuff first. This is one of the ones I learned how to play all the fiddle parts to. Its....pretty hardcore, but I can assure you that if I had to be Johnny, I WOULD be the best in the world. TO heck with The Devil's Trill; if you can fiddle the whole of Devil Goes to Georgia, then you're hot stuff."
White Lines (Shaun of the Dead OST Version) by Grandmaster Flash
What he had to say about it:
"Ok ok, so its not a Halloween song, but it WAS in a horror zombie movie, right? That and I'm more old school when it comes to street music. Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC are some of my favs. I picked this version because it has good mixing with the original and movie dialogue in the beginning."
Thriller by Michael Jackson
What he had to say about it:
"I guess if I didn't put this down, I wouldn't have much of a playlist. Its a perennial Halloween favorite. Damned good video even today."
Analysis: Henri's musical tastes are probably some of the broadest, being one of the younger members of the team, yet his choices not only reflect personal taste (musical or even movie taste) but also technical skill (as in the case with Devil Went to Georgia). His choice to include a children's movie track reflects his own childhood tastes, yet White Lines reflects a mature palette (both tracks are OST selections and from 2 wildly different movies: a children's animated feature vs a rom-zom-com (reflecting also a range of recent movie genres and older traditional ones). His tastes are, for the most part, very mature for his age, or at the very least, extremely varied.
Yoko
Autumn Story by Firekites
What she had to say about it:
"I really like the sound of this song, which feels like the season its meant to evoke. Its feels very timeless and though it seems simple in construction, its very deep and complex in its own way. It starts off very slow and quiet, then ascends to a larger scale, just short of "epic", and then winds back down to its starting point. The video is also intriguing, and innovative in its use of animation on chalkboards. Its a mid-autumn sort of tune."
Skeleton Song by Johnny Hollow
What she had to say about it:
"Skeleton Song is typical of a song one would find in a Halloween playlist, but it stands out in its slow style and pace. I am fond of the ghostly vocals, its vague but poetic lyrics and its transitions that vary in intensity, style and occasionally tone. Its a very appropriate song for the Halloween holiday."
Tender Sugar by Akira Yamaoka and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
What she had to say about it:
"One of my personal favorites from the artist. Her vocals are perfect, and the song has a few personal meanings to me."
Analysis: Yoko's choices were, like Alestor's, the toughest to pin down, since she herself is about as timeless and immortal as he. Her choices are more ethereal (delicate and light in an otherworldly sort of way), much like herself. Her choices aren't mainstream; in addition, the genre is harder to pin down as well. "Timeless" is a quality that the songs share (excepting Tender Sugar, which had an identifiable sound). Tender Sugar's theme lyrically relate to other characters around her ("addiction", "trapped", "reality vs fantasy"), which explains her attachment (so to speak) of the song.
Mei
Halloween by Meg and Dia
What she had to say about it:
"I really like the song. Its a very sad story about losing a loved one and the holiday that used to be special to the two of them. Its very pretty, but melancholy. The vocals are also very nice; quiet, kind, yet very sad."
Zero no Chouritsu by Tsukiko Amano
What she had to say about it:
"I enjoy Amano-san's work a lot. Her musical style is very unique, and she also designs her own costumes for her performances I hear. Her voice has a mournful yet sharp edge to it in some of her music, but it softens and can become very joyful (I really liked Shou!). This song has a lot of strong emotions that you can hear in her voice and the instruments, especially the piano at the beginning and end. This song is one of my favorites because its beautiful in its emotional way, and also because it is also in English, which strikes me as ambitious as well."
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
What she had to say about it:
"This movie is one of my favorites (Bill Murray, daisuki! <3), and it reminds me of work sometimes (though that isn't really always a good thing). This song is really fun, and surprises some of my friends because its an American song about an American movie. It reminds me of Halloween. Fortunately, when we exorcise ghosts, we don't use such heavy and dangerous machinery."
Theme of Laura by Akira Yamaoka
What she had to say about it:
"This song is beautiful. It seems energetic, yet longing. I love the guitar pieces in it, as well as the technical skill. Yamaoka-san's blend of trance and western music makes his OSTs for Silent Hill very unique and haunting to listen to. It reminds me of someone I know."
Analysis: Mei's musical tastes seem to be very eclectic and varied. One would assume more music from her own native country, yet her entries are of varying origin (American and Japanese) and genre (rock, pop, indie/folk). However, her tastes also reflect Alestor's choices similarly in that 3 songs involve the themes of loss and are melancholy in sound and/or theme. Her choice for Ghostbusters however does set her apart since its not atypical of her outward persona; it reflects a wide interest in a spectrum of music, as well as a sense of humor and whimsical touch (not unlike Leo's choices).
Huh. I guess it goes to show you, you are what you listen to. Or something.
--Dio (10/02/10)